I got given a second hand bike the other day, thought it just needed some air in the tyres but turns out the back inner tube was fucked, by the end of the day I’d basically completely disassembled the thing and put it back together (including fucking Kmart selling me a tube that had a fucking hole in it). My hands were covered in grease, and the bike was back in excellent order, rode so much better.
I basically only changed a tyre, but I was out in the yard in the afternoon sun, some music playing, and at the end of the day I had something to show for what I did. Can’t recommend it enough.
Insightful post. Especially wrt the nepotism and gatekeeping by chud subcontractors and doing things the hard way. I'm in northern VT and every company is some french canadian last name and every male in that family works for the business.
I've been in my attic and basement for weeks replumbing and rewiring our 1940s house and it's honestly pretty brutal on the lower body and back. Taking breaks and stretching really helps. I'm on SSDI for life now but I'd take that work over my past life's choices in a second if I could. Plumbing and hvac is pretty objectively interesting work.