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Becoming A Jack Of All Trades 006- December 2025

December is always a busy month in my life so I didn’t devote much time to this project. Despite that luck was on my side it seems as I earned $74.00 by canning this month. All my canning takes place during errands pretty much so I don’t consider the amount of money I earned sustainable. Nor do I think that canning is a viable alternative income stream (as in even if I were to devote more time to it I doubt the earnings would scale with time invested). It’s just a variable thing and it so happens this month was good.

My Canning Earnings of $74 From December 2025

I received a few Christmas gifts this month from my mom that fall into this project. I got a Hypertough socket set and another grabber from her. I live my life never expecting any gifts so I’m always grateful for whatever I get whenever that may be.

In addition to that I replaced the cracked screen of a cell phone and was given the leftover tools. It was my first time replacing the screen of a phone and it was a miserable experience for me and not one I want to repeat again (at least for free).

The Free Tools I received After I Finished Replacing A Cell Phone Screen

The Tools

December continued to have good sales and I picked up some things that I use regularly and realized I hadn’t ever really official bought for the project so far. The first two things I purchased was a small level and a Milwaukee tape measure from Home Depot. The level cost $1.15 and the tape measure was $11.48. I already had a tape measure that I got in the Hypertough drill set I bought this summer but it’s terrible. The Milwaukee one is much nicer and has both the metric and imperial measurements on the blade so I don’t have to try to convert stuff on the fly anymore.

The third thing I bought also from the Home Depot was 10 Anvil Oscillating blades for $11.48. These are to go with the Sonicraft power tool I bought in October at that garage sale. Anvil isn’t considered the highest quality brand but I doubt that the blades by other companies like Milwaukee/Dewalt/Mastercraft would be better enough to justify their high prices in comparison. The fact is oscillating blades get worn out fast by nature and paying top prices for blades will not change that.

The fourth and fifth items I bought was 946 ml of 90% isopropyl alcohol for $9.16 and 500 cotton swabs for $4.00 both from Wal-Mart. I had been using the ones I had on hand since the project began and I don’t consider it fair to not include this purchase in the project since they are used so much. I could go further and say that I have been using electricity, internet, a computer as well but I’m not going to because I’m a hypocrite.

The sixth thing I bought was a set of Bondhus Metric Ball End Hex Keys for $11.72 from Amazon. I have a working power washer I found in the trash this summer but it has a loose power switch that I need to fix that requires disassembling the washer. Apparently it requires these type of hex keys so it’s been on my watch list since then and finally went on sale.

The seventh things I bought were 4 practice soldering kits from Aliexpress for $9.66. The whole beginning of this project was to learn how to solder and so far that’s been an epic fail. I’m hoping these kits will give me the push I need to actually get some practice in.

The last two things I bought this month were to help me with my canning. I bought a “snake grabber” which is really just an extra long trash picker to help me get stuff from the very bottom/back of dumpsters. I got it on Amazon and it cost me $17.40. It cost me a bit more but it’s all metal thankfully and should hold up better than other plastic grabbers. With this in mind I also bought a silicon tie from Wal-Mart for $3.45 so I can wrap the grabber after I’m done using it since it folds down into 3 pieces.

Assets

Cash (on hand): 104.71

Revenue

Cans/Bottles: $74.00

Total Revenue: $74.00

Expenses

Milwaukee Tape Measure: $11.48
Anvil 9 Inch Level $1.15
Oscillating Tool Blades: $11.48
946ml of 91% Isopropyl alcohol $9.16
500 Cotton Swabs $4.00
Bondhus Metric Ball End Hex Keys $11.72
Electronics Kits $9.66
Snake Grabber $17.40
18 Silicon Ties $3.45

Total Expenses: $79.10

Net Revenue: -$5.10

Summary

I changed the accounting because I realized I was double counting revenue and will just move the leftover money (if any) into assets at the end of the month. It’s not going to fulfill exact criteria for GAAP reporting but it’s good enough for me. December ended up being a good month for both canning and spending. 2025 was a mixed bag but I’m hopeful for 2026.

