Home Owner

I am a home owner.

What that means is if something breaks, if something leaks, if something floods, I have to fix it or get it fixed.

Back when I rented, you called the landlord when something needed fixing. Those days are gone.

Let me explain something.

I lived in New York a long time. In my apartment buildings, supers, as they were called, were the lay of the land. They'd fix whatever, you gave them a 'couple of bucks', and then they were on their way.

Everyone was happy.

 I moved to a house in the suburbs and the guy who knew nothing about fixing things was now center stage. Me on a ladder is not a pretty sight.

Turns out there was one saving grace.

My wife.

She had a house in the 'burbs before we got married and can fix anything. Circuit Breakers? No problem. Dish Washer and the Washer/Dryer? Again no problem. Ladders, screwdrivers, wrenches, bicycles, toilets, putting chairs together, fixing the windows. I could go on.

I know what you're thinking. "But Mark, does it bother you that she's the man of the house?"

Nope. Not a bit.

I got over that a long time ago and it took about thirty seconds. Okay, maybe five seconds.

Another thing.

One of my favorite pictures of Denise

She's great at negotiating with people on the phone.  Great at negotiating, period. Me? You give me a price and I say okay. Not her. Give her a phone and watch her work. What starts out costing a thousand dollars ends up costing five hundred bucks. Before you know it cable turns into free HBO for six months. Bills turn out to be smaller than if I was in charge.

Vendors come in loaded for bear and leave having been snookered.

She's also great at seeing the whole field and acting on deals I know nothing about. She got a warranty that covers all our appliances. When something breaks, water softener, refrigerator, microwave, you name it, they come and repair it.

Who knew?

And another thing.

Something that has turned into a hit around our house is hearing the deals she gets when she goes shopping. I sit on the bed and marvel at her work.  She'll say something like, "This dress was $500, 15% off, half off that, 25% off that, less 50 bucks, it was on the sales rack, I got it for 5 dollars."

Like I said, a hit.

Denise has a green thumb, is a whiz at gardening and getting plants to grow.

Another who knew.

I surely didn't before we got married. Our house has flowers and hanging plants, plants in planters, and big plants, almost trees, on the patio.

There is a sign in one flower pot that reads, 'Gardeners know the best dirt.' That about says it all.

This started out about being a home owner and has turned into a tribute to my wife.

How about that.



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