Smart idea, dumb idea.
Feb. 4th, 2010 07:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
captainsblogI don't do much fixing around the house, the car, the yard. It's a lack of experience, a lack of confidence, a complete lack of spatial reasoning. Once in awhile, though, I pull something off to everyone's surprise- most of all, my own.
We have (or, rather, had) your standard Cheap Chinese Labor drying rack in our cellar. You know the type; it folds down into a small space but expands out like Judge Doom's punch glove mallet in Roger Rabbit. Well, some combination of cat and clumsy ::points at self:: broke ours a few months back, as one of the diagonal pieces of the side frames broke not-so-neatly in two. It was at just a junction that defied gluing back together, so I resigned myself to yet another cheap replacement when we got round to it.
Earlier today, though (trash day in these parts), I saw a near-identical rack, all folded up, waiting curbside around the corner from here. It looked newer than ours, and for all I knew had just been abandoned in favor of some As Seen On TV gimmick, so I scored it and brought it to our cellar. As soon as it folded out, though, it didn't fold out, and I saw its former owners' problem. One of its wooden dowels had broken in two, just as one of the side pieces on ours had.
Replacement dowels? I gots a dozen of 'em:) A little untwisting and retwisting later, we once again have a functioning drying rack down there. Cost: zero. Boost to the green economy and feelings of resourcefulness? Priceless.
----
Now that Eleanor's back to work, she's really enjoying her interactions with many beloved co-workers. One of them is LeeAnn, who'd fostered Zoey (and the rest of her brothers and sisters) until we came along to claim her. She and Eleanor got talking about wildlife the other day, and Eleanor mentioned our experience with the red hawk from a couple weekends back. LeeAnn hadn't seen the picture, so after dinner tonight, I asked Eleanor if she'd shown her friend "the picture of the hawk."
As soon as I uttered that last word, Tasha's ears went straight up in the air, and I swear she smiled in anticiPATION of some unexpected (certainly by me) walkies. Henceforth, any red-winged predator in our back yard shall be referred to as "Big Bird," just so the dogs don't get their hopes up.
----
No new news on Jan. I am still looking at this weekend, or the early part of next week, if decisions have been made by then, since I have my second lay speaking class that following weekend and at least three court hearings and a closing the week after that. Thanks again for all your kind words, prayers, hugs and hopes.
We have (or, rather, had) your standard Cheap Chinese Labor drying rack in our cellar. You know the type; it folds down into a small space but expands out like Judge Doom's punch glove mallet in Roger Rabbit. Well, some combination of cat and clumsy ::points at self:: broke ours a few months back, as one of the diagonal pieces of the side frames broke not-so-neatly in two. It was at just a junction that defied gluing back together, so I resigned myself to yet another cheap replacement when we got round to it.
Earlier today, though (trash day in these parts), I saw a near-identical rack, all folded up, waiting curbside around the corner from here. It looked newer than ours, and for all I knew had just been abandoned in favor of some As Seen On TV gimmick, so I scored it and brought it to our cellar. As soon as it folded out, though, it didn't fold out, and I saw its former owners' problem. One of its wooden dowels had broken in two, just as one of the side pieces on ours had.
Replacement dowels? I gots a dozen of 'em:) A little untwisting and retwisting later, we once again have a functioning drying rack down there. Cost: zero. Boost to the green economy and feelings of resourcefulness? Priceless.
----
Now that Eleanor's back to work, she's really enjoying her interactions with many beloved co-workers. One of them is LeeAnn, who'd fostered Zoey (and the rest of her brothers and sisters) until we came along to claim her. She and Eleanor got talking about wildlife the other day, and Eleanor mentioned our experience with the red hawk from a couple weekends back. LeeAnn hadn't seen the picture, so after dinner tonight, I asked Eleanor if she'd shown her friend "the picture of the hawk."
As soon as I uttered that last word, Tasha's ears went straight up in the air, and I swear she smiled in anticiPATION of some unexpected (certainly by me) walkies. Henceforth, any red-winged predator in our back yard shall be referred to as "Big Bird," just so the dogs don't get their hopes up.
----
No new news on Jan. I am still looking at this weekend, or the early part of next week, if decisions have been made by then, since I have my second lay speaking class that following weekend and at least three court hearings and a closing the week after that. Thanks again for all your kind words, prayers, hugs and hopes.
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Date: 2010-02-05 02:07 am (UTC)Jan will remain in my prayers.
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Date: 2010-02-06 12:03 am (UTC)I was thinking about it and pretty much everything I own is second-hand. I see nothing wrong with this. If there was a way to get my fix of Red Sox gear second hand, I'd be all over that. I fantasize about Boston thrift stores sometimes, hahahahaha.
ETA: sending continued good thoughts your way re: Jan. xoxox