Thursday, July 17, 2008

Amazon, You’re Killin’ Me

There aren’t many things that draw my attention like a moth to a flame. Pens come to mind. I’ve got hundreds of them. This is not an exaggeration. Ask my mother. (I’d buy a Mont Blanc if only Jonny Depp came with it.) I can’t walk by a pen display anywhere without at least looking. I think it might be a sickness.

Clothes – not so much. Occasionally, I’ll see something I just have to have but it’s rare. Shoes – pretty much the same story. (Well, there were those cute sandals last weekend ...) Sorry, Carole. I didn’t get the clotheshorse gene, much to her dismay. But somehow, I did seem to get an overabundance of the power tool gene. I’m a regular freak of nature, I am.

I can spend hours in Sears Hardware and get lost in a Harbor Freight store. So that’s why when Amazon recently sent me an email touting their latest power tool sale, I purposely avoided opening it. I’m not really in the market for anything right now, but once I start looking, you just never know. It's serious danger, Will Robinson. It's the equivalent of putting a loaded crack pipe down in front of a junkie.

I tried to get a fix by cruising and admiring tools at Lowe's last night. (I bought the first round of gravel and the metal edging for the walkway. ) I thought that reading a few boxes, parking my palms around some power would be sufficient. It wasn't.

I finally broke down and opened the email. In under a minute, I had a few things on my wish list. I looked at a Black and Decker cordless drill (something I don’t really need but would be nice to have) … or maybe I’d prefer something a little more powerful like a DeWalt. In any case, I don’t need either of them really. I checked out an assortment of handtools, some of which I do need. (I'm currently using an almost 30-year-old hammer, for instance.)

Then there was this fantastic little power cutter, “ideal for wallpaper.” Hmm ... there are two bedrooms waiting to be done.

Someone please stop me before I kill.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was going to write and tell you how to overcome this seemingly harmless, but potentially hazardous shopping addiction. However, power tools are pretty useful, and most of them can be used for more than one job. Kinda like clothes! Ok, set yourself aside some shopping money and go crazy. After all, you'll stop when the house is finished right? ;)

Anonymous said...

My dad got me an 18V DeWalt cordless drill and sawzall for my 30th birthday. I love love love them and so will you! It's money well spent - give in and get them!!!!

Ty'sMommy said...

What? You just HAD to use the cordless drill as an example? Did I not mention in my recent blog about my chairs that I desperately NEED a new cordless drill???? *sigh* Now I'm going to have to go shopping, too...and I just narrowly escaped the 50% sale at the jewelry store in town this afternoon....they had the cutest little aquamarine ring.....

Unknown said...

Or, you know, borrow my husband's B&D cordless drill and Sawzall. And compound miter saw and so on. He's not using them. *wry look* In other news, I love to wallpaper and will gladly assist with the bedroom project. Sledgehammer and 6-inch concrete slab - not so much.

NV said...

V -- Powertools are way useful, particular around here.

Jen -- You're NOT dissuading me.
:-)

T'smom -- Sorry. Hate to be a bad influence.

KayO -- Aw, thanks! I need to buy a cordless drill -- at some point. (There's no specific project I need one for. Just good to have and not fight with cords when needed.) I have a compound miter saw -- one of the best things I ever bought.