Last Wednesday, my friend’s brother, Mike McHugh, came over to the house. A bunch of us had met for breakfast the previous Monday and I mentioned that I had a couple things in the house that weren’t working, and Mike, retired but these days a school crossing guard, said he could come over Wednesday and help out.

I was pretty disgusted with the products I had ordered from QVC, since none of them seemed to work. But before I sent them back, I decided to have Mike make one more attempt at getting them working.

The first item was a thing on the ground where your feet went back and forth to sort of exercise while you were sitting. Its official name was “Cubii Go Seated Elliptical with Wheels“. The first task a new owner was supposed to do was to attach two footbeds to the machine using four screws and an some sort of wrench that were included. I had directions, too.

I tried and tried to attach the footbeds. I couldn’t get them to lay flat and I couldn’t get the wrench to work properly. I could line up the holes, but when it came to actually making the attachments, I couldn’t do it, figured the footbed parts were worthless.

The other thing was a Bose sound bar. Official name:”Bose Solo Series II Bluetooth Soundbar“.

I had actually ordered to of them for two different TVs. I had successfully attached one, but the other was a problem. I had attached a wire to the Bose but for the life of me I couldn’t get the TV attachment to work. I had a flashlight and I tried. And tried. I would stop, do something else and then try again. And again. By Wednesday I was sure that the plug area on the back of the TV was too small for my attachment. I must have tried that plug 50 times, even twisting the plug and changing hands.

Knowing Mike was coming over, I had lit one of my scented candles and cleaned up a little.

So Mike arrives and I take him to the room with the Elliptical. He sat on the floor, petted the dogs, looked briefly at the directions and…. he had the footbeds attached (firmly) in about a minute. I sat there transfixed. He had actually said when he walked in that he wasn’t as handy as his wife, but he would give my projects a go.

Then he went to the Bose and the TV. He went behind the TV with the wire and that attachment took about 30 seconds and his hands were bigger than mine!

I am not handy and never have been, But I had projects that I should have mastered that taught me just how un-handy I am! When I told this story to my hairdresser (she’s handy) and my neighbor Gerri (also handy), they both said I should have called them! (Could they tell just how un-handy I am?)

And when I offered Mike $20 so he could buy a drink next time he was at the casino, he refused!

Well, I do have good points. I can rite and spellll. Maybe.

Everything in my house is now working, no thanks to me.