Robbery

This weekend I learned a few things. First thing I’m learning is that there is a reason for voice mail on phones. I had to teach myself that I don’t have to answer my phone every time my wife calls, especially if I’m in the middle of something. If it is important or an emergency she will leave a message, otherwise I end up being on the phone with her listening to her tell me that the cat threw up and she almost stepped in it. So Friday I am in the middle of doing my work and she calls and leaves a message. I check to see if it is something important and if I need to call her back. Yep, radiator hose has a leak in it and there was smoke coming out of the car. So I called her back, thankfully she was at home and not stuck on the side of the road. We worked out the car situation, because we both needed to be at two different locations that night. I had to start preparing myself that I was going to be working on a car that weekend.

I know nothing about cars. My wife would tell you I can barely drive a car, much less work on them. I know where the gas goes and change a tire if I needed to, but that’s about it. So we were all set to take her car to the mechanic when I thought, let me take a look under the hood and see if it is an easy fix. A few hours later and a trip to the auto store and I had replaced one cracked radiator hose. Yep, it was one of those moments that I felt like I had passed a test to be a man. It wasn’t a difficult task, I did have to grunt and groan a little. But that is what makes it such an accomplishment. I smashed my finger nail. The clamp on the hoses on a 10 year old car is hard to get off, and my hand slip on the pair of pliers I was using and the clamp snap back and caught my finger. I started to bleed, but it kind of made the whole experience a little manlier.

Leave it to my wife though to put me in place. She did not do it on purpose, but I had her make a list of things that I needed to buy at the auto store. I was thinking I was going to look like this well prepared mechanical guy going to the auto store and I would show the worker my list of things I needed and be on my way. So I shoved the folded piece of paper in my pocket; when I got to the store I pulled the paper out of my pocket, unfolded it, and saw my list of parts were written on pink paper with a dancing penguin in a tutu, on top was written in big bold pink lettering “I’m a Dancing Sugar Plum.” I thought these guys are going to take my man card away if they see this. So I got all the parts I needed with out having to accidentally expose my feminine side, but it did kill the whole manhood buzz I had going on. Lesson learned, always check your list before going to the store.