Since I often pop in here to show off impressive before-and-after photos, I thought I’d share a different kind of home improvement victory—one any homeowner can appreciate.

After returning to the old church following a months-long absence, I discovered a small leak under the kitchen sink. Tyler had just revived the inexplicably inoperable dishwasher with a $30 part, so I briefly considered blaming that and…moving on with my life. The leak was minor enough to ignore—tempting, really—but I mentioned it anyway.

Tyler did not share my relaxed approach.

“Clean out under the sink—I’ll be in there in a minute.”

Good thing he’s the diligent one. Within moments, he diagnosed the problem: a crack in the garbage disposal. Yes, the very same disposal that was installed brand new just eight years ago. Apparently, even appliances designed to handle garbage have their limits.

Cue the obligatory trip to Home Depot and a brand-new replacement.

What followed was a familiar domestic scene: Tyler hard at work removing the old unit and installing the new one, and me…assisting. (By “assisting,” I mean handing him tools and quietly expressing a few expletives under my breath.) At one point, the project reset entirely—right back to the plumber’s putty.

“Think how much money I’m saving us! You didn’t know I was so handy when you married me,” he said cheerfully, as I passed him yet another screwdriver. (Four, in total, plus the electric drill. Who knew?)

By his count, Tyler has replaced about 20 garbage disposals in his lifetime. I’ve personally witnessed four of those in the past eight years, which feels like enough to earn some sort of honorary certification.

In the end, we have a brand-new disposal. The “after” picture isn’t exactly glamorous—but it works, and more importantly, it doesn’t leak.

Lesson learned: don’t buy the cheapest garbage disposal, even if its job is, well, dealing with garbage. Because nothing—and I mean nothing—will derail your day quite like a plumbing problem.