Roller Coaster Ride

This week just keep getting tougher and tougher.  At this time last week, I had expected to make a lot of progress by now.  As each day passed and nothing seemed to happen, I got more frustrated.  For one thing, I was waiting for parts I had ordered.  Like a little kid who knows a package is coming, every time a delivery truck went by, I looked out the window to see if it was stopping here (and we live on a busy street!). 

But the biggest issue was finding a welder to rent.  I thought it would be easy -- call up the local rental place, pick it up, sign many waivers without reading them and get the welder home.  A couple of quick practice welds (they make it look easy on TV, don't they) and I'd get my brackets welded in place.  After that fantasy began to evaporate (imagine the image getting wavy and me waking up from a dream), I realized that it may be a little tougher after all.  First, a welder uses a lot of electricity.  Where could I plug it in without blowing fuses, or worse?  Second, welding is not that easy.  There are many variables such as the amount of power applied for the electric arc, the rate of wire feed, the rate of movement across the metal, the distance the welder is held from the metal, the type of metal, the thickness of the metal, and the orientation of the metals being welded.  OK, I'm sure I can still figure all that out.  After all, there are a lot of not-so-smart welders out there.  I decide to spend a little time at one of my favorite information sources (after Rolling Stone) -- YouTube!  There I learn how to perfect my welding technique from the comfort of my kitchen table.  But I still don't have a welder...

By mid-week, I'm hitting bottom.  I'm watching yet another YouTube video on MIG welding and I see a video review of a $90 welder.  Huh?  I'm sure you'd all agree that a welder is an essential tool for the home, like a hammer or a screwdriver.  My optimism rose.  A couple of key clicks and I had a welder on the way.  Of course, that meant another delivery truck to look for.

On Friday morning, my clutch and brake assembly arrived and it looks good.  Online delivery tracking said the welder would be here on Friday also.  Well, around 4pm the truck pulls into the driveway and out comes a 50 lb. box.  It's like Christmas for someone going through mid-life crisis.  I couldn't wait to try it out.

So, I realized this project is going to be like a roller coaster with  many ups and downs.

And sometimes I'll feel like I'm upside down and completely disoriented ...