This weekend I cleaned out the garage and started to put together the workbench I bought so I can do my encaustic painting. Now, when we bought the workbench, I had asked the guy how much it would cost to have them put it together and deliver it. It would cost $85 they said. Right. That didn’t seem so bad to me, especially when I had visions of stick figures in peril and oddly sized Allen wrenches in my head. Call me crazy, but $85 does not sound like a whole lot of money, not when we’re talking about hours out of your life here. But not my folks. My mother was like, “that’s a LOT of money just to have something put together and delivered.”
So, instead, this weekend we (Dad and I) started to put it together. I cleaned out the garage and we got about 4 hours into “the bench.” It’s maybe half-way done. It has legs now, and a bottom, but nothing close to resembling drawers or a top. It took us a while to get power to it as well, but that’s working now too. Of course, the garage looks a whole lot better now that it’s cleaner and more compact. I still have a bit of work to do, but not too much, and I don’t have to go up into the attic again for a while, which is a good thing. I hate going up there-I have stairs but they are hard to climb (it’s more like a ladder really-and a tight, small one at that.)
Of course, whenever I have men over to work on the house, they run up that ladder like it’s not even there. When I try to do that, even though I’m smaller, I don’t get very far. About three steps up and I start to cower and think, “I’m going to fallllll….” Yeah, I used to be good at these things, not so much anymore. Life’s too short.
Which, you know, is also why I was *so* willing to just pay the $85 and be done with the damn bench already. Instead, the saga will continue into next weekend, or even beyond. Maybe I should start a lottery to determine when people think the bench will be finished. (Think I can raise $85 doing that?)
Until next time…
Author
I would say, take all the bench parts and throw them up in the air over and over. They will land differently every time. Therefore, it is theoretically possible that on one occasion the parts will land assembled! Who knows? You might get lucky and have success on the first or second try….but then again…….
Author
Ha! Nice try. You need a screwdriver some Allen wrenches and lots of those little wood screws to get this bench together. Not to mention the top is too heavy for me to lift and throw up into the air.
It was a nice idea but, unfortunately, now that it's in the garage and half-assembled, there's no going back. I have to finish the job.
Wish me luck!
Author
I'm rather embarassed to say I would take the role of 'mother' in this scenario: say 'that's a lot of money just to have something put together and delivered' and then disappear for the several weeks it takes to complete the project…!
Author
Hi Postcards!
I agree it's a lot of money, but, I swear, at the end we'll all say "it would have been cheaper if…."
Mark my words. That bench'll get us in the end. It's tough like that. :~)