I made another Harbor Freight run the other day, but I am ending my series of sharing my goodies—well for $7, I picked up a 12-piece set of cushioned screwdrivers for which I find delight. I had lost a Craftsman Phillips that was pretty standard for everything.

As much as I love my tools, I ought to focus on what I do with them. I've been wearing out an Ace Hardware wheelbarrow. You wouldn't think the thing was two days old by looking at it! I haven't run a wheelbarrow this haggard since spring/summer '98 when I was doing slump tests on concrete. Yesterday, I moved 128 larger-than-standard bricks (pavers?), 16 a time from my front yard to the back. There was an assorted amount of odd-and-end bricks for another 4 loads. It was just the sort of resistance workout that got me to break a sweat. Then today, that wheelbarrow came in handy when I had to relocate a concrete bench for pondering.

A tool that I did not know was so helpful is a mattock! Wow, I LOVE that thing. Screw gun control: give me that thing with Wardruna and I'll go invade Northumbria.

Since moving here, there was only one day when work was not being performed outside, initially by crews and now, outside of an upcoming concrete pour, on my side of the ledger. I'm totally onboard with my sweat equity because I've watched years of double accounting tracking every penny in Gnucash suddenly explode in a raging river the other way. Ding! I am leveling up my handy skills while lining projects up to my fitness training.