Just not measuring up

Back Home By Chris Hardie A wise man once said, “Measure twice, cut once.” So, let me tell you a tale, about the fool who measured two times, but then forgot the number. In fact, I can tell it from a first-person perspective. Recently, my wife, Sherry, and I, stopped at a salvaged renovation store, to look for some kitchen cabinets. The project was part of a reconfiguration, to add some additional storage and counter space. I am a big fan of saving money, and repurposing perfectly fine cabinets or furniture. I sometimes get a little upset, when watching home renovation shows that destroy cabinets during demo day, instead of repurposing them. Did I say I also like to save money? We struck gold, because there were three matching base cabinets, very similar to the golden oak color of the cabinets we already had. It’s also music to my lessthan-handyman ears, when I hear Sherry say, “it’s close enough.” Two of the base cabinets were intended to create an island. We put them in place and it looked like they would work. But, we needed a countertop. I measured the cabinets and confirmed they were three feet wide. I measured them again the next morning, before we took a trip to the local home builders store, to place an order. After we selected the surface and style, a store employee took our information and asked about our measurements. Sherry said they were 36 inches. I said I thought they were 30 inches. We went back and forth a few times. “Are you sure?” Sherry asked me. In my mind, I saw the measuring tape at 29.5 inches. Of course, I see a lot of things in my mind, like me being fit and trim, and having a full head of hair. The mind has a way of playing tricks. “No,” I said. “But I think they’re 30 inches.” “You better be right,” Sherry said, with that special look that told me I could be in deep trouble. “Because if you’re wrong, this is going to be hundreds of dollars wasted and it’s on you.” We placed the order and left the store. Doubt started creeping into my mind. There would be no refunds on a special order and I would measure counters in the doghouse, if we had to pay for another counter and wait even longer for the kitchen project to be completed. I decided that we should double-check. Again. Cabinets are not living objects. They cannot grow or shrink. So, when we put the tape measure across the cabinets and came up with 35.5 inches, I realized that the only person to blame, was your’s truly. What I saw and what I remembered – only a few minutes later – were two different things. The trip back to the store was quiet. “I’ll just wait in the truck, while you go in and fix this,” Sherry said. I found the employee, who had placed our order and said that I was wrong. She didn’t look surprised. “So, did you take a little grief?” she asked, as she was able to cancel the first order and wrote up a new one – with no cancellation charges. “Yep,” I replied, “but not as much as I would have if the wrong ones arrived.” When the new countertops arrived at the store, I hauled them home, trying not to hold my breath until they were carried in the door, unpacked and temporarily put into place. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a fit. “They’re good enough,” Sherry said. I breathed easier. Two days later, when I had some free time, I made sure the cabinets were leveled and the countertops were securely installed. Five feet...I mean six feet...of perfectly functional work and storage space. Good enough, indeed. Chris Hardie spent more than 30 years, as a reporter, editor and publisher. He was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, and won dozens of state and national journalism awards. He is a former president of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. He can be contacted at chardie1963@gmail.com.