Let’s take a timeout to enjoy the fun side of home improvement. One of the best writers in this space is Mary Mendoza. Check out one of her classics:

Woman without a Ceiling

Thanks to the Abbott and Costello of Home Repair

By Mary Mendoza

“Let’s rip down the kitchen ceiling,” I said. “It’s so ugly and grimy. I want something with an Italian fresco look.” “Now?” he said. “The game’s about to start.” “Now,” I replied. “I’m in the mood.”

That’s how it all started. Not with a whimper, but with a bang. In one mad burst of energy my husband and I destroyed what had taken skilled workmen days to install in 1974.

As we stood there, knee-deep in a heap of synthetic ceiling boards and glassy chunks of insulation, I realized the ceiling wouldn’t reconstruct itself. I’d naively thought we’d find Renaissance paintings under the grunge or, at the very least, Martha Stewart’s first efforts at stenciling.

What we found were hand-hewn timbers that looked like they came out of the Ark, several Avon Christmas ornaments wedged between some boards, a silver baby spoon and a TV Guide with Sonny and Cher on the cover. It was scary.

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