I HEART my Sawzall

As I mentioned, I have been procrastinating on tackling the various home maintenance and improvement projects before me, because much as I like being handy, these particular projects just don't seem to have the right combination of creativity, learning, and visible payoff. (I mean, when will I ever admire my new roof flashing?) But this weekend I was forced into action, when, Saturday night, Enrico pointed out that there was something chewing loudly behind the washing machine. And in case I thought he was just imagining things, I needed only to look at Toby, standing classically on point as if he were straight out of a hunting illustration, with his nose wedged into the crack between the washer and dryer.

You see, back in January we had our house completely replumbed - that is, every inch of pipe coming into and out of the house was replaced. It sounds ghastly and it was screamingly expensive, but we knew it was coming; the original plumbing was 50 years old. It was time. On the up side, we can expect our chronic plumbing problems to be over now because there's not a single damn piece of plumbing left in this house, from water main to sewage line, that hasn't been replaced. I believe the plumber actually shed a tear when he left my house, thinking of all the good times he'd had here over the years.

What does this have to do with the chewing, you might ask, or my home improvement motivational state? Well, the plumbers left a large hole, roughly three feet high by two feet wide, behind the washing machine, which basically provides a big open gateway from the disgusting crawl space right up into our house. Kind of like one of those hellmouth thingies on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I've been meaning since January to close it up with plywood, but for various reasons too boring to explain, the plumbers left the hole just a little bit harder to close up than it used to be. And so it has stood open, but easily ignored because it's, well, behind the washing machine. Which admittedly is right there in our kitchen, but really, how often do you look behind any of your appliances?

However, clearly a rodent with strong chewy teeth had found the hellmouth and the mind-blowing all-you-can-eat buffet that is our kitchen, and action had to be taken. Which caused me to get up first thing this morning, go to the hardware store, purchase a piece of plywood, and get out my trusty jigsaw. I love my jigsaw (sometimes referred to in the vernacular as a sawzall, because you can cut nearly any shape with it). It is so very fun. And I set up my little work bench, and I measured out the whole thing with the dips and holes for the pipes and the faucets, and lo! the hellmouth is now closed.

Enrico was busy packing for the week-long backpacking trip that he's starting tomorrow, and as much as possible I exempted him from participation in the hellmouth closing, because he hates that stuff. He most definitely does not love my jigsaw, or anything like it. That's ok, I come from a family where the women often pack the gluegun, either alongside or in lieu of our menfolk, and that's all right with all of us. As I threw open the door bearing my plywood prize, steam gathering inside my safety goggles and sawdust in my hair, glowing with exhilaration, Enrico just gazed at me and said, "Vive la difference!"

Anyway - I'm hoping this happy reunion with my jigsaw has whet my appetite for those other projects. Maybe a rat in the house was just the kick in the pants I need!