More Power

What was it Tim the Toolman Taylor always said, "More Power, more power, grunt grunt"?

Last night I got to flex my muscles and wield a power drill! (thanks for the loaner, Nichole!) I had to put holes into the underside of Jim's dresser drawer which had come apart and was jammed in his dresser, stuck there for a couple of days until I finally figured out how to extricate it and repair it.

That is what I like to do, I solve the problems. I fix the broken things, I put up shelves. At least this time I didn't need to buy new parts; When our large kitchen drawer guides got bent over time, I had to replace them, running to Home Depot several times to get the correct parts. I was afraid I was in over my head on that one when I couldn't seem to find the correct sliders, but then I figured out I could saw them to fit. I don't mind doggedly keeping at it, it's a matter of principal to me that if it is fixable, my brain can figure out how to do it.

I learned that lesson back when we lived in St Louis and my friend Corky and I started a wallpapering business and began going to various homes to hang LOTS of wallpaper. We came to learn that no matter how strange the job, we could figure out a way to get it done. I told her my friend's sister in Buffalo NY wanted this camera job at the local news station. She told them she could totally handle a camera, then went home and borrowed her brother-in-law's big camera and practiced carrying it around on her shoulder, and he gave her pointers... and the next morning she knew enough to land the job. I like that, taking on the challenge (and time,) to figure out the solution.

Not Reeder. His way is to find a guy. There's gotta be a guy. It doesn't matter that the guy will charge us cash we just don't have, we need to call a guy. When our big tree needed trimming, I was all for hauling our the big ladder and climbing up there with a saw, but Reeder just wouldn't hear of it. (okay, they do also take all the branches and debris off to the dump for you, I suppose THAT is worth the $400 they charge.)

Some of my fun challenges: This past year I figured out what was wrong with our ice maker and got it working. the year before that, I FINALLY figured out why our garage door opener sticks every winter; and the year before that, I took apart our old crib for Aubrey and ordered the parts to get it working again. Well, ALMOST working properly, it'll need more work when the next baby comes in July. (You can't buy that kind of crib any more, with the sliding rail side, and the girls really want to keep it in the family.)

Oh, I REALLY wanted to have our pots hanging over our island in our kitchen, but didn't want to buy an expensive ready-made rack. I considered making a cool one with wood and pipes like my friend Tommy made for Cathy. But then I decided it would be cool to have some wrought Iron gate or chunk of fence up there, but didn't want to go hunting thru the metal junk yards in Phoenix to find just the right one. By accident, I found the perfect solution, a black iron 'welcome mat' at Bed, Bath and Beyond. I only had to figure out how to hang the HEAVY thing. So for days my brain worked on it, picturing the hooks and chains it would require. I bought some black chain and hooks, and got out the ladder - I didn't want to be standing on the island. It took a while figuring out where the studs were in the ceiling, but then I drilled a few holes (okay, a LOT of holes were drilled, but I covered them up, so don't tell Reeder.) It took hanging on the ladder, leaning in just so, arms up and getting VERY tired as I drilled and screwed. Then I guesstimated the length of chain I'd need for the 4 hooks, and where they would hook into the curly metal on the rack. And then I had to lift up that heavy rack... I think I stacked some things up on the island so I could lay the rack on them as I lifted each corner to be hooked. Finally it was all hooked up, and I stood back to see the final product. ;c( It wasn't level! It hung there askew, and as I analyzed what I'd done wrong, Reeder came out of his cave into the kitchen.

"Oh, it's not up there straight. You haven't got all the corner chains the same length, I can fix this." So he climbs right up on the ladder and rehangs the offending corner. Just at that moment, Danielle comes in from school. Jim goes back to the office, and as we are admiring the perfectly hung pot rack I feel compelled to say something to Danielle.

"You have to know, your dad did NOT hang this rack! I did it, I've been working on it for hours here and he just strolled through and helped for like 3 minutes worth!"

She assured me, "Mom, don't worry. I've known Dad my whole life; I KNOW you did this yourself." Made my day.