Bill Lantry
Member
- Messages
- 2,663
- Location
- Inside the Beltway
Ok, folks,
So here's the scoop: one of the great loves of my life is someone with whom I've never shared a single romantic moment. I've worked with Kathryn for ten years, and now she's going off to some big high-falutin' job in North Carolina. She's from there, and everybody leaves DC and goes home eventually... it's just the nature of the universe. In Kathryn's case, the story is 'girl goes to the big city, makes good, and goes home as general counsel of the entire north carolina university system.' You'll see why that's relevant in a minute.
Anyway, a couple years ago, I was opening a bottle of wine for a festivity, and broke the cheap office wine opener. It became a running joke... she brought in a new, heavy duty opener, and put a label on it saying "Bill-proof corkscrew". Then, for christmas, someone gave her a very nice bottle opener. Looks like this:
She didn't use it, mostly because she didn't have a place to attach it. So she said to me:"I've got one you can never break... if you have a regular one, let's trade." I said ok, and took it home. But Doorlink didn't like it, so I meant to take it back to Kathryn, but never got around to it.
And now she's leaving, and I need to give her a going away present. I want to give her something that will make her think of us every day. Not that she won't anyway... James calls her Aunt Kitty. But in thinking about a good present, I thought to myself... well, in her new job she'll be doing a lot of entertaining, and she's rather fond of wine. So I can give her her corkscrew back... but with a twist...
The thing needs to attach to a table. The table needs to have some weight to it, but she's only got a small cottage, so the table can't be big, even though it would need to have some weight. Think, think... Ok, a small table, say 32 inches high, and near the top a "cabinet" section that would hold three bottles of wine across and three bottles high, with a door in front. Something elegant, but sturdy at the same time. The top would have to be wide enough so the corkscrew could be mounted on the "lip". I have a rail and stile bit, so the front door can be paneled. I've got some wormy soft red maple that Doorlink doesn't like, but would be nice for this. I do have a mortiser. Tapered legs, maybe, or turned? I've never made a mortised tapered leg, much less a turned one. It has to be really nice, as she'll be entertaining chancellors and governers and the like....
It's a great idea, but the project is beyond me... and the going away ceremony is a week from today. I barely have time to make it, and I sure don't have time to learn sketchup. I need a plan, really badly!!!
I'm flinging my self at your collective feet, asking for mercy, and humbly begging for your aid! O! Great Ones!, kindly help your humble servant in this time of his greatest need!
Thanks,
Bill
So here's the scoop: one of the great loves of my life is someone with whom I've never shared a single romantic moment. I've worked with Kathryn for ten years, and now she's going off to some big high-falutin' job in North Carolina. She's from there, and everybody leaves DC and goes home eventually... it's just the nature of the universe. In Kathryn's case, the story is 'girl goes to the big city, makes good, and goes home as general counsel of the entire north carolina university system.' You'll see why that's relevant in a minute.
Anyway, a couple years ago, I was opening a bottle of wine for a festivity, and broke the cheap office wine opener. It became a running joke... she brought in a new, heavy duty opener, and put a label on it saying "Bill-proof corkscrew". Then, for christmas, someone gave her a very nice bottle opener. Looks like this:
She didn't use it, mostly because she didn't have a place to attach it. So she said to me:"I've got one you can never break... if you have a regular one, let's trade." I said ok, and took it home. But Doorlink didn't like it, so I meant to take it back to Kathryn, but never got around to it.
And now she's leaving, and I need to give her a going away present. I want to give her something that will make her think of us every day. Not that she won't anyway... James calls her Aunt Kitty. But in thinking about a good present, I thought to myself... well, in her new job she'll be doing a lot of entertaining, and she's rather fond of wine. So I can give her her corkscrew back... but with a twist...
The thing needs to attach to a table. The table needs to have some weight to it, but she's only got a small cottage, so the table can't be big, even though it would need to have some weight. Think, think... Ok, a small table, say 32 inches high, and near the top a "cabinet" section that would hold three bottles of wine across and three bottles high, with a door in front. Something elegant, but sturdy at the same time. The top would have to be wide enough so the corkscrew could be mounted on the "lip". I have a rail and stile bit, so the front door can be paneled. I've got some wormy soft red maple that Doorlink doesn't like, but would be nice for this. I do have a mortiser. Tapered legs, maybe, or turned? I've never made a mortised tapered leg, much less a turned one. It has to be really nice, as she'll be entertaining chancellors and governers and the like....
It's a great idea, but the project is beyond me... and the going away ceremony is a week from today. I barely have time to make it, and I sure don't have time to learn sketchup. I need a plan, really badly!!!
I'm flinging my self at your collective feet, asking for mercy, and humbly begging for your aid! O! Great Ones!, kindly help your humble servant in this time of his greatest need!
Thanks,
Bill
Last edited: