Forwards and occasionally sidewards – everyday musings of life

The toolbox and power drill made another appearance this morning. This is rapidly becoming a daily habit. Today’s mission: construct a brand-new study desk using a spare off-cut from our kitchen breakfast bar.

My architectural plan was straightforward enough. I would salvage the legs from my old desk and attach them using whatever method seemed most appropriate—screws, nails, wood glue, staples, bolts, or light welding. Following traditional furniture design principles, I reasoned that placing one leg at each corner ought to do the trick.

I assembled my entire DIY arsenal in the middle of the room, ready for any conceivable structural crisis. Every single tool from the shed was present and correct, with the sole exception of my chainsaw—my usual weapon of choice—which I quietly hoped wouldn’t be required for a basic indoor joinery project.

Twenty minutes later, to my absolute astonishment, the desk stood entirely on its own four legs, completely unaided. A second consecutive triumph of DIY engineering. Even better, it failed to collapse when I loaded it up with a heavy monitor and laptop.

An hour later, the full collection of power tools was safely returned to the shed. As it turned out, the entire operation had required nothing more than a tape measure and a single screwdriver. Still, a wise tradesman prepares for all eventualities; taking a chainsaw to a kitchen off-cut felt slightly over the top.

However, I fear I may have shot myself in the foot. Emboldened by my sudden streak of structural competence, Karen is already drawing up a fresh list of household maintenance tasks for me to tackle.

I was sorely tempted to offer a sharp reminder of what the letters in “DIY” actually stand for—namely, Do It Yourself. But I know better than to risk domestic harmony. Secretly, there’s a quiet satisfaction in ticking off these fiddly jobs around the house—even if it means I’ll need a significantly larger toolbox if I’m branching out to hanging mirrors next.