Stupid Stereotypes

We've all run into stereotyping. I'm a tall blonde with large boobs, so we don't even want to discuss all the things I've run into as we'd explode the blog. But lately I've run into a form of stereotyping that I find most annoying - it's a "woman" thing. Now, one would think since women have done every job in this country except President or VP that men would have figured out that there's little we can't do if we set our mind to it, but that is simply not the case with some things.

Right now I am doing some home improvement. I'm hanging crown molding in my living room, dining, office, and kitchen/breakfast nook areas. As well, I'm installing some chair rail and some picture frame molding in key locations. Now, I want to say two things up front:

1. I've never hung any form of molding before now and never actually paid attention to it being installed - but I have the right tools and can read.
2. My dad is an engineer and most things in my family were done by family, so it was not uncommon for me to be assisting with framing a building or roofing a house growing up. So I know how to use tools, I simply never got into "finish work."

So I figure I'm as qualified (or more so) than most to do my own trim work, and I head down to Home Depot to select my molding. Now, understand that if you're a woman in HD and standing in lawn and garden, or wallpaper, or lighting, and need some help, you might as well pack a lunch. And don't even go in there to have a key made - you'd probably spend less time changing the entire lock.

But if you're a woman standing in the lumber section, you're practically molested before you can get out of the store.

So I was there last week choosing molding and no less than five workers came by to ask if they could help me. I declined all of their offers and they didn't look convinced but went away. I was pulling the long molding down from the racks, placing it on the floor and looking for any imperfections or twists in the wood. Now, seeing me do this, one might "think" I knew what I was doing, but oh no, the Fabulous Five were just gearing up for round two.

When I started to cut wood, I thought they might have a coronary.

Now, mind you, it's not like they put out the good equipment for the customers. Can you imagine the liability of turning just anyone loose with a table saw? So when I say I'm cutting wood, I mean with a hack saw...by hand. I had about three pieces out of the thirteen I needed done when the last of the Fab Five came by to ask if I needed help. I finally gave up, and since this guy was old, I didn't want to give him a heart attack by refusing again. Here's how that conversation went:

Him (picking up one molding from floor): Do you know how much you need of this one?
Me: (pulling out a diagram of my rooms on graph paper): Yes, 11 feet, but I want it cut from the far end because the near end is bowed.
Him: (nods and puts wood on table - reaches for cheap HD tape measure that they leave at the table and frowns when tape measure won't extend - I watch out of the corner of my eye) I need to run get a better tape measure. This one's had it.
Me: (I pull my truly excellent tape measure off the band of my yoga pants) I brought my own. Use this one.
Him: (takes tape measure and raises his eyebrows before beginning to measure and cut) So what are you working on?
Me: I'm doing all the trim work in my house.
Him: (still skeptical, despite the truly excellent tape measure) How you planning on cutting this - miter box? (and he's meaning the manual type miter box - not a power saw)
Me: (shaking my head) God no! I have a laser cut compound miter box saw, a TrueAngle protractor, finish nailer (nail gun for those that don't know tools), and a portable air compressor.
Him: (eyebrows go into hairline - which is receding) You do contract work?
Me: (trying not to grin) No. I'm a romance author.
Him: (has no idea what to say at this point so cuts wood instead)

So my next project is building built-in cabinets and bookshelves for my office. I'm taking a cabinet-making class this coming weekend. What do you think is going to happen when I go to HD selecting the lumber for my cabinet panels? I shudder to think. Heck there might even be a call to the police or a straight-jacket involved.

But at least now I know...the next time I need a key made, I'm going to stand around the lumber aisle.

So what about you - ever run into stereotyping that you got to set straight?

Deadly (the Toolwoman) DeLeon