"You don't have to own a truck, just have friends who own trucks."
Eric's corollary #1:
"You don't have to be a handyman, just have friends who are handymen."
And Eric's corollary #2:
"You don't have to own a mountain cabin, just have friends who own mountain cabins."
Which allows us to therefore conclude;
"If you own a truck and/or are a handyman, and have a friend who owns a mountain cabin, you should barter your resources in exchange for theirs."
Which is exactly what I have on tap for this weekend! B's birthday is next week. We haven't had a weekend off to ourselves in quite a number of months. And my friend L and I have been talking about some upcoming projects that she needs done up at her mountain cabin. L is always very generous about letting friends use the cabin, so B wondered if it would be possible to plan a birthday weekend. A few emails back and forth with L, and it was all set! The weather is supposed to be "chamber of commerce" perfect - high around 70 and clear during the day (perfect for strolling the shops in town or hiking the trails) and low around 40 at night (perfect for a fire in the fireplace).
I have been quite fortunate over the years to have friends with mountain cabins all over North Georgia. And while all of them have always been generous about letting me stay there without expecting anything in return, I've always believed in earning my keep where I can. I had one friend, R, who had a cabin up near Helen. He told me I could go up there anytime I wanted. He even went so far as to give me my own set of keys to the place! Of course, the cabin was in dire need of attention and TLC, and he made it clear that I shouldn't expect the Ritz. Truthfully, it wasn't even close to the Ramada. But the price was right, and the beds were clean and dry. Just for kicks, the first time I went up there I took my tools and set about fixing this and tightening that and replacing the other. Poor R was so embarrassed when I told him what I did! He felt like he should have done those things before I ever got there, but I assured him that I didn't mind, and even enjoyed doing stuff like that. I made a few more trips to that cabin after that, always with tools in hand and a list of things I wanted to work on. R has since sold that cabin to his nephew, and is building what will eventually become his full-time retirement home just down the road.
But thankfully L has what amounts to a nicer cabin, easier to get to, and in much better condition. Over the past couple of years, I've changed out light fixtures, replaced light switches, and done a few other small projects - enough to warrant a weekend at the cabin once or twice. I've also helped her with things around her "regular" house (which I think also helps me earn credits for the cabin). We're talking now about rebuilding the outside landscape steps at the cabin, along with replacing the garden lights.
Of course, if B takes a liking to our weekend, I might need to plan for more projects so I can earn more credits!
Hope *you* have a great weekend, too!
