If I Had a Hammer . . .

Dave -

I have a hammer and I have a saw. Actually, I have many tools but the two things that I don't have that I really need are a 200-foot extension cord and a set of sawhorses. So what's the big deal? Well, I'm building the Taj Mahal (or as some might say, a chicken coop). Since the coop will be quite heavy when completed - about 200-250 pounds - I have to build it on-site, about 150 feet from the house.

I must have walked from the garage to the half-built chicken coop about thirty times today. Yet, most of these trips could have been avoided if I had had a long extension cord and a pair of sawhorses. The longest extension cord I could find at Home Depot was 100 feet. Normally I avoid projects that require the use of sawhorses. Let me make this clear - building this chicken coop is an anomaly - an experience that I will not be repeating for years, if ever!

So I walk back and forth. But I never walk empty handed. Unfortunately, I never seem to have everything that I need. I bring nails but forget the screws. I bring the board that has been cut to an exact length but forget the plans. I can't find the framing square. The battery for the cordless drill is dying. And the board that I cut appears to be about a half an inch too short.

You see, if I had a 200-foot extension cord and a couple of sawhorses, I could measure and cut and fit and size and hammer without walking back and forth to the garage. At my advanced age, my memory is not as sharp as it used to be. By the time I get back to the garage, 54" becomes 45", the 2x4 becomes a 1x4, angle measurements are forgotten, the screwdriver is no longer where I thought I left it, and I seem to have misplaced my good work gloves. If I could keep stuff together, this chicken coop project would be pretty straight forward. As it is, I feel that I am working through some how-to-improve-your-memory course.

I the future I think I will stick to smaller projects like changing a light bulb or tinkering with my bicycle.