The Toolbox

This post title made me think of a little kid's story book where a great life lesson is going to be learned. I don't know why. This isn't exactly a little kid story, but the characters are just as happy, because...

Blake got a new treasure!

He'd needed a new tool box for a long time but just hadn't found the *right* deal to make it worth doing.

Before he started the business, he had found his first toolbox on craigslist for $2100- all the cash he had at that moment, but the first best investment he made. (Of course aside from the investment he made in trips to VT after deciding to date me! :P)  A retiring mechanic was happy to see it go to a good home. And it did. It served it's purpose well and was partly what prompted Blake to rent this shop in the first place- he feared if too many little brothers used it at home, the tools might start getting lost. That tool box is now too small, too full of more tools he's collected, and is beginning to show some real signs of wear.

When a friend mentioned that he had gotten offered to trade a Snap-On toolbox for the truck he'd been trying to sell, Blake starting getting interested. It took his friend a while to get the right deal since he had already sold the truck, but when it finally happened, everyone was happy, especially the new owner.

We've gotten to spend a lot of quality time together cleaning the two boxes and organizing them. The goal is to get usable sets of tools in both boxes and an employee who doesn't have a tool box can use the older box. It's still a work in progress.

It has been the obvious new toy in the shop and everyone who comes in gets to admire it. I'm proud of my husband. He may have had to put up with something that wasn't working quite so well for the last while, but because he waited, he now was able to get a good deal on a really nice box with lots of tools that should last a while.

*I started this post the day after he bought the box, which was at least three weeks ago. It's now found a spot up against a wall, is nicely organized, and fits in with the grease and grime of the place. I had planned to get a better picture of him with the box but when I stopped to think about that, I realized *that* wasn't happening so I might as well put this very long overdue post up!