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No job too small

Yes, that's why I'm not spending 2 hours going down the DIY shed to complete the 5-minute job of attaching my bathplug to the bath.

Owain

Reply to
Owain
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I think some of us are genetically averse to getting our hands dirty (literally). You can see it in toddlers where even the toughest little brutes can be very sensitive about messy fingers, and others (often the little princesses) are happy to be covered in mud all day. We all do the best we can with what we're given.

Reply to
Stuart Noble

Stuart Noble coughed up some electrons that declared:

In that case, I'm a schitzo.

I don't mind being covered in ***t when the job calls for it, but once home I boil my workclothes and spend 1/2 hour in the shower :)

Reply to
Tim S

Along with the Spastics Association changing its name to Scope (read Gridlock by Ben Elton).

I suppose you remember Joey Deacon and Blue Peter doing their best to help everyone abuse each other in the playgound back in 1981?

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of the Disabled and Biddy made a big mistake

Adam

Reply to
ARWadsworth

I hope you nicked her life savings from the tea caddy and noted down any decent antiques for a revisit by the tarmac boys ("we've come round to tarmac your hallway, luv!").

Reply to
RubberBiker

Yup and ours can be like that (and often it's easier for us that way) but I try to encourage her to do stuff herself (not necessarily on her own) and I think it's slowly paying off.

A couple of days ago we bought (she selected) a new PC / Office chair for her room I even made a point of letting her put it in her Ka (big box, small car). It would have been much easier for me to do it but that's not how folk learn. It helps with her if it's done in the form of a challenge ..

Reply to
T i m

;-)

Mum reminded me the other day I was always washing my hands as a kid but that was generally because I was often getting them dirty by fixing or working on stuff.

I've not changed much and will either wear latex gloves when working on greasy-dirty stuff (especially if it's a bit cold out there) or if not, keep a clean rag handy for wiping my hands on.

There are also times when I particularly want clean hands, like when putting the wheel / suspension / exhaust back on our scooter yesterday I went in and washed them just to put the brake shoes back on.

Although I'm pretty unorganised and messy in my life I do like to work cleanly. If I take a part off a vehicle it's generally already been cleaned and certainly all the mating surfaces would be meticulously clean before reassembly.

If I drop a bolt coated in Copaslip on the ground I'll (generally) wipe it clean and re-apply before using the bolt again. ;-(

Cheers, T i m

Reply to
T i m

Funny, I hate getting sticky things like jam, honey etc. on me; almost freaks me out.

But lumps of grease and dirt from under the car, Araldite, Cascamite (years ago) are just fine...!

Reply to
Bob Eager

Yup, all fair comment, notwithstanding which there are some fellows out there who just plain don't want to know when it comes to even the simplest of jobs. Which I guess was TMH's point. I can think of one or two.

Reply to
The Wanderer

Ah, now I *hate* wearing gloves, but I have to clean up at the earliest. One of my hobbies requires an occasional liberal smearing of white 'hobby' adhesive. It quickly dries and tends to form a thin rubbery coating that I just have to get off as soon as poss. I know a fellow hobbyist who seems to love the stuff all over her hands.....

Reply to
The Wanderer

Sticky is bad because of the rate at which it spreads to everything in the house, so that's probably the commonsense gene at work. Men in gardening gloves is something else.

Reply to
Stuart Noble

Indeed, and hence the interest bit.

A neighbour once asked me if I could show him how to bleed the brakes on his motorbike so he could do it for himself in the future. I asked him if he had the tools, patience and interest to do the job, he said 'probably not', so I didn't bother .

I believe anything is possible (within reason of course) with the right attitude and that has been borne out many times during my role as IT trainer and closer to home with the missus. She helped me built the kit car (and loved every second of it), learned to ride a motorbike (passed her CBT and test first time and now rides a 750) and is a very good clay shooter. She attributes all these to having someone willing to put the effort into facilitating said and offering support and whilst being a bit thick skinned (especially when it's yer Mrs etc!). Whilst I'm happy to take a little recognition for these by far the greatest component in her success is her own interest.

So yes, if you can afford not to have to bother or you have the ability to do something well but don't care how someone else does it then yes, that is an option.

Cheers, T i m

Reply to
T i m

Didn't you explain to her that government ministers are testing a new scheme which will allow the replacement of such plugs at taxpayers expense. Details are available from the Home Secretary, Jacqui - I hope she won't mind the first name familiarity: I don't know her but I'm a taxpayer, so she'll have met some of my money.

Toom

Reply to
Toom Tabard

Too true. When you can *do* things and *fix* things people want you to do it for them too, usually for little reward. I don't think I have had a weekend day entirely to myself since the coldest of weather has gone due to doing jobs either for myself, or family.

The Missus Father claims to know nothing and sits and reads books all day and has maximum leisure time. I'm sure if you put a hammer in his hand, he would fein that he didn't actually know which end of the hammer to hold. But then he sits there and wonders why they have to set the thermostat on their CH system to 30deg in order to get the house warm, when the thermostat is located less than three feet above the rad in the lounge.

The thing I have also learned is that sometimes it's better to keep your mouth shut and not inform people you can *do* or *fix*. If they can't be arsed themselves, then let them pay someone to do it and keep your spare time spare for you.

Reply to
Jonah

I don't believe that, and I'm only 63

Toom

Reply to
Toom Tabard

I'm doing an experiment with the neighbour's kid (oooh missus!) (about

15)

Each Tuesday, I wait until she comes home from school - I hear her practising Mozart on the piano - that's my cue to go out and take both houses' empty wheelie bins from the pavement and back up the driveway. I confidently predict it will never occur to her to do it, but then I'm a guitarist with strong hands; none of your namby-pamby lilywhite piano stuff.

Toom

Reply to
Toom Tabard

Shhhh. Dennis might hear you.

Reply to
The Medway Handyman

I hope you do it quietly

Reply to
Stuart Noble

Moving the bins, or playing the guitar (or experimenting with the neighbour's kid)?

Toom

Reply to
Toom Tabard

Moving the bins while she's trying to get her fingers round Mozart

Reply to
Stuart Noble

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