The Space Between...Make this and Buy that

I work in a male dominated environment. And that's fine...it's a power plant for Pete's sake. But it's interesting for me because prior to this job I worked in an environment where a majority of the employees were female.

At any workplace, the lunch room serves as the melting pot (yep, pun intended). At my workplace, I am usually the only woman in the lunchroom with anywhere from 8-10 men.
I've worked here about 5 months. In that time, they've rarely "pulled punches". They would beg my pardon at first, but I told them there was no need. If they broached a subject that could offend me, I'd simply leave the lunchroom. I can honestly say that in 5 months I haven't been so horribly offended that I've left. AND...I have learned so much in the last 5 months about men.

One of the guys and his wife are having their first baby in a few months. This naturally leads to interesting lunchroom discussion. Men know a lot about pregnancy, labor, delivery and newborns. It's been so entertaining to learn all about the process from a man's perspective. I do say this mostly with my tongue in my cheek, but I will say that a few of their insights have been enlightened. I say all that, to tell this story which I think is just to funny.

These are skilled tradesmen. Engineers, technicians, mechanics, electricians. Most of them think they can build a better mousetrap, some of them actually have. One of these skilled, pretty smart decided that he could build his wife a breast pump, rather than pay for one. That's right ladies, a home made breast pump. He has described his "machine shop" at home before. It's in his basement. I can picture him now, emerging from the basement with a small motor that used to be in a push mower attached to a rubber hose with a funnel on the end. Now, I don't actually know that this is what it looked like, but I do know that he said his wife's eyes "rolled back in her head". LOL. I mean really. There are some things you can apply the "make this...buy that" theory to...but Guys, please....not breast pumps!!