Jimhandy's Don’ts of Doing

Once upon a time there was a man named Jimhandy and that guy just happened to be me. I learned how to be a handy man the hard way and that was by the process of elimination. I have compiled a vast amount of information about mishaps, dilemmas and altercations. This is reverse technology and a “how not to do” booklet.

You will be a better person if you learn from my mistakes. In no particular order I will try to remember the errors of my way. We are talking fires and floods and theirs worse than that. If I could not find the hammer I would use a bat. What ever it took to make it work I was good at that.

I will be back tomorrow to fix it again; the problem is I don’t know when. I learned eventually never to say when and the regulars knew that’s what I meant. I had little control over my next encounter. I am going somewhere to do something and I “don’t know what it is, do I Misses Jones”. Even when I got there and figured it out there was another problem lingering about. If the job was supposed to take 5 minutes they were the worst.

Once I shut down the power, air-conditioner, water, or heat there was no escape and I never knew what to expect. I mean I did not have backup or someone that was capable of helping me and too many of my tomorrows were spent fixing yesterday’s mistakes

Thank You, Jim Raab http://www.jimhandy.blogspot.com/

Jimhandy's Flyer

Home Improvements and Impossible Tasks

You are in good hands. Jimhandy is the best value in home repair and improvements. Sit back relax and see all your homeowner dreams and needs come true. Quality workmanship by a professionally experienced handyman and Jimhandy does it all no job to big or small. Are you tired of supporting a deliveryman, electrician, and a plumber to do a small job like dishwasher installation? One call does it all for the best reasons and that makes a lot of cents. 20% more efficient than most estimates.

Assembling, building, cleaning, closing construction, delivery, demolition, detailing, finishing improving, installation, opening, painting, papering, plumbing, power washing, recycling, repairing, replacement remodeling, removal, sales transport, and or service of:

Additions, alarms, animal, control, antennas, appliances, attics & fans, basements, bathrooms, barbeque grills, bricks, cabinets, cable & wires, carpets, cars, ceilings & fans, ceramic tiles, computers, concrete & blocks, chimney, closets, decks, doors, driveway sealer, ductwork, electric, electronics, faucets, fence, filters, floors, furnace, garage doors & openers, gates, water heaters, intercoms, kitchens, lamps, landscape & lighting, lawn & irrigation, lighting, lightning protection, locks, mold, molding, outlets, pavers, ponds, pools, rain gutters, retaining walls, roofing, sheds, shelving, slate, skylights, speakers, sump pumps switches, telephones, televisions, timers, trees, video, and windows.

Thank You, Jim Raab http://www.jimhandy.blogspot.com/

Jimhandy's Introduction

Jimhandy emerged in 1983 when I was 35 years old. I was a single parent and trying to support my two daughters Reeta and Stephana. They were five and six years old at the time and just started school. My son Billy was sixteen, up, running, and taking care of himself.

I was a Vietnam War veteran suffering from sixteen years of untreated stress related social disorder. I had spent the last sixteen years changing my residence and employments annually do to the affects of my disability. Reading, comprehension, and memory were diminished.

Anger and hyper-vigilant reactions were prevalent but it took me twenty years to admit I was defective. With my back against the wall I solicited myself as a handyman. I had no insurance, license, permits, or ability to write contracts or bills. Hand shake and oral agreement that’s it. Unable to estimate the value of my tasks I saved the receipts for the materials and charged for the hours of labor. In the early eighties I was charging five dollars an hour and most of my tools were used or broken and I would have to fix them regularly.

My daughters were literally the center of my universe. My life revolved around their time schedule. Good help is hard to find and the girls ran two sitters out of town in short order. They quit never telling me why. Around three o’clock I would rescue my daughters from school and bring them back to work with me.

Work was hard to find and I cut grass, raked leaves, cleaned outside and inside, washed windows, tried my best, and never said no. During the process performing my tasks was able to watch other workmen and mimic their skills. I was constantly increasing my ability to be of service to people. Strangers were difficult for me to deal with and often took advantage of my shortcomings. As I became more useful I was able to become more selective and spend more time at earning money. Unable to handle strange people I tried to offer more services to fewer people. It was a way of working around my shortcomings.

To this day I do not understand how my determination, persistence, and confidence became the ingredients for the surreal wrath of troubles I left behind in the wake of my efforts to do my best. I am truly sorry for all trouble, inconvenience, and disarray I caused all my friends customers and other acquaintances. All that being said welcome to the adventures of Jimhandy.

Thank You, Jim Raab http://www.jimraab.blogspot.com/

Jim Handyman Blog

Jimhandy is a series of short stories depicting a straightly of survival in a high tech world without writing and reading skills. Avoiding insurance, contracts, licenses, and permits this character survives on determination. Self taught mechanical skills and a scientific approach prove that eventually and given enough time most things can be fixed. Assuming that is, practicality, to what degree, for how long, and question of expense are of no concern. Education of skills by eliminating unsuccessful attempts is a risky business for all participants. I was the jack of all trades and master of two. I had the uncanny magical ability to pull a rabbit out of the hat at the last minute and wool over the eyes of the beholder to hide my mistakes. I proved to myself beyond the shadow of doubt the existence of a higher power merely by the survival of catastrophic events and many of which are not comprehended until after the fact. Somehow the results of this adventure prove to be comical in nature and interesting to imagine.
Thank You, Jim Raab http://www.jimraab.blogspot.com/