Wednesday and Thursday

I have come to the sad, but true realization that many of my self-taught skills work in the following manner: Get a general idea of when needs to be done, Gather up various tools (though not all the tools I will need to do the job at that time), Proceed with more caution than a car approaching a crossing guard, Turn a 30-minute job into a nearly all-day affair.

Now, what person in their right mind would admit such a thing?  Well, right mind or not, I admit it.  The way I see it, I am in a very fortunate position where my boss lets me figure things out while still performing other duties throughout the project.  To wit, on Wednesday, I installed a printer for the Medicaid machine and then was told that we really needed a phone extension in the breakroom.  I am pretty sure we had plans for that in the original scheme of things, but somehow it got lost in translation.  I offered to install a phone line, never having actually done one before.  Running the line and cutting (VERY carefully) the necessary holes in the wall was the easy part.  Somehow, though, I managed to get my fish tape stuck between the various conduits in the wall such that I could not make the thing budge once I reached a certain point!  I finally enlisted the help of the Early childhood Coordinator (who happened by, saw my head up in the ceiling and asked if she could help).  We got the fish tape loose and tried from the other direction (I had been trying a top-down approach.  Now, it was time to try from the bottom up).  This ultimately ended up with the help of our temporary helper, Josh.  He has smaller hands and was able to reach into the hole (I tried and could not). 

Now, what I just explained in a few lines took several HOURS to accomplish. At lunch, I ran to the hardware store to get a box for the hole and to attach the phone jack.  Wait, let me back up.  During the course of the morning, I found a phone jack in a wall that we will most likely never use (it was in a hallway where we would never have a phone. Go figure.).   I removed the jack, cut the wire and put a blank plate cover over the now empty box.  I have NEVER done a punchdown before.  Yes, you read that correctly.  It has never come up in all my years of tech support.  Well, I examined the connector, got my punch down tool and cut off the end of the wire I had run.  In the telco closet, I did the same thing. 

Once the line was run and punched, I plugged in a phone and it worked!  I unplugged the phone so I could manipulate the cover into the wall.  Well, that was the plan.  Drywall is not plate-friendly. Or, more specifically, not screw-friendly.  I was going to need a box for support.  Okay, now we're caught up to lunch.

At the hardware store, I checked the aisles for electrical boxes.  Did you know they come in about 5 different "standard" sizes?  I didn't.  Luckily, I had measured the size I thought I needed and found a box to fit.  I also bought toggle bolts to help keep it in place.

Before I could finish that job, the new desks/hutches came in for Lindy, Phoebe and Ramona.  These are NICE desks - they have USB ports, power taps, and a power strip built in to a control panel.  Since we (Josh and I) had three of these to do, we spent about and hour-and-a-half or so setting things up once the delivery guys had them installed (and *THAT* took forever).  I worked on the hole for the phone drop while we waited for the delivery guys.

I hit a snag when I plugged the phone back in - it would not work.  UGH!  I checked the jack and it appeared fine.  I checked the closet and I had reversed two of the wires.  I also managed to plug a patch wire into the *wrong* port! DOH!  Oh, sure, I could omit that part but why not provide a little entertainment along the way, right?

After the desks were installed and moved into place, I finished the job by setting the box in place and attaching the plate.  If I do say so myself, it looks good.  And it should for as long as it took.  On the other hand, now that I have that skill, the next one will take about 30-60 minutes.  It just works out that way. Weird.

THURSDAY

I set up the computer lab for a workshop, helped move one workshop to another room, and worked with the elevator technician on a couple issues.  That led to troubleshooting a phone line problem, which took several HOURS to nail down.  UGH.  Well, the upside is that I never have the same day twice!  For the record, now that I know *exactly* what the problem is, we have a telephone service person coming to fix it.  Could I have fixed it?  Sure, if I had the right tool.  I just don't happened to own a 66-block punch down tool.  Why would I?  Er, well, I guess in case I ever ran into this kind of situation - which I have not before this.  Ah well, there is the experience of learning and the satisfaction of knowing I *could* have fixed it.

I met with the service tech from the company that did our electrical work.  he showed me the various break panels and explained where things went.  That was very helpful!  He and I also talked about some contract work we'd like him to do.

After lunch, my VGA cables had arrived for the digital signage, so I started mapping out my plan.  I ran the fish tape up the wall, attached the cable to it and pulled the wire back down through the hole.  Once that was done, I attached the end of the cable and it was ready to go!  That was upstairs.  The one downstairs was not as easy.  I had to work around the elevator shaft, which added quite a few feet to the run.  Not a big deal, but enough of one that I am rethinking some of my original ideas for the digital signage.  Monitor and adjust, as we say in education.

I also installed a new wireless keyboard and mouse in the Director's office and installed a new table for her printer.  I received an email from Video-Reality and they will be at the office next Thursday to install our projectors!  I cannot wait to have that done and get everything that has been on hold completed!