this and that

My plans for Monday were to work on the guild newsletter, it being the last day of the month.  Also Ii planned to get started on the clean/clear the closet and master bathroom.  Didn't happen.  Nope, my morning started off with my computer desk drawer and pull out shelf for the keyboard, more or less, landing on my lap and floor.  Second time it happened too.  As you may recall I assembled this a few months back from one of those knock down pieces of furniture that requires cams and those cam posts.  I copied the picture of it before the computer and all the peripherals came back in.

Same thing happened as last time--- the whole thing pulled out.   Down it tumbled and just as I had started messaging with my friend Cher.  There is a small support arm that attaches to the top with holes countersunk into the desk top.  The support "beam" fits into that and then is tightened with the cams.    It has rollers on both sides, one for the desk drawer and the other for the keyboard pull out.  That drawer front is hinged allowing access for the shelf to be pulled out.   I try not to rest too much of the weight of my body on it. 

It looked like the plastic surrounding the cam post had cracked.  Now what?  I talked to the neighbor about it when I finished getting my hair trimmed.  Two words.  Gorilla Glue. He said he would be coming over to look at it so I went home and finished up with the sewing project from Sunday.  (66 of 70 blocks needed came from one strip set so now I can just piece the 4 extras from the colors I want to accentuate a bit more)

In the meantime, before and after my hair appointment, I decided this was the perfect time to try to de-tangle all that wire mess.  I had already showered and washed the hair but was getting hotter by the minute crawling around under the desk.   UGH, everything has its own space hogging adapter thing (almost all of about 8 or 9 things)  I untangled, I coiled and shortened the excess.  I plugged in another strip plug so the items that are in the more visible plug are the things in the middle of the desk i.e. speakers, desk lamp, vonage power cord and the phone adapter.  It looks a little better now plus big bonus,  I will be less likely to drop the modem or router on the floor or get the stool legs tangled up in strip plug.  If there was some way to mount the strip plug up higher to the back of the desk, I would do it an heart beat but I have not quite figured out how yet.

 (Also seen in the post from March of this year.  I didn't take an "after" view)

I thought that I had plugged every unplugged wire back into its proper receptacle but apparently not as I lost my internet connection though oddly, at first anyway, I still had an active vonage phone line.  I ended up having to get the CD installation out for the router, unplug all the connections from the modem to the router and do a semi-reinstallation.  Finally I was back in business with the computer, tablet and phone.  Whew!  The house phone won't work either with no internet so I am really cut off!  Walking away and coming back with fresh eyes and a better attitude are not an option like some tasks can be.

But, what could be done about the desk? I waited for him till a bit after 12 and then left on my errands.  I planned to by Lowes on the way to lunch and see if I could get a couple more cam posts.  If not,  the Gorilla Glue on the cam post heads, in the countersunk hole was in play.   I must have looked like I was sufficiently lost so a passing store employee came to my aid.  Thank you, Eric!  He dug through all the furniture parts drawers with no success, listened to what I had to say, found some sleeve like anchors that might work and then showed me where the wood glue was.  He had suggested that I put some glue on the post, pop that puppy back up in there but glue the raw wood edge of the shelf to the desk top with wood glue.  I had gorilla glue all over my fingers and spent the rest of the evening chipping bits of it off my hands but that thing surely feels like it is in there securely.  I am letting it set up till mid afternoon, 24 hours, before I put the desk drawer and sliding drawer back in there.  Hopefully, this will take care of that desk situation for good.

I took myself to Zaxby's for a zensation salad lunch and didn't get back home till about 2 from my errands.  Oscar was looking at me with those sad dachshund eyes, like "what about me and my afternoon walk?".  It was clouding up but nothing looked imminent so I loaded him the car so we could to to the park.  There is at least some shade in the park while our lane has very little mid afternoon.   It was rumbling by the time I got to town, then the lightning started the further we got along in the 1st lap.  Get back in the car.  He was pulling that cute act again, the sun was beating on the back of black shirt, I was hot, it was about to storm so I let him get away with my looping the seatbelt through the hand loop on his leash.  Try it once more and see if he will behave.   He was good and stayed in the back----to a point.  Then he managed to get up in the front though on the passenger seat, too close to the gear shifter for me.   Because I travel with a little organizer on the front seat with a bit of everything in there, the next thing I knew he had grabbed the ear muffs and was working them over just like he does his rawhide bone!  A tuft of faux fur was ripped off and he was holding them spiral band with his front yanking for all he was worth with those teeth.  

Once we were back home and in the house with the storm approaching, he was doing his usual house inspection and playing.  He had drug his whole towel out of the crate but something else was in there.  He drug in one of my bedroom slippers that sits by the door if I have my walking shoes on.  No signs of attack that I could see.  I just thought it was funny that he was getting up close and personal with two of my clothing items all in the space of an hour.  Silly boy.

Well, that newsletter is not going to take care of itself.  It is a bit harder to type with the keyboard elevated like this, harder on the wrists mainly but still easier than trying to do it on the tablet with the hunt and poke stylus method.  I still have an idea that I could get something done across the hall yet today barring any other household calamity.  I do know that the dishwasher is not sitting exactly straight and I am not sure that it is attached to the counter.  It has done this before, we had someone out here three times for that very thing.  SIGH.  Another example of what I don't know about home maintenance.