Monday, August 10, 2009

daredevil

I fixed my sewing machine the other day!
Right in the middle of a little project, the machine decided it had done enough over the years. Not for me, by the way; I'm not a gifted sewer (in either meaning of the word), I generally don't aim higher than straight seams and even that sporadically - but the machine is second-hand, and it has clearly & visibly been used before.
Anyway, I switched it off for a break, and when I got back to it, it didn't want to switch on again. My first instinctive reaction was to cry ("I don't have time for this crap! I hardly ever want to sew anything, really, and when I do gather courage, I need it to go smooth, and I need all potential mishaps to at least be my mishaps, not the equipment's failures!" - that type of tantrum).
But then I remembered my parents were coming over that afternoon: my dad was going to be there, and he can make pretty much anything electrical work again! Daddy will make it all better! Just like he used to! (how, @ times, I miss those imaginary days that grown-ups could fix everything, but that's another story!)
Aha & okay! Safety net in place - crying put off till after my dad tells me it's hopeless, I decided to 'go in' and see if this isn't fixable for beginners. I turned the machine over onto its side and peered at the bottom cover. CAUTION: no user serviceable parts! A little emblem with a screwdriver and a wrench and a big cross through both. SERVICE TECHNICIAN: disconnect electrical plug before removing cover for service! - I don't know about you, but I'm not sure I want a technician who needs that particular bit of warning anywhere near my sewing machine or any other electrical appliance, but that's beside the point.
Those warnings didn't deter me one bit! I took screwdriver to hand, threw caution in the wind and unscrewed the cover. Found the inner workings of the switch-thingy, switched it to the 'on' position, decided never to switch it off again, and Bob was my uncle (figure of speach-wise anyway)!
That's all! I know, a bit of an anti-climax, but I got my sewing machine back and finished my project - will show & tell in my next post!

That afternoon, my father took a look at the machine, and at what I did to fix it, and decided that's what he would have done, too - now how's that for a girl?! :-D

2 comments:

  1. Ja zeg!! En wie zegt nu nog iets over vrouwen en techniek?! Go girl, ik vind je een kei!! En wat een zottigheid, na dat bordje van de stroom eraf de stiekum verborgen tweede aan/uit-knop tegenkomen! Zo kan ik ook naaimachine-reparateur worden! Doet me denken aan die cursus 'backup&recovery' die ik ooit deed. Na 3 dagen dacht ik "wauw, dus ze bedoelen gewoon, tien truuks om een reservekopietje te maken'... Leve het gewone Nederlands! Ik durf te wedden dat er ergens in die naaimachine een klein programmaatje zit waarin staat 'na zoveel uur draaien zet je de verborgen aan/uit-knop om', gewoon om de naaimachine-reparateurs aan het werk te houden... Maar voor die truus hebben ze niet op een Yvonne gerekend; veel te slim!

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  2. Haha, goeie cursus - heb je zeker wel wat aan gehad, hè? Altijd handig, reservekopietjes! Maar het was geen verborgen aan/uitknop hoor, het was zeg maar de binnenkant van de aan/uitknop - de eigenlijke schakelaar die door het plastic-schuifje-aan-de-buitenkant bedient wordt. Jouw fantasie maakt het verhaal spannender, dat dan weer wel :-D

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Thanks for letting me in on your thoughts!