Fixed Another Thing

I've been taking a fun art class for the past few weeks, hosted by two of my fellow students in their art studio downtown. 

When we arrived for the final class, one of the sturdy tables we'd been using was in pieces on the ground. It seems their fellow studio tenant had had a big party the night before, and things had gotten a bit out of hand. Let me rephrase that. A LOT out of hand. They'd managed to split a 2x8 - dancing on the table, perhaps?

Looking at Roberta's face as she told the tale, I felt a flash of anger. She was sad. She didn't think the table could be repaired and wasn't sure how they were going to replace it. I hate needless waste, careless destruction, and people who don't take responsibility for the damage they cause.

When class was over, I asked her what they planned to do. She said they'd throw out the pieces of the old table, and live without for a while. 

Still steaming, I went over and looked at the pile of boards. Looked more closely. I didn't see anything I couldn't repair with some glue, clamps and new hardware. So, I offered to fix it.

She looked at me in disbelief. I thought I could fix it? Was I sure?

Yes, I was. I wasn't positive I could fix it, but I was willing to try if she was willing to let me.

She didn't make me offer twice.

Last week, I loaded up my toys and headed over to see what I could see. Two hours, and a half bottle of glue later, I had the pieces glued back together. Yes!

I went back a couple of days later, after the glue had cured, to reassemble the puzzle. A few hours, sets of new angle and corner brackets, and more than a few supporting heavy-duty screws later, the table was as good as new. Jodi and Roberta were thrilled!

I see so many broken things in the world, so few I can do anything about.

I can't fix the world, but, sometimes, I can be one of the people who commit random acts of kindness. Sometimes, I can fix one small thing. 

Sometimes, that's enough to give my heart a bit of ease.

Stop. Breathe. Relax.

More Time??

Last week, Jordan, my treasured yoga teacher, told us she would be leaving at the end of June for a sabbatical. She won't be teaching anywhere, at least for a while. ***wwwaaaahhhh***

I can't say I was totally taken by surprise by her announcement. I've sensed for some time that her teaching role at Woodside had begun to feel confining. She is being pulled in a new direction; is ready to grow beyond what she can do within the structure of the rules of the gym.

When I got home, I looked at my calendar, and realized I would have just one more opportunity to take a class from her. My heart fell - I need more than one more time! I'm not done learning yet!!!!

Jordan has been one of my main teachers for three years. She has taught me SO much about asanas and form and breathing and working with the body I have today. I've carried her words from the mat and integrated them into my life. 

The things I have learned will not leave with her - they are mine to keep. Would it not serve me better to focus gratitude on those teachings, instead of focusing regret on the five classes she will teach where I will not be present because of schedule conflicts? 

I have yet to be ready to say goodbye to my people when they need to leave. It is in my nature to want to hold instead of letting go.  As David Foster Wallace once said, "everything I've ever let go of has claw marks on it."

I am greedy. I want the people I love to stay with me and never, ever, ever leave. I want more time with them - both those who are still here and those to whom I've said goodbye.

Slowly, I am learning to accept the fact that life is movement, life is change. And this time, at least there is a chance the world will turn and our paths will cross again. 

I can hope.

Fixed It!

Last week, I started my dishwasher, and after thinking for a minute, instead of running, it popped up an error code. Something to do with a filter. 

So, I checked the filter inside the machine. It was clogged, but it's been a lot worse without triggering an error, so I was a bit worried as I cleaned it and put it back in. I tried to be sure to hold my mouth right as I re-pressed the Start button.

No luck. I mean, I got a different error code, but the dishwasher still wouldn't run the cycle. It was already late evening, so I heaved a heavy sigh, and gave up for the night.

I had more functioning brain cells when I got up the next morning, so I washed the dirty dishes by hand, then sat down with my computer to see what I could see.

The dishwasher isn't that old, so I went back into my records to see if I could get it fixed under warranty. Nope - it expired in April. Figures. So, I pulled up Google to see what my options were. (This is the part where I love today's version of computing.)

I had the replacement part number within a few minutes, so went on to GE's website to order it. It's only $20, but is out of stock until the first part of July.

OK. Next.

I pivoted back to Google, to see if I could perhaps fix it myself. I mean, I used to be good at this sort of stuff. Sure enough, our friends at Reddit had a thread addressing my exact problem, complete with links to step-by-step YouTube videos showing how to do the repair. Yes!

I am capable of following instructions (though I know some people may find this hard to believe), so I got out my screwdriver and flashlight and got to work. Sure enough, the part was right where they told me it would be.

I popped it off, pulled it apart, cleaned off all the gunk (which, sure enough, was clogging the filter sensor), put it back together, plugged it back in, held my breath, and pressed the Start button. 

The machine ran like a champ.

I am so grateful for the knowledge freely available on the internet; for the people who take the time and trouble to answer questions, to create videos. Because those people exist, I don't have to know a guy I could call to ask for help. I didn't have to wait for the part, nor deal with a repair bill.

Technology has its strong points!