That is where I lived for at least an hour yesterday, putting a new drain in the bathroom sink. Seems the replacement pipes Home Depot and our local plumbing store carry are not spaced to fit our bathroom pipes.  As soon as the “flexible sink trap J-bend” arrived via Amazon Prime (another free plug for that marvelous service), I got to work.  I actually transformed into a larger version of that flexible J-bend. I spent half of the hour under-the-sink trying to put the pipes together so they would not leak, and the other half moving my 15-foot snake through the labyrinth of pipes, trying to clear out clogs.

I knew I had worked my contorted body a bit much when, at my exercise class this morning, I did not feel as if I could make it the whole two hours.  I left after one hour with tired-out muscles.

Ode to the Washer

I could have saved myself half of the under-the-sink time if I had the acumen that my wife displayed just before the  ordeal was done.  I had taken a break from being a twisted pretzel. I went to complain to her that I couldn’t get the darned thing to stop leaking.  Her laconic response: How about a washer? Duh – the light bulb flashed.  I could add another washer at the point of leaking.  The rest is sweet history. The additional washer did the trick.  I went to let my wife know that she is a genius.  Of course, she knew that all along.

A Lesson Learned?

Just as I learned to utilize my recently discovered zip ties for projects galore, I hope to remember the lesson I learned yesterday.  An extra washer, or for that matter an extra anything, can be employed to make life easier.  An extra pillow for the bed, an extra cube of garlic for the spaghetti, an extra hug for the wife, and on we go.  What a great lesson.  I am feeling better already.

Mr. Ebsen may be contacted at robertebsen@hotmail.com