Sunday Catch-up: Tools of the Trade

(Note: Second Chance Sunday has been pre-empted. I wrote this earlier in the week, but had a few other things to post as well.)

Building stuff, power tools, grease, and sawdust. You either love all that, or you know someone who does (and will do that stuff for you). In the 90s, the T.V. show Home Improvement, with comedian Tim Allen, poked fun at how males love and act around their “toys”.

I finally decided that my 30+year old cordless drill (handed down from my father – who has built all four of his houses by the way) needed to be replaced. It had a good run, but it was clunky, the batteries never held a charge for long, and was loose in all the wrong places.

I dislike spending money, so it took me awhile to come to that conclusion. The next decision was what brand. I don’t need the most expensive, fanciest, decked out tool, but as I stared at the choices I realized that this purchase was going to catapult me into a tool clique.

Was I going to join the Milwaukee clan, the Bocsh family, the Black and Decker group, the Dewalt crowd, or that other yellow brand (I think it was yellow, but it was another brand* I forgot).

If you have never been faced with this, let me explain. If you are going cordless, once you buy into one brand, you might as well keep going for the one reason of having one type of battery pack. Two different tools, two sets of batteries and chargers. Three different brands – well you get the picture. Only if you really, really like another offering over your own preference, then you may be willing to put up with more stuff in the toolbox.

Just as there are people who will be brand loyal no matter what (truck owners, beer drinkers, etc.), there are the aforementioned tool cults. So, I made my purchase and preceded to put it into action.

Did you ever injure yourself while working with tools? (Do you see where this is going? For the squemish people, not to worry, no details are forthcoming)

No matter how careful or how aware of your surroundings you think you are, s#@* happens. What gets the brunt of the injuries? You guessed it: hands and fingers. As you have figured it out, I still have all my digits. But over the years, my hands have had their share of abuse.

Hey! You’re a guitar player. Arn’t you worried? I hear you say. Yes, those are tools as well, and I have gone through times that I wasn’t able to play due to cuts, briuses, or broken bones, not all from construction. I broke my collarbone playing baseball, hurt my elbow falling off my bike, and various cuts from my kitchen knife. You can’t protect yourself from everything, right?

This time it was the left thumb. As thumbs go for me, that was the one to injure. It still doesn’t make doing most things (tieing shoes, driving, making dinner) any easier, but I’ll be playing sooner.

I know one thing for sure – I miss my opposable thumb.

^{*Updated May 8: Makita! And it’s blue – not yellow…}

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