Friday, September 09, 2005

Buying tools

One of my favorite things, when it comes to wrenching, is casually strolling out to the garage around 8:00 pm, and discovering I can't do anything until I buy some new tools.

Now, as much as I love getting new tools, I hate last second tool purchases. For one thing, last second means I have to go to the Auto Zone closest to my house. I love Auto Zone, but I don't like the Auto Zone closest to me, as it's in a nasty neighborhood. Every time I go, someone will jump out from around a corner (or just appear out of thin air) and ask me for a ride. Of course I say no, so then they start asking for money.

Beggars don't bother me much, and I'm happy to help them out if I can. All the same, I hate getting dragged into a 5 minute conversation when I just want to take my new tools, get back to my garage, and get the front wheel off of my bike. I don't need a backstory to feel good about helping someone out.

After I was freed from the crazy beggar-talk, I zoomed home and got that front wheel off in less than five minutes. Today I get the new tire mounted, and tomorrow I'm off to Flagstaff.

With any luck, with this trip to Flagstaff will come bold, new, untasted pizza. Have a good weekend!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

The best cure for pan-handler crazy-talk is *crazier* talk. Start telling them about the black-helicopter conspiracies that pick up homeless people for experiments, and how you just got away from some seriously men-in-black guys in this van, but you're afraid you may have been followed. Alternaltely, if you can convincingly pretend that you speak neither English nor any other language that they might know, they tend to get frustrated and leave. Have fun in Flagstaff! Say "hey" to the gay natives for me!