Becoming A Jack Of All Trades 005- November 2025

I had big plans for November. The month started off well by changing a dryer hose that wasn’t working anymore. It was at this point the good part of the month ended and the rest of the month began. Without going into too much detail November turned into the “critter” month. Perhaps I should say “critters”. Every amount of spare time I had in November went to dealing with that problem and while the situation is better it’s still an ongoing endeavor for hopefully not too much longer.

Canning still bizarrely went well despite dreadful weather and the snow finally arriving in earnest. I earned $37.40 by canning in November.

My canning earnings of $37.40 for November 2025.

November did have a bright spot however. At the very beginning of the month while checking out a dumpster on my route I found a working Erikkson ratchet tie down. There were more in the dumpster but the rest were too far in the back for me to reach. In addition to that ratchet I found a bag full of Coleman lantern mantles that I thought someone may want because they were still new old stock despite having a fair bit of age on them.

I detest camping so know next to nothing about this stuff besides the fact that they attach to oil lanterns. To my surprise when I got home and I checked them out on Ebay I found they still command money. Over the course of the month I sold every one of them and netted $64.20. I know last month I said I didn’t want to sell tools on Ebay which is still technically true but I figured trash I find for free is fair game.

The Tools

The first tool I bought this month was 4 1 inch metal spring clamps from Home Depot for $4.60 (with free shipping). I had seen plastic clamps at Dollarama but I have seen those break easily so opted for these Anvil branded ones instead. I was pleasantly surprised because they are sturdy as hell.

The 4 Anvil branded 1 inch metal spring clamps

The second tool I bought was a thrift store find. It was a small Klein branded zip bag for $1. With further investigation it turned out to be a multimeter bag that sells for $20-$25 at places like Amazon and Home Depot. Klein is a well know manufacturer of electrical tools but I don’t own anything from them. I did the next best thing though and put my cheapo oriental multimeter in it. In the reviews of the bag on Amazon there were lots of pictures of people putting their expensive Klein or Fluke branded multimeters in it. A younger me would have uploaded my blasphemous pictures to fuck with people but I’m far too old for that shit now.

The third tool I bought came from another thrift store. It’s a Rigid branded drive kit (43 pieces) for $6. I was on the fence here because they normally sell for about $20 at Home Depot but it was in good condition with no missing pieces or significant wear. I don’t have many drill accessories so they will come in handy.

The fourth and fifth tools I bought was two sets of Japanese/Taiwanese unbranded ratchets from the same thrift store. It looks like all the pieces were basically just thrown into bags to sell because I saw sockets from Powerbilt and Crescent in there as well (some of which don’t even fit the ratchets). The ratchets need to be serviced and the rust removed from some of the sockets but I think for $7.00 I could have done worst.

The last bunch of stuff all came from Aliexpress and has to do with soldering. There was a tip cleaning ball for $5.29, a set of 6 anti static tweezers for $4.19, 2 flush cutters for $4.29, 2 sets of flux for $5.64 and some thermal tape for $2.19.

Besides wanting/needing the soldering stuff it went with the the last thing I found this month. In a recycle bin I found a “Stash Box” .

It’s basically a zippered bag with adjustable walls to fit whatever. I’ve seen them advertised as “Stash Box”, travel case or makeup case but for my purpose it’s going to hold all my soldering stuff.

The box was a bit dirty but with a some cleaning it is now an upgrade from the shoebox I had previously been using to hold everything.

Financial Summary for November 2025

Revenue

Amount carried over from previous month: $43.31
Cans/Bottles: $37.40
Other: $64.20

Total Revenue: $144.91

Expenses

4 Anvil 1 Inch Spring Clamps: $4.60
Klein Multimeter Bag : $1.00
Ridgid Drive Kit: $6.00
Ratchet Set 01: $3.50
Ratchet Set 02: $3.50
Soldering Iron Tip Cleaning Ball: $5.29
Flux: $5.64
Anti Static Tweezers: $4.19
Thermal Tape: $2.19
Flush Cutters x 2: $4.29

Total Expenses: 40.20

Summary

November was November. The End.

Becoming A Jack Of All Trades 004- October 2025

October passed by in a flash. I got sick at the very beginning of the month with a cold and it lingered for 2 1/2 weeks. The rest of the month was spent catching up on chores I had put off and getting back up to my usual speed with life in general.

