Please help me decide whom to be frustrated with

Oh, and as for screws to hold on the license plates--i had to do that in Kingston once, and Hamburger and i just went through a jar of old rusty screws he had until we found two which were large enough to stay put after being forced into the screw hole. One phillips, one straight slot. Problem sovled. If it had entailed actually going out to buy some, i'd have let it slide.

In the days before mobil phones and with still a mailbox around the corner my male cousin was in Rome. His Italian was more than limited. He had an invitation to visit a family, who had given him a used envelope with their address, which he could use for asking for direction. There was also a used stamp on it.
First male he asked was very helpful, took the envelope, went straight to the next mailbox and .......the envelope was in the mailbox.

~~~Asking for Directions~~
I've had this happen many times. A man comes into the store with a woman. He will proceed to wander about the store looking at different things. She will come up to me and ask "Do you have any blah-blah blahs." I tell her where they are. Off they go.

Same guy comes in two days later without her. Comes right up to me and says "I think I need a do-si-hmm." We talk. He really needs some nurrrrggrrr and a tupp to put it on with. Bag them up. Off he goes.

A month goes by. In they come. He wanders to the back where he got the tupp, she hangs around in the front. He comes back, shrugs at her and they leave.

Three hours later he's back -----without her----(is there a pattern here?) asks if I know what to do about _________________ . I do. We talk. He gets. Off he goes.

My theory on this is this: There's been this rumor spread around for generations that men actually know how to do stuff and fix stuff. Truth is, unless they've been taught or watched somebody else do or fix, they don't.
BUT there is a certain set of men who THINK they should know how to fix stuff instinctively. That's right. Like the knowledge is inbred. And when they don't know, they feel confused and juuuuuuust a little unsure of their manhood.

Saps. I love'em.

I do tell them that hardly anybody knows how to fix things instinctively. Doesn't matter. Because they know that their wives, girlfriends, significant others-- think that men know how to fix stuff instinctively. (Usually they had a father who had been tutored by six uncles and a cousin, but she doesn't know that.)

So we do the dance. He will not ask for help in solving a problem while in her presence. ( I have had women who are on to their men give me a big wink when they come in the store. Then they head off somewhere upstairs so that he can continue to pretend he doesn't need no stinkin' help. )

Joe(there should be music)Nation

(There is another sub-set of men who will not ask for any kind of help from anybody ever because that will imply that they don't already know everything. And they don't.
They usually create really complex answers to simple questions.)

I'll walk into some place like HD, and tell the boy i know absolutely nothing about how to do this job, and get his advice. Then i'll wander off to find another one, and tell him i don't now anything about the job, and get his advice. Nine times out of ten, it's entirely different than the advice i just got. Then i go ask my neighbor, the independent contractor. Better yet, i get somebody who does it for a living to fix it.

There's hardly ever only one way to skin a cat or stop a leak.

Yes, set, I love working with pros. Especially those who seem to relish their work. They are the curious ones. They ask what the difference is amongst the four kinds of white caulk on the shelf because they want to know.

AND they report back what works, whether it's J-B Weld or PC-11.

When it comes to stopping that vessel, tub, sink, from leaking.

That's always good.
When I hire someone, and I do often when it's electrical, I ask if I can watch them work. Half the time, not always, but often enough, they like showing me what they are doing.
It might have something to do with the fact that I refer work to them when I can, but there is something to be said for sharing.

Joe(Just like they told us in kindergarten)Nation

Set, many men don't like asking for directions - I was married to one and lived with another. I was speaking from experience when I reported that they drive around, back and forth, etc, muttering "It's got to be here somewhere!" - it was extremely frustrating. His brothers were the same.

Is that like them wimmins who can't never admit they are wrong?

too bad he moved <sigh>

Mebbe JoeN can answer the leak question? (new thread!)

Yeah, like you and everyone and her dog [yes, 'her'] doesn't ever go off topic, Beth.

What question?

Joe(snɹsʞɐǝן )Nation

Beats me, Joe, you'll have to ask Beth. But you'll have to start a new thread to ask her about the leak.