Tools

When you own tools, and learn a little bit about how to use them.

You can just fix something rather than stand helplessly staring at it.

You become mostly immune to the wiles of contractors and repairmen.  They really do give a different rate when you show that you're not hiring them out of need, but rather because you don't want to do it yourself.

Today's project was The Boy's swingset.

I designed it and Marv and I built it 13 years ago.  The Boy has grown a mite since then.

Today I got out the ladder and raised the swing two links so his feet would clear the ground.

I even designed and built the spiffy pallet swing next to it.

"If they don't find you handsome, at least let them find you handy!" R Green.