Who Am I?

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A nobody; a nitwit; a pilot; a motorcyclist; a raconteur; a lover...of life - who loves to laugh, who tries to not take myself (or anything) too seriously...just a normal guy who knows his place in the universe by being in touch with my spiritual side. What more is there?

11 April 2018

Getting Organized


I'm ecstatic. Not just figuratively ecstatic, but literally ecstatic too. In fact I'm beyond ecstatic: I'm overjoyed. The reason, you ask? Well I finally did it – I finally broke down and bought myself a three-box rolling tool chest. I cannot tell you what a relief this is.

The new box

I have worked on cars and motorcycles all my life. And over the years I've acquired a bunch of tools. But I never had an organized place to keep them, so they ended up in plastic totes and tool bags. This was mostly because when I'd go to the junkyard I'd need to bring certain tools. The totes just kept getting fuller and fuller. Oh, and heavier, by the way.

My garage was a holy mess, with tools all over the place. “Where'd I put my power drill?” God only knows. And he's not telling. This kicker was just recently when my friend Jacob was over. We were doing...something...and we needed a Torx bit. (A Torx bit is a star-shaped tool that manufacturers favor in place of Phillips head screws. They come in various sizes from very small to very big.) I was certain that I had said Torx bit, and I did, but it took forever to find it. And let's not talk about all the motorcycle parts I've collected over the years...

I have two old motorcycles that I'm going to restore, and I need workspace...that is, space that's not covered with various loose sockets and crap.

With my nomadic lifestyle I never really had a garage to work in. Now I do. And even though I've lived in this joint for seven years, it's never truly felt like home – mostly because I spend about half the year up in Washington State. But now that that's over, and now that I'm finally buying this house, I want to...how you say...settle down. Remodeling the bathrooms? That can wait – I need a workshop!

I've been looking for a tool box for a while. The stuff that was advertised on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace was just junk. After a fruitless search, I decided to shift gears. Sears had a three-box thirteen-drawer tool chest bundle on sale for not a lot of money. But I was hesitant, thinking: Do I really need thirteen drawers? I went, I looked, I bought. I got it home and put it together. And guess what? Those thirteen drawers are filling up awfully fast! I may need another, supplemental box.

Now, is my garage suddenly well-organized? Oh, hell no. But we're on the right track. It's a very small thing, I know, but it's amazing how satisfying it is to put your tools away where they're supposed to be...where you'll be able to find them again when you need them. Now if I could just do something about all these motorcycle parts!

4 comments:

Ed said...

I have one of those, same brand but about 15 years old now. Other than one of the craftsman logos falling off, it has held up very well over the years. A second one would be nice.

Bob said...

Give yourself credit for the progress you’ve made. I have a garage and basement that look like, well, you know. So at the first of the year I decided to take baby steps, slowly get things organized and, most importantly, throw away a bunch of crap! It’s a slow process but I’m getting there. You’ve inspired me to get down there and keep going!

Bob Barbanes: said...

Bob, isn't it true that we just keep accumulating "stuff" as we go on? I look around my garage (let's not even mention my walk-in closet or my attic!) and I say to myself, "What do I *DO* with all this crap?! Throw it out?" I'm leaning more and more in that direction. I mean, how much is sentimental value worth? Not bloody much, I'm deciding. Otherwise, I'm a borderline hoarder.

But baby steps, yes. But it must be done. You know what I mean.

The funniest thing happened this past weekend! Joseph, a kid who rents a room from me called while I was out working. He was in his car and dropped the little USB thumb drive with all his music on it down the slot of the emergency brake lever between the seats. "Do you have one of those long magnet thingees?" he asked. Well indeed I do! I actually have *two* of them!

However, two weeks ago I didn't know exactly where they were and would have had to send him on a grueling Easter egg hunt through my various tool-totes and tool-bags and assorted piles of tools I'd left around while I was using them. Instead, now I said, "Top-left drawer of my big red tool box!" And that's right where they were.

Ecstatic, I tell you!

Bob said...

That definitely shows the progress you’ve made! Congrats!