Reporters as fans

This is a running joke w/my Dad and I that we have absolutely zero handyman skills between us. He pays his landscaper in cash a few times a year to mow the lawn and take care of all the sundry details and does likewise in the winter for someone to snowblow his driveway. Both guys he uses have multiple employees, all of whom we assume are paid off the books. Good work if you can get it. For me and my wife, renting is like digging a giant hole and throwing money down there every month, but it's almost worth it not to have to worry when we discover the kitchen is leaking into the basement for some unknown reason. Call the landlord and one of the guys he pays cash will come and figure it out in about 10 minutes.

 

One day at work at the electronic publishing firm in oh, 2012 or so, it started snowing (headquarters on North Shore of Mass.). A co-worker, a former New Yorker, looked at the snow hitting our cars in the parking lot and said. "You know what's the best part of life in New York City? When it snows, it's somebody else's problem."

 

This is me, too. I have absolutely zero interest in yard work or home repairs. There are plenty of other ways I'd rather be spending my time.

I'll throw cash at it first.

 

Buddy of mine is a contractor, he did our roof and totally reno'd our kitchen. He is in business with his brother building custom homes and when Covid hit they both figured it was a good time to get out (as was mentioned upthread, years of doing that takes a toll) but soon found they were swamped with renos and more custom home builds so they are still at it. Too much money to turn down.

As for job announcements, I see a lot of it in the hockey world, much of it from young people who get social media jobs and splash it all over Twitter while wearing the team sweater and that's all great but you see just as many posting after the season they are free agents, as much as anything because they probably don't make enough to live in a major city.

 

I had an older, veteran journo mentor in my first job who would say "don't ask me to fix my sink and I won't ask you to write a headline." I've followed that philosophy.
As a Jewish kid who grew up in the suburbs with a dad who worked his own business six days a week, those are skills I never acquired.

 

Every plumbing job I attempt ends with me calling a plumber.

 

Not that I'm old, but the HVAC business we've used for our home since we bought it in 1992 and thank God for them is onto the third generation of responders. Granddad was our first contact, son until about 3 year ago and now grandson. They are all wonderful people and we're lucky to have first hired 'em, but the progression does suggest HVAC provides a good living.

 

Somewhat related, but they don't make washers and dryers like they used to. My Dad is still using the set he and my late Mom bought when they bought the house in 1990. Had someone in a few weeks ago to do some fixes but it's still running. We're on our third washer in 15 years at our place while our upstairs neighbor is on her second washer since she got here in late '18, when her first washer was brand new.

 

New refrigerators are supposed to be utter garbage too. I don’t understand how that technology regresses.

 

I'm sure it's not a coincidence, though.

 

Planned obsolescence