Goodson Tools & Supplies Blog

Hey guys! These photos appeared in my inbox this week. Thought you might get as big a kick out of them as I did. Check ‘em out and let me know which one’s your favorite.

Dave

I did it! Yes I did take that vacation and it was great. You know there is just something really cool about not having to go to work on a Monday. I mean there I was coffee in hand, picking up the newspaper off the driveway and waving to my neighbors as they drove off to work. Somehow that coffee started tasting better, the air was warm, birds were chirping, I only read the comics in the newspaper that day, and then it was time to relax, and relax I did.

You know these things called vacations are very good for the heart and soul. They clear out the mind and get rid of the headaches and heartaches of business; they allow you to regain that sanity that sometimes goes with business. They make you see things clearer, appreciate the little things even more and did I mention that I won’t have to go to make that appointment with a head shrink after all.

Ah yes, total relaxation!

Off to the marina I went to finish loading up the boat with supplies for the big river run of 2010. Now I will admit that when it comes to my boat I am a maintenance fanatic, I mean I wash it every week, two full waxes every year. Oil change twice a season and you already know about my props being re-trued and balanced, so I was all set for a great adventure. My wife and dog joined me as I finished up packing up the boat, and our first stop was going to be up river about 11 miles to see a fireworks show that evening. We had invited a few of our friends for the event and everything was going just fine. Our friends tied up to our boat, and their friends tied up to their boat and pretty soon we were 8 boats united as one. Adult beverages were being consumed and the grill was fired up and soon we were having dinner, drinks, and rockin to the tunes waiting for the big fireworks show. Now keep in mind we are off the main channel on the Mighty Mississippi River but we were still on the river. So as dark approached (me, good captain that I am) told everyone to be sure to turn their anchor lights on because the water police we out in full force. This is a good thing because there must have been close to 80 boats all tied up in various groups doing the same thing we were doing. After making sure everyone had their anchor lights on I of course went to turn mine on when………………………I noticed they did not work.

Hmmmmmmm must be a fuse?

Ok, now everybody is picking on me as I am known as “safety first guy” and also known as “maintenance first guy” and now my lights do not work. Well I had two people look at every fuse I pulled out and the fuses were fine, but still no lights. I checked the bulbs and they were fine too. Must be the switch? The dark was getting darker, and water patrol was getting closer, and closer. They were checking everybody when it dawned on me that as an “engine guy” I should be able to fix anything……..right?

So what was I gonna do? I needed a big all around type of light to affix to my radar arch and I also needed a red and green light off my bow to get back into the marina later. What to do? Well fortunately my group was having a lot of fun saying hey “Engine guy” Maintenance guy” Safety guy” how you going to make those lights work? Yes they were having a lot of fun at my expense. That’s what friends are for!

Well after hearing those comments my engine builder and MacGyver instincts kicked in and I came up with simple solutions to my dilemma. First the big all around light for the radar arch. I used a white paper plate and some duck tape and a flashlight and by gosh I wrapped that paper plate around the flashlight and Walla, I had my all around ready to go. Then I went below and got two more flashlights, and then all I needed was something green and something red to wrap around the flashlights. I thought to myself, what is green, or red and lightweight and on my boat or on some other boat? So I started asking everyone if they had anything lightweight that was green or red and soon I got some offers to use of all things…..panties. Now I am not sure whose these were or where these were from but they were lightweight, they were red and green and the light would show through just fine. I taped them to the flashlights and the flashlights were taped to the bow. Just in time for the water patrol guys to stop and give us the look over to see if we were are in compliance. The main water patrol guy just kept staring at my bow lights for quite a while, then he called out, “Sir he said “I know this is not a regulation bow light set up nor is that a regulation all around light on your radar arch but I will give you credit for great thinking. Be careful sir and get those lights fixed before you go at night again or next time a ticket I will surely get.”

Whew! I thought for sure it was going to be “big time ticket time” , but you know what? I should not have been worried, I am an engine guy, and engine guys never say something can’t be fixed. Engine guys never back down from a challenge of how to take something apart, or put it back together , engine guys figure out how to machine it or how to hold on to it while they fix it. Engine guys just fix it period! You know a lot of our new product ideas come directly from you “engine guys” for those reasons. So next time you find, create, design, or just happen to get lucky in fixing, repairing, machining, or holding on to a engine part or component, call me with your idea. Email me your idea, fax me your idea, just make sure it gets to me and I will let everyone else in this business know there is a solution out there that may help them out of a similar jam. So that is my challenge for today. If you have a new product Idea, I want to know about it. Your idea could become the next great product from Goodson Tools & Supplies. I think there is a little MacGyver is all of us. Good luck and get those new ideas to me ASAP!

So take that time to relax, get your head right and then get back to work!

See ya on the web, and I’ll leave the lights on for you!
Dave