Dad runs an errand to the home improvement store

Since becoming a father one of the biggest changes have been the running of errands.  All of them are consolidated and planned out like a-connect-the-dots course designed to get Baby Mojo home before feeding or nap. 

The errand that has taken the biggest hit is the trip to the home improvement store.  Now when we visit I don’t even get to use that large push cart.  Baby Mojo sits in the normal shopping cart and waves to everybody in the store, a ten month old he just loves to wave.  Initially it felt odd pushing a shopping cart, what with its’ confined ‘cart’; instead of the flat one that can hold anything in the store and was in itself a work out to move. 

Prior to having a child I’d visit once a week, even if I didn’t need anything.  Anything and need is all relative, I mean you can always use cleaning solvents and dirt.  I would always buy dirt because the garden may need it or the ladder needed to be leveled.   We still have a one gallon container of 409 in the garage, so perhaps I did purchase too much of the cleaning solvents, especially considering how much I cleaned when I wasn’t married.

I always had tools and supplies when needed.  One day we were straightening up the house and Mommy Mojo said, “you know what you need, a key organizer.”  “Oh, I have one in the back”, I said.  Really, a key organizer, who do you know that happens to have an extra one just lying around?  Disclaimer:  I had the key organizer for many years, intending to put it up, but laziness and procrastination got the better of me until awakened by a force of estrogen.

When I built the deck on the house a couple years ago I was a home improvement novice.  I did have a power drill, but the deck book told me that I needed a hammer drill.   A hammer drill, even now it sounds cool.  My imagination took me to the Island of Lost Tools where freakish hybrid tools created things of whimsy. 

In reality the hammer drill was simply a drill that can plunge the drill bit like a nail. 

The reciprocating saw was also needed and a joy to use.  It’s a strong saw with dangerous potential that can cut through a 4 X 4 with ease, but users will also imagine that it’s a light saber from Star Wars. 

The pole pruning saw was not needed, but purchased anyway.  Everybody has pesky tree limbs that are just out of your reach that need to be taken down.  Because it’s a saw it’s also handy for trimming crepe myrtles, taking out small trees or cutting firewood.  However, my then girlfriend (now wife, who was with me when it was purchased BTW..) convinced me to return it a couple days after purchase.  Her rationale was that I would cut my arm off.  So I with both arms attached, took the saw back to the store to get credit where I purchased a couple bags of dirt and cleaning solvents.

Speaking of tools not needed, have you seen all of these Alligator Lopper Pruning Saws?  I have no need for one, but damn I want it.  It looks cool and just the thought of having this beast, on the off chance, that I need to cut through four inches of wood would make me the coolest, manliest neighbor ever. 

The odds on Baby Mojo getting a bb gun are very, very slim. Ditto the odds on me getting the alligator pruning saw. 

We’ll still go to Lowe’s or Home Depot, but he’ll continue to be in the shopping cart, until he can walk, then I’m getting that large push cart again.