Resslin' Around by Casey Ressler

Let's all meet at the garage

There is that one bastion of space that every man calls his own, where flatulence is flaunted, scratching is encouraged and opinions are tossed around on a wide range of subjects, ranging from the best slow-pitch softball lineup for our team to the U.S. occupation of Iraq.

Of course, when you open the door from the garage, you have to forget everything you've learned. Those are the garage rules, and they must be obeyed. Outside of the garage, you're a gentleman. Inside, anything goes. That is rule No. 1. Rule No. 2 is that what is said in the garage stays in the garage, with no exceptions.

"The Garage" is much more than just a place to park your cars. Just ask any man -- it's a place to revere, your own little area where cleanliness isn't required, yet organization is important.

Whenever a certain friend of mine comes out from Anchorage, the edict is laid down by my wife -- "you guys are going out in the garage if it gets too loud" -- and inevitably, we end up there by 8 p.m. "The Garage" is where the 7-inch black and white television is a must, along with the AM radio tuned to a sports station, even if you aren't a sports fan.

My garage pales in comparison to the garage of a recently retired guy I know. His garage is a shrine to everything man -- color TVs are out there, seating is available on old bucket seats that now line the garage, there's a nice stereo and of course, some cold beverages. The only thing missing are the vehicles -- they stay outside so "The Garage" can serve it's function as a meeting place and discussion area of the most important topics -- the Minnesota Twins and the Minnesota Vikings in this guy's case, and high school sports and everything in between. His wife is very understanding, which is another essential element to the success of every "The Garage" out there.

Growing up, I always wondered what the heck my dad was doing out there in the garage. He would always have some reason to be out there, tinkering on something. When one project was done, there was always a second it seemed, and there was no end to the list of things he needed to get done out there.

Now, I've got my own garage, and I fully understand. I own exactly three tools, if you count individual screwdrivers as tools, but I've got plenty of projects to work on out there.

Casey Ressler (valleylife@frontiersman.com) is the Valley Life editor and garage dweller.