Despite these setbacks I still somehow managed to earn $27.10 from canning. That number got a boost one day as I was taking my cans to the grocery store a woman from a house near it got my attention by yelling at me and gave me a large garbage full of cans/bottles that she was otherwise putting out to the recycling. It was a very kind gesture on her part and quite unusual as I normally get yelled for the different reasons.

My canning earnings of $27.10 for October 2025

I managed to sell the Snap On tools that I had purchased the previous month on eBay. I do not plan to sell tool related items to fund my purchases for this project on eBay as it intersects too much with other areas of my life. I earned $48.95 from the sale which I will add to the kitty as a one time thing.

Say goodbye to the Snap On set purchased last month.

The Tools

The first tool I purchased at the beginning of the month was a full sized Stanley brand hacksaw from Home Depot for $5.70 delivered. I’m not sure if they were clearing out the model or it was a sale but I couldn’t pass it up at this price.

The second tool I purchased was a small pair of Mastercraft bolt cutters from the thrift store for $3.75. I don’t think they were ever used as they still had the cardboard back from Canadian Tire with them and no wear on the blades.

The third and final purchase I made for October was the largest. Early in the month while I was out running an errand while sick I happened upon a garage sale. October is very late for garage sales in this area but the fall weather that day was fantastic. I got super excited because I love garage sales and I despite that haven’t been to one yet this year. It wasn’t a great sale as it turns out because I found the prices high but I found a plastic molded case under a stack of DVD’s that caught my interest. In my feverish state I saw an angle grinder inside the case when I checked it out and was determined to buy something since it was probably going to be the only sale that I attended this year. The old lady running the sale and I negotiated a bit and I got the price down to $20. So what did I get?

When I got home I realized that the angle grinder I just bought turned out to be a Rockwell Sonicraft Oscillating Tool Model RK5105K and some accessories.

As I came to find out it was an early model and the problem was that when oscillating tools first came to market each manufacturer had their own proprietary attachment head. Each company sold their own brand of accessories that came molded with that proprietary attachment style. That way companies could charge high prices for their accessories that would only fit their brand of tools.

As years passed this destructive practice had eventually weakened the market demand for all oscillating tools among consumers. It was confusing to find the right blades you needed and when you did you were faced with high prices as you had no alternatives available to you.

Faced with slumping sales all the companies got together and adopted a universal head attachment that every manufacturer could use rectifying this problem. Now going forward any accessory produced for an oscillating tool no matter the manufacturer would fit.

Anyway all that is to say is that I had to buy a Rockwell universal adapter off Amazon for $16.64 so I can attach any blade now that’s currently being sold since the change. In retrospect maybe my purchase wasn’t such a great deal with that added expense factored in.

Financial Summary for October 2025

Revenue

Amount carried over from previous month: $13.35
Cans/Bottles: $27.10
Snap on Tool Sale: $48.95

Total Amount: $89.40

Expenses

Stanley Hacksaw: $5.70
Mastercraft Bolt Cutter: $3.75
Rockwell Sonicraft Oscillating Tool: $20
Rockwell Oscillating Tool Adapter: $16.64

Total Expenses: $46.09

Summary

If I’m honest I hardly remember October. The combination of being sick, catching up afterwards and just being busy all the time, it feels like I just got back to being normal again. I know I did some DIY stuff this month but I can’t for the life of me remember anything specific as I write this post. I’m going to have to put stuff down on paper as I do them in November so I can write about them next month.

Electric Rotary Shaver Review – MAXWISDOM Model RS320

Back in September my Remington Titanium R450 shaver died (I posted about it HERE). I already had a backup razor the Philishave 6000 Easyshave that I thrifted in March (HERE) but I decided to quickly look on Amazon to see if they had a cheap electric shaver for sale (as when feasible I like to have backups for most things I own that see common use).

Shopping Amazon I happened upon the generically called MAXWISDOM rotary electric shaver for $13.99 CDN or $16.09 after taxes (LINK HERE if you want to see it yourself). I did not have high hopes as it had no model number, resembled most oriental shavers you could find on Aliexpress or Temu and had the usual Chinese overselling on the packaging. But I figured that since I wanted a backup razor anyway I would use it for a few weeks and if it turned out to be a dud of a product I would use the Amazon 30 day return policy and get my money back. In that event I would use the Philishave and take up my search for a backup shaver again.

