Ed on Why Our Dad is Awesome

Good story Brad, and one that I'm sure Marc and I could offer parallel stories that support the Dad fame of "it's never too old to take care of".

This is one area where as brothers we probably all have a slightly different take on Dad and his all his qualities, we each admire them none the less. The same is true of Mom, but perhaps that is a later post.

Back to your post, lawn mower maintenance is one of the few forays that you haven't explored in your handyman nature. You have a woodworking shop in the fifth stall of your six stall garage, and have more tools (properly placed I might add) than I can even identify or name.

Marc, in some contrast, has more of a McGyver mentality and has a way of fixing, repairing and replacing things with nothing more than his Leatherman and a paper clip. How he's done the things he has with the tools he has in his box (not garage, but a box) is beyond me.

Now me, I'm a bit of a poser. I have a work bench, vice, and tools strung all over the place. I like gear and I have a lot of tools to show for my limited use of them. I'm a left handed cog in a right handed wheel when it comes to handyman matters. While I pride myself on having a pretty impressive mower I've also outsourced maintenance of said machine. Why? For the same reasons Brad listed.

But I also don't achieve the threshold of competence when it comes to anything "handyman" that my two younger brethren are known for. Both Marc and Brad piss more handyman skills in a day than I have reasonably acquired over my lifetime. Yes, I have a bit of a chip on my shoulder over that. But it is, none the less, a true statement.

So, whether it's the two wheel pick up truck stories, the limb cutting activities, or the general reputation I have for utilizing family labor for all of my blue collar duties, I have built a reputation in my family of not knowing the difference between a straight slot and Phillips screwdriver. Some of my reputation is earned, and some it is ... well ... you can judge for yourself.