1. Adolf Viggo Larsen (“Farr”) picked me up at the back door steps at 98 Castro Street, San Leandro in his 1936 LaSalle, 4-door family sedan everyday after work and we’d drive the remaining 50 feet or so to the barn-garage, beneath his homing pigeon loft above. What a thrill for a toddler, riding with […]
The A Cappella Handyman: Our physical plant, Part 1
Call it our plant or factory or complex organism where life is received, nurtured, healed, fed, rested, and alerts go out saying that we’re getting old and weary… YESTERDAY after work, I’m sitting on our front porch, texting somebody or something and a black, noodley object is flashing across my keyboard, left to right and […]
The A Cappella Handyman: Two-County Tinker
I used to be a three-county tinker, but I gave up Alameda County. It was just too far to go. I also gave up those under-the-counter jobs where your head and back are in the cabinet looking up at 30- or 40-year old fixtures and drains or garbage disposals in leaking and desperate need of […]
The A Cappella Handyman: Sprinkler Leaks
Sprinkler Leaks Oh, Lordy, the customer calls, her sprinkler heads are not working up to par, several are fine, but some are just dribbling, can I schedule a look in the next few days? Yes, we agree on a time that suits both of us, and I arrive. She heads for the garage to turn […]
The A Cappella Handyman: Networking 2.0
Some from the 1980s called it “networking,” others call it “word of mouth advertising,” marketing, etc. Some case(s) in point: 1. 1970, Sanitary Engineering Research Lab, Richmond Field Station, UC Berkeley. 4-5 other UC labs were at the Field Station also, so to safeguard for empty spaces in my timecard and workload, I “networked” my […]
The A Cappella Handyman: Special projects
Oh, the Joys of Handymanning, sometimes it’s a riot of creativity. Four recent and not-so-recent projects come to mind: 1. Cat House 2. Ramp for a Senior Dog 3. Lazy Susan 4. Backyard Art Museum 1. Cat House A long-time customer had remarried and his new wife had a cat who was accustomed to the […]
The A Cappella Handyman: Honey-Do Handymanning
Honey-Do Handymanning In this my 15th year of riding in this Handyman saddle, it’s time to move on to the Honey-Do Phase. Just as busy as always, but a tad lighter in tasks than previously. What does that mean “Honey-Do?” That’s the phrase where the wife or spouse or significant other says, “Honey I […]
The A Cappella Handyman: California Dreaming at the Rellik
This Sunday, April 9, the Rellik Tavern at 726 First Street along with Benicia Literary Arts and Benicia First Tuesday Poets presents “California Dreaming, Poetry and Tales from Traveling West,” 4 to 6 p.m. Open Mic follows at the break. If you’ve never been to The Rellik, get here quick! It’s beautiful inside, contemporary art […]
The A Cappella Handyman: With screaming seagulls overhead
The first time I came to or through Benicia was in 1946 across the train bridge from Martinez, I was three years old. My Mom and I were enroute to Brigham City, Utah to see my Dad who was in a VA hospital for reconstructive surgery for his wounds acquired in World War II Germany. […]
The A Cappella Handyman: Songwriting 2.0.2
It had been a tough day at work, so by the time I rode the BART train out of The City and to Pleasant Hill, then drove home to Benicia, I was ready to turn on the TV and disappear into some mind-numbing TV. I grabbed the remote, sank into my favorite chair and as […]