This post is about a garage door opener. But I try to keep your interest.

I'm embarrassed.  And I'll tell you why.

We moved into this house at the end of July 2012.  When we moved in, we only got one garage door opener from the former owners.  Which makes sense - we only have a one-car garage.

However, considering we like to use the garage as the primary entry into the house, it causