Basic Man Stuff

Episode 7 of the Basic Man Stuff Podcast from BasicManStuff.com.

Budget for savings the same as any other expense. If you don’t save intentionally, you never will.

Episode 6 of the Basic Man Stuff Podcast from BasicManStuff.com.

You know that helping people move is basic man stuff. And you know the 3 ways to make moving day a little easier.

But before you back that truck up to the door, here are a few more things to consider:

Purge. One day you might need those hand-me-downs that don’t fit. Or that broken VCR. Or those pickle jars you kept for some odd reason. But they’re not worth moving. Toss, recycle, or donate. You’ll just collect more later.

Feed your help. A snack and water at a minimum. Otherwise, they’ll frown at you as they pass out.

Corral the kids. Have a place they can go to avoid getting stepped on. It’s for everyone’s safety.

Calm down. You’ve planned for this, and you’ve got support. Lighten up and have a little fun with it.

If you’re a DIY kind of man you will likely find yourself in a project that needs a good frame. Whether it be a deck, a treehouse, a chicken coop, or finishing the basement, build it to last... and meet code.

After you’ve plotted, planned, measured 6 times, and purchased your lumber, you’ll be good to go. Get your DIY game-face on and get to construction.

Lay out your frame and center your braces at 16″. Nail em or screw em together and you’ve got a frame that will last.

-CulturalNomad

Heck, it happens every year. 

The mercury climbs and people lose their minds. 

Bill: “Ugghhh, it’s sooooo hot today. I feel like I’m melting.”

Trevor: “I know, I can’t believe it. I feel like I can’t see straight.”

Hey Bill and Trevor, stop it. You’re sitting in the comfort of an air-conditioned room. Men don’t complain. Especially about things they can’t control, like the weather.

P.S. Bill and Trevor will also complain when it gets cold in the winter.

Episode 5 of the Basic Man Stuff Podcast from BasicManStuff.com.

Episode 4 of the Basic Man Stuff Podcast from BasicManStuff.com.

Whether you are moving to a new apartment across town or relocating your family to a new state, moving day can be hectic and stressful.

Here are a few ideas for a smooth move:

Get help. This is no time to be a lone ranger. Get the word out and take whatever moving help you can get.

Pack. If your help shows up to your belongings strewn all over the floor, they will hate you. Believe me, I know. Box it all up ahead of time.

Use labels. No one knows which boxes go where, or which room is little Johnny’s. Label each box with a room name (such as Bedroom 1) and tape a matching sign to each door.

Happy moving!

Here came Teresa, zipping down the hall in her motorized wheelchair. She was late, again, for a meeting. Why? Because an able-bodied person had taken the only handicap-accessible bathroom stall, while three less roomy stalls sat empty.

And so, with no other options, she waited. And waited.

Teresa couldn’t walk because a drunk driver once put himself first. Now she couldn’t use the bathroom because someone else’s comfort came first.

I decided that day that Teresa, and others like her, should come first for a change. I haven’t used a handicap stall since.

Is it the size of a man’s puffed up chest that defines him? Or, the size of his heart inside?

No one loves to help people move. In fact, I know many who have tried to get out of it by volunteering at baby showers or faking sick.

But people need a few good men around when that couch with the hiding steel pull-out bed needs to get up to the third floor.

If you’re lucky, a few jacked gym junkies who live to lift will show up. Then you can at least hold the door open for them.

Or maybe the self-appointed puzzle master who stays in the truck the whole time will need help filling every crevice.

Either way, you’re needed. It may be tiring and unpleasant, but showing up in another’s chaos is big of you. And it’s basic man stuff.

Episode 3 of the BasicManStuff.com podcast.

If you have a professional job, or an office job, or just a job, then you can’t escape email.

There are forwards and copies you don’t care about, emails too long to read, and even emails asking if you’ve checked your email. That’s too much.

You could try some common tips for reducing email, but it may be time for something more drastic.

Try setting some automatic replies, such as:

“I’m away from email indefinitely,”

or

“What does your heart tell you?”

If anyone catches on, act shocked.

Or up the ante with a more blunt autoreply:

“What do your email and an instruction manual have in common? I’ll never read them.”

If all else fails, delete all your emails and officially declare email bankruptcy.

Recently, I had a short conversation that went something like this:

Chuck: “If you’re a man, then you HAVE to act tough, crush cans on your head, and eat raw meat. You should put that on your website!” Me: “No.”

Mind if I clear something up real quick?

This is Basic Man Stuff, not Common Man Stuff. And by basic, I mean foundational and essential to manhood.

Common, however, is what’s often observed. To find it, just look around.

Maybe belching the alphabet, withdrawing from your family, and treating women as subservient objects is common in some circles, but it’s hardly basic.

So if that's what you are looking for, go somewhere else. There’s no shortage, I assure you.

If you don’t have one of these beards, I bet you know someone who does.

Pet Beard It’s not just a beard; it’s a member of the family. You pamper it. You buy it special shampoo and apply scented “product.” You meticulously trim it and work to curb its behavior. You might be obsessed.

Undisciplined Child Beard That thing is unruly. You can’t take it anywhere. With no discipline or boundaries, it’s all over the place. Now people avoid you. “Beards will be beards,” you say, but for heaven’s sake do something before it destroys itself and you.

Comrade Beard Sure, you have a “relationship,” but you’d never call it that. You’ve just been through a lot together. You’ve seen things. But it usually minds its business and you mind yours. And if it’s ever in trouble, you’ll be there.

Rebound Beard Your manly pride took a tough hit, and now you’re rebounding with a new beard. But those four sad hairs are all wrong for you. “It will change,” you say, but you know it never will. Get rid of it and take time to work on yourself. You look ridiculous.