I’ll confess right off the top that I almost postponed yesterday’s small projects ’til today. I don’t know what got into me, but I woke up in a mood, and it wasn’t a mood to do carpentry.
That was early, though. I got over it.
I thought about the progress I’ve made over the last 91 days. I remembered how much more I enjoy the process now. Considering how far I’ve come, it would’ve been a shame to piss away a day.
And so I set up in the driveway in front of the cabin and got to work.
Bear Claw: “You’ve come far, pilgrim.”
“Jeremiah Johnson” (1972)
Jeremiah: “Feels like far.”
The half-sheet of plywood bought Saturday would supply almost everything I’d need. I began by cutting a 26-by-31 piece and placing it on the frame in the kitchen, to the left of the sink. That surface will serve as a temporary countertop until I find (and can afford) what I want.
The new platform became a workbench immediately, holding tools and supplies as I undertook the day’s second project — installing a microwave/convection oven.
My plan was to build a shelf over the gas stove and hang the appliance from that. It’d have to be sturdy, of course, but also precise. Templates supplied with the unit made the latter pretty straightforward.
I used plywood for both the shelf and its supports, adding only a couple of pieces of furring strip to tie it together. I attached blocks to the studs so that the lower bracket would have the most solid foundation I could give it.
The result was so beefy that I could hang from the supports.
To make the oven itself ready to install, first I had to reconfigure the fan to recirculate. (I wouldn’t be ducting its exhaust outside.) That involved removing a couple of plates from the rear of the unit, pulling out the blower assembly and turning it 90 degrees, then buttoning everything up.
I could’ve had a neighbor help me lift the oven onto its mounting bracket, and that would’ve been the smart thing to do, but I’m naturally bullheaded. Besides, I had an idea.
I stacked two massive, stout boxes under the shelf and then set the oven on top of them — that gave me a final lift of only six inches. And if the oven fell in the process, it’d have a short drop and a soft landing.
Nailed it on the first try.
I tightened the bolts drawing the unit up against the underside of the shelf and moved the gas stove back into position. Then I plugged in the microwave/convection oven, set the time, stepped back and admired.
It may not be pretty, but it’s simple and it works. The unit is level. It’s solid as a rock. That makes it pretty much perfect.
And it adds another function to the cabin — cooking. I’m one shower, one sink, and a couple of LP hookups away from being fully functional.
“You’ve done well to keep so much hair when so many’s after it. I hope you will fare well.”
Bear Claw, to Jeremiah
It’s days like yesterday that underscore my purpose. No matter how simple the task or how small the win, I’m reminded that I’m right where I belong, living the life I was made to live.
The farther I go, the clearer that becomes.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable