Monday, January 19, 2009

WD 40, vice grips and duct tape

Thao is in awe of all the tools in Walt’s shed.

 ...

Thao: Man, where’d you get all this stuff?

Walt: Well, it may come as a surprise to a thief. But I bought this stuff, everything in here, with my own money.

Thao: Yeah, that’s not what I meant. I mean there’s just so much stuff packed in here.

Walt: Yeah, well every tool has a purpose. Everything has a job to do. They’re all useful and necessary.

Thao: OK, so what’s that?

Walt: Post-hole digger.

Thao: That?

Walt: Vice grips. Wire cutters. That’s a trowel. Come on. Those are shears and that’s a saw. That's a tack hammer. You can’t fool me kid. All right, what’s on your mind?

Thao: It’s just… I can’t afford to buy all this stuff.

Walt: Well I guess even a bonehead like you could understand that a man acquires this over a period of 50 years.

Thao: Yeah, but…

Walt: All right, here. These three items right here. WD40. Vice grips. And…. Some duct tape. Any man worth his salt can do half the household chores with just those three things. Anything else you need, you just borrow it.

__________

Voice-over

Gran Torino again. Some men regard their shed as sacred. Others maintain a shed as their raison d’étre. In his shed, Walt finds his role as benefactor, even as teacher. And can we substitute CRC for WD40? Pliers for vice-grips? Uh-oh, DUCT TAPE? That is unique. No wonder Clint cracks a grin as he drops this in. There may or may not be a museum of duct tape, but MacGyver often made do with a roll of it.

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