I’ve been using it for a little over 2 months now and these are my impressions so far:

PROS:

The fit and finish of the product is a matte black that resists fingerprints. The plastic molding is flush and although it doesn’t feel super premium it doesn’t feel cheap either. It seems sturdy and could withstand a fall without significant damage in my opinion.
The magnetic shaver head is gimmicky but I like it because it’s one less point of failure vs. one that is hinged. The magnets are strong enough that it holds the shaver head in place and doesn’t have any give when you’re using it.
The claims about the battery are mostly accurate. It takes about 2 hours to charge fully. The battery does indeed give about 70 minutes of continuous use without needing to be charged. I like the fact that it can also be used with a 5V adapter and USB C cable while plugged in so in the event that the battery fails or wears out you can still make use of it without having to replace it.
The razor and motor work well enough that it gets through a 3 day growth of very course hair in about 10 minutes. I would not recommend using it on a beard growth longer than this (about 2mm) as the motor struggles at that point. The ideal use for this razor is daily maintenance or a 1-2 day beard where shaving time in these scenarios is reduced to anywhere between 5-7 minutes.
It will never give a shave comparable to a razor but it gives a close shave enough for a job interview, court hearing or not to scare children and little old ladies on the street.
It’s inexpensive. This razor is 1/3 of the price of other brand name entry level electric rotary razors on the market. At the time of purchase it was also about 1/2 price of the Aliexpress offerings that I looked at.

CONS

The copy for the Amazon listing does this shaver no favors. Oriental manufacturers and resellers love to “upsell” their products with grandiose claims . It’s always the greatest, the best or most innovative. The 3D floating head is just a detachable head that has a center pivot. There’s also basic information omitted like the listing or instructions don’t even have information like the model : RS320 or the capacity of the battery inside the shaver.
It says wet/dry use but I DO NOT recommend using this razor in the shower or anywhere near water. I do not trust that wet use claim and it even says right on the product not to expose the chassis with the battery to water! I DO recommend cleaning the head with the small provided brush after every use so it lessens the strain on the motor however.
Longevity. I’ve listed it as a con so far but if the product continues to perform over time without losing significant function or breaking altogether I will move it to the PRO list. So far over the period of 2 months with use 5 days a week on average it has held up well.

Wet use but don’t pay attention to those silly symbols!

Conclusion

Warren Buffett once said “Price is what you pay but value is what you get.” It seems an appropriate quote to me as for $13.99 this shaver turned out to be excellent value. Don’t purchase the product expecting the performance of a $200 shave but If you expect a basic electric rotary razor but at about 1/3 the price of other comparable models you will be pleasantly surprised.

Becoming A Jack Of All Trades 003 – September 2025

September was a bit of a milestone month as it marked the first time since I started to learn about home improvement that I actually got paid for something I did. A client of my mom’s asked her to ask me if I could fix her vacuum cleaner. This is the vacuum:

A Hoover Constellation Eight Sixty Nine – A beauty

The client owns a Hoover Constellation Eight Sixty Nine that she received as a wedding gift that stopped working. I didn’t actually know if I could get it working again but agreed to take a look at it. It turned out that the plug of the cord had become brittle with age and had snapped.

I explained the fault to her and we came to an agreement that I would replace the plug and buy her new vacuum bags (as I discovered hers was filled to the top as well). She ended up giving me $50 for the hardware I needed.

The new old stock bags I bought off ebay

Once I got the replacement plug I installed it and the vacuum worked again. The vacuum bags are currently stuck in limbo since Canada Post has gone on strike while they were in transit so that will have to wait a bit. I tried giving back her change but she insisted I keep the rest for my effort which was appreciated but not expected in any way. The net amount I ended up keeping was $18.26.

Besides that I surprised myself by earning a total of $29.25 from canning this month. I didn’t think that I had raised that much but I guess it adds up.

The Tools

With the unexpected boost of the vacuum repair money I purchased an automatic wire stripper and a digital multimeter from Aliexpress.

