Simple Machines

A really long time ago ('01-'04) we lived in Germany in an apartment with walls made of solid stone, cinder blocks, brick, or some other substance impervious to good-ol hammer 'n nails. The options were clear: buy a drill and hang some art, or live indefinitely in a space that was more sanatorium than home.

We bought a drill. When we left Germany for Lebanon, it was one of the few things that made the cut and came along. Good thing too, because the walls of our Lebanese apartments were practically German.

And when we left Lebanon the drill (along with almost everything else) made it into our shipping container. But for nearly a year I couldn't find the chuck. You know, the thing you use to make sure the drill bit is held nice and tight? Yeah, the chuck was missing.

Our old plaster walls require drilling just like our walls in Germany and Lebanon. So I tightened the drill by hand, and managed to do quite a lot without the chuck. I hung all the drapery rods and drilled new holes in the floor when I rerouted the wiring to the upstairs. Yeah. But since I couldn't really secure the drill bit it slipped a lot and that made the work so much harder. But then, just a few weeks ago, I found it.

I've spent quite a lot of time with my drill lately (working on trim in the bedroom, trim in the dining room, etc.) and it is amazing that such a simple thing can make such a big difference.