Harbor Freight is the dollar
store of hardware and I typically avoid it, but I
needed multiple 16" F-clamps and they had the best
deal in town, or online for that matter, plus
there was the added advantage it was right on the
way to my White Center jobsite. (In normal times I
would have taken the
West Seattle bridge, but
that's been out of commission for ages so I joined
the teeming masses detoured through stop-and-go
Georgetown traffic.) There's a much fancier
woodworker's boutique right
across the street where comparable clamps go for
four times the price so I took a chance on the
cheapies, which actually seem
pretty
well constructed and even if they do give
out, turns out they're guaranteed for life, which
was a pleasant surprise. I could relate to this
cashier, multitasking on a short break by reading,
smoking, and catching some rays. I've worked a lot
of jobs I didn't relish and remember how necessary
those little escapes into literature and sunshine
can be.