The wire stripper is extremely useful as it’s a complete pain in the ass to strip a wire properly with a knife. Equally the multimeter is just as useful in its own way for other projects.

The third thing I purchased was a bit of a luxury item. I bought 2 bags of 50 plastic food prep gloves from Dollarama. Canning is dirty and these gloves save me from having grubby hands when I’m out and about.

The fourth and fifth things I bought this month was a speculative buy. They are a Snap On ignition tune up set and 4 Snap On nail punch/chisels.

The Snap-On ignition tune up set and the punches

I paid $12.50 for the wrench set and $3.00 for the punches from a thrift store.

I don’t have a need for the tools right now but I’ve heard that Snap-On is a well regarded and expensive brand. I’m going to try to flip them on eBay and if I make any money I’ll put that towards other tools I do need. Worst case scenario is if I don’t sell them I’ll just clean them up and keep them.

The last thing I bought this month was a pair of G8 LED bulbs from Amazon.

I found an articulated desk lamp in the trash earlier this month. It’s one of those desk lamps with a swing arm that you can put into almost any position. It looks like one of those Pixar lamps they always have in their opening animations on movies. Anyway, it had a halogen bulb in it that had burnt out and I replaced it with an LED version since it will run at 3W vs halogen at 20W with the same or better light output. It was more expensive per unit than ordering a 10 pack of halogen bulbs but I figured I will make it up with the energy savings over time. It’s actually very convenient that I found a lamp because now that I’ve taken out the AC for the year I have my workspace back and the old lamp I had on the desk has been moved to another part of the house so I had nothing to replace it with.

Financial Summary for September 2025

Revenue

Amount carried over from previous month: $10.09
Cans/Bottles: $29.25
Working Money: $18.26

Total Amount: $57.59

Expenses

Wire Strippers: $8.84
Digital Multimeter: $7.99
Poly Gloves $2.88
Snap on Ignition Wrench Set: $12.50
Snap on Punches: $3.00
G8 LED bulbs x 2: $8.04

Total Expenses: $44.24

Summary

September went better than expected. I have hope that every month will be as positive as this one but I’m not naive.

This and That September 2025

September has been busy. Work has started back in earnest so the days pass fast. A few things have happened to me this month that I thought were worth mentioning for the blog.

My electric razor broke at the beginning of the month. I had written about buying it at a thrift store back in December 2024 (HERE). It was a Remington Titanium R450 and I had been using it a little under a year. I had hoped that the blades would dull so I could test whether it was possible to hone them to get more life out of the shave head but alas it was not to be. One of the posts that held a gear to one of the 3 rotary mechanisms broke.

The way the razor was designed the black lever moves the gear so it drives the clipper when you press the button on the back of the razor. The problem is that over time the movement wears the post and it eventually breaks. Mostly due to plastic on plastic wear but also partly because the plastic had become brittle with age. I tried gluing it back but because of how thin the plastic had become any force whatsoever just snapped the post again at the break.

My ill fated attempt to glue the broken post back in place

It would be an easy fix if Remington sold replacement pieces for their products but these rotary shavers were not meant to be serviced. It’s one more example of planned obsolescence. Part of me wanted to keep the now broken razor for pieces so that I could fix the same or a similar model if I eventually came across another broken one. Realistically however this is a dangerous attitude to adopt as you can quickly become a hoarder without realizing it. Most things have value to someone somewhere sometime but you have to be able to make decisions given the constraints (space) you live with. Sometimes garbage is just garbage.

So I just ended up cutting out the batteries to recycle and binned the razor. At least I understand the fault, why it happened and how it did. Failure can be useful if you can learn from it. I have a backup rotary razor that I purchased from a thrift store in March 2025 (HERE) that I could be using but have gone with another alternative for the time being which I will discuss in a future entry.

Since I started reading again this summer I’ve been trying to keep doing it but I only managed to read 1 novel in September. It was Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King.

I enjoy reading Stephen King but was disappointed by Mr. Mercedes. I didn’t realize that it wasn’t his usual supernatural horror fare and was a more realistic “detective” type story. It wasn’t bad by any means but I don’t usually read detective type books. If I ever find the sequels I’ll read them as well just because it’s Stephen King.

I also managed to completely break my first trash picker this month hauling some chandeliers out of a dumpster.

