The Wonders of Modern Technology

Wow... I didn't realize it had been so long since I last posted an update to our blog. I guess the few emails I've received from friends wondering if we were still alive should have been a hint. So here's to posting more timely updates!

The topic for this evening is, as the title suggests, how amazed I am by technology. Skype has been a part of our life since 2007 when I bought my (much loved) MacBook. Initially, it enabled me to peer in on Marcus and to read books to him from hundreds of miles away. Then, when Jack was born, it became the easiest way to communicate with family, especially grandparents, and to show his growth and progress. Now that we've moved, I use it to keep in touch with friends in Arlington. The older Jack has become, the more interested he is in talking to (and showing off for) the people on the other side of the screen.

Tonight though, Skype enabled me to accomplish new feats: home repair. As any renter turned homeowner knows, the absolute best part of renting is that phone call you make when something breaks or doesn't work as it should. If you have a good landlord, he/she comes and makes/pays for the repair and you're good to go. Not so as a homeowner. We've certainly already learned this as we have sunk $350 into a bathroom sink repair, $150 into a garage door repair, a LOT into a new refrigerator, and an as yet undetermined amount into a leaky window. However, being close to family has really paid off as my dad and Andy have done tons of odd jobs around here to save us money.

When Andy was here over the holidays, he would just FIX things as soon as he saw they needed some attention. One day, he told me he needed caulk for the basement bathroom. Off we went to Ace Hardware and Andy showed me all of the correct gadgets to get and then he came back to our place and sealed some leaks in the tub. The next day, he removed the door that leads out to the garage from its hinge and repaired the weatherstripping on the bottom (which we'd been saying we needed to do since we closed on the house in mid-October!). He fixed the ice maker in our brand new refrigerator (something that the fridge company couldn't help with) and got all of the wiring figured out in the family room so we now actually have decent sound when watching TV. It was blissful to have him around. Literally every question I asked him about something that wasn't working in our house was met with "oh, I know how to fix it" and then he'd do it. Amazing.

Tonight, as Jack and I were playing before bedtime, Sarah and the kids rang us on Skype. We talked with the boys for a few minutes (Jack says both Deagan's and Marcus' names now: "Dee-dee" and "Muh-meh") and then Andy came on to the screen. All of a sudden, I exclaimed "Oh, Andy, it's so good you're there! I need your help with something!"

I took my laptop over to the pantry and showed Andy the door. The handle came off this morning and I couldn't figure out how to reach inside the door (it's a bi-fold) to try to get the screw out of the back. The best I could figure out was that I'd need to take everything out of the closet, get inside, and then use a flashlight to see what I was doing. I'm so glad I didn't do that though because with my luck, I'd get stuck in there and then would have to wait for tomorrow night for Mick to get back from his travel to get me out. Not a smart plan when you have a mischieveous toddler running around...

Anyway, first, Andy had me hold the laptop up to the top of the bi-fold door. He instructed me how to get the door out of the track so it would then swing wide open (eliminating the need for me to close myself in the closet, flashlight in hand). I then showed him with the camera on my computer what the problem was. Of course, he knew exactly what I needed to do. However, instead of explaining it to me and having me struggle with figuring out what he meant, he suddenly took over control of my computer (I think he said he was able to "remote in" and then basically his screen showed on my computer) and drew a diagram of what I needed to do.

I was so fascinated by this form of assistance that I had to run and get the camera to record a bit of it:


The door isn't fixed yet as I don't have a fender washer (which is what Andy said I needed). That means I get to take a trip to the hardware store tomorrow which is great because hardware stores are my favorite (well, those and lumber yards!). However, I know that if I have any trouble re-installing the handle, I can just Skype Andy again and will get all the help I need.

I wonder if I've stumbled upon a new business idea for those do-it-yourselfers who need just a little bit of guidance without paying $100 for a service call...

Anyway, thanks Andy!