A little slice of television

So this is how the transformation went on Saturday.  

We got up - had breakfast together - played.  Addison went down for her nap and we made plans that when she woke up we would go to Ikea for an entertainment unit purchase.  I had looked at the catalog, had in mind what I thought would be great.  

We arrived at Ikea - had some lunch with Addison there *yummy* then began our shopping. 

We found a gorgeous unit that we both agreed on both in price and style.  It was a unit that you piece together and build based on your own personal desires for your home.  So we chose the pieces that we felt would be best for our home, our style.  

We came home, moved items around as discussed in my previous blog.  Such excitement!  Steve spent the next several hours putting the unit together in our front room while Addison and I played around him and part of the time just stayed out of his way.  When she went to bed, the unit was almost completed in our room.  We are IN LOVE!  It is beautiful!  We couldn't stop talking about how amazing it is - what a great choice it was!  We can't wait to invite people over to watch a movie or something cause our room just looks beautiful and this piece of furniture absolutely completes it!  

Once the construction was fully completed we had some dinner (Steve had actually let his get cold while he finished constructing, but I ate while I watched, cause I'm really helpful like that ;) ).   After dinner Steve hooked up the DVD, speakers, DVR and stereo unit.  We are now ready for the Plasma and the transformation will be complete.  By this time it was almost 11 pm.  

Together we carry our 42" plasma down the stairs (dude...this was not easy - they aren't as light as one would think) we gingerly edge it toward the entertainment center opening and discover ------- OH NO!  NO NO NO NO NO!  This is NOT HAPPENING TO US!  THIS CAN NOT BE HAPPENING!  The TV does NOT FIT!!!!!

I truly turned numb...right then and there.  I must have been in shock because I did not feel anything except, uhhh...well, this is a nightmare, right? Our perfect piece of furniture, our masterpiece of a room - suddenly - it all fell apart right before my eyes!

We lowered the tv to the floor *4 feet out* ( I can't tell you how many times this was said throughout the night) and began to freak out in a calm, rationalized manner.  Now what?  

NOW what?  Now WHAT????  

Taking the unit apart to return it would take another several hours and mean a total waste of a day, not to mention, we looked at the catalog again and could find nothing that fit the measurements that we were needing to accommodate this tv. 

A plan was hatched.  The TV is several inches too large because of the blasted speakers on the side that we NEVER USE!  When we purchased the unit - Steve hadn't measured the TV - didn't need to right?  We knew it was a 42" so knowing the unit allowed extra space from that meant that he was sure it wouldn't be a problem.  Neither of us (in my defense, I hadn't thought of it at all cause I know this is not "my job" lol.  In his defense - who woulda thunk it, really...this much extra space on a TV?) counted on the MULITPLE extra inches that were the speakers on the side.  Steve wanted to "notch" the entertainment center so that the TV would fit into the unit with some nudging and some elbow grease.  We lifted the TV to the unit again - Steve made several measurements on the TV and then on the unit.  We grabbed some crayons and marked up the side of the unit for where he would need to make the cuts.  Then we talked.  And we paced...and we talked some more.  Is there anything we aren't thinking of?  Is this going to destroy the unit and make our purchase today worthless while leaving us with nothing to put our TV in and money spent needlessly?  Is there ANYTHING we are forgetting?  Anything measured incorrectly?  Then the questions of how is the saw going to fit in there properly at the angles he had to work with?  Which saw is going to be best to use?  

Oh the agony of it all.  But as Steve said, we needed to think this through before cutting - and I couldn't have agreed more.  Yet, I was very anxious for a decision to just be made and something to be done about the fact that our TV DIDN'T FIT into our NEW FURNITURE!!! ARGH!

Suddenly, a light appeared in Steve's eyes.  It was as if someone pushed a button that made everything clear!  It wasn't the entertainment center that needed to be cut at all!  It's the TV! 

Yes...we needed to take the back off of the $2000 plasma television and cut the speakers off!  I mean, gosh, we don't use them anyway...right?  So what purpose do they serve other than making our dream entertainment center useless?  YES!  This was definitely the solution.  Steve took the back off of the television and examined the innards.  It was then that the answer was clear that this was indeed the best solution to our "little problem".  

I  couldn't help myself.  I had to be sarcastic and upon the declaration of his revelation, remark that "yes, of course this is the best solution!  We should always consider ruining the most expensive item of the two rather than the least expensive!  That is most certainly a no brainer!" I don't think he was nearly as amused as I was with this remark.  But he did find some irony in it...I know he did. ;)

It was however, past midnight now, and this was the only solution that we had where there seemed to be no hesitation.  The speakers on the side of the TV are plastic.  The measurements were right on the money - all wiring would be left unscathed and the metal back to the plasma could be cut to match.  Yes, this is what we would do.  CUT THE TV UP TO FIT OUR ENTERTAINMENT CENTER!  

Steve spent the next hour in the chop shop...err...garage.  He took the saw and chopped the sides right off of our beloved TV, then did the same to the back.  We then carried it back to the front room and made sure all was the correct size.  Once assured of this fact, Steve replaced the back of the TV (which he had also cut as mentioned before) and we then lifted it up, he connected all of the cords from the various accessories to it and we timidly (okay, I was timid, he was full of confidence) turned it on.  

IT WORKED!  Our plasma was now about 7 inches less wide, and though completely worthless now to anyone but us, it fit into our awesome new entertainment center with precision!  In fact, it really didn't even look so bad since our unit is black/brown and the TV is black!  

The finishing touch will be to add some speaker mesh to the sides so that you can't see any jagged edges during the daylight *at night the shadows conceal it so that you can not even begin to tell that such craziness ever took place*.   

And there you have it.  Our white trash fix to what was almost a complete disaster.  My only regret - now that I know the TV works and won't need to be replaced - is that I didn't have the foresight to take pictures while Steve had his goggles on saw in hand chopping the sides of our plasma off!  What a sight this would have been and how much fun it would have been to post those pics here for the world *err...the two or three people that read this*  to see.  Alas, my vision was limited by the knot in my stomach while this was occurring.  So no pictures of this hilarious event exist.  I will however post pics of the "new room" very soon so you can see what a nice improvement we have made to our living space.  

Chopped up TV and all...I am pleased!  I am WELL PLEASED!  I can not stop telling Steve how very much I love this room now.  In fact, it is my favorite room in the house now, and I have my genius, resourceful husband to thank for it.  :) 

Thank you honey for being a husband who is willing to compromise.  I know TV's have never been your gig - but I can not tell you how much I enjoy having this in the area that "I" live in most.  I LOVE OUR NEW ROOM!  And even more than I love our room, I love the memories I will always have of us working to get this room together - chopped up TV and all - haha - chopped up TV and all!  It still makes me laugh!