Idiosyncrasies

Everything man builds is in a constant state of deterioration from the day he finishes. Sometimes we let things run their course, and start fresh with a new idea, when the older version has finally pooped out. Many times we try to preserve what has been built, because of the value and beauty of the object. And I'm talking about EVERYTHING we manufacture, construct, fabricate, etc. etc. For instance, the t-shirt I'm wearing at this very moment, was new at one time, now it's used with a small hole in it. I'm going to continue to wear it until it has run its life course, then properly dispose of it. Now such an object as the painting of Mona Lisa, or the Coliseum in Rome, those creations have been deemed worth preserving, because of the value, beauty, and historical significance. Still, without proper constant care, these items would eventually turn to dust. Fortunately, we have individuals who care enough, and are talented enough, to restore valuables to their original state, or, at least, preserve it in its current state. Now there is absolutely no object in my house (except my house itself) that is worth the kind of money, to attempt to preserve its life. That's why I've been labeled a 'consumer'. I eat things up and dispose of them at a later date. Keep in mind though, I'm not made of money. So the items I purchase, I attempt to fix them to prolong their life expectancy, proving I'm somewhat of a tightwad. Usually when I 'fix' something, it has a tendency to work, just not quite as good as it was when purchased new. So my family and I accept the fact that our item works, just not as good as the commercial on TV. We put up with the little idiosyncrasies, in an attempt to eek out a couple of more hours of use, before we have to say 'goodbye'. For instance, we had to purchase a new toilet last year. We make every effort to live as 'green' a life as possible, so we bought a low water consumption toilet. It's quite fascinating how it actually works... BUT, the little float has a tendency to stick, so the water will continually run, using more water than our old toilet. I've attempted to adjust this float, and it'll work properly for about a day, then back to its old tricks. All it needs is a little vibration to make it work properly. So our brilliant ingenuity has come up with a 'cost free' solution. If you stomp your foot on the floor, in front of the toilet, it will immediately stop running. There, fixed! My wife's car is another quirky little piece of machinery. She has electric door locks that lock automatically, when the car reaches about 5 mph, the door knobs click, and the doors are locked. The driver's door though, seems to have a mind of its own. It may, or may not lock when the rest do, or, it may decide to lock when you turn a corner, or while increasing speed on the onramp to the interstate, or while pulling into the driveway, home from your journey. Once again, an idiosyncrasy we learn to live with. So to fix such things, that are falling down around us, man has invented duct tape and bailing wire. Those two items will fix about 90% of all problems - temporarily. Nice thing about duct tape, it can be reapplied to further the life of the object, which would now be deemed 'unsafe', so we can continue to save our pennies for our next disposable purchase. That just gave me an idea! To preserve my 'priceless' t-shirt, a duct taped, horizontal stripe may be the solution!