You know that feeling when everything is changing and you know everything is going to be alright? I am not entirely there yet.   

Avoiding doing anything really useful I instead started on unfinished-business I planned already last summer: A DIY pallet coffee table. The pallet in question had been resting far away from my consciousness, on top of a wardrobe in the office. It is relatively small, has only five “boards”, nicely distributed in such a way that were the uttermost one removed, a nice little square appears. A bit of sawing, some cute wheels, protective oil and it would be perfect. Of course, nothing of value seems to come easy.   

Beautiful as pallets come, something still needed to be discarded for my purposes. In the little “square” one of the boards were broken, corrupting my interest. Instead the uttermost board – the outsider board – looked amazing. No problem! A quick change is all! (Oh! the lies we tell ourselves…)  

So hours later, I sit with my hands aching, bleeding and cramping. The fruits from tearing innumerous (actually 13…) thick 3 inch long nails from the two boards. Beneath my struggling fingers the wood broke, rather than releasing the nails. Constantly, in pain, I was thinking: is this really worth it? There are plenty other coffee tables in the sea.    

Finally, as the boards came loose, I reached a second problem. The part of the pallet where the “spare” board had been fitted needed to be removed. No parts were allowed to remain if my beautiful coffee table was to happen. And… I did not have a saw. Searching for a solution around the house I settled on a bread knife of sufficient “bad-ass” character. Perfect!   

Four wooden pieces needed to be removed. Wielding the bread knife like a proper bread baker, I managed (after much ado) to somehow “saw and break” one piece of. Leaving me in almost a frenzy at the success, and defeat at the conclusion I need a proper saw for the remaining three. Instead I started polishing the rough surfaces. Turing the dirty, rough piece-of-work into a smooth, beautiful work-piece. A coffee table was in the making. Of course, with three undesired protruding “attachments” and the desired new board out of contact. Much work remains. But the heaviest part is over. I have great expectations for the outcome.