Mom With Power Tools

I am Mom.

IJ needed a new bed. I can't afford to buy one right now, so I built one!

I took the sheet of half inch plywood that has been sitting on my front deck all summer, and cut it to fit IJ's bedframe. Slightly wider than the frame, to match the size of the new mattress. Notched all four corners for a tight fit to prevent slippage.

There you have it: A new bed for IJ.

Mom With Power Tools is his new hero.

Next project: improve the kitchen cabinets. Not a difficult task... looks like they were designed by a one-eyed monkey. There is no divider wall between the lower cabinets and the bank of drawers. Things are always falling and jamming the drawers. Solution: Put in a divider.

Why couldn't the monkey figure that out?

The tallest item I keep in that cupboard is 11 inches high. The cupboard ceiling is 19 inches high. That makes room for a shallow shelf to hold muffin tins and cookie sheets.

Mom With Power Tools is on a roll!

Equipment used:

• jig saw
• hammer
• T-square
• mechanical pencil
• measuring tape
• white glue
• nails
• sandpaper

Measure, cut and nail in divider wall. Measure and cut shelf. Notch back corners to fit existing support structure. Cut four 12 inch shelf supports. Put shelf into cupboard. Glue supports to underside of shelf. Tack together with small nails for glue to set. Nail divider wall to edge of shelf.

Done!

Stupid monkey.

Mom With Power Tools has prevailed once again! The muffin tins, cookie sheets, cutting board, bread pans and rolling pin all fit comfortably on the new shelf. There is even enough room for the dish towels! Now there is plenty of room for the mixing bowls and plastic containers on the original shelf. There is even room for the blender!

Feeling good about the victory, Mom With Power Tools tackles one more space-saving project -- Cup Hooks. Eight rubber-coated cup hooks under the upper cupboards holding eight lovely ceramic cups. Six rubber-coated cup hooks above the dinner plates holding six unique cups.

All of a sudden, there is room for drinking glasses in the cupboard!

Mom With Power Tools wonders what idiot hired the monkey in the first place.

The next task is to purchase more nails, and another sheet of half inch plywood. There are alot more monkey-designed cupboards to improve.

I am Mom.

Reasons we Married / Separated

I read a few years ago that the reasons people give for breaking up are often the same as the reasons they got married in the first place.

The example they gave was "I married him because he was the life of the party and I wanted to be more like him". "I'm leaving him because he always wants to go out, never wants to just spend time at home with me alone."

Let's see if this applies to JJ and me.

We met at Art School. I needed someone to help me do some research, and he volunteered. I picked him up after dark, and we went to the cemetary. I was making a model of a cemetary, and needed to take a close look at one -- the layout, headstone shapes, dates and any other details.

I remember him saying, as we were headed back to my car, "Any girl who goes to a cemetary in the middle of the night to feel up headstones can't be too bad."

A few months ago, he told me that he became attracted to me that night. I was unusual. He liked that I was willing to do odd things. He liked the way I looked in my blue jeans and T-shirt. The way I dressed reflected my personality... that I was always ready to go out and do things, not afraid to get my hands dirty.

So, why did he leave me?

One of his complaints is that I don't dress nice. All I ever wear is blue jeans and a T-shirt. Why can't I be more like other women? Fuss with my hair, grow my fingernails long, wear a dress?

There we have it. The theory holds true in this case. There are, of course, more reasons for the break-up. But this thing about how I look and act is a really big deal to him... and it is the one thing that hasn't changed in the slightest since he met me.

In summary, the first things that attracted him to me are now among the things that are driving him away.

Odd.

Stupid Stuff: The Sequel

The afformentioned spousal specimen has started a sequence of events which suggests a situation similar to one recently ended. Said spouse has requested reconciliation.

Since this is the second separation, I am hesitant to accept the proposition, especially after spending an evening sharing recyled speeches about each others' shortcomings. I can see where this sequence of events is leading us... into the next sequel.

His desire for my presence stems from some irrational fear. He shared with me that an acquaintance asked him for a date. He gracefully declined, but it commenced a struggle, the manifestion of which was for him to subsitute me, his previous spouse, for the attentions of some other person.

We have since spoken of the situation, and he realized how nonsensical his reaction was. Upon assessing the situation, he sees that this corresponds to past behaviours of his. The precedent he has set is to be shocked and surprised whenever he thinks a woman is interested in him. He becomes defensive, thinking that if I scrutinize the situation, his reputation would be tarnished.

This imagined transgression causes him to succumb to silly stunts. In this case, an ill-conceived attempt at reconcilliation. I hope he finds the strength to analyze these reactions prior to sharing them with me. Then I will not need the strength to deal with his misgivings.