Saturday, November 10, 2012

Assembly (Disassembly and Reassembly) Required

Scene:  The basement on a Saturday morning in November.  The husband, clad only in his tidy-whities, sits in a black leather office chair, watching his wife, clad in fleece PJs, pound nails—lots of nails—into the backing panel of a bookcase the two just spent far too much time assembling.  

Assembling incorrectly, that is.  The realization dawns on the wife as she notes the pre-drilled holes for the shelf supports on the outside of the bookcase, the one she just pounded lots of nails into.  She is a peace lover, this wife, but give her nails to pound and it becomes apparent that she enjoys the task perhaps a bit too much. 

Words are uttered, first by the wife and then echoed by the husband.  Some words have four letters.  None rhyme with "good" or even "okay" because they mean, in fact, the opposite.

Disassembly ensues.  This involves tools not on the instructions included with the bookcase.  Tools which include a pry bar, an exacto-knife (not pictured), a fork, and an ancient putty knife from the last millenium, which breaks under the stress.  Some of these tools would probably not have been necessary had the wife not been so zealous with her nail pounding.  But what's done is done, and now must be undone.

Wife methodically works the exacto-knife around each nail head, trying not to imagine other things she would rather be cutting out at this time.  She proceeds cautiously with this fussy cutting, as she does not wish the events of the day to include an emergency room visit, thus adding insult to injury (or vice versa).

Reassembly ultimately occurs as the errant board is righted.  Husband wears wife's garden gloves because his palms are sore from turning the screwdriver.  He is wearing garden gloves and tidy-whities.  It is a sight to behold.  Or not. Wife is sweating, and not in a good way.

No more bad words, the couple is joking and laughing.  The wife says she will have to blog this.  Husband offers his two cents for the post.  Wife does not listen.  She is happily pounding nails again—lots of nails.

* * * * * * *
And, um...voila?

I started folding fabric earlier in the week.  I have much more to fold, but this is a start.

The tchochkes are placeholders for now.

One bookcase down, one to go.

In addition to shelf construction/deconstruction/reconstruction, there has also been some sewing happening in the sewing room this past week.  For example, I made his and hers pillowcases for the holidays.

Alexander Henry's "Hurry Down the Chimney" for me, and "The Great Outdoors" for Norm.

I also started a table runner from a Moda "Swiss Holiday" charm pack I won earlier this year, using my Scrap Block Challenge idea.

I may do a tutorial for the table runner, if there is interest.

Linking up with Sarah today, ready to share the whoop-whoop-ing with others!

14 comments:

Pokey said...

Oh, my goodness! You have me ROFLM -you know what- O! I think mostly becuz I've been there, and the picture isn't pretty (thank you SO much for keeping some of those pictures from occurring on your blog, and only in my imagination)! On that same line, Larry and Lydia used to tease me that I needed a tool belt to wear with my nightgown, since I would sometimes go from the bed directly to the creative mode.
I see this, though, you both were in it together, and that is what makes a good friend of your honey ~
many hugs, pokey

Sarah Craig said...

Oh, P., I love your table runner! So very pretty!! And your story had me giggling too - I've done the same thing so many times! You'd think I'd have learned by now....

Vicki @ DottyJane said...

Well, at least you got to do some fussy cutting:)

Nice table runner!

Karen said...

Picturing tighty whities at our house, why are they so plain? No cool tiger print or swirls :) I love love love the fabric organization!

Jen BK said...

I love it that the fork was a necessary tool! We call those sorts of things "special tools"...they include straightened paper clips, and long pieces of pipe, and yes, kitchen utensils....whatever works, right?

I would love a tutorial on the tablerunner....awesome!

MomWaldsPlace said...

What a blast! Now you have a spiffy shelf, and a hilarious story. I love playing "I Spy" with your shelf.

Sharon said...

My word -- what an adventure! Been there, done that and the shelf now sits in my sewing room, filled to the brim!! Husband didn't help, but he is going to build me a cutting table -- today he said, but we'll see. Would love a tut on the runner. Have a good day.

Shay said...

The mental image of Norm in his underpants will stay with me forever. Lets hope your book shelf last as long!

I laughed (loudly ) through your entire post. Your house sounds just like my house!

Sara said...

You had me at tidy-whities;)

The bookshelf looks amazing too!

BendingPins.com said...

Yet another highly entertaining, well written comedy skit which made me laugh. You know we might all pay money to see Norm in his tidy whities and garden gloves!

I think I quite like that Swiss Holiday fabric, I might have to look into getting some!

<3

Michelle said...

Giggle, giggle, snort! I love the "pictures" spoken, but not snapped.

Oh man, can't those things be a PITA? But well worth the effort. And only a quilter would decorate with fat quarters. I haven't quilted for months, but I have lovely fat quarters full of promise lying on the machine. :) Lovely! Your book case was well worth the effort.

OMG? Is it Christmas time already? Beautiful Christmas goodies! I hope you do a tute on that tablerunner. Gorgeous. (And I still love my holiday pillowcases.) You may have inspired me...., but my inspiration tends to get drowned by work.

Elizabeth said...

I can't believe you outed Norm in his tidy-whities. I can't believe that Norm hung out in his tidy-whities to assemble/disassemble/reassemble a bookshelf.

I've done that before -- putting the pre-drilled holes on the wrong side. I left it. It wasn't a bookcase, where the holes were essential, though.

Hope the his & hers pillowcases bring sweet dreams.

LOVE your new fabric space. It might be time for a declutter around here, too.

xo -E

greelyrita said...

Around here they're called tighty-whities. DH used to wear tighties but has switched to boxers which he likes much better. I have a nice pattern...or I could just send you a pair if he's interested. These would be new, btw. ha ha

Live a Colorful Life said...

Oh, this was funny to read. I'm sure not funny to actually LIVE it in real time...