It's interesting being self employed. You find time to do alot of things that you would otherwise not do or pay someone else to do it for you. This is because as you rush from home to work and back to home again you look to maximise your down time. Why fiddle around burning freedom hours on a small task when you could pay someone else to do it for you thus leaving you time to do what you think is more fun or important? However in doing so, in taking the softer option, I have discovered that you are actually depriving yourself of further education and enhancing your own life in some small way.
Case in hand this week has been the educational process of learning to change the front light bulb on a car.
First trip was to the local car dealer to purchase the necessary bulb. Now I knew it would be a halogen lamp and therefore not your stock standard Phillips bayonet hence a little more expensive. £16.85 plus 20% VAT and the bulb was mine. I arrived home and out of curiosity researched the same item online. Auto-Care UK had the same bulb in a pack of 2 for £8.50. Right, so £4.25 + VAT per single bulb online or £16.85 +20% VAT.
Mmmm lesson no.1 learnt.
After writing an email to the car dealer deriding his thieving mannerisms I then set about to change the light bulb. Can't be that hard can it?
What's the saying?
''When attempting something for the first time, double the time you think it will take then add 50% and double again and then pay someone else to fix up the mess you have created''
Down to the car and up with the bonnet to try and access the headlight. Think about it logically and surely it can't be too hard.
Errrrr.
Or b.
After 10-15 minutes of confusion in 0-5 degree weather working with metal tools I retired hurt to the phone and called the guy that normally services the car.
"' Hey Andy how hard is it to replace the bulb on the front headlight of my car ?''
'' No problem at all. All you need is the right tool which should be in your tool bag that came with the car. Hexagonal piece with a levering arm. If you don't have one then don't even bother trying as the job can't be done. However. If you do have the tool simply peel back the stiff matting from the interior of the boot and you will see 3 rubber lugs. Take off the biggest lug and poke this tool into the gap until you feel it grab something and lock in. Then turn the lever and the entire front of the light section, rubber seal , glass and all will move slightly forward. Grab the entire unit and pull it out of the car chassis.There are no wires as everything runs through a USB port type attachment. Take off the protective plastic backing, extract the burnt out bulb, insert the new bulb and reverse the whole process.Simple''
'' Uh-huh. Could you just start again from where you said ..all you need is the right tool....''
'' All you need is the right tool........''
'' Right. So how long should this take me?''
'' 3 minutes''
''OK . Well I'll give it a crack and expect to see me later today for you to do it for me.''
In a triumph over science and utilising my limited mechanical nous I followed his instructions and 22 minutes later was turning on the engine to see if the new light bulb was functional. There is something mentally rewarding about doing something you have never done before and which you know other people get paid to do. Mentally rewarding until, as you pack up the tool bag you realise there is a large plastic protective backing still sitting on the ground.
Grrrrr.
Off with the matting again, out with the lug, extraction of complete unit a second time, attachment of plastic backing, re-insertion of unit into chassis, levering of tool to lock it into place, replacement of lug, reaffix matting, turn on engine to check light again.
Still took me 19 minutes the second time! However it was just as rewarding and something new I have learnt.
There is a positive in every negative.
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