More About Tools . . .
Nothing is more exasperating than to have a job to do around the house and not have the proper tool to do it with...except knowing that you do have the proper tool, but not being able to find it.
I've written a few times in my journal about how we're turning our old "library" into a "pet room". Making this happen has required my doing a bit of carpentry work (see my earlier LJ rant post about my hammer...) and some drywall work. A week ago yesterday (Sunday) I was at the point in the drywall work of taping and "mudding" the drywall seams, but I didn't find my drywall "joint knife". It should have been in my toolbox, but it wasn't. "Have you seen my drywall joint knife?" I called downstairs to Holly. "No Love, I haven't seen it!" she called back.
A few days later (last Wednesday night) I was looking (proudly) at the new drywall in the "pet room" entrance way and planning my work for the upcoming weekend. "Holly..." I called to her in the kitchen, "...you haven't seen my drywall joint knife anywhere, have you?" I asked hopefully. "No Hon, I don't know where its at" she answered.
On Saturday morning I looked all over the house for the joint knife - everywhere I could think of where it might possibly be. I checked the closets, I checked the garage, but I couldn't find it anywhere. I did however find a very cheap plastic "disposable" joint knife and I decided to try using it. The diposable knife was very flimsy, and it did a very poor job. Eventually it broke in two - the handle snapped completely off. "Hey Holly...you don't happen to know where my drywall joint knife is at, do you?" I asked. There was a slight pause, then she answered. "No Jamey. I don't know where it is" she replied.
One thing I really hate to do is to spend the money to buy a tool when I know I already have one...somewhere. But I didn't have much choice. (Besides, a new joint knife would only cost $3 or $4 at the most (or so I thought).) So on Sunday morning I went to Home Depot to get a new joint knife. I found the cheap plastic disposable joint knifes first (they were 79 cents) and finally, after some additional hunting, I found the ones I was looking for. They cost $7! WTF!? But I needed it, so I gritted my teeth and paid the $7 for it.
When I got home Holly and David were in the living room watching TV ("American Gladiators" dum-diddy-dum-dum...). Holly saw the "Home Depot" bag I carried in. "What did you buy at Home Depot Hon?" she asked. I pulled the joint knife out of the bag and held it up for her to see. "A new joint knife" I said . . .
"Oh! So THAT'S what a drywall joint knife looks like!!" Holly said looking very surprised. "Is that what you've been looking for? I know exactly where THAT is!" she grinned happily.
I was speechless. Actually, I think my heart stopped for a moment.
"BWAHAHAHAHAAA!!... You should see the look on your face, its priceless!" Holly said pointing at me and laughing hysterically.
"Whaaat...?" I squeaked.
"No, really, I have no idea where your drywall joint knife is" Holly said wiping away tears.