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| Ah...a happy sight. |
I’ve drawn up a list of resolutions. Hopefully, on those occasions I break the
following resolutions, it will be for sound reasons.
Rule #1: I pledge to never again believe any of the
salespeople’s assurances. They don’t
know about my old appliances, or how they were installed.
Rule #2: I will research all appliance purchases. My new microwave’s exhaust fan is much louder
than I had anticipated. (This is not a
huge issue, but it’s not like I can return the item now, either).
Rule #3: I will never again buy anything that I’m not going
to use immediately. Whether it’s an art
project, installing a microwave, or something else, I pledge not to buy the
item (and other associated parts, materials, etc.) and consequently let it
clutter up our home until I get around to finishing doing, making, or
installing said item. In other words,
don’t plan life too far ahead. (This may
be the hardest rule to follow through on).
Rule #4: I will anticipate problems, and look forward to solving
them. Even when reading the seemingly
simple instructions for the wall frame, I felt as if I needed one of those
cryptographic decoding machines James Bond was trying to get in “From Russia
With Love.” Or, as Kenneth Johnson said
about writing his “Bionic Woman” scripts, obstacles define character. Hungering for an easy life leads to
procrastination and perfectionism. I
want to be more like Terrance Dicks, tough enough to overcome whatever problems
that life throws my way.
Rule #5: I refuse to feel ashamed for choosing inelegant
fixes. Increasing the width of the dado
on each cabinet, and gluing-in a strip of ¼” Oak below the shelf, might have
been more elegant, but that would have taken more effort, precision, and
time. I will remember how ineffective
Drax and Dran (or Perfectionism and Procrastination) were in Roger Zelazny’s
story “The Slow Kings.” After all, the
brackets were inexpensive (parts and materials only cost us $19.25), and saved
us lots of hassle and labor.
(Note: if the microwave comes crashing down on the stove
later, rethink Rule #5).
Well, there you have it: my five resolutions for the future. As for the current project, I still have to
decide whether to raise the doors above the microwave or affix some kind of
hardware (such as pull-knobs). I also
need to reposition the upright supports.
This time I’ll drill pilot holes first so as not to bend the shelf
unnecessarily. Completing these last few
details will go a long way toward making my project not only look more
professional, but more serviceable.
Before, we didn’t use the area above the microwave for anything more
than storing the broiler pan we never use in our gas oven. Hopefully, when I’m finished, I’ll have more
storage space above, and use it daily for storing the pans we use most.
Installing our new over-the-counter microwave may have taken
us 210 days, but no doubt saved us several hundred dollars in labor. We can put that money toward our next
vacation. (Even if, unlike Phileas Fogg
in Jules Verne’s classic novel, we only travel halfway around the world).
Exhausted, but satisfied,
Dragon Dave
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