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There are certain tasks that men are naturally well-suited for. In a perfect world, us women would just sit back and relax while our guys dealt with all of those “manly” duties. You know, anything involving dirt, danger and super-strength (unless that’s you’re type of thing, then hey!). But since we don’t live in that kind of utopia, sometimes we have to roll up our sleeves and do it ourselves. Plus, who doesn’t want to rack up a few extra skills and possess the type of knowledge that could possibly help them out of a sticky situation? Here’s a look at a few of those macho callings that men usually handle, but we should know how to do too.
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How to Change a Tire
There’s nothing like walking outside on a work day to be greeted by a flat tire, especially if you’re running late. Slow-dragging to the tire shop is a job in itself, so it’s best to just bust out your flats (no pun intended) and roll out the spare (which you should always have in your car). Changing a flat doesn’t take much time, and if you have an automatic jack and nut driver, you’re out like that (*snaps fingers*). Just make sure you don’t break a nail aligning that wheel. Wouldn’t want to ruin a fresh manny.
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How to Unclog a Sink/Toilet
If you’re the type of girl who leaves hair all around the sink, or a parent of small kids with ready-to-stop-up-the-toilet toys, chances are, you’re going to experience a clog at one point or another. But with the countless unclogging products available on the market, including a good ‘ol plunger, there’s no reason why you should have to depend on your boo to give you a hand.
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How To Change A Fuse/Work Circuit Breaker
Ever been home enjoying a good movie, nice wine, and hot bag of popcorn on a Friday night, when all of a sudden, boom! No power? After you realize that it’s just your house and not a massive wind that caused the entire city to black out, it dawns on you that you have no clue how to fix this sort of thing. Calm down boo, before you dial up PSE&G, you might want to learn a thing or two about fuses and circuit breakers.
Electrical systems vary from house to house, so your job is to figure out whether your electrical box is composed of fuses or circuit breakers, and where in your home the box is located (they’re usually in the basement, but can be set up in other places, like a closet). Once you get that info, it’s pretty much a piece of cake. For a circuit breaker, simply flip the switch and voila, magic! If your electrical wires are protected by fuses, it’s good to keep a few spares (hit the local hardware store and pick some up). A blown fuse takes a little more work, but nothing a big girl can’t handle. Just unscrew it and replace it with a new one.
Note: remember that when your power shuts off, this most likely means you’re running too many appliances at once—like an air conditioner and microwave or a heater and a curling iron. Be sure to unplug a few things before you restore your power. Otherwise, it’ll go right back out. And make sure your hands are dry when dealing with your electrical box!
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How to Pump Gas
If you live in the city, you’re probably used to being catered to when it comes to getting your gas pumped. But in most places, you have to do it yourself. Yeah I know…the struggle. Nothing like the I-don’t-know-how-to-pump-my-own-gas kind of shame, especially if you run out of gas (which I’m guilty of doing several times). Imagine being stranded on the side of the road, struggling to unlock the nozzle on your portable liquid container to fill your tank up with fuel. Not a good look.
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How To Shovel Snow
Lord knows getting up to face those cold winter mornings is torture in itself, but having to unearth your car after a snow storm on top of that? Whew, chile! Shoveling snow is a heavy load, literally. So it is best if your man handles that. But if there are no strong arms available, please learn how to adequately shovel (which means knowing how to bend from your knees as to not hurt your back and properly spacing your hands to keep from spraining your wrists. Ouch!).
Make sure you reserve a space for a nice, neat pile on the side. You wouldn’t want to encase yourself in an igloo trying to remove the snow from your car or driveway. In other words, don’t shovel in circles.
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How to Jump a Car
We’ve all made that simple—yet costly— mistake of accidentally leaving a light on in the car, only to come out the next day and discover it won’t start. To avoid waiting hours for AAA, always keep jumper cables and know how to work them. You never know if you’ll run into someone who’s nice enough to lend their car battery, but doesn’t know how to jump, and if you have a portable jump-starter, you should definitely know how to set it up.It may seem tricky, but all you have to do is match the plus and minus signs on the cables to the one on the battery, crank that hooptie up, and give it a little gas. Trick is, you have to let your car run for at least a half an hour. Then you’re good to go.
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How to Mow the Lawn
Considering how heavy lawnmowers used to be, and how tedious they are to push to and fro, it’s easy to see why cropping the grass has always been reserved for men. Well, it’s a new day, and thanks to advances in technology, lawn choppers are typically a lot lighter and easy to maneuver. Yes, it’s still a pain, but that doesn’t mean you should let your yard grown into a jungle. Keep it trimmed ladies, keep it trimmed.
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How To Get Rid Of A Pest
Whether man or woman, I’m sure no one likes setting rat traps or setting off Raid bombs, but it’s not uncommon to get a pesky friend or two. So if you live by your lonesome, it’s best you get off your high horse and learn about the necessary equipment needed for bug and rodent control. Steel wool and glue traps are your friend.
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How to Change a Light Bulb
Some of you may be thinking “who doesn’t know how to change a light bulb?” But believe me, there are women out there who don’t. Yeah, the ones who don’t know you have to let the bulb cool before you touch it, or don’t have the motor skills it takes to grip and twist. Let’s not mention the ones who are afraid to even come close to a bulb that’s screwed in a socket—I mean, you are dealing with heat, electricity and glass; sparks do fly and the glass does shatter, especially if not removed properly. With all that said, I guess it’s understandable that some women rather their brother, dad, or hubby handle this job. But just in case they’re not around… you get the picture. Always try to stick to the voltages your lamps and lights are assigned so your room doesn’t turn into a pseudo-sun room.
How to Tighten Door Knobs, Screws and Locks
Every once in a while, frequently-used knobs get loose, doors unhinge, and locks start to tap dance on your entryways. Even though we often find ourselves looking for the men to fix these problems, they’re fairly simple. Don’t walk around letting your door handles do the Harlem shake. Pick up the screwdriver and give it a try. Nothing like a woman who knows how to break out the tool box and get to work!