I had already broken the claw part of the picker and had repaired it but the weight of the light fixtures bent the aluminum body and snapped the jaw again. It’s my fault for using the tool in a way that it wasn’t meant to be but I am still utterly disappointed by the quality of all the trash pickers you can buy online. I realize the only way I’ll ever get something of quality to use is by making one myself. Until then I’ll muddle by using what’s available to purchase.

I realize that I haven’t documented much of what I find or fix in the trash. I don’t because it can sometimes take time to get to a final conclusion and I didn’t feel like any money I made in this fashion would be appropriate to be included in my Becoming A Jack Of All Trades posts. Maybe I should though? It’s something I’ll have to consider.

Becoming A Jack Of All Trades 002 – August 2025

August was another decent month but it’s the last I have extra time to do scrounging on my errands since my semi vacation is now over. I did get lucky however and found a large plastic water bottle that normally goes on a water dispenser in a recycling bin behind an office building. These are worth $10 empty at the grocery store so it was a nice boost in addition to the cans I scavenged.

Found in a recycling dumpster behind an office building.

With that boon I managed to raise a total of $37.30 for August.

The Tools

I’ve been doing work without proper safety equipment and I figured that although the risks have been minimal so far I had better smarten up before something bad happens. The first thing I bought this month was a set of 50 masks for $2.00 from the thrift store.

Now that nobody cares about COVID anymore PPE has come way down in price. I remember all the anti mask bullshit that was floating around during the pandemic. You can debate all the nuance about freedom wearing them and their effectiveness but it’s my first hand experience that they work. Don’t believe me then look at the scientific studies. Sure they aren’t N95 but they don’t need to be since I’m not spending all day in a COVID ward.

The second thing I bought was work gloves off of Amazon for $5.75. The gloves work extremely well and have great grip. I should have owned a pair long ago.

The extra cat hair clinging to them was free

The third thing I bought was some 3M safety glasses that go over my own prescription ones from Amazon for $3.01.

The fourth thing I bought was a magnetic pickup tool from Aliexpress for $3.79. Aluminum cans aren’t very magnetic but it’s the rest of the metal stuff that can often be found in the garbage that makes this tool come in useful.

The fifth thing I bought was a magnetic bowl from Walmart for $4.00. Do almost anything related to electronics and you’ll want one of these things when it comes to disassembly. I’ve found often it’s either this or a headache most of the time so I opted to just buy one.

The last thing I bought this month was a Picquic multi bit screwdriver from Amazon for $12.25. I needed a Schrader Valve bit to help someone and didn’t have one on my current screwdriver. It turned out that factoring in time there was only like a $2 difference between ordering a whole screwdriver on Amazon with the bit and just the bit itself at the hardware stores near me.

It’s blue transparent handle is so pretty.

I didn’t really need a whole other screwdriver but can you ever have too many? I’m conflicted whether I made the right choice but it’s done now.

Financial Summary for August 2025

Revenue

Amount Carried Over From Previous Month: $3.16
Cans/Bottles: $37.30

Total: $40.46

Expenses

50 Facemasks $2.00
Work Gloves $5.75
3M Safety Glasses $3.01
Magnetic Pick-Up Tool $3.79
Magnetic Bowl $4.00
Picquic Multi Bit Screwdriver $12.25

Total Expenses: $30.80

Summary

It wasn’t a flashy month but I bought a bunch of stuff that I needed.

End of Summer Update 2025

My summer semi vacation is at an end. I didn’t accomplish most of what I had on my to do list but I managed to get a few things done. This summer was one of my best in fact as it was not marred by some sort of trauma and was pretty benign much to my relief.

I finally finished Mario & Luigi Brothership. The game while decent in the end badly needed an editor. The last 1/3 could have basically been cut and the last boss battle was likewise seemingly endless. It’s the weakest entry into the Mario RPG series that I’ve played so far and I would rate it a 5/10.

