The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Tupperware, Trucks, and, Tin Cans

My significant other does not get it. She just does not understand why I keep digging coffee cans, old tupperware, and other containers out of the trash. I keep aksing her not to throw stuff like that way. Give it to me I tell her, and every time I have to go over the same points about how important it is to keep stuff organized when working on projects. "Can't you just stack it up somewhere," she asks? She doesn't know you can't stack nuts and bolts!

However, she did give me about 20 old bath towels to do with as I please.

Another point is that I have noticed that one fundamental difference between men and women is that men think the garage is a work area. Most women think it is a storage area for junky stuff they don't want in the house, but can't quite stand to part with.

Just ramblin'
Boo Radley

I hear you man. You know what burns my a@@? Household stuff (crap) piled onto my toolbox/rollaway. That really "torques my nuts". :mad:

So you take a bunch of parts you need to clean and pile them on the kitchen counter, or on her sewing machine. Gives you an opening to talk about it, once you're allowed back in the house.

Ahh. Boo. That is too bad. I save all sorts of containers. You never know when they'll come in handy. John has enough coffee containers (and other kinds) that he can actually DISCARD some when they are yucky enough.

Too bad you don't know someone else who can help you out - to save some for you. Can you ask at work -- or scrounge the coffee cans from the "coffee mess" if you have one?

We do that in the neighborhood. Everyone is always passing what seems to be "disposables" (like twisty ties even ) back and forth.

Peg

I shouldn't say things like that, because it is not what I would really do. (I might like to do it...) But what I would really do is to bring it up sometime when she wants to talk about what I'm doing wrong, and then couch it in terms of feelings. Like she's upset because I didn't get my boots off fast enough and now the rug by the door needs shaking out. I would say, "You're right. That's probably just the same way I feel when you pile things on my toolbox instead of putting them away." Then I would shake the rug.

So when I post things like that earlier post I should qualify it with a winking emoticon or the disclaimer, "Don't try this at home."

(I did leave a beer in the fridge though. Sometimes you just have to stand your ground.)

DO NOT, under any circumstances, mess with the organization of the household.

Don't you fellers know a thing about "nesting?"

Men gotta "kill" something and drag it home. Women "keep, store, organize, rearrange, and discard" all the paraphernalia that make the nest function.

That "killer" instinct goes a long way to explaining the presence of the dead carcass of a stovebolt in the driveway.

As far as Tupperware, that particular item of nest acoutremont, when damaged or worn out, is fully replaceable, but irreplaceable, (again, the start contrast between male and female logic), so what are you thinking using Tupperware in the garage?

Boo

You know where you need to check? Do you live in a small town by any chance. Go to a small restaurant for the big cans they use. They have all kinds of containers there. They just toss them out. Or check out the local school that has a cafeteria.

Last weekend, when picking up some beer at our regular place (they even call it "Peggy's beer" ), the kid that works there gave me a 4-foot plastic promotional plastic "bootle" of Black Ice (which my sister likes). She'll be tickled when she sees it. Everyone else who's come into the living room wonders what my problem is.

hehehehehee

Peg

The big gallon size plastic mayonaise jars work well and you can put the lid on them. About any resturant will let you have them. Another tip is sometimes we need that small "pick" or mirror so I had my dentist give me some of his old tools. Works great picking out an "O" ring or looking in a hard to see area not to mention DIY and saving on your dental bill Just a thought ya'll. ....NOW, my wife puts it in plain english "don't start on me about the house and throwing stuff away OR I'll start looking in your shop and help you clean it out". I now step over the stuff on my way to the shop

The guy who did my remodel had a neat way to haul stuff, especially busted up plaster. He lines the bottom of his pickup with those 2 gallon white plastic buckets, side by side, then throws the old lath and plaster on top of them.
When he gets to the dump, he hauls everything off the top of the buckets, and the buckets are full of plaster, dust, and all the small bits.
He dumps them out and stacks them up for the next load. It's amazing how quickly he can unload his truck this way.
On the side he's a commecial fisherman. He says that every fish processing facility on the west coast has appx 2 million of these buckets lying around at any given time.

My wife works as a short order cook,brings home all sorts of large tin can,big mayonnaise jars even empty 5 gallon cooking oil containers.
But I still steal her cookie sheet pans to use as drip pans under my motorcycles in the house.

Bakerys have those buckets too. They get frosting and fillings in them. I have done that with sand and gravel. Line the box with a tarp, fill it with wall to wall buckets and off to the quarry. shovel or rake off the top, start pulling buckets out and finish by pulling the tarp out.

Several ways to get the wifey's attention regarding your stuff!:

1) Degrease a head in her dishwasher.
2) Powdercoat the valve covers in her oven.
3) Put an engine on a stand. In the living room.
4) Spray-bomb some wheels in her dining room.
5) Set up the air compressor in the bathroom and run the hose outside through the open window.
6) Use her new towels to wax the truck.
7) Use the new linen to degrease the engine.

Her response:

Watch the "CSI" marathon on Spike TV for hints, then...
1) Use the newly-painted cab of the truck as your casket. She found your missing jack handle, as it was the murder weapon.
2) Take the parts you've got strewn about the house, take them all (along with you and the cab) to the local metal recycler for crushing.
3) Enjoy a week of peace and quiet in the house.
4) Call the cops to report you're missing (after one week!). "Last I saw him, he was in the shop...!"
5) Get caught (not in her plan, however).
6a) Go on Oprah to claim she'd done what any other normal woman would've done in her circumstances.
6b) Make a million dollars off the book and movie deals.

Moral: Keep your stuff in the shop/garage and nicely and tactfully tell her to keep her junk out of your way.

Boo - BradB posted this site in another thread. Freecycle . Maybe you should find the location nearest to you and put in your requests!

Peg

One thing that works well for small parts and bolts is one gallon plastic milk jugs. You cut the top off large enough for your hand to reach in but leaving the handle etc. With a Sharpie you can write on there what is in it and my family produces one or two of these jugs per week.

I used to like the metal coffee cans with plastic lids until my buddies changed the lids around! So now I like the plastic coffee cans write on the side.

Believe it or not but my wife actually ask permission to come into the shop. Of course I am waiting for the day I have to ask permission to come into the house!!

popcorn The Truth is Out There (I love my wife!!)

So what you're saying is that as a man its my nature to drag home old trucks, and my wife should eagerly accept the 'keep, store, organize' role.

But that discard part makes me nervous... She'd like that one!

Yes!