Over the weeks here I’ve been helping Jeff with some carpentry jobs around the house. We’ve installed a cedar ceiling, lighting fixtures and most recently a ceiling fan. When I arrived at this a-frame nestled in the mountains, Jeff’s primary source of heating was natural gas, but after a few weeks of cold weather Jeff and I started discussing how he should install a wood-burning stove into his open air fireplace.

Once Jeff gets an idea planted into his head, it doesn’t talk long for him to take action, and within hours of our conversation he was online on craigslist looking for the perfect stove. It took a few weeks to find the right fit, but once he found it we were off to Denver to pick it up.

During my time here I’ve been given a nickname, Spartacus. The name comes from Kathrin who gave it to me because I remind her of a Spartan. I live in a van with a very frugal lifestyle, it doesn’t take much to keep me satisfied, and if ever there is anything that needs building, fixing, or repair, I’m the guy for the job.

I’m a firm believer in Do It Yourself and the notion that if there is anything that needs doing we are all capable of doing it. Yes, I believe that any one of us can do practically any job there is to be done… the only ingredient needed, is time. There is no job too big and no job too small as long as we give ourselves time to learn and the patience to accomplish the task.

Jeff is not a DIY lunatic like me, he often would rather hire someone to do the job, have it done right, and hove it done without any frustration on his part. I understand his thought process, since after all we live in an age of specialization, and in this age we are taught to call someone rather that figure it out for ourselves. I understand the idea of paying someone to do it right, but for me the challenge is so much more fun!

So in the spirit of DIY and a warm house I decided to buy Jeff and Kat a parting gift… a chainsaw. Jeff has assured me that he is no Lumber Jack, but I am quite confident inside him lay a dormant Lumber Jeff.

Peace,
D