The month of August also brought a heat wave that crippled my motivation (and frankly ability) for about a week. I did manage to get 5 more books read during this time however but it was sword & sorcery fantasy instead of science fiction this time around. I read the five books in the “Cadderly Saga” by R.A. Salvatore in the D&D (Forgotten Realms) fantasy genre. I did so because I had finished the first 6 books in the Drizzt storyline a few years ago while in hospital and I read online that the “Cadderly Saga” was considered required reading for what came after in the series for Drizzt. I guess it introduces characters that will pop up in his upcoming books but I haven’t read them so it’s only speculation on my part.

The 5 books in the “Cadderly Saga” by R.A. Salvatore

They were not as engrossing as the previous 6 entries by R.A. Salvatore (The Crystal Shard, Streams of Silver, The Halfling’s Gem, Homeland, Exile, Sojourn) but I like the D&D world so enjoyed them immensely nonetheless. They are quite different than the Drizzt books and Cadderly as a character isn’t one of my favorites but the rest of his cast are solid.

While reading the books I had forgotten how much I enjoyed the novels in the D&D (Forgotten Realms) universe and decided to start collecting them after I finished the series. I need another collection like a hole in the head but the heart wants what it wants.

Other than that there’s not much been going in the world except it seemingly about to fall apart. It looks to me like we are in the decline phase of the American empire but I have become resigned to it all. Voltaire said that it’s dangerous to be right when when the government is wrong (or something to that effect). I think the quote is apt for this time. What else can I do as a Canadian that would change things? For that I have no answer.

Becoming A Jack Of All Trades 001 – July 2025

July is not my favorite month but at least it’s good for canning. I would bet it’s going to be my best month earning money this way. I was out and about sweating a lot in July so I did a bunch of canning because of the opportunity and managed to raise $36.50.

The Tools

I have to start with a review of the grabber I picked up on Aliexpress. It’s not great. I like that it’s foldable so I can conceal it in a reusable grocery bag but that’s where my appreciation ends. The way the jaws clench means it struggles to hold onto any can or bottle and it’s frustrating as hell to use because the cans slip out of the grip all the time. I’m going to have to modify it somehow so the jaws close tighter. They are plastic riveted in place so I can’t disassemble them. What I will have to do is put some combination of a foam weather stripping (usually used to seal air leaks in windows when installing air conditioners for example) and a grippy piece of material like rubber. I was thinking that one side of the jaws will have the weather stripping while the other will have the rubber giving me the ideal balance of grip and holding power. Either way it’s been filed away in my mind for a future project because I don’t plan on purchasing anything to make the modification anyway.

I’ve also put it on the back burner because I was discussing the grabber problem with my mom and unbeknownst to me she went out and purchased a grabber for me from a Dollarama.

I was a bit annoyed with her for having done so (and secretly annoyed with myself for not having done so already and instead paying up the ass at Aliexpress). I tried to pay her back a few times but she was unwilling to accept any money from me on any of occasions I tried. I’m thankful she’s an understanding and kind person because even though I’m middle aged now my guess is that it’s rare for a parent to have to deal with their offspring digging around in the trash. She knows that I’m doing it because I want to pay my debt off first and using this separate money to buy tools so I don’t accumulate more debt. She’s always been a great mother to me and even if I lived a 1000 lives I wouldn’t choose to have anyone different. So I have another grabber now and suffice to say it works much better thank jebus.

The first thing I’ve come to realize is that the way I’ve been buying tools isn’t ideal. My preference is to save money and buy higher quality tools. The problem is that higher quality tools are more expensive and getting them at discounted prices will take time. In the interim I’m facing the issue of needing a tool but not having one. Instead of framing it in my mind as a high quality tool purchase vs a low quality tool purchase I should have been thinking of having no tool vs having the tool I needed regardless of quality. So I decided at least until I have the tools that I need I will try just to get SOMETHING whether or not it is cheap or high quality just so that I can just get the job done with it.

The second thing I’ve come to realize is that purchasing individual tools is more expensive than just buying a kit. I did not know that retailers like Home Depot, Canadian Tire or Wal-Mart sell “Project Kits” which are basically small toolkits with most common tools that someone might need and they are priced competitively. Which leads me to my one and only purchase for July:

The only thing I bought for July was a drill toolkit from Wal-mart for $33.34. I happened across it online when I was buying litter for my cats. I thought it was a fantastic deal. It had all the basic tools I was looking for in addition to a cordless drill which is something I thought I would acquire way down the line.

