The first episode of the Thumb and Hammer Home Improvement Podcast is now ready for download or streaming. This is a typical first episode in that I simply introduce myself and the podcast.
Topics covered in this episode
* One of my earliest recollections of using a hammer to build something and the first observation that I just wasn’t good at working with tools.
* My school experience with shop class.
* The “stigma” of the trades.
* My first ever DIY project, why it was a failure and what I was able to learn in order to succeed at a similar project later.
* How hiring a professional led me to later successfully complete my first DIY project.
* How my eventual overconfidence resulted in the nightmare we have been living with for the last decade.
* Why I am starting a podcast and what the general theme of the podcast is going to be.
Links and Resources
These are a few blog posts on the website that help illustrate how overwhelmed I was with the problems we found in this house:
Four mistakes that cost us over a hundred grand This post from 2013 summarizes the four major mistakes that we made when we bought our house.
Just when I thought I was making progress… While gutting the ensuite bathroom in 2006 , I uncover electrical and structural issues. Not the most epic post, but one which clearly illustrates my frustration.
And depression sets in… Another post from 2006, I lament the fact that we moved from a decent house to a money pit, I try to sort out whether the grass really is greener.
Preparing for the heating upgrade and another electrical problem revealed In 2007, I opened up a wall to expose the pipes for the hot water heating system (our house has radiators) so that they could be upgraded. That led to the discovery of an electric outlet buried behind drywall. This post will also give a little glimpse into the design aesthetic of the previous owner– what looks good is not necessarily functional.
From dream house to nightmare Another post from 2013 reflecting on how we came to the realization that we bought a money pit.
Oh, and as promised in the podcast, here are my 8th grade shop projects for you to marvel at 34 years later.
