Left and Right Brain

TGIF Joke of the Week

Thanks to Garie of Manila, Philippines

Raoul’s 2 Cents. September 18, 2026

Repair Nightmare

Please move on to the jokes if you don’t want to ponder.

These past few weeks have been a Repair Nightmare for me. My computer broke down; so my old programs had to be reinstalled and some of them were no longer compatible with my new operating system — so I had to search for alternative programs and learn how to use them; then my colored monitor lost its red and everything looked blue and green; my cell phone stopped ringing and I missed several calls; then my car tires began to wobble; then my clock radio died; (and while all these were happening, I was suddenly flooded with work). Sanity was hanging by a thread.

And here’s a big one: the spring of my garage door snapped and I’ve been trying to fix that baby for 2 days now. I was a repairman by day and computer geek by night. Hardly slept. The repairman asked for $900 and I haggled it all the way down to $650. I told him I’d fix it myself. If you read my article about fixing my garage door remote, you’ll understand my confidence. Big mistake? Maybe. The jury’s still out because I have one more day to make a complete idiot of myself before a professional will have to step in.

Thanks to YouTube University, I learned a lot about the wonderful world of garage door repairs. I know the cheapest place to buy the parts, the tools you need and the procedure to uninstall and reinstall this marvelous piece of 21st century headache. Total cost is just over $100. So why have I not yet fixed my garage door? Because I’m stupid. Why? I tried to do shortcuts when YouTube videos already warned me not to do so. It’s true. We men never read the instructions.

EXHAUSTED

What I didn’t expect was how out of shape I am. Climbing up and down the ladder, bending down to pick up my tools and tightening the overhead industrial-strength garage spring was the real killer. It was like pumping iron in the gym. By the end of the first day, I was completely spent. I could barely walk. I couldn’t even cook dinner. I was forced to eat dry leftovers — or die! I was parched and I talked like Brando the Godfather even without the cotton balls in my mouth.

CONCLUSION

As always, I try to find lessons in life. What is God teaching me now? The lesson here is “relevance.” When work overcomes us, it’s easy to lose our patience — but the silver lining is to realize that without us, some things would never get done (or at least done properly). Without me, my wife would spend a fortune to fix the garage.

When the coach places Michael Jordan in the game during the last few minutes, it’s because he is the only one who can make that final shot. When parents over-extend themselves and burn the midnight oil, it’s because no one can take care of their families better than they can. When your boss calls you in the middle of your vacation, it’s because he can rely on nobody but you. In many instances God prepares us “for such a time as this.” You are important.

I know of someone who retired and was depressed because he missed his co-workers and there was nothing to look forward to. He was no longer relevant. He shot himself … not realizing how much he was loved by friends and family.

I know a few people who looked forward to retirement so they could travel and spend more time with their family. The traveling bug quickly came and went. And families … well, most of the time grown-up children have their own lives already and (sadly) we are not part of that. There’s a reason why entrepreneurs like Joe Coulombe (Trader Joe’s) and Dave Gold (99 Cents Only Stores) came out of their retirement and started brand new businesses. They loved the challenge. They wanted to be relevant again.

So do I enjoy fixing the garage and my desk job? Actually, I do. I really do.

TGIF people!

ADDENDUM: I was finally able to fix the garage door this morning. None of the Youtube videos explained how to balance both sides of the door but I figured it out myself. One needs to loosen the cables on both sides and make sure they are equally taut and the door should be flat down on the ground before tightening the springs. I had to use observation and logic to see my mistake. DIYs rule!

Oh another thing to remember: my garage spring was a “Wayne Dalton” TorqueMaster Plus — which was designed for DYI people. The other (older) garage door torsion springs are pushed by the “professional” repairmen because they carry the spare parts and are harder to install — which is good for their business. So it you have a Wayne Dalton, don’t believe them when they say their torsion spring system is better.

And since we’re talking shop, you can figure out what spring part to purchase by looking at the label on the horizontal bar. Purchase both left and right parts in Amazon from Door-Parts. AI can help you figure out the pair. Just give it one part number and it will find the match. 7-day shipping is free but a 2-day rush is $20.

Quotes of the Week

“You must add value to yourself to be relevant ”

— Sunday Adelaja

“Being unforgettable means being known for what matters, by the people who matter, so your work, your ideas, and your impact become undeniable.”

— Kinga Bali

“You have to bring relevance to people before teaching them the ways of Christ.”

— Sunday Adelaja

“Relevance isn’t about constantly running to stay ahead. It’s about adapting with purpose, knowing when to learn, when to lead, and when to let your strengths do the talking.”

— Janani Srikanth

“The main purpose of a church is to bring relevance to people and make sure everyone discovers their calling”

— Sunday Adelaja

For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

— Esther 4:14

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

— 1 Peter 2:9

“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

— Philippians 1:9-11

Memes of the Week

Send me your jokes & memes so I can share them with the rest of our TGIF family. This week, we thank Norm of Encino CA, Drake of LA, CA, Doug of La Habra, CA, and Dan of Philadelphia.

I found these:

I collaborated with my friend and jokester,Terry Cassel for these below.

SUBSCRIBE