how to care for a husband

how to care for a husband
Originally uploaded by rod lewis

Sometimes Allison gets aggravated with me because I keep bits and widgets that she (nor I) can see any reason for having. The difference is that I can imagine that there may someday be a reason for having such bits and widgets, and woe upon us all when that day arrives were we to have no bits and widgets.
Once when I had to replace the dishwasher, I stripped the old one of all its possibly re-usable bits and stored them statically in the garage in preparation for that inevitable day. I can’t even begin to tell you how handy those dishwasher parts have been. The washing machine motor and clutch, however, are still waiting patiently for their day in the limelight.
Sometimes the future use of an item is immediately foreseeable. One doesn’t have to be a rocket scientist to realize you can never have enough lengths of wire around the garage. The more colors and gauges the better.
Sometimes though, there needn’t ever be a use to justify keeping an item on hand. Although one should always have several rotors and brake drums stashed in case he ever wants to perform an orchestral work by George Crum, he needn’t ever to actually perform a work by Crum to feel satisfied in having always had drums and rotors at the ready. Another worthy exhibit is the old oil pump gears and filter bracket from my old Mitsubishi Mighty Max. And I should not forget to praise the head bolts from my now-deceased Explorer. How can anyone who has ever cherished a pair of cracking baby shoes question the cherishing of head bolts by one who has babied, bathed, and built the engine of a trusty truck? Those things just feel good in one’s hands, and their weight and balance bring joyful smiles to all who handle them, much in the way a fragrant candle, or bouquet of flowers can brighten the hearts of folks who visit the kitchen.
And speaking of kitchens; we no longer live in a society in which a man goes out and works while the woman waits patiently for him to return to his supper. These days, a man is just as apt to wander through the kitchen as a woman is likely to cook him some supper. Could be that he feels uncomfortable walking through the kitchen when all he finds are fragrant candles and floral bouquets. A quick cure for this discomfort is the randomly placed ratchet or allen wrench upon countertops and dinner table. Nothing says to a man that he is valued in the home like seeing a bit of his own tempered steel fragrant with 80 SAE.