Back to business

Yesterday, I got back to work after taking some time out reveling in all the Inauguration coverage. My list of "things to do" included sending a card to a friend, completing the usual barn chores, planting things and assembling the set of shelves I purchased from Home Depot the other day. Plus, I had a meeting to attend.

I've decided to rejoin the group, Women Honoring Women, after taking about five years off. My friend Kathy has continually encouraged me to come back, and this year, she has assumed responsibility as coordinator of the organization, which, each year, selects a small group of women to honor for their lifetime achievements in the community.

This is the 11th year to select Women of Wisdom, and, so far, approximately 60-plus women in our area have been honored at the annual festive luncheon in June. With a new decade, the event is taking on a new twist, moving itself to the new Panhandle State Bank Financial Center atrium. Other than that, the program sticks pretty much to its basic format, which is designed to ensure that each 65-plus-year-old honoree feels like a "queen for a day."

I told Kathy I'd give it a try this year, so it's kind of fun to be back in the group. Last night we watched an impressive video recapping images from the first ten years. The memories of such positive moments for deserving women inspired excitement about yet another group of honorees.

Besides the meeting, everything went pretty much according to my list yesterday----except for the assembly project. I bought the shelves for the things I've been planting---already in January. I figure marigolds and daisies are a good bet for this early in the year. Besides, my Burpee seeds have not yet arrived in the mail.

I learned last year that planting some items too soon is not a good idea, so I'll hold off for a while on the cukes and cantaloupe. One of my friends told me she would be planting her peppers last week, so I guess I'll be planting peppers and tomatoes will be among the next round, when the seeds come.

The shelving standing next to the sliding glass door will hold the young plants until it's safe to use the greenhouse. I figured it was a good idea to assemble it soon before I clutter up every window sill in the house with assorted pots, dribbling too much potting soil and water overflow.

I brought the box of parts purchased from Home Depot into the house, set it on the island and looked briefly at the directions, figuring I would figure it all out pretty much on my own. I have no patience reading directions, just like I'm not really good with recipes.

"Get it done" is my motto. Read directions, only when necessary.

First, I pulled out all the metal parts and the shelves and laid them in respective piles. It all seemed easy enough as I began to build from the bottom up. The first level of assembly went surprisingly well.

"Piece of cake," I thought.

Moving upward, I noticed a lot of give and take on the corner frames. Lean to the right, straighten it out, lean to the left, straighten it out. Just keep putting it together and don't get mad, I reminded myself.

When I tried to stick the shelf in the second-level assemblage, I noticed my second problem. The shelf would not fall into place. I stood back and noticed that the framework did not quite match up on all corners. So, a readjustment here and a readjustment there, and I was able somehow to shove the shelf into place. Still the structure swayed.

I just figured it needed to have all four stories to gain an equilibrium, so I moved on up the frames.

After beginning on the third story, I stood back and looked for a moment, only to discover that the second story tilted off to one side. That wouldn't be good for watering plants. I also noticed that I'd misjudged the proper distance between shelving.

When you're growing tomatoes and they want to expand to ten-twelve inches, that could be difficult with shelves just six inches apart and leaning off toward Nellie's. Plus, there might be a little framing left over at the top of the structure if the shelves are not equal distance apart.

So, I gritted my teeth, put aside level three parts, once again urged myself not to get mad and returned to the second shelf, adding several inches to its height. I also stood back a few times and made sure all four corners were on the same plane.

Moving on to Level Three, I noticed the couplings had to go on the four corner frames so that I could add the next length of metal frame. I also noticed that the four corner frames also had little holes for matching up something in the assembly---and those holes were not in the same location. That meant that I had probably used the wrong frames on the wrong corners.

Figuring it probably didn't make a lot of difference, I picked up a coupling and a hammer and tried to attach it to a corner frame. It attached, but the continued swaying back and forth was fast becoming a bit unnerving. I knew I wasn't doing it right, but my determined mind said it was gonna work, come hell or high water.

Well, hell came really fast, cuz as I was trying to stabilize the swaying frame, one of the shelves and its support system crashed.

Usually I'm more persistent. I'll keep at it, regardless of how desperate things turn. Sorta like when you get a loaf of Friendship bread out of the oven, remove it from its pan and only half the loaf comes from the pan. You carefully scoop out the other half and try deperately to patch it together, knowing full well it looks like hell.

Well, looking like hell was the only way to describe my shelving project. My assembly efforts terminated immediately, followed by big swift kick aimed at what was still trying to stand.

I was real careful with the hammer in my hand, mustering up every ounce of self control to simply lay it on the counter. Picking up the pieces, I put 'em back in the box, carried it all to a spot in the garage and said out loud, "Bill can do this."

Later, after cooling off, I removed items from another set of shelving in the garage, moved it to the sliding glass door and filled the top shelf with pots full of daisy seed.

I go through life reminding myself to stay away from assembling projects and sets of directions I know I'm never gonna read. Somehow, though, there always remains a glimmer of hope that this time, it will be different.

Well, hope was dashed one more time yesterday, and Bill now has another project. The good part is that my analytical husband LOVES to read directions, so maybe I've done him a favor.

In the meantime, my baby plants are happy, and so am I.