TINKER TOYS

Well the kind of tinker my buddy Otis does is definitely one that requires toys. But you got to understand, he never calls it tinkering.

Instead, he makes it sound like it is very important. Calls it a project. Stuff like a home repair project or whatever. Only problem is that we live in an apartment so the idea of it being a home repair is kind of silly in my view.

That sure doesn't keep him from treating it like a home repair. Which really comes down to something that takes forever in terms of time and nothing really changes when he is done.

Now none of that would bother me if Otis just spent the time himself and I didn't have to be involved, but he always suckers me into helping. Which of course always end with us wasting time and nothing changing.

What happens though is that Otis will need some tools for whatever project he wants to work on. These are what I see as tinker toys.

Because he only needs them to tinker on that project, not for anything else. Only he keeps explaining all the other things he can use it for.

So it means a trip to the hardware store or home improvement place or in some cases the mall. And naturally I go along in hopes we will end up going somewhere to get something cool to eat.

That will depend mainly on what kind of mood Otis is in when he goes shopping for his tinker toys. You see the problem is at times he really doesn't know the exact toy he wants.

He'll have some theory that a certain toy exists to do whatever he wants. But when we get to the hardware store and he explains what he wants, if the sales clerk looks at him funny, I know I'm in trouble in terms of us going somewhere fun to eat.

Unless they give him hope. By that I mean they give him a different option that will work.

Which sometimes happens and sometimes it doesn't. Actually you can pretty much count on whatever gadget they sold him not working either.

Not that Otis will admit it. Shoot no, no matter how messed up the project gets, he say it was a success.

Unfortunately that will be after I have to get sucked in wasting all afternoon on a Saturday helping him. Which I cope with providing you know I have a full stomach in the process.