Didn't try this at home

When we bought our first house, we paid an electrician God knows how much money fix the wiring. There were switches and outlets that didn't work. The guy comes, climbs into the attic, looks around and says the problem is that the previous owner was a do-it-yourselfer, only he didn't know what he was doing.

I'll call him "Bob."

Judging from the junk mail that still came for him, Bob was mostly a woodworker. He built a quilt rack, pocket doors and some other projects that were really nice. But he wasn't an electrician. Nothing was up to code. (Yes, our inspector should have caught Bob's mistakes, but this was in Florida. Things don't work in Florida the way they do other places.) Bob had made a real mess of the wiring. We're lucky he didn't cause a fire.

My dad was never a DIY-er. He'd call his brother or ask a neighbor to install a light switch or fix the toilet. After that first visit from the electrician, I decided I wasn't going to call professionals for home repairs unless it was absolutely necessary. I got a couple of books, grilled the guys at Home Depot and learned how to replace a light switch, how to install a ceiling fan, replace shingles on a hurricane-whipped roof. I'm pretty comfortable doing light repairs.

But this garage door business, that was something else. So many parts, so high off the ground. It wasn't a one-person job. I felt lame hiring someone to put it in, but I know when I'm licked.