Always Trust Joe (or Hank)

Ok - today's post is not REALLY about kids, or parenting, but it is in a way. The lesson for today is to trust your gut. If you are lacking the mythical "gut", trust Joe or Hank.

Hank is my step father, and Joe is my friend and next door neighbor.

My neighbor Peter offered to lend me his ELECTRIC snow blower. Joyce - Joe's wife had already told me to borrow Joe's GAS snowblower. I took Peter up on his offer, because  this was new neighborly behavior, and I was pleased. I ended up going to Joe anyway because my extension cord would not fit the snowblower. Joe did exactly what Hank would have done - he cut off the offending plastic bit that was preventing the cord from fitting in. Mind you, we have no idea what the bit did, but Hank would have done the exact same thing.

I spent the next hour trying not to run over the extension cord and moving snow randomly around my driveway. I don't think any of it actually LEFT the driveway, I think I just moved it around. Some might call this "user error" - but I think that the electric snow blower was not the "right tool for the job". I'm not totally sure what job the electric snowblower COULD do, since it is a snowblower after all, but clearly, not well designed for it's assigned task.

Joe is WAAAAYYYYY too polite to say this at the start, but he seemed to know that I'd eventually be back for the gas one, because he kept offering it.

So, today's lesson is that if your gut tells you to do or not do something - go with your gut. If the kid's car seat seems loose, it probably is. If the stroller seems unwieldy, it probably is, don't buy it. If going out without spare clothes seems like a bad idea, it probably is.

If you do not have an internal "gut" that alerts you to these things, just let me know, and I'll get you in touch with Joe or Hank. They can probably offer sage advice on whatever subject you might be seeking information on.

Today's second lesson is that electric snow blowers are crappy.