I WISH I HAD A GARAGE
 

I wish I had a garage... As I sit outside in the weather working on my old
truck, I can't help amd be a bit jealous of Bob, down the street. His old
truck sets in the nice one-car garage and is almost complete. His Craftsman
toolbox is handily alongside; the workbench vice and bench grinder deep
inside with the "handy" tools on the pegboard. I try to get the bodywork
done between the thunderstorms, running outside at the slightest hint of
rain to put the blue plastic over it. The storm hits and the blue plastic
sail away down the block, as my freshly sanded metal gets wet in the rain.
The heat of the summer sun beats directly down on me; Bob is tinkering on
his in the shade. My beer gets hot in the sun; Bob has a mini fridge under a
bench. After each afternoon of working on it I carefully put the tools away,
rolling up extension cords and air hoses. Stacking all the parts not "on"
the old truck into the lawn shed. During the winter my project sets buried
under the plastic with tires setting on top of it and bricks to hold the
edges down. Snow 2 feet deep surrounds it, I can't wait until spring to get
it dug out and resume the work on it. I can see the light on in Bob's garage
as he putters away the winter. I wish I had a garage...

I wish I had a 2-car garage.. Four years of waiting and I finally got a
garage. It's a detached garage, un-insulated and no heat, but it's a garage.
I carefully put my old truck into it and discover that's about all the
garage will hold. I put it on jacks and push it against the sidewall leaving
a 4-foot isle to walk and work in. Parts are stacked on it, in it and under
it. Everything has its place, and everything in its place. Now I'll get some
work done!
Only two outlets in the garage, and one of the plugs are used for the garage
door opener. I put a separate plug in and multiple outlet bars. I ran the
220v for the air compressor and welder from a plug in the house. I have to
pull them outside to use them, but I can use them. Real tight for space, I
do most of the welding, cutting and grinding outside. I have started
painting some parts, but the amount of work it would take to get the truck
out of the garage isn't worth it, so I rely on saw horses and decent weather
and I do it in the yard. An unforeseen rainstorm orange peeled some of the
parts; cost me a week of time to re-sand them.
Winter is here and it too cold in there to work on anything, sure wish it
was insulated and heated. My Sears lawn tractor with snow blower fit just
inside, ready for each snowstorm to quit. If I need a tool I have to climb
over it. The wife is bitching about having to keep her car outside while my
"junk" is in the garage. I tell her it's not a garage it's a "shop". She has
no sense of humor. There's a rumor of moving my old truck outside next to
the garage. I wish I had a 2-car garage..

I wish I had a shop. The two-car garage is here! All my tools have a space;
the benches are ready. Attached to the house there is heat in here.
The wife is bitching again. The dust from the sanding gets on her "perfect"
car. I drive an old beast in hopes of someday having this nice old truck to
drive, buy her a new car to keep her happy, and she still bitches. Kids
bikes, lawn mowers and the recyclables crowd my project. She won't move her
car outside so I can paint, and she won't let me paint outside because of
the "over spray" on the new siding. I do most of the work outside. I wish I
had a shop.

Well, I got my shop. It's insulated with heat, has a fridge and a TV! My
truck happily fills one slot and that 69 Mustang is my next project. Don't
have to listen to the wife grumble, live is good.
Work (the one that pays the bills) takes up more hours every day. I can't
stay on my feet to long; my bad back slows me up a lot. After supper I watch
the news then take a nap. I don't have the energy I use to have. I can't
wait until I retire so I can work on my old truck.