Making Progress!!

So, you’re thinking that I don’t normally write two days in row. Ok, maybe you’re not thinking that, but I am.

Anyway, I think we’re finally back into “GO” mode and getting some stuff done again at the house/church/big open space thingy. The washing machine is running and the dryer is all but ready to fluff its first load. But, do not think for a minute that we’re simply hooking up a couple of hoses and plugging in. No, no, no…there was no existing washer/dryer hook-ups, so we had to create (which required a little creativity I might add).

One thing Sherry has had to realize that I’m not real fond of having multiple projects going at once; I’ve got a list, I start at the top, and I like to cross the top off before I move to the next thing. And at the top of my list was the washing machine. I mean, really, who’s going to hook up a dryer first. You don’t throw your load of laundry into the dryer first, unless you’re a bachelor and simply have a sweaty T-shirt that you want to wear again (Seriously, who hasn’t taken a dirty shirt, sprayed some cologne on it, and thrown in the dryer with a Bounce sheet to avoid having to wash a load? And girls, don’t say anything about us guys being gross…we’re all aware of that whole body spray thing you girls do).

Anyway, back to the washing machine episode. We went to Lowe’s and picked up everything we needed Monday night to hook up the washer and dryer…well thought out, planned, and everything on the list picked up and/or packed from our garage. So, we’re in the basement out in the metropolis of Pyrmont when we realize that in order to run the new copper water lines for the washing machine, we need matches or a lighter to fire up the torch. Actually, the striker (a fancy little tool for just this purpose) was on said list and on site. However, somewhere in between the tool box and the new utility room, my curious wife decided to try out this enigmatic tool and used up the last of its spark.. No biggie except that we both gave up smoking recently and don’t carry our lighters anymore.

So, no lighter, no matches ANYWHERE…how to create spark??? Well, you use your creative imagination and let me know if you come up with anything better. Option 1: cigarette lighter from the car (the hole is there, but no actual lighter is to be found). Option 2: start a fire using a piece of paper on the stovetop (we stole the cord from the stove for the dryer because electric dryers don’t come with cords, go figure that). Option 3: have Sherry touch two bare wire plugged into opposite outlets (she refused, something about a pacemaker). Option 4: somehow use the pilot light from the natural gas furnace (hard to believe, but my better sense said no)

I’m not even sure which of us came up with our creative little solution. But, let’s just say we got the torch lit and OSHA probably would not have approved. Fortunately, we had no need for the fire extinguisher that hasn’t been inspected since 1997.