About

This website began in 2004, originally as a way to update friends and family about the projects I was doing on my very first house (i.e. as proof that I was still alive and also still had all my fingers.) It soon became a place to share the DIY tips and tutorials, geared at young or inexperienced homeowners like myself, which were difficult to find on the internet at the time (it was, after all, before YouTube existed, and the best you could do back then was to try not to get laughed out of contractors forums for asking basic questions.) 

Over the years, I’ve bought houses (and sold them), lived in a garage and built basically an entire house in my spare time, moved to a farm with a lot of barns and a 160 year old farmhouse, started hoarding farm animals and tractor implements, and told stories about all of it on this website. 

These days I’ve made a consious effort to un-brand this website. No ads. No sponsored content. No free tools. No TV deals.  

The internet has become increasingly about algorithms, monitization, and how to keep your attention focused on infinitly scrolling feeds instead of inspiring people to get out there and do awesome shit, and I’ve decided not to participate that way. Because honestly? Fuck algorithms. Fuck the never-enough culture propogated by influencers. And fuck being cheated out of the little bit of time we have available in our lives to do actual things

I believe authentic stories are important. I also believe the space inbetween stories is important (the space to walk away, process, wonder, live your own life, and come back later), which means there are no pop-ups here trying to get you to sign up for things, no “if you like this you should also check out…” links, and no infinite scroll. I will never ask you to share, like, or subscribe. There is no social media attached to this website.  

If you’re still using an RSS feed reader (I miss those days) you can pull the RSS for this site here. (It also gives an option to recieve new posts via email, if that’s your thing.) 

If you’re still reading this wondering, who the fuck is this crazy person? I’ll tell you: I’m a cranky old man trapped in a slightly less old woman’s body. I drink beer and build shit without proper PPE. I have a contractor’s licence, a couple of advanced degrees, and an actual job that pays the bills (and, also, provides a lot of personal fullfillment as I like building shit in corporate settings just as much as I like building shit with a hammer.) I do all of this shit on my own, although in 2018 my mom moved into a lake house, just down the road from the farm. She keeps me on my toes. 

I love solo backcountry hiking, climbing mountains, running endurance races, and finding other adventures whenever I can. 

You can read some of my all time favorite posts on this website here

I'm not interested in a mediocre life. I'm here to kick ass or die.

(formerly DIYdiva.net)