Friday Shootout - My Favorite Thing

My favorite thing about my hometown - Mount Pleasant near Charleston, SC - is my neighbor's truck.

And yes, I realize that the front and back are fuzzy but I shot this picture a few years ago for a shootout done from the perspective of our dog, Sally, rest her soul.   And Steve's truck wasn't in his driveway for me to get a better shot this week.  

And I'm also not sure that the word "favorite" really fits here.  At least that is not quite the emotion that comes to me when I answer the phone and my wife's voice says, "Do you think you can borrow Steve's truck?"

This means that she has scored a victory at some auction, antique store, or Craigslist and her prize is something that requires a truck.   I always shudder a bit because I also know that it will require me to put it in the truck and then take it out of the truck.  

This week it was a washer and dryer.   And last weekend it was the whole moving experience I documented in my blog.  

However, all whining aside, it is wonderful to have a neighbor who is so willing to help. 

And knowledgeable!  He always denies it when I claim that he can fix anything but he is ten times the handyman that I am.  My abilities are summed up in the hat that Brian once bought me for Father's Day:

So after a few hours on a ladder or under the sink or elbows deep in the toilet, I will usually come into the house and say, "Well, Hon.  It's beyond me.  We're going to need to call a plumber (electrician, roofer, carpenter, mechanic) on this one."

Her response is always the same.  "Can you ask Steve's opinion first?"

I don't really mind getting Steve's opinion.  In fact, I've learned about everything I know about house repairs from Steve.  But I feel guilty because I know that he never just gives his opinion.  Invariable, he will leave whatever relaxing thing he is doing and spend sweaty and grunting hours fixing it himself. 

I guess Steve and not his truck is what I'm most thankful about in my hometown.