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Spring Day

The weatherman was not very optimistic about Saturday, but it turned out to be a beautiful day--warm and sunny.

I got out in the yard and did some work in the garden beds.  It felt good.  Things are really lagging this year though.  I always used to have violets and lily-of-the-valley for Mother's Day.  Not this year.  My own mother always said that a bouquet of dandelions was her favorite Mother's Day gift.  Even they are in short supply this year.

I bought a garden cart on sale today.  I went to the hardware store and asked about them and the counter clerk told me they were sold in a kit (assembly required).  Did I still want one?  Yes. So he had someone bring one out to my car.  That guy asked if I had someone at home to put it together for me.  Good grief, I must look like a helpless little old lady.

Of course that got my dander up and I assembled it myself.  I could have waited until my son got home from work, but I am impatient and a wee bit stubborn.
 I hate it when someone suggests that only men can handle tools.  Grr.

I don't even know what this is called, but I used it to tighten the nuts on the cart.

And for good measure, I got out an electric drill and made holes in the tree stump.  I will fill them with something to start the decomposition process.

I may be a little old lady, but don't tell me I can't!

Comments

  1. Gee, you are like Wonder Woman. What can't you do? Lol.

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    1. I can't do a lot of things...until somebody tells me I can't.

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    2. Good for you Olga! Happy Mother's Day!

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  2. You tell 'em!! BTW I think it's a socket wrench.

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  3. Yes, I think so, too. All I could think of at the time was ratchet and I knew that was not right.

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  4. You Go Girl! Why is it assumed we are helpless? If we don't know how to do something we know how to search Youtube! Hope you had a wonderful day today. We get high 90s all next week -- I'm not ready!

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  5. Honestly, doesn't it make you feel really good to put something together, fix something broken or just un-plug the toilet--even if we can't name all our tools.

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  6. Good for you!!! When I do things like that I burst out in song (way off key) and sing "I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar" ... (remember Helen Reddy?)

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  7. I thought ratchet too. But I know how to use it, whatever it's called!

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  8. Congrats! I hate to admit it, but I bought a similar wheelbarrow last year, and paid $10 to have the guy put it together for me.

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    Replies
    1. Wimp! But I'll bet no one implied you were not capable of doing yourself.

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    2. Good for you! That would take some struggling onmy part but I guess I could do it if I had to.

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  9. OK, I'll be the prissy know it all that gets the tool nomenclature down pat. The general family is a socket set. The handle affair is called a ratchet, or if you want to be ultra prissy a ratcheting socket handle. This denotes the "ratcheting" action of the wrench, you do not have to remove the wrench from the bolt head to gain another swing, just push the handle in the opposite direction (click click click...that is the ratchet mechanism in the wrench's head). The interchangeable piece that fits over the bolt head is the socket.

    Calling it a socket wrench is generally correct, but not all socket wrenches are necessarily ratchets or uses interchangeable sockets. Some socket wrenches have fixed sockets on non ratcheting handles (example lug wrench for a car). A common variation is called a flex handle often popularly referred to as a breaker bar. It uses interchangeable sockets on a non-ratcheting swivel head handle. These are for high torque applications that could damage a ratchet. There is also a variation in which the drive piece for the socket can slide along the handle. Slide it to the end and it acts as a non-swiveling breaker bar. Slide it to the middle and it is a T handle. All these variations are generically socket wrenches.

    Who cares what they are called (except tool pedants like me...the pedantry is helpful when you are buying this stuff in industrial quantities as I once did). Using them is the important function. Bravo Olga!

    One thing I sincerely doubt...you are a little old lady. Bravo again!


    Everything you ever wanted to know about socket wrenches but were afraid to ask:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socket_wrench

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  10. I know I could count on you!

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  11. I do not mind putting things together unless they are a million parts and the do not line up correctly. That happened with the last two patio chairs that I ordered! I must blog about that, because it worked out in an interesting savings.

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  12. That's right Olga! I remember when I was younger, a young mom, my husband was away on Army Reserve duty. My car wasn't working quite right. I had a tennis date with my girlfriend. I knew what needed to be done. I'd seen my husband fix the thing before. I just needed something to hold some part on. I went and took a wing nut off my quilt frame and fixed the car. I had on a short tennis skirt while I did the mechanical work. The leering jerk from across the street came over to help me thinking I was damsel in distress. I was pretty furious. I sent him on home with a look of distain on my face. He later told my husband I was pretty capable. Yes, all that and more, you Jerk, I thought. I love your spirit.

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  13. You have a right spirit. I will tackle a lot of jobs and I have my own pliers that have a dire warning written on the handle if anyone dare borrow them and not return them. However I am not as talented with assembly work. My mom was. Her name was Elizabeth but dad called her "Rosie" for Rosie The Riveter. Mother could fix anything and did.

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  14. Very well done! The tools here are all mine. Hubby just doesn't use them! He doesn't know how.

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  15. Well done Olga! Nothing makes me angrier than being told I can't or shouldn't do something....it brings out the "watch me" attitude every time. Add to that ageism and my blood pressure sky rockets.

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  16. Yae, Olga!!! Good for you! I so admire you.

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