Before you try to fix it, consult the pros

Ah, home ownership. Theres nothing like it.

Its the American dream; the pursuit of happiness.

Its you, your family, and the front door that doesnt latch, no matter how hard you tug at it, as though youre taking a resistant mule out for a stroll in the rain.

Or maybe its the kitchen faucet that steadily, rhythmically, relentlessly goes drip-drip-drip in the midst of a nights slumber.

Or it could be the sagging boards in the center of the quaint front porch that, sure as there are the sun and taxes and political advertising, are going to cave when your portly uncle Harold makes his next dreaded visit.

Yes, as the needlepoint sign over the hearth says, Theres no place like home. But a subtext should also be the popular phrase from Saturday Night Lives Rosanne Roseannadanna, Its always something.

Be it one story or three, cottage or castle, there is the matter of keeping up with a houses upkeep.

The chore to tighten, to smooth, to fix, to nail, to replace, repair and even remodel the residence has largely been left to the man of the house. Traditional? Yes. Gender stereotype? Absolutely.

But not all men and women possess a carpenters acumen, or a plumbers patience, or an electricians guile.

However, what many have is the pride and self-assurance that they can fix any problem within the domain.

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Before you try to fix it, consult the pros