Saturday, November 15, 2014

A Matter of Perspective

      I have posted numerous times on my attempts to be a handyman. I am not mechanically inclined but with effort and digging for information I can repair a wide variety of things. I ask people and get excellent information which is very helpful and makes me look good. On the other hand if I can help others I'll do it.

   Last February I bought a new car and just recently had a tow hitch put on it. I have a rather ancient utility trailer but it allows me to haul things a half dozen times a year. This summer I wanted one 16 ' two by four to fix my fence. They wanted $45.00 to deliver it. This is where the utility trailer saves you money.

   Now I had to get a connector to hook up the trailer lights to the car so that brake lights and signal lights would operate. At first I thought the job would be easy. You know two wires come from the trailer light. Can that be difficult? Well, the longer I thought about it the more complicated it became. Finally, with a little advice from a few sources I thought I had it right.

    I didn't want to pull my trailer out because of the snow so I asked a mechanically inclined neighbor if he's look at it to see if I was right.

   He came over and of course wanted the trailer pulled out and attached to the car. Of course, the lights didn't work. He wanted me to haul the trailer to his garage. I didn't want to do this but he gave reasons as to how he could help to do the connections so finally I agreed . He said we would do it in the afternoon and it would take 15 or 20 minutes.

    He came later on and said tomorrow morning. He came again and said this afternoon. I went over in the afternoon and he had a long list of reasons why the system wouldn't work. He had a number of certainly upgraded plans. I only wanted the wires hooked up and no super dooper wire enclosers. He also said I had to buy different lights. Then wouldn't it be nice to replace the box. 

    Well, I was talking as fast as I could as I only wanted wires hooked up properly and the rest was just fine. Finally he agreed , but I had to leave the trailer in his garage as it was behind a car he didn't want to move. 

    I'm sure he meant well. I think he is a perfectionist and when he sees something he just has to repair it to first class condition. That's not what I needed.

    So it all boiled down to a matter of perspective. What kind of trailer did I want? It was certainly not the trailer he wanted. 

    So after much worry about leaving my trailer I retrieved it and I still don't have the lights connected. 

   So there will be another post in the spring about how I got the lights working. I know I can do it.

38 comments:

  1. I have no doubt that you can do it. Take care.

    ReplyDelete
  2. oh, dear. i think i'd just pay for delivery and call it quits. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, for a lot of people that would be the only option.

      Delete
  3. Best of luck!

    I am most definitely not mechanically inclined!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It takes me a while but I usually have success.

      Delete
  4. Ha ha ha, This is funny. And yet not funny. My motto: Nothing is ever simple.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Plug em in, don't drive at night. And if you do get pulled over, they lights were working when I left home!? My story and I'm sticking to it! :)
    Good luck.
    Cheri

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, it's worse than that around here. i haven't hooked the lights up for 15 years on the old car.

      Delete
  6. Good luck, trailer lights are always a pain.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Not sure I have anything to add after reading Cheri's comment. :)
    My Husband is an excellent fixer. Wish he could help you and he wouldn't make you spend more money than was needed. That's a large delivery charge for one piece of wood. I'll look forward to your how I fixed the lights post. I bet it will be a simple fix. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't usually work with anybody but quite often I do discuss things with somebody else. The internet tells you just about everything.

      Delete
  8. Oh dear Red, I do sympathise with you. Hang in there though, as I'm certain you will be able to do it.

    ReplyDelete
  9. ha,ha I agree with CDH's comment. Yep, well, I know you will have another story for us in the spring and I have found out myself, that the simplest of things sometimes "ARE NOT". Have a wonderful day.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I would have let the hitch guy fix it

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. To tell the truth, the whole thing isn't worth it.

      Delete
  11. Ha! And you still don't have that two by four! Maybe it would have been simpler and cheaper to have them deliver it. Made me laugh, though. :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I found some other wood in my supply so I didn't have to buy the 2 x 4.

      Delete
  12. Goodness- sounds like it would be much easier just to pay the high delivery charge and be done with it- poor fella..I am sure he means well, though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No there's always a next time for some outrageous delivery charge.

      Delete
  13. This sounds a little like hubby's tales with his trailer. Except we have excellent neighbors that can fix anything!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't mind the fixing as long as I get some info.

      Delete
  14. Blimey, I’d have paid somebody/a mechanic to do the job for me and be done with it. Life’s too short, etc.
    So what’s happening about the timber?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love the challenge. As for the timber? I found some other wood in my yard so didn't buy the piece of timber.

      Delete
  15. I do believe we have exactly the same philosophy when it comes to handy man duties....:)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Well, I hope it all works out! At least you make an effort to fix things, which is great.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Since I retired I fix much more than when I was teaching.

      Delete
  17. What an involved process trying to get a solution! I understand your desire to fix things yourself. My husband is very talented as a carpenter, but he can't do everything. He wanted to put in replacement windows himself in the kitchen and bathrooms, but after starting, he realized it was just too big of a job. So he hired someone who is supposed to do it. I'm glad, because it keeps him off the ladder!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Some people make things more complicated than they should be , I am certain you will figure it out Red:)

    ReplyDelete
  19. Well that was not so helpful of the neighbour, just had to lent you a hand not a complete renovation!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I look forward to the end of this story in the Spring :)

    ReplyDelete
  21. I wonder, do you talk to your wife about things like this? My husband would never get over, and never stop talking about that neighbor and how slack he was, it this happened to him. :) I would hear about it for a long time! :)

    ReplyDelete
  22. Looks like he wanted to make your trailer a first class deal. My goodness. Such excuses he gave you in times, day.. He would do me in a neighbor like that. .

    Our neighbor Dave he fixes I think the whole town of Haliburton. Like your asking. he is a retired mechanic. He does it quick and so reasonable. Too bad you did not live near us. He would say a time and day. Not go on and on. Like your neighbor.

    ReplyDelete