A Story On Being Resourceful

My roommate and I have now been in our new apartment downtown, for almost two months. Our decision to move in and sign the lease was all a whirlwind.

Because we both moved to Boulder and basically sold everything we owned to move across the country and fit everything into our cars (we moved then met each other through work, after moving to Boulder) we lacked a lot of furniture. Our apartment has been a ‘work in progress’ and pieced together from classic IKEA pieces and Craiglist wonders.

The last thing we really needed was an entertainment set for our large television. We found one light blond wood piece, Erica bartered and had the owner deliver it to us. On Friday at 2:00 PM, we quickly scampered from work (our commute is 5 minutes, awesome), paid, then carried the set up to our apartment. I originally worried if the T.V. would fit in the set, but Erica said “Of course it will,” (we call her Amelia Badelia, she doesn’t plan a lot) so I went along with it because she found the timepiece, anyway.

We struggle, hold, lift, grunt and begin to rearrange everything as the sweat perspires on our brows.

Finally we’re ready. We lift the T.V., I’m teetering on my new Chinese Laundry stiletto boots holding an 80 pound T.V. and…

…it won’t fit in the entertainment set. All we can do is explode in laughter at the situation. Erica yells, “I’m an asshole!” Because she knew she should have known better and I’m wedged in the corner, not able to move, head thrown back, laughing in disbelief.

Then the point of this story: We decide to not give up and become resourceful.

We get my handy 5-in-1 screwdriver tool, attempt to unscrew one of the top screws to see if we can take the top off the set. Luckily, it’s the right screw connected to the top (and not the screw that holds the frame together) and we begin to make headway while giggling at our absurdity. The top is lifted off, we fit the T.V. in and high-five each other triumphantly. As for the top of the entertainment set, we’ll probably do a joint, abstract painting and hang it on our living room wall.

That’s the thing with life. You improvise and seek resources. Even if means taking apart your entertainment set and using the rest of it for handmade art.