The ol' block I'm chipped off of

(We'll not discuss the Dallas Cowboys. Eeuurgh.)

My dad is a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity. He's a crew chief for Habitat for Humanity - South Collin County in north Texas. He's been doing this since his retirement in the late 90's. Every Saturday, rain or shine or Texas summer heat, Dad is out working with other volunteers on the latest house.

A crew chief is the "go-to" person at a Habitat build. He or she has experience with construction procedures, especially those of Habitat, and functions as an overseer. Besides doing actual work on the house, they teach and train other volunteers. Some, like my dad, are part of a Habitat group's construction committee, solving problems, reviewing tool and material requirements, and any other issues that may arise during a home's construction.

My dad and another volunteer have together installed every door and just about every window in nearly 40 houses. The other volunteer, Dave, is 82 years old (my dad is 75). They also fix mistakes and take care of unexpected problems that may come up on site. For example, they would attend to a plumbing pipe that accidentally has a nail driven through it. My dad does everything but siding and roofing; he says he's doesn't bounce anymore when he falls, so he prefers to stay off ladders and on the ground.

Dad works mainly on builds in Plano, Texas, but has also worked on builds in Dallas, Celina, Cleburne, and in the state of Georgia.

My dad and Dave were recently featured in an article about Habitat in the December 2008 Plano Profile, a magazine local to north Texas, specifically Collin County. The magazine has a website, but it is on the fritz and I can't get the article to come up. Bummer.

So if you wonder why I'm a DIY fiend, just look to the ol' block I'm chipped off of. Instead of scolding me for messing with his tools (okay, he did scold me for not putting them back where they belonged), Dad taught me to use them. He also showed me that tackling a job and doing it yourself is empowering. Thanks, Dad.