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Along the Natchez Trace

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Labor Day Was Just That.... at least for Bill

When I first began this blog, a little over a year and a half ago, one of the topics I read about was "Mooch-Docking".  I'd never heard that term before and apparently it meant being parked in someone's driveway (usually a relative) and hooking up to their electric or other facilities and taking advantage of their hospitality.

As it happens, we have 4 kids in 4 different States, 3 of our grandkids live in 3 other States, and our siblings are in a couple more States.  If we're lucky, we get to visit all of them at least once a year.

While I usually don't care much what others think, it kind of bothered me that we might be thought of as moochers.  We just spent 2 months at a daughter's place in Texas...  and now... we'll be a couple of weeks at Bill's sister's place in New Mexico...

Bill always asks whoever we're visiting to make their list....  he can do just about anything, so whether it's carpentry, electrical, plumbing or installing landlines for a phone...  he loves keeping busy.

Alberta, his sister, needed some shelving built in the garage...  
She was his "left-hand woman"  (well... she can't be his "right-hand man because she's a lefty and female), helping guide the sheet of wood through the saw and placing them on the framework.  She now has a big shelving area at one end of her garage.

In the other garage, she needed a workbench. 
 Ask and she shall receive.  
Finished Shelf

Shelf after being organized. 
 Table saw is neatly stowed under the work bench.  The Vise has been bolted to the work area.  Actually, that grey bin and paint cans are ours and will be used soon on the rental house we have here in Farmington  If you can see just behind Bill, you'll see he's done a great job of putting tools in their proper places.

Nobody expects us to "earn our keep"...  we really do have a great family.  But not only is it kind of fun to be able to help out a little, it's great to have something useful to do.

Now...  do you want to talk about mooching?
The Moochin' Pooch
Charlie is broken hearted that those table scraps are going into the garbage.
He sure was hoping someone would drop a little something his way.

That's All For Today!

8 comments:

  1. That husband of yours is quite the handyman! It's nice he can do so many things. The pooch however, should have had those scraps!! lol

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  2. How nice you all are! Of course it did work out for everyone. Bill's sister got what she needed and Bell got something constructive do do.

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  3. I have never liked the term mooch docking. In my eyes, it just isn't true, and Bill has proven that.

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  4. It's going to sound corny, but it's fun to help out. Especially if you have either the tools, know-how or both. Sometimes a person just needs that one thing, that is beyond their capabilities.
    I have a young lad (well, he's in his 30s) coming over in a day or so with some plywood and some ideas. Just some little thing that, even if he did have the skill set, he doesn't have the tools, so I certainly don't mind. Hey, that's why I have a shop.
    Probably have it done in the time it would take him to figure out how to do it.

    Happy Mooch Docking!

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  5. You and Bill can come and mooch-dock at our place anytime you like!

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  6. You come mooch dock here, too. I have chores that could use another set of hands and would love the company. If my brother or any other relative wanted to come live in my driveway or garage or in the house for a month or two, I would be ecstatic for the company. Would be like Christmas. I think I'd love some mooch docker company and maybe I'll advertise or something.

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  7. All tools in their proper place. Be still my heart. I'd be happy to know someone who knows how to use a tool.

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  8. It's probably nice for him to do some handy things that you don't do in an rv anymore now and then. I know when we start living in the rv I'll look forward to visiting my kids so I can have a long soak in a real bathtub. It's the only thing about a real house that I think I'll miss!

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