Yeah, I should just listen to myself complain! Sometimes we don't appreciate how good we have it.
I will say though that everything is on the small side-house is only about 1000 sq ft living space. There is a basement (purely utilitarian) and an attic that we are finally working on finishing into living space now.

It is killer to clean up and trash, donate, or sell unused stuff only to have the reclaimed space filled up again almost instantly. I honestly don't know where the stuff comes from! I mean we don't go out buying stuff for ourselves. I guess it is mostly kids stuff these days.

 

I'm glad ya'll brought this up. It never ceases to amaze me how much useless stuff we can accumulate. I honestly don't even know where it comes from. It is no problem for me to clean up once a year and end up hauling off a whole truck load of stuff.
Mike

 

Glad I don't have a storage problem- I have access to three garages that are 2 1/2 cars plus a good sized barn plus an attic. My problem is I don't know whether the stuff is in Freindswood, Katy or Columbus, Texas.

 

I buy the 14 oz tubes that fit in a caulking gun and after use, leave a small amount of sealer hanging from the tip to form a plug. this plug is easily removed for the next use, I might use up a tube in three weeks or three months, I have never had to throw one away.

 

That's a good idea. I'll give it a try.
Mike

 

My pet peeve is putting tools away. I always put my tools away at the end of a wrenching session. It doesn't matter if I plan to continue the next day, I put them away anyway. Two reasons: First - you don't always need the same tools out the next day... Second - how many times have you "planned" to continue the next day, but something happened... and the next thing you know, you're really continuing the project a week later. Only now, a coupel of other minor things have happened, causing things to get moved around... and the next thing you know, you can't find anything.

My other half is the worst for this. She'll do start work on the car (the Volvo 1800ES in my sig) as she's supposed to be in charge of interior stuff... that is until she get's stuck and I have to come in completely cold and try to figure out how the heck something she took apart goes back together... but I digress... she'll leave whatever tools she used in a pile in the car... which may sit for days until touched again... then I'll go looking for a socket or something and have to search for it... that really burns me up...

I'm half tempted to buy a second set of tools for HER...

[stands back and prepares to get flamed for complaining about having an other half who actually wrenches... ]

 

thats not wrenching if ya cant ge tit back togehter, thats diddleing around

by a nice cheap set. liek the 20-30 dollar set and make her learn to put her tools up, cuz if you dont put those up they break easy with ne bit of water on them

 

Well, she does try... gotta give her credit for that... So far my personal favorite was when she replaced the seat belts in the car. She did the driver's side fine, but the passenger's belt didn't want to retract all the way... so she pulled the cover off the mechanism... then got stuck... so she's holding the thing together and yells for me to help her... so I had to figure out how it came apart, why it wasn't retracting, and how to get it back together while holding it to keep parts from springing out and flying everywhere... fun stuff...

She does have a few nice tools. A 1/4" and 3/8" dr sets of Husky ratchets in metal cases along with a set of combination wrenches... She still leaves them all over... however, from owning German cars for almost 10 years, everything she has is metric... and the Volvo is Standard. Which is kinda funny in that most of my tools are metric as well and now I've had to flesh out my Standard collection. I really need to drop about $500 at Sears on sockets and wrenches...

 

My wife is pretty good at fix’n things. Just lousy at put'n my tools back. It’s a not-stop battle that goes something like this.<o =""></o>

<o =""></o>What I say to my wife:<o =""></o>

<o =""></o>Please, please please Danielle, can you try to put my tools away? I don’t mind you using them and all, but please Danielle, put ‘em back where you got ‘em! You see Danielle, you always think I’m just screw’n around out in that garage do’n nuthin. But the truth of the matter is Danielle, I’m out there put'n tools away after your last round of Monster Sewing Machine Garage. Please my dearest Danielle, PUT THEM AWAY!<o =""></o>

<o =""></o>What my wife hears:<o =""></o>

<o =""></o>Blah blah blah Danielle, blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah? Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah, blah blah Danielle, blah blah blah blah blah blah! Blah blah Danielle, blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah blah blah Danielle, blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Blah Blah Blah Blah. Blah blah blah Danielle, BLAH BLAH BLAH!

 

well when she gripes you out you hear the same hting

 

A major peeve of mine is people taking my Hand rags and returning my tools dirty.. yes i am **** when it comes to dirty tools. I tell people to return them like they got them, Nice and clean.nothing like wanting to do a simple job and picking up a greasy tool. most of my buds are well trained and the wife knows better now . Why is it that when people know you have tools they want to "barrow" them? I used to make people either leave a deposit or leave something for collateral until they brought them back. but i have mellowed out the last few years.

Have a good one...

 

The one that makes me madder than people borrowing my tools, is when they borrow them and then don't return them in a timely manner. There has been at least 2 occasions when a friend has borrowed a tool, then a couple of weeks later, I get ready to do something and have to track them down first to get tools together. I have to admit, I do get raly excited over dirty tools. It only takes a second to wipe them off.
Mike

 

My peeve; Your budy calls up"hey can you come over and fix my truck, dont worry to bring your tools i got wht you need " you get there and all he has is a 12 piece set and you just finished driving a half hour to get there a reall **** off. Ahh but i guess there trying though. So remeber this always bring a small tool box with ya of what you need, that way he thinks you dont have much for tools and wont ask to borrow any ,and the job gets done.

 

That reminds me of another pet peeve. I hate when my buddies call me up and ask me to work on their truck. I drop what I'm doing and go right over. Then when I get ready to work on my truck, I'm on my own.
I may need a new set of buddies.

 

Somebody coming into the shop. borrowing tools and not putting them back where they belong.