You guys are great !! Saturdays mornings are good, now even better reading D.A.D.
Keep it up--really enjoy the articles!!

LOL! Thanks for your honesty & humor, guys. For the record, my husband is right there with ya! I had to endure his strutting around the house after his recent success hanging a curtain rod. Yes, a curtain rod. (Unfortunately for his ego, MY father is a mechnical contractor & sounds like the Bob Vila protege that Russ' father is! As such, I am the more likely one to explore mechanical problems.) As the mother of 2 sons (& 2 daughters!), I have wondered about the 'generational divide' myself. I think a big component is related to the different ways in which young boys spent (spend) their free time. Our fathers weren't playing video games or exploring the internet. They were outside exploring & standing at their father's side while household repairs were being made. They weren't as inundated with homework and stressing over standardized testing. Don't get me wrong. My intention is not to criticize those things or undermine their value. I just don't know how well these shifts have served 'boys'.
I also tend to think that our parents' generations & their parents' generations valued their time and money differently than we do. They were more likely to take the time to repair what needed repairing. Our generation is overbooked, overcommitted and overwhelmed. There was a great sense of pride in doing it yourself vs. calling 'a professional' that was coupled with limited means. Would you say that that is still the case?

Looking forward to hearing some other perspectives!

Hey I had a girl drill before I was married. I was too cheap to pay anyone to do something relatively simple. I installed many a curtain rods btw, and installed closet organizers (just the metal shelf type) in three closets. My dad was very handy and I used to watch him. I also would occupy myself and play around on his workbench in the basement. Great memories. Luckily my DH is very handy too, so I haven't picked up a drill in about 15 years. My DD on the other hand is too busy texting to watch him LOL.

@ Judi: Thanks. I hope others are enjoying this as well.

@Nicole: You know, my father is a trained auto mechanic and up until I was born, that is what he did. Then he went into management. He really should have been an engineer, because he always had a voracious appetite for knowledge but that level of formal education was not available to him. But the sheer number of home improvement tasks he just seems to KNOW hot to do is astounding. Now, while I did play SOME video games...the internet wasn't invented until I was in college. I just couldn't pick up the stuff easily. My mother always said my dad could make a fortune off being a handyman for my generation. As for your husband: was the curtain rod level? Its a tough job! Give him a break!

@Robin: What the heck is a girl drill????

LOL. My husband made that name up. It was a cordless low power drill. He said that's why he married me. Never knew any other girl with a drill. BTW, they now make tools with pink handles, etc.

I have a low powered black and decker cordless in my downstairs closet. My father calls it "the little screw gun". Its great for hard angles where a full sized drill won't reach. The little screw gun was a Christmas gift to my wife from my father-in-law.

No offense to your dad or any others, but as a professional contractor, I can tell you that there is a lot of over estimation if one's abilities. I run unto untold things done in a manner both insane and dangerous in homes where the owner was a "really handy" guy. Do yourself a favor people, do your job, whatever it may be and hire a pro to work on your home.

As always, a great conversation going on here.

One thing I didn't mention was that the main tool I used to fix the boiler was my soon-to-be-three-year-old's snake flashlight that came with his plastic Black & Decker tool bench we bought him for Christmas last year...

@Nicole - I completely agree with your statement: "Our generation is overbooked, overcommitted and overwhelmed. There was a great sense of pride in doing it yourself vs. calling 'a professional' that was coupled with limited means."

We're too busy for just about anything these days, and when it comes to fixing something we don't know how, a simple phone call and the ability to wash our hands of it so we can move forward seems to be the only choice left for some people.

With each generation comes changes and challenges, and it's a matter of adapting to them. I think Russ and I are doing just that, as are many modern fathers, and we'll continue to pass down any and all knowledge we can to our kids.

@ All Thumbs: Your point is WELL taken. There are plenty of things around my house that when I have hired professionals. Roofing work, chimney work, and most electrical work. But I am also willing to attempt a "father/son" job if it i feasible. And I do learn as I do so. But no offense taken and you are right, some repairs are terrible. And dangerous. I bet you have seen a thing or two. I'd love for you to post some of the awful things you've had to fix after a homeowner botched a self repair.

And Jason....I am not sure if I buy we are busier than previous generations. I mean, my grandfather fought Nazis and then built Rangers on a Ford assembly line for 16 hours a day. Was he busier than I am? I don't think so. But I think there was much more of a jack-of-all-trades mentality that fathers were ingrained to have.

Of course, that also leads is to the second part of that title..."master of none."

One thing that is for sure is that Russ's dad should be proud that his son just said the nicest things about him. I love hearing "fond memories".

I think the level of "mechanically inclined-ness" correlates to the employment of those involved and what goes into those jobs. My father has had a ton of jobs over the years. Everything from working (and later owning) a gas station, to fixing electronics, to being an IT manager. As a result he can make all sorts of makeshift "stuff" out of otherwise worthless parts. That said I'm the one who gets the call for IT support, legal advice, or showing him how to draw a graph in Excel. Today many more of us don't have the same level of I guess what I'd think of as more blue collar experience and instead have more business, math, computer, etc... skills. The more hands on skills of our fathers gave them the ability (and more likely the testicular fortitude to attempt) to climbing a tree with an ax, paint with chemicals that leave you unconscious for a couple days, or use a chainsaw in the living room. I'll probably never have my father's skill set, but at the same time unlike my father I'll probably never have to drive myself to the hospital with a drill bit sticking out of my hand...

New D.A.D. is up. http://patch.com/A-sZ2d