People who can fix and build things with ease are a mystery to me.

My granddaddy built his own house, outhouse, chickenhouse, car house, smokehouse and barn. All six were still standing decades later.

I didn't inherit any of granddaddy's good genes (although I do have a pair of his overalls). It took me three days to build a rabbit hutch. Trying to do it myself has been frustrating at times.

My wife gave me a beautiful tool chest on wheels, and it's full of nice tools. The only thing missing is a lock to keep me from getting to them. Tools are dangerous.

Please note, however, that I was an honor graduate of the U.S. Army's Wheel Vehicle Mechanics School. I worked on carburetors and distributors and stuff from Jeeps and deuce-and-a-halfs. Fortunately, most of those items were confined to a workbench, not a vehicle. I graduated near the top because I was graded on written tests. No one ever graded me on my use of tools.

Once I got to the motor pool, the sergeant said he needed someone to type for just one day. I volunteered. As a result, I never touched a wrench in that motor pool. I became the clerk in an unsoiled uniform. The Lord and the Army work in mysterious ways.

When rugs in bathrooms were popular, I decided I could install ours. I drew off a paper pattern of the bathroom floor, turned the carpet over-because the rubber side was easier to cut-and followed the pattern with a pair of scissors. I realized my mistake-in flipping the rug-when I found that the hole for the commode was about 11 inches off. My wife spent a couple of hours with needle and dental floss, sewing the commode hole back in.

I installed a new sink in our utility room. I worked for hours. When I finished, I noted the spray hose was only a foot long. That's because it was wrapped around the sink trap. That took another hour.

Never one to give up on me, my wife bought a set of Time-Life books on home security, masonry, paint and wallpaper, outdoor structures, doors and windows, weatherproofing, and plumbing. I have a book called "How To Do Just About Anything." I would settle for that.

But when I got ready to put up wallpaper, I went to a paint store and borrowed the owner's self-done videotape on successful wallpapering. It was the only copy he had. I accidentally recorded "60 Minutes" on top of the wallpapering instructions.

Why am I telling you all this? Because writing about one's frustrations, I believe, can help relieve the resulting stress. I just attempted another project, and it was not altogether successful. Now the radio doesn't work at all.

But I feel much better now. Thanks for the therapy.