Fixer-Upper

Those videos on social media and YouTube of people redoing vans and buses into shiny dwellings on wheels, or the ones of folks building tiny homes full of air and light from scratch, fill me with horror and fascination.

Horror because I find home improvement utterly unrelatable and somewhat terrifying. I live in a 1975 Airstream trailer, and I have for almost 15 years. The closest thing I have ever done to a “renovation” was the time my best friend showed up to help me clean, and — while I was out buying the cleaning supplies I didn’t actually own — she threw everything I did own out on the lawn, and cheerfully said, “It gets easier after this.”

Marie Kondo isn’t really a thing when you live in a small space that dictates just how much you can own. Organizing is a thing — my one concession to home improvement that day was agreeing to buy a shoe rack.

The biggest improvement I have made to my living situation was having my handyman friend John (see the tool story in this issue) build me a redneck catio for Walter Cronkat and his auxiliary cat, Stringer.

But I am also fascinated because there are people out there who make living in a tiny home look tempting rather than like the endless mess that living in a small space really is. People ask me for tips on small space living, and I’m like, “Shop at Ikea and rent a storage unit.”

So for those of you who excel at home improvement and for those of you, like me, who prefer to keep things aspirational, this Fixer-Upper issue — from catios, to tools, to painting — is for you.

On Behalf of Cats, Spare No Expense

Tools for Life

Painting Takes Patience

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!