I learned a valuable lesson over the holidays. I learned the real value of experience. The real difference between academics and On The Job experience. You see, our garbage disposal went out between Christmas and New Years. I wont use the excuse that I couldnt find a plumber. I just figured that replacing a garbage disposal was no big deal. I am educated, smart and I can use my hands. After all, how hard can replacing a garbage disposal be for crying out loud?

Well, as I found out, it can be very difficult if you dont know what youre doing or have never done it before.

Off to Lowes I went to buy a replacement disposal. Much to my surprise there were no directions in the box. Of course, I bought the super upgraded model. It just didnt look like my old one. Getting the old one off was not too much of a problem other than skinned knuckles.

The new one was a little bigger. It was quite a site watching me on my back, head under the sink, trying to attach the new disposal with Tracy sitting on my stomach trying to hold the new one in place while I tried to figure out how to attach it. After about thirty minutes of frustration, lack of success and dropping the disposal three times but grazing my head only once, we took a break. (I bled a little but didnt need stitches) Tracy noticed a tool inside the box that just happened to fit the neck ring of the new disposal. Once we figured out how to use it, attaching the new disposal was a piece of cake. I laughed at how funny and how stupid I must have looked. I was glad none of my plumbing friends could see me.

Once I got the new disposal on, I thought I was home free. After attaching the elbow coming out of the disposal, I noticed that the pipe to the drain was too long. Must be because I bought the big one I thought. No problem. Ill just cut the pipe, so I did. Unfortunately, I cut it a little too short but didnt notice until I had it hooked up, tuned it on and water shot everywhere as the short pipe just busted out of its connection.

Tracy now insisted for the third time that I call the plumber. I wasnt having any of that. I could do this. Tracy ran down to Lowes to get a new pipe for me since the old one was too short.

I contemplated my situation while she was gone and figured out that the original pipe wasnt too short. I had attached the new elbow on the disposal backwards. What a revelation. I am almost too embarrassed to admit it.

Tracy returned with the new pipe and I managed to get it connected. Home free, so I thought. I turned the disposal on and it leaked. After taking it apart about four times and reassembling it without being able to stop the leak, I decided that Lowes must have sold me a defective garbage disposal. Maybe there was a washer that was left out of the box. By the way, this all took place over the course of three days.

I decided to take the thing apart, take it back to Lowes and get a good one. One that wasnt defective. Back under the sink I went for about the fifteenth time. As I looked up at the neck of the disposal I just happened to notice that it wasn t exactly fitting real snug up against the drain. After further investigation I realized that I never actually had it seated right and the leak wasnt coming from the pipe but it was actually leaking from the top by the drain itself. Once I reattached it correctly, everything worked perfect.

It only took three days, four arguments about calling a plumber with Tracy and a bloody head where the disposal scratched it as it fell.

So much for having an MBA and a Doctorate, No wonder experience over education is a deciding factor in many new hire decisions.

________________________________________

If you missed Issues #1, 2 and 3-- e-mail: rick@ceostrategist.com for copies of these issues.