Are You A Fixer?

My lovely wife and I are at a posh resort in Midway, Utah. It’s the first time in years we’ve taken off with out the kids. The youngest two are 18 and we got a chance to spend some time just the two of us.

Midway is about 30 miles from my home in Pleasant Grove. It’s literally on the other side of the mountain from us. Of course, you have to drive through the canyon to get from there to here. For a week away, we spent too much time running back and forth.

Anyway, I don’t know what the resort normally cost for a week. We have a three room suite with a kitchen, two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a big living room. It’s nice. The resort has a Swiss theme, but it’s a pretty mild theme.

I noticed that I keep fixing things. I think I always have. A buddy once asked me to “look at my garbage disposal. It’s making a funny noise.” I had him turn it on one time. Sure enough, it made a terrible grinding noise. As he went to get tools, I reached my hand down and pulled out the pebble that had fallen in.

Maybe I should have made that look harder?

One of the bathrooms has a sliding door. But, it didn’t lock. The strike plate was dented from someone trying to close it while in the locked position. A multi-tool helped me get the plate off. Then, I bent it back in position and reinstalled it. Now it locks.

The gas stove didn’t turn on. It would click as it tried to start.

Wait, I’ve got a lighter in my stuff.

I don’t smoke. And no one I know smokes.

My son-in-law and daughter came to visit over the weekend. His sister’s glasses got smashed.

Dad, can you fix this?

Sure, let me just grab a wire.

And a few minutes later her glasses were fixed.

The post on the bed was loose. If you twist it a few times, it tightens right up.

I haven’t won all of them. The gas fireplace quit working. It was going and suddenly stopped and even the pilot light was out. I popped the access panel off and rotated the starter to PILOT and hit the striker several times. Nope. I think they may have failed to pay their gas bill, or maybe we ran it too long. (Thankfully the stove still works. . .if we use a lighter.)

I realized that is just what I do. If I’m on a walk and someone’s mailbox is open, I close it without thinking. I’ve fixed items on my son’s project car while walking by with a armful of groceries.

My kids think I can literally fix anything. If only people were as easy to fix as strike plates and gas stoves.

Stay safe

Rodney M Bliss is an author, columnist and IT Consultant. His blog updates every weekday. He lives in Pleasant Grove, UT with his lovely wife, thirteen children and grandchildren.

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