So the refrigerator purchase ended up requiring alot of Internet research, deliberation and the meticulous taking of dimensions. My choice of reefers’ began first with the question – standard 120v, propane or hybrid? The latter two have several advantages in an off -grid scenario or one where power could conceivably be interrupted for lengths of time. 120v units, on the other hand, are much more abundant, cheaper, offer a variety of sizes and many new models offer cool retro designs. And then there was the issue of space. When reinstalling the kitchen cabinets, I was left with a void atop the steel frame designed to support a refrigerator above the wheel well. It was 23″ wide, 24″ deep and about 60″ high. When looking at new units not specifically designed for RVs (those tend to be tiny and ugly), depth was a concern. New refrigerators tend to be pretty massive, often protruding out 30″ or more. Many are much too wide as well. For example, the “slim” Big Chill is almost 28″ wide and 34″ deep – out of the question. And the SMEG is 78″ inches high, a towering unit requiring a sunroof. Sparta is small enough without having to dodge a behemouth appliance nosing out into the passageway. And both those brands begin at over $2,300.

So I decided to buy a 7.6 cu. ft. Galanz refrigerator. The dimensions were perfect for the space, the retro design very cool and the price way below the others – $379 at HD. I realize this Chinese offering made of plastic and other cheap materials may not last, but that’s OK. If it fails in two years, I buy another or make the decision to go propane based upon my actual experience in the field. I think of it as a test model. There is a method to my madness.

Meanwhile, the Formica project wraps up.

Here are a few pics of the last of the “Laquered Green Linen” Formica. It’s not glued down yet but just set in place to make sure I want full coverage up to the bottom of the cabinets. I think I like it as placed.

I like it so much that I may call the warehouse where I got it and get a couple sheets of the burnt orange version for my 48′ Spartanette.

So long…

It’s hotter than a popcorn fart today and I only lasted about an hour in Sparta – long enough to install my kick-plates on the bathroom pocket door. “Kick-plates on a pocket door?”, you ask. Yes, it’s a bit like putting a mast on a submarine. You can do it, but why? Well, to cover the sloppy plastic surgery I performed on the original door, that’s why.

Drop the main and dive, dive, dive.

Recently my paperboy died. He was actually 60+ years old so “boy” may be inaccurate. He was run over by his own car while delivering papers – not 100 yards from my apartment.

My first thought was a Darwin Award, granted to those who perish due to their own stupidity (sorry if that sounds cruel). But then a few days later the story was reported in the local paper and I learned that this unfortunate gentleman had been working this very route for 15 years. It occurred to me that in that time he had probably delivered close to one million papers, most likely without incident. So how on this day did he manage to leave the car in “drive”, walk up a driveway and then get crushed by his own vehicle?

A few days later I was working at the trailer and, while stepping off, managed to miss the step and fall two feet, almost nailing my coccyx. I was stunned and lay on the ground a few moments feeling pretty lame. I have stepped off that trailer 1,000s of times…why miss that step now? Preoccupation…age-related clumsiness…stupidity?

Thinking about these two unrelated incidents it dawned on me that I, too, could die in a most innocuous fashion – quite possibly doing something I take completely for granted. It probably won’t be while cleaning my shotgun. I do that so infrequently that I do so with an abundance of caution. And I do so mindfully, fully aware of each step.

Things that we do often and in a repetitious, almost rote, fashion are governed by the law of automaticity – the ability to do things without occupying the mind with the low-level details required, allowing it to become an automatic response pattern or habit. John Bargh, a Yale academic, actually spent over 10 years researching the topic. Automaticity is a form of unconscious competence and the quality or fluency of the effort may actually be undermined if one actually stops to think about it. This is also known as the “Centipede Effect” and derives from the Poem, The Centipede’s Dilemma, wherein the toad immobilizes the multi-legged creature simply by asking it how it walks. The centipede’s normally unconscious locomotion was interrupted by conscious reflection on it. The psychologist George Humphrey referred to this parable in his 1923 The story of man’s mind:^[6] “No man skilled at a trade needs to put his constant attention on the routine work,” he wrote. “If he does, the job is apt to be spoiled.”

So where does this leave us? We are told to be mindful. To eat mindfully, chew mindfully, even breathe mindfully. But these things should be automatic. Am I benefitted by thinking about them or, worse, endangering myself by doing so? I could choke on a piece of meat.

Sign me up, Charles.

As long as I am being totally random, I thought this was cute:

You may recall my bathroom laminate job. It was totally unorthodox and only worked because of the smallish surface area involved. The kitchen required more caution and an adherence to proven methods of installation. To Summarize:

First – Apply laminate to detached countertop to allow proper edging with router.

Second – Do not attempt to cut laminate to exact counter dimensions prior to glueing. Leave overhang.

Third – Apply glue in temperatures >65 degrees F. to achieve proper bonding. Apply to both pieces and wait 60 minutes before putting together.

Fourth – Use dowels to control the bonding process and work from the middle to the ends.

While giving the glue time to set up, I made refinements to the bathroom pocket-door installation.

All in all, it was a productive day.