At-Home Services for House, Pet and your P.C.

I got stuck in my dress last night. Yup, that's right. Zip-lock sealed into my far too tight little black number. Probably serves me right because normally I am able to maneuver my way out of the most unyielding of fabrics, but last night I came home having had one glass too many and found out that all that fun had severely limited my usually dexterous capabilities. I have mastered the do-it-yourself zip up. A metal hanger and long mirror usually does the trick. On more formal or desperate occasions a neighbor or a building doorman will always offer a helpful hand.

But the zip down, at 2:30 a.m. with no one on duty, left me thinking. How many nearly impossible feats are we left to deal with when we are on our own? Like mounting a flat screen television to the wall or configuring a network hub, what are the chances we can get it done without some collateral damage?

So while there may not be an emergency dress doctor, there are a variety of services nation wide that can help one get things done, or in this case undone.

Here is just a sample:

1. Home Improvement Services: If you need a Mr. Fix-it to help you with home repairs and small jobs, HandyMan.com and HouseDoctors.com will deliver. With skilled professionals throughout the United States, their professionals are trained to handle small to large scale projects from caulking to kitchen cabinet installation.

2. Sanitation Support: When that busy schedule prevents you from keeping up with household chores you can find reliable residential house cleaning services through Molly Maid, Maid Brigade or Merry Maids. From scrubbing and disinfecting kitchen and bathrooms to washing windows and laundry, each of these companies offers a full range of services and packaged solutions from which to choose.

3. A Watchful Eye: Good news folks, sitters are not just for babies! Sitter City and a host of other surveillance and supervision organizations including Petsitters.org and PetSit.com will look after the kids, pets and even your house during extended vacations. At Care.com you can also find reliable caregivers as well as professional tutors.

4. Computer 9-1-1: When the laptop crashes or your internet is down, it feels like there should be an emergency computer hotline. Well, fortunately there is! Gurus To Go delivers technical repair services right to the doorstep. All you have to do is fill out a service request and a skilled computer technician will arrive on-site to troubleshoot and fix the problem.

As for me, they haven't yet come up with a late night unzipping service that doesn't involve sex, but a pair of scissors did the trick. I could have waited until morning, but how could I ever have explained the predicament to my doorman?