Now back to our regularly scheduled program, already in progress

After a long, long, long hiatus (courtesy of Google), I'm back. While it seemed like a good idea at the time, enabling two-step verification turned out to be a colossal waste of time.

(I'm being a little melodramatic here. To be fair, if I'd actually written down, saved or printed my verification code, or if I hadn't deleted the Google Authenticator app from my phone, none of this would have happened.)

So here I am, jumping back into this after 16 months. In that time, I've tackled a few projects (but not as many as I'd planned to), been the best dad and husband I can be, and I've plugged away at my day job as a self-employed writer, and marketing/social media consultant. If you've never tried it, self-employment can be excruciating.

I'm hoping to provide updates on those aforementioned projects, as well as those I plan to tackle in the very near future. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, it's great to be back. Oh, and I'm also getting back into the Twitter game with my handyman identity. If you don't already, follow @DIYDerek.

I look forward to our conversations about all things DIY.

A treasure trove of historic hand tools

Normally, I'm not the "read a waiting room magazine" type, but the other day I picked up an issue of Maine Ahead, which I'd never heard of. Having written a bit about and researched green building, trends and technology, the cover story on the attainability of sustainability was just too interesting to ignore.

I never got to that cover story. As I flipped through the pages, I came across a photo that stopped me, and made me want to devour this article on the Davistown Museum. Thanks to the museum, historic tools don't die. They find a home in a cozy, out-of-the-way Maine town called Liberty.

For H.G. "Skip" Brack, the museum is a labor of love. In addition to building, collecting and curating the vast array of tools in the "An Archaeology of Tools" exhibit, he owns Liberty Tool Company, which is - naturally - the museum's sponsor. That he also happens to be an expert on historic tools is apparent in the wealth of informative publications and essays he's written. You can read essays on the website, and publications can be purchased online or at the museum.

The museum's mission is "the recovery, identification, evaluation, and display of the hand tools of the maritime culture of coastal New England from the first European visitors in the 16th century to the fluorescence of the Industrial Revolution." The collection also includes Native American artifacts, "accidental durable remnants of ancient peoples," old paintings and artwork by some well-known Maine artists like Albrecht Durer and Milton Avery.

At some point, I plan to make the two-plus-hour pilgrimage to the museum, but for now I'll have to be content to live vicariously through the museum's site. I strongly encourage you to do the same.

Three-plus years later ...

Our long drywall repair nightmare is over.

As you may remember, I started fixing my very rough (i.e. "good enough") drywall job on my daughter's bedroom doorway a couple Fridays back (read the back story here). After that, time and my daughter's illness forced me to take a step back. I was able to get my final coat sanded, but painting ... that was a different story. Imagine my shame every time I walked past that joint compound-decorated doorway.

Finally, last Friday, I finished - paint and all.

Using a drywall sander that attaches to the vacuum cleaner, I was able to contain most of the dust from that project, but I wasn't naive enough to think I was able to completely eliminate it. Those tiny, pesky bits of drywall dust are still in the air, looking for somewhere to settle down and make themselves at home. After lots of cleaning and vacuuming, I'm confident that 95 percent of it is gone now.

Unfortunately, the paint we had stored in the basement was mixed in a different batch than the paint that was already on the wall, meaning there was an ever-so-slightly difference in the tint. Fortunately, I only had to paint the wall in question. Unfortunately, that's one of the longest uninterrupted walls in our home.

Two coats later, I'm very happy with the results. If you compare the above photo with this one, I'm sure you'll agree that my pride in a job well done is justified.

Third time's a charm?

Do you love mudding and sanding drywall as much as I do? If you have even a passing interest, then yes you do. But hey, you've gotta do what you've gotta do, right? Such is the glamorous life of a handyman - accidental or otherwise.

This afternoon, I'll be sanding down a thick layer of mud I put around a door frame last Friday. This will be the third time for this particular door frame, and the first in more than three years. See, we had the huge bedroom space in our loft split into two rooms just before our daughter was born. When all was said and done, the doorway to her room was about about three inches higher than the one to ours, which wouldn't have been a big deal if they weren't so close together. As an added bonus, the opening was too tall for the reclaimed school doors we'd bought.

With time running short, I needed to get the walls painted and the tracks and doors hung, so rather than wait for someone to come and lower, drywall and sand it, I took on the task myself. I know, it's still slightly higher than the other. But the cork floor in our daughter's room is slightly higher than the bare concrete in ours, so it works. Plus, the door fits, so I can live with that small detail.

Getting the edges as sharp as the other (professionally-done) frame has been a different story. After two tries, the edges and wall above the door were still a little rough but good enough, so we painted.

Three-plus years later, "good enough" isn't good enough anymore. That door frame mocks me every time I pass by (even in the dark). Last week, I tackled the interior side - which wasn't nearly as rough to begin with. And while it still needs a good painting, it's smooth and the edges are pretty sharp, and I'm happy with it.

