Tim is my Hero

Last Saturday morning, Tim asked if we should rent a scaffold and change out our ugly foyer light for my new chandelier (that matches our home) and install our new ceiling fan as an early birthday present for me. Obviously I said yes. I was so excited that I would finally be able to finish the projects I've been partially assembling and dreaming about for months now! He headed out to rent the scaffold and I began praying. I prayed we'd get it right the first time and that the fixtures would work. I prayed we'd get it done quickly and that I wouldn't kill myself or get myself sent to the hospital. So Tim brings home the 14 foot scaffold, in pieces, of course, and we realize that the assembly directions are not for our scaffold model.

It took us 2 hours to put it together without directions. And I really would not recommend the process to anyone married less than 5 years. It was like some strange "Survivor" challenge. So we get this enormous scaffold erected and wheel it over to the ugly, dusty light above the door and I load my pockets with pliers and screwdrivers and electrical tape and instructions and the small mounting hardware and I put the assembled chandelier chain around my neck and secure the end of the chain to the chandelier base (boy, is that thing heavy!) and I take a deep breath and I climb 14 feet into the thin air above my foyer. It's really, really high. I climb onto my hands and knees at the top and my head almost touches the ceiling. I unload my pockets with as little movement as possible trying not to breathe too hard for fear of swaying the scaffold even 1/4 of an inch. I look down and feel sick. My hands start getting clammy and I start sweating.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

"Honey, don't be scared. This scaffold is very solid~ it really won't collapse" says Tim.

"A sturdy scaffold is no use to a girl who could lose her balance!" says I.

I begin to remove Ugly Light's base that is attached to the ceiling. I successfully remove Ugly Light and slowly, slowly lower it by the chain down to Tim waiting below. Sweat is now rolling down my back and my leg muscles are beginning to cramp from fear. I feel the paralysis setting in. I can't strip the insulation from the clear chandelier wires because my fingers are so clammy and shaking. Dabney peeks out of her room and interjects, "Don't look down Mom! Just don't look down!" Ashamedly, I had to climb down and Tim cheerfully volunteered to put up the new fixture. To make a very long story short, he did it. And he did a great job.

(That's part of the scaffold as we were disassembling it. Imagine a platform at the top rung of the ladder side. )

We went to dinner after that and then we put the kids to bed and began on the ceiling fan installation. I had assembled what I could on the fan without being at the box before Tim climbed the scaffold. I helped as much as I could, but I could barely look at my husband 14 feet above the ground, his legs hanging over the edge of the platform. My wonderful Tim wired and installed the fan (and 6ft downrod) on the first try~ no mistakes, no smoke, no flames. The whole process took 2 hours and we had our beautiful fan (that matches the house) running beautifully with no need to even adjust the balance! Praise God! What a great birthday present!