So there I was swing set instruction book in one hand, while other hand was waving goodbye to my wife as she drove off on a weeklong excursion at shore with her lady friends. As I turned around to go back into house I was thinking this was going to be a great week. I could get that swing set together in one or two days and then have rest of week to lie around watching videos and playing on my computer.

My wife was on road to shore, my kids were both away at camp for week, so for me it was just an empty house, one simple building project and then relaxation. . What more could a guy ask for? Well for one thing cooler temperature and a weeks vacation to finish project.

The next day dawned with bright sunshine, high humidity and temperatures in high ninety’s. I was dreading it already. My thoughts turned to ideas of abandoning project until cooler temperatures prevailed. Say around November or December, but my wife was counting using that swing set for her daycare kids so I couldn’t let her down. We all no that guys are always on time with tasks that our wives ask us to do.

So with such great (hot) weather to start off first day of my building project I laid out tools and different parts of sing set to in order to better acquaint myself with instructions, all parts to swing set and whatever else I would need to get me started. Well actually that is what I should have done what I actually did was get my tools rip open boxes and lay into that thing. An hour later and at least10 pounds lighter from all sweating I had my first two boards bolted together I was on my way.

Unfortunately, in world in which we live, it is necessary to fax some letters or documents to someone in some odd part of world. I don't like it, but that's just way it is.

On rare occasion when I must fax some document at an office supply store, I usually sneak in back way. It has been my experience, when fax man seeth me cometh, he always raises price per page. This is just a small service he does for Yours Truly.

Then, when paying for this service, fax man usually says with an impish grin, "When are you going to get a fax machine of your own?"

I always flash a smile back at him, but if he knew thoughts in my head, he would charge me more per page. Silence truly is golden, especially for person exercising virtue.

Actually, I don't trust machines. I know a mind somewhere is controlling all of these machines — a menacing, mischievous mind dedicated to simple task of messing up my life.

When I eventually break down and buy a fax machine someone will invent something to replace it and I'll have another antique on my hands to put alongside of my Underwood typewriter and boxes of 8-track tapes.

This notwithstanding, I ended up buying a fax machine several weeks ago. I didn't want to, but I had no choice in matter.

My printer finally went way of all printers. I hated to see it go. The left side was cracked where Noah, original owner, dropped it. For years, it served me quite well. My next printer will have a big ink cartridge to fill.

I hate buying replacement equipment. Rarely is new any better than old, just more expensive, not to mention complicated. But, necessity is stepmother of all complications in life, and I set out to buy a new printer.

I resolutely did not want to buy a fax machine. Under no circumstance did I want to buy a fax machine. Therefore, I ended up buying a fax machine.

It is impossible to buy a printer anymore. In order to buy a printer you must

buy a machine that prints/copies/scans/faxes. I think it's a pretty sneaky way to get me to buy a fax machine. Someone "out there" is set on me owning a fax machine even though I don't want to own one.