Bolstered by that success, part of me is looking forward to this afternoon. Part of me is dreading it. One more unsuccessful attempt just might put me over the edge.

Stay tuned for the results, and wish me luck. I'll probably need it. Badly.

And now for something completely different..

DIY comes in many flavors: home improvement, crafting, auto repair and more. I'd also throw cooking and baking into the mix. These are the two I find most intimidating - terrifying in many ways.

So when I volunteered to bake a cake (from scratch!) yesterday for my wife's birthday, it was kind of a big deal. I would be stepping outside my comfort zone. Way outside. See, my previous attempt was a very simple lemon cake topped with powdered sugar (frosting was too far out of my comfort zone). Not only did it look a bit sad, but it came out a little drier and heavier than it should have. To her credit, my wife (who’s an excellent cook, by the way) was complementary as she choked it down. I could see in her eyes, however, that it fell way short of expectations.

Until yesterday morning, I still had no idea what kind of cake - and frosting - I'd make. My choice, a classic two-layer white cake with some kind of berry frosting, was reminiscent of our interior decorating philosophy: simple basics (walls) with color used as an accent. Even though I'd set the bar low in the past, I was determined to wow her this time. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give the self-inflicted pressure an 11.

When it comes to home improvement, I'm very comfortable with a little creative improvisation. With cooking/baking, not so much. Without a recipe to follow, forget it. I found a great cake recipe at Epicurious. Finding one specifically for berry frosting (without shortening or lard) turned out to be a challenge. I was able to find a vegan buttercream frosting recipe that included instructions for adding berries. Then I found a non-vegan version (thank you FoodNetwork.com) and decided to - gulp - improvise.

Granted, that's not much of a stretch, but for me it was a huge leap of faith. Not only would my wife and daughter be eating this cake, but so would my in-laws. Did I mention that my wife comes from a long line of great cooks?

With the exception of missing the step that said to add vanilla extract to the batter (I tossed it in at the very end), the cake was pretty quick and easy. Surprisingly, so was the frosting. My biggest moment of panic was when said frosting turned out a little soupy. A little more powdered sugar (improvising again) worked to thicken it somewhat. After our almost 3-year-old daughter added some pink sanding sugar to the top, and the cake was finished.

Even though the cake batter (can anyone resist licking the beater?) and the frosting tasted good on their own, I was incredibly nervous about the final product. My heart raced as I cut into my creation after dinner. The moment of truth was at hand.

The result: rave reviews, and not the polite I-know-you-did-your-best-and-I-appreciate-the-effort kind. Phew.

So while I'm no cake boss, I'm no cake intern either.

Carpe DIY

Maybe you're lacking in the DIY skills department. Maybe you're not that confident in the skills you do have. We've all been there. Hey, even though I consider myself a capable handyman, I still find myself there from time to time.

The point is you don't have to let a lack of skills or confidence stand in the way of your projects.

Apartment Therapy has compiled a great list of 10 home improvement sources for non-DIYers. The headline, however, may be deceiving since I, as a DIYer, would use any or all of them. Elfa shelving from The Container Store? What do you think is the basis of our closet?

(Non-sequitur: I was instantly won over by the photo when I noticed Johnny Cash staring out from one of the upper shelves.)

So whether you want to use any of these as standalone solutions or as part of a larger project, go for it. Carpe DIY!

Who knows? You might be pleasantly surprised by the skills you actually DO have at your disposal.

Three out of four ain't bad

A while back, I wrote about my four must-have power tools. Santa Claus must have been reading because he came through on three of the four this year.

OK, so it was actually my parents (my dad) and in-laws who came through. And so what if I specifically asked for a circular saw and a Dremel? The cordless drill was a surprise, though. A pleasant one at that.

My dad must have been psychic when he picked the compact 12-volt Ryobi off the shelf. See, between the time I answered "A Dremel" to my mom's annual what-do-you-want-for-Christmas question, the battery on my 18-volt Craftsman all but went kaput. Lately, I've been able to get about 10 minutes out of it (including non-drilling time) before running out of juice. I've had it for 10-plus years, so I have no complaints. Well, one complaint: the exorbitant cost of a replacement battery. The Ryobi comes with TWO batteries, so I'm hoping to get 20 years out of it. Incidentally, it's the only one of my new "friends" I've had occasion to use - so far.

I can't wait to use the Ryobi circular saw and the Dremel, and I'm very happy to have them in my tool arsenal. To be honest, though, now that I have the Dremel, I'm a little intimidated by it. So many attachments, so many possibilities. I'll have to play around with it on some scrap lumber (of which I have LOADS) a bit before I use it. As for the palm sander (the fourth item on my list), I can easily make due with my Corner Cat for a while longer.

How did Santa do on your wish list?