Financial Summary For July 2025

Revenue

Amount carried over from previous month: $0.02
Cans/Bottles: $36.50

Total: $36.52

Expenses

Cordless Drill kit $33.34

Total: $33.34

Summary

I know that the drill kit I purchased is considered by some to be cheap Chinese tools but to me being able to get a task finished no matter what I use is more important that not being able to at all.

Mid Summer 2025 Update

Summer is about half over as far as I’m concerned. Every year from the end of June to the end of August I’m on a semi vacation with my family. This summer has been good compared to previous ones except for the weather that has been rainy and hot. I cannot tolerate the heat. I get cramps, headaches, and a litany of other ailments when the temperature hovers around 30C (or nearer to 40C with the humidex taken into account). It’s happened to me since I was a kid and my mom similarly has the same condition. The worst of these ailments however is something I call “scrambled egg brain” which is like a fog that falls over my mind making it difficult to do anything besides sitting, sweating and drinking lots of water in the A/C. The other part that sucks is that I cannot sleep at night because of the heat. I’m up at least 10 times and what sleep I do get is fractured. This combination of scrambled egg brain and lack of sleep leaves me like a zombie. The phrases “Do not operate heavy machinery” or “Do not make serious financial decisions” become especially important during this period of time.

It may seem dire but because of these issues I do get a lot of reading done during this time which is something I enjoy immensely and frankly don’t do enough of during the rest of the year. So far I’ve read 6 books this summer all by Dan Abnett. They are: The Founding – A Gaunt’s Ghosts omnibus (which collects the novels First and Only, Ghostmaker and Necropolis) and Eisenhorn – The Omnibus (which collects the novels Xenos, Malleus and Heretic.).

They are all science fiction novels set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. This is my first experience with the Warhammer 40K universe as far as books are concerned and they were entertaining and easy reads. The only downside is that the follow up books are out of print in physical editions so it may take me some time to obtain copies that are reasonably priced to continue the story lines. But, that’s actually fine because I’m kind of sick of the whole grim wartorn 40K universe after all that reading anyway. It’s an ugly place that is better enjoyed in small doses.

Besides that I did get to visit an out of the way thrift store that I only go to about once a year. I was helping my neighbor take junk to the Eco-Center (a recycling center run by the city) and we stopped on the way back. I enjoy this particular thrift store but the prices of everything had gone up (Quelle Surprise!). They did not have much I needed but as I was at the cash to checkout I happened to notice a cardboard box on the shelf behind the register that said “Arduno” $15. I’m quite sure the cashier had no idea what it was when I asked to see it and as I opened the plain brown otherwise unmarked cardboard box I immediately added it to my purchase. So what did I get for $15?

Inside the box was an Arduino Starter Kit that was used but had all the components (and additional pieces) after I checked it more thoroughly when I got home. What sold me on the purchase however was when I skimmed it at the thrift store on the top of the inside box nestled inside an anti-static envelope was a Raspberry Pi Zero W with a 32 GB SD card.

Look what was hiding inside the Arduino Box

The solder joints on the pin headers are a mess that I will have to reflow.

I have always been interested in tinkering around with an Arduino but I couldn’t afford the $110-90 price tag that it was sold for. The Raspberry Pi Zero W usually runs between $15-25 for the board itself but If you add shipping and the rest of the components that it needs to function the cost goes up to the $50 range. Yet another price tag that I was just not willing to pay. I don’t really have any use for a Raspberry Pi Zero W (as it’s just an underpowered computer) but the novelty is there and it might be fun to tinker around with. Even if I ended up selling the Raspberry Pi Zero W on Ebay I would get my $15 back pretty easily which makes the whole purchase essentially free. You can’t beat that price (or flawed logic).

I’ve also been renting Mario & Luigi Brothership from my library which I’ve been playing for a few weeks now on my Nintendo Switch. I enjoy the Mario & Luigi RPG’s but this is one of the weaker entries unfortunately. It’s still enjoyable but nowhere as good as say Superstar Saga or Bowser’s Inside Story. I’m only about 1/2 way through though so maybe my opinion will change by the time I finish it sometime during what’s left of the summer.

That’s all for now

CatsGamesWhatever.