Our home seems to be getting a bit demanding this week…. drains lethargic, faucets feisty, electrical outlets working inconsistently, garage door being temperamental… all normal “problems,” but needing repairs.
Who am I gonna call????
Okay….where to find all those sticky notes with names and numbers of workers to come out to help fix the problems?….oh those sticky notes! So hard to keep track of!
So….
a few new charts to help keep track of ….
Who? What? Where? When? How much it costs?
Finding someone to help with the work….
With luck, it might take only take 2 telephone calls…
A place to write down information as I make those calls
(and sharing them here, in case they might be helpful for anyone else)
A bit less luck….it might take 5 calls…or more? I sure hope not!
We all have the names and numbers of good workers from past jobs….
or ideas about new people to try, too?
Maybe fill in this chart
and those names and numbers might be easier to find next time?
a “master” list
What work DID we have done around the house this year?
And who did that work?
It all starts to blend together…a bit of a blur
Hopefully that job won’t need doing again for awhile longer?
And starting out next year keeping track, too.
A memory helper
So….who you gonna call?
😀
Pocket Perspectives 
Good luck getting the house sorted out, Kathy.
I just keep a file, “House, Maintenance and Repair,” and toss contact info in it for plumbers, electricians, etc.
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Thanks Nancy….the needs of our house seem to have outgrown the size of our file…and my memory…so new strategy attempt.
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Those sticky notes become a challenge to find. In our household Phil does all the repairs. He is an engineer but is very handy so he has a business doing remodeling work as well as electrical and general repairs. It helps pay the bills. 🙂
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Marie, you are VERY fortunate….give Phil a great big hug of appreciation! Wow!!!!! Very fortunate, indeed! 😀
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I DO like that House Maintenance Information chart, Kathy. What a good idea. You must be so organized 🙂
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I have some “potential” to be organized, but most of the time I’m not so much. When things get too messy/not working etc. I start to wake up and then access the motivation or make a chart to get myself going or to try to keep track of things. 😀 I think someone could make a fortune doing inexpensive/limited “property management/referrals” for baby boomers who have gotten tired of so much household maintenance, but don’t want to move to a condominium.
Welcome back from Cuba!…. hope to see lots of photos on your blog! 😀
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What an organized method for solving household problems! I think we could certainly benefit from your method! 🙂
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I have a method…now I need to make use of it! 😀
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You are so organized. It’s super impressive. I have post-it notes throughout my address book (not an online address book either — the old fashion kind you have to write it). I hope everything has been sorted out for you. I keep wondering if the stars and planets are misaligned lately when it comes to home appliances, electricity, and such. It’s certainly been a big year for repairs or buying whole new things for me (car crash, air conditioner going bust, etc.).
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Oh, true confessions time…I haven’t used them for the house problems I was needing to get help for. The garage door wiring seems to have fixed itself, (???) but the main drain is still sluggish, but working. I’m way more motivated to make charts than to use them! And I agree…isn’t it odd how there will be a series of repairs or replacements needed, all in a compacted period of time? It can get a bit wearing!
I just read a book that I think you had mentioned, Courage, by Debbie Ford…. I wish I had the extraordinarily strong sense of vision and purpose that she has…wow!…quite remarkable. But the book is full of helpful strategies and ideas…usable even without that strength of vision…thanks for the heads up about it. (I think I saw it on your blog!???)
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You did. Well, I think you did. It’s possible you may have seen it elsewhere. I reviewed it back in June. It was one of those “outside of my comfort zone” assignments I gave myself because I originally meant to decline when I was asked to review it (thinking I am no good at all at book reviews). It was a good challenge and it helped me with my own courage. 🙂
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Well, Robin, I certainly thank you for getting the courage to write the review…I wouldn’t have read it if I hadn’t seen your recommendation…isn’t that something?…the same thing as Debbie Ford wrote about/suggested just happened! wow! And I think I saw a reference in that book to another book I had, but hadn’t read…I read it this morning and it’s wonderful too…. The Joy of Not Working. I’ve just been making some reminder “pages,” based on the book, to help me keep some of the ideas in mind. (I might post them tomorrow ) Another good book that I’ve been rereading…one that helps with those fixed patterns that Debbie Ford wrote about… is One Heart, One Mind, by Tsoknyi Rinpoche. (I heard him speak at Spirit Rock with Sharon Salzberg and he was wonderful) ….lots of gentle ideas in the book about recognizing and breaking up unhelpful habitual patterns…one thing/idea/book/post sure does lead to another!
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