A Shocking Email
I’ll tell you right off that I hate working with electricity because it scares the heck out of me. But I had to replace an outlet, so I shut off the proper circuit breaker and checked the outlet with a voltage tester. The power was off. OK, no big deal. I started unscrewing the wire from the outlet, and just as the screwdriver touched the head of the terminal screw, someone sent me an e-mail, which caused the BlackBerry phone hanging at my hip to vibrate. Thinking I was being electrocuted, I threw the screwdriver across the room, where it crashed right through the window. This is one time that hiring an electrician might have been cheaper. — Jerry Dolak
Reprinted by permission from Family Handyman, an ideal resource for homeowners, whether new or experienced DIYers. They have a good sense of what falls into a typical homeowner’s skillset and are good judges of what a moderately handy person can manage and when they need to put down the hammer and pick up the phone. They publish 8 issues per year with great suggestions for maintenance, additions, upgrades and improvements and also have on line features like Projects for Pet Owners and DIY University. I think they are a stellar publication and couldn’t do without it! Subscribe to Family Handyman.