filed in Daily Life
The Road to Yes
Heading into the holiday weekend, my big TV wouldn’t turn on, which really bummed me out. When I called Samsung for an appointment, the company said they’d send a repairman to fix the problem, but someone would have to help him lift the TV off its mount. It wasn’t practical to hire a handyman, given the 4-hour appointment window. I called a few friends who weren’t able to commit. I considered doing the heavy lifting myself, but it wasn’t worth throwing my back out. Waaaah, I need a husband. As a last resort, I emailed a neighbor who just moved in across the hall. He and his buddy are remodeling his apartment, so they’d be home all afternoon. They were gracious and strong, and gave me a very happy ending.
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16 comments for “The Road to Yes”
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You know, Wendy, there are plenty of husbands incapable of lifting anything more than a can of beer!
That said, glad it all worked out. I’d have helped if I didn’t live so far away. I think all of your readers would have.
It was the most elegant solution I could’ve imagined. Odds are these guys were brawnier and better with tools than a likely husband of mine would be
I agree with Petra, husband shmusband! You just need a decent neighbor and it sounds like you have exactly that. Cheers!
A neighbor who can fix and lift things. I’m in heaven. I told him today that he can’t ever move.
Reciprocate with cooking good stuff and leaving at their door. They’ll be thrilled to help for ever. Great neighbors are something to cherish and these guys sound excellent.
Excellent idea, Jules. As soon as his kitchen gets installed.
When I buy large things, I’m always careful to ensure that I can manage it by myself, for the very reason you mention.
I could pick up and put my new 60″ TV on its stand, but the 70″ would have required some other ‘pair of hands’ arrangement.
There was also the issue of getting rid of the 13-year old 27″ CRT – I could barely pick it up, let alone maneuver it anywhere. The TV store offered a free CRT take away service, which is why I bought the new one there.
I wonder about fading strength as I get older.
Glad it worked out for you.
I feel that way about pets. My dog at 22 pounds is about the limit I could pick up. And it’s important to be able to lift my pet in an emergency. I also considered weight when thinking about a new desktop computer, and opting for a smaller screen. But I love my big TV. It’s worth the hassle.
Good for you. I need to learn to be less timid about asking for help. As a single person asking for help is imperative
I hate asking for help. But even more, I hated being without a TV.
Lord woman, how big is your TV??? 😉
We all have our weaknesses. I can lift and move (short distances) things up to 100 pounds (including my 40-ish pound 40″ TV), but I can’t reach all of my overhead lights. We all make friends who can help where needed and are easily bribed (beer, dinner, etc.). 🙂
55″. I have a vulnerable back, so I have to careful. Lifting’s not my thing. But I’ll send over some home-baked chocolate chip cookies. That should get me some points.
Yeah, I’m not sure I could *maneuver* a 55″ TV. I could probably lift it, but the 40″ is tough enough to maneuver balance-wise. Cookies are good for help. 🙂 I once asked my co-workers to help me move my old plasma (very heavy) with the promise that, once they moved it, they could play video games on it for the rest of the night. I needed one or two people to help…I got 6…
I really did wonder that if all my requests for help fell through, could I step in and lift. So glad it never came to that.
You didn’t need a husband after all! Good neighbors are worth their weight in gold. I bought a house 3 months ago and both houses on either side are unoccupied and there’s no houses across the street so I’m still working on meeting neighbors. Miss my old neighbor from my apt, we helped each other out all the time. But so many times I think “I need a husband (or just a boyfriend) with a truck and tools!!” Single ladies do what they have to do though, like buying my first power tools. 🙂
I guess it boils down to a truck with tools. I like that!