Stupidity and Lethargy

I’ve said many times that ignorance is bliss, and it is some cases, I suppose that it is true. However it is much better not to know how many partners your significant other had before you came into the picture. I don’t really want to know just how many of our tax dollars our elected officials are “legally” putting in their pockets. The only benefit to knowing when you are going to die is that you could really screw over the insurance companies for a change. I prefer to think my friends and family all like me and have no criticisms whatsoever. I never wanted to know how much we owed as opposed to how much was coming in. I don’t want to see my weight; I prefer to gauge that in belt holes. I don’t want to know how our food is prepared and processed before we get it at the market.

I’m sure there are a few other examples, but on the whole, ignorance is definitely NOT bliss. I one time had to replace a starter on my car a while ago. Replacing a starter is really quite easy, on this particular vehicle I just needed to undo a couple of wires, take out three bolts and then repeat the process in reverse with the new starter. It was maybe a ten minute job, fifteen at the outside. Three hours later, with numb fingers and an ass so cold I was sure that I’d have to have it amputated, I called my mechanic to see which tow truck company he would prefer I used. Ted asked what the problem was and I told him, trying to appear somewhat manly while holding in the tears. Ted asked “What happened when you gave it a boost?” ahhhhh…. “You know, most batteries will lose their charge when you are trying to start them with a bad starter.”

“Thanks Ted…I’ll give it a try and let you know how it turns out.” The only thing worse than ignorance would be someone that isn’t, and then rubs your nose in it. I have tried my hand with mechanical things over the years and never had much success. The pictures in the Haynes manuals rarely looked like my engine. My engine was covered in grease and goop. Just about five years ago I decided that mechanics are indeed much smarter than I am when it comes to…mechanics.

 

A few weeks ago I saw something at the second hand store that I have wanted for years. Wireless speakers! Now, understand that I don’t need wireless speakers and more than likely wouldn’t use them, but I have wanted them for quite a while. There was a pair of really good speakers for only five dollars! I knew they were good because they were heavy and in my mind heavy = good. I was so excited that I set them up as soon as I got home and then turned on the stereo. I have never heard better static.

It turns out that for the speakers to work, you need to have some kind of transmitter which of course I didn’t get for five bucks. No problem, I’ll just contact the company and order a transmitter; I can’t be the only person to “lose” a transmitter during a move. Notice how I have my lie all ready? I was prepared for every eventuality, except the one where the company has gone out of business. Shit! No problem, I will just make use of ebay and order a transmitter. The only thing that ebay had was another two speakers with a transmitter for $50. I can live with that, I’ll have four working speakers and all for $55. Perfect! Well, it would be perfect without the $85 shipping charge. I don’t want the freakin’ speakers that much.

Several weeks have passed and every where I have gone hasn’t had any solution at all. Most of the people just give me that “Why would you bother?” look. I don’t blame them, but I am into this thing for a couple of months and five bucks, and I won’t even mention the humiliation every time I try to explain what I need. Tomorrow I am going to buy some speaker wire and attempt to solder the wire in the right place inside the speakers. I don’t know what the right place is, but tomorrow is Thursday and our garbage day here is Friday. One way or another, this stage of my life will be over by Saturday.

 

Ignorance isn’t bliss. Stupidity and lethargy might be though.