Underestimated and It Feels So Good

It is gratifying to know that at my advanced age I remain a bit of a mystery even to those who know me best, or at least the longest.  In fact I am practically an enigma.

The other day my father was surprised and impressed to find out that I could type.  Well, yes, I can type with the aid of a computer, and all its fancy features that allow me to save, copy, change or delete text.  I will admit that it was tougher for me back in the days when typewriters were all the rage, but nowadays I manage to type quite nicely.

However, I was somewhat taken aback when my very own sister seemed shocked when Mr. Rip posted on Facebook, “Sharon is pretty handy with a screwdriver.”

“Sharon CIRAULO Wolf?!?!” commented my sister.

I don’t know why she was so surprised.  First things first, how hard is it to use a screwdriver?  Can’t a monkey be trained for this particular task?  The only tricky part is finding the screwdriver that fits the screw, and that’s only because when we use screwdrivers they often don’t find their way back to the tool box or the kitchen “junk” drawer, where they belong.  I don’t know where they all go.  Maybe they’re hanging out with the missing socks.

But really, I think it is time to share one of my hidden talents with the world.  I am somewhat proficient at assembling small furniture items that come from the store with clear instructions and all the parts and hardware included, and sometimes this involves using a screwdriver.

My latest successful assembly was the small space-saver bathroom cabinet for the weird little nook in my funny little bathroom that was previously filled with a plastic file cabinet-like thing that I picked up at an office supply store.  It took me an hour or two and I essentially completed the project by myself with Mr. Rip supplying moral support and occasional reassurance that the piece I was about to attach was facing in the right direction.  He also anchored the cabinet to the wall when it was assembled.

My other work includes small wooden living room end tables, a TV stand or two, and several standing lamps, among other things.  I also was one of the two-person crew responsible for putting together the two chest of drawers in our bedroom.

Here’s another revelation:  I enjoy doing this.  We ordered those wooden end tables online and the day they arrived I was so excited to get started on them I called Mr. Rip to ask him if he would mind if I went ahead and took a crack at putting them together before he got home from work.

“So, this means the tables would be all put together when I got home?”  he clarified. I verified that that would be the case.  I believe his exact response then was, “Knock yourself out.” I am sure that this was primarily because he did not want to keep me from the fun of putting these tables together, and not because he does not enjoy the process nearly as much as I do.

In fact the only time that I run into any trouble is if the furniture is a piece of crap, which happened with an inferior bathroom cabinet I bought and tried to assemble prior to getting the one I just put together with no problem. There were missing parts and hardware and the pieces didn't fit together.  

This was ironic because it was the same price as the larger, sturdy, perfect bathroom cabinet that now adorns my bathroom.  Mr. Rip explained to me that you take your chances when you buy inexpensive bathroom cabinets and that whether or not it is a decent piece is a crap shoot (no pun intended, I’m sure).