Hi. I'm Katharine, I'm gadgetophile [ga-jitofile].
Hi Katharine.
It's true.
I cannot be let loose in a hardware store with a credit card
because I will actively seek out gadgets and buy them. I don't need them and, chances
are, I'll probably never use them but, and here's the kicker, you never know.
That terrible phrase, 'What if...' is what drives me to walk
down the aisles carefully checking for the latest time- and/or life-changing gadget
that has been designed to make me invent instances in which I could use a
pencil that's also a spirit level with handy retractable tape measure.
You know what I'm talking about. Left-handed notebooks (the
spiral is on the other side), flash drives that are fans and spy cameras, pens
with whistles and multi-coloured nibs that light up. I am also unlikely to walk past packs, such as
useful DIY painting kits with five different sized paintbrushes, drop sheet,
fluffly rolly thing, plastic tray, masking tape and, if you choose the deluxe
model, a paint scraper. I'll buy it
because, well, I can. I'm probably not going to paint but... What if the Paint
Police arrive and tell me to paint my bathroom or face arrest? Who will be
going to prison? Not me.
I probably have about 5 sets of screwdrivers of various sizes
and handiness. The normal ones, the little all-in-one variety that invites you
to push out the little heads and change it for another size or head type. The
other day I found a box set that would help me carry my screwdrivers around the
house. As one does. And it's awesome.
I also have a full set of Allen keys, which I was actually going to use before I
discovered I needed a PhD in engineering to fit a new brake light bulb. Thanks
Ford.
Torches are a particular weakness and the other day during a
'I must pack this crap away' moment, I discovered eight or nine. They ranged
from the common-or-garden cheapie that goes with the kids on camp, to LED,
single bulb, multi-bulb and even a kinetic one I got from Spur to go with my
wind-up radio. The technology escapes me but they score at least 8 on the 'What
if-ness' scale. When aliens come, don't come crying to me when it gets dark.
However, my most prized possession is a torch that has a beam
(for seeing), red flashing lights (for emergencies), magnetic bits (for to
stick to metal while you're either trying to see or attract attention), window
smasher (for when you drive into a lake and need to escape), and seatbelt
cutter (for when you're trapped). A definite 9 on the 'What if-ness scale'.
And, please god, don't get me started on camping equipment.
