Measure Twice - Cut Once

Craftspersons and carpenters - and crafty carpenters ... and sly old dogs -
but I digress
know the maxim stated above

makes sense - easy peasy

IF ONLY!

Here's how it goes at my house - with me anyway:

1) Read the instructions / my plan 2) measure

... Check! ...

3) Measure the second time ... get a different measurement

... Oh crap! - but that is the idea behind the maxim - all is well ... I'll measure again

4) Measure the third time ... get the measurement I got on my second try
... so I

5) Check the instructions / my plan
- which shows the dimension I got on 3 and 4

all is well - only a slightly rapid heartbeat - but everything is ok: the system works

6) Start to cut at the 3 & 4 measure ...

Slight panic attack - nothing major - so I

7) refer to the instruction / plans which show what I got for 3 & 4 ... so I

8) measure again for good measure and get entirely different measurement

Full blown small panic attack

go inside to collect my thoughts

after I can breathe normally, I go out to the shop and

9) Measure YET AGAIN ... I get the measurement at 3 & 4 above

I feel pretty confident about this. so naturally I

10) measure again ... just to be sure

11) Repeat until I get at least 5 out of 8 measurements the same

12 ) take a deep breath

13) Cut at the point I got 5 out of 8 times

All done!

So I go to fit the piece in place ... and it is SHORT!

MAJOR PANIC ATTACK!!!

And that's how it works, thus proving that I am stupid and a failure ...

How's everything with you?