Wednesday has been the only day the last three weeks that I didn't work until five. It also rained that afternoon. So of course, my windshield wiper, the one on the driver's side, stopped working. Again.

Driving straight home, fixing the windshield wiper, scrubbing my hands within an inch of their lives, then going to the store to buy washers and a wrench in case the replacement washer stops working too is probably #1457 on the list of ways I'd like to spend an "early" afternoon. I got it working again, though, now that I know how to. The nut, however, is striped, so I'm going to have to replace it soon. I meant to this weekend, but I worked all day yesterday, and just couldn't make myself go to the hardware store today.

When I do do it, I hate the fact that I'm going to have to take the old one off and get my hands filthy. I could get them to do it for me, but that would be using my powers for evil rather than good. There are some small advantages to looking sweet and helpless (and being a redhead doesn't hurt!), since it makes a certain type of man want to do things for you. The type who works at the local hardware or my mechanics, for example.

Usually I resist the urge to be "helped" but sometimes it's just easier to let them do whatever and feel happy about it. I don't like driving my car onto a lift, and since they offer to do it... sometimes I give in. On the other hand...when I was a teenager but old enough to drive, we still had ducks and rabbits and it was one of my duties to go get their food when we ran low. If you buy their food at the local feed and grain, the bags are 50 pounds each. I used to astonish the clerks there by refusing help. Hey, as long as you get the bag settled on your hip, it's not much different than carrying a little kid.  It shocked them every damn time, I swear to God. I've always been a lot stronger than I look. Thinking back, it probably would have been a better idea to accept help when offered. My back probably would have appriciated it, anyway

But I'm taking the nut off instead of getting some poor guy to do it; why should someone else get all dirty for my sake?  I'll let them help me find the replacement for it instead

It's a lot harder to photograph your own hand than I would have thought.