A grain of salt for current thought
Things I have done I am not supposed to do
We here at Corrected Wisdom like to think ourselves superior to the average slob. Still slobs, but better than average. We are also cheap slobs, never wanting to pay more than we have to for anything. So, stuff normal people would call someone to do, or buy a fancy gadget to do for them, we like to try ourselves because, well, we think we’re smart enough to manage it ourselves, and too broke to pay anybody anyway.
So let us list the things that we have done that we really did not have to if we had any sense. Or money.
1. Replace the siding on a house. This requires climbing on ladders, cutting things precisely, and handling big floppy pieces of plastic. We have successfully resided two house, thank you very much. It is actually rather satisfying, kind of reminds one of building houses with Lego, oddly enough.
2. Tune a piano. Oh, the professional tuners shudder when the lay person asks about tuning their own. I don’t blame the professionals. A good piano is like a baby; it needs constant, careful care to be healthy. Likewise it is very expensive when things go wrong. Naturally, a piano tuner does not want to see a piano get hurt. But you know, it turns out there really isn’t that much mystery to piano tuning once you have the tools. In the long run, there’s more to piano maintenance than just tuning strings, but for cheapskates with a piano, there is at least a little you can do.
3. Change the oil in the car. OK, lots of people have done this. And yes, we have too, but oddly enough, we don’t do it anymore. Because storing and disposing of the oil is a mess and a pain, even with a recycling facility nearby. For $20, its worth having someone else do it. We now leave this to professionals, or, in other words, it is something that we have done that we have decided we were not supposed to after all.
4. Shovel the driveway, rake the leaves, and push the mower. There are really only three seasons in America: Lawn mower season, Leaf Blower season, and Snow Blower season. All three of these items require expensive, loud equipment to do them the American way. True to our rebellious, cheap, self-righteous nature but slightly prone to compromise ways, we have managed to do without a snow blower and a leaf blower. And we have stuck to a push-along gasoline mower. We have a pretty good sized yard and a pretty big driveway, so this does come at a price. But we are healthier, and more smug, for it! Beside, when it really gets bad, the neighbor brings his snow blower over.
So, what have you done that you weren’t supposed to?
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