The Story I Will Never Live Down

So I attend my normal monthly auction as usual, only this time my hubby couldn't get the day off work and my cousin, who normally accompanies me, was busy that day.  We never attend the preview days as its a 80 minute return drive and its bad enough doing that on one day for an auction let alone two.

I walk into the auction room and say my usual hello's and immediately its there, hugging most of the side wall, the most beautiful old oak bookcase I have ever seen.  Obviously from an old hall or school library due to its size, but absolutely gorgeous.  Having walked over to it, without hesitation, I realised that it split into two, the top half attached by screws.  My excitement grew, that would make it so much easier to load into a van and manoeuvre it around.  Lovely old thick oak, I would love this.  After speaking to the auctioneer for advice we arranged that if I actually won the item they would deliver it to me for a reasonable charge.   Problem solved.  Oh what to do, what to do, I felt like a child in a sweety shop.  It was beautiful, but massive, would it fit - I'm sure it would, having not previewed the auction and therefore not measuring  my walls in advance, only having the ability to compare my height to the width and height of the bookcase in question.  Rang my husband for advice, unable to get  in touch with him, arrggghhh.

I couldn't stay for the whole auction so I left my commission bid and nervously hoped for the best.  No phone call that afternoon or evening, phew, at least I don't have to worry about it fitting or explaining it all to the husband.  The phone rang the next morning, "hello" said the auctioneer, "you have won yourself a very large bookcase".   Well now that I was home and back in the land of normality, my stomach sank.  How can we afford it, what is the hubby going to say, will it fit - but it is gorgeous :-) my mind was jumping from one thought to another.

Then the day came for its arrival, husbands day off .  The two delivery men and my husband awkwardly carried the first half up to the house, started to bring it into the suggested room, got to the the other side of the rooms wall and come to a complete standstill as another 3ft of bookcase was still left to bring in.  HELP!!!!  We just stood there looking in a panic, why hadn't I just measured first !!  Panic stations, angry stares heading in my direction from my husband in a total grump with me, delivery men stood waiting for a decision and then theres me feeling as small as an ant in embarrassment.  Put my positive mask on, smiled, laughed and said that's ok, just leave it as it is and bring in the top, we can just put it on top of this one.  Yeah right!!  When they brought second half in and tried to sit it on top of the first one it was only too high, wasn't it.  Deja vu time again.  I couldn't believe it, how could I have got it all sooooo wrong.   But it is beautiful.........

Luckily for us, my neighbours son is a joiner and came to our rescue.  He has done an amazing job at resizing the bookcase for us, it now fits the wall (and floor to ceiling!!) perfectly, just like it should have done in the first place.  Lets just say lesson has been well and truly learnt, although my husband finds it highly amusing to mention at every opportunity.


Very similar bookcase but without the glass doors and the desk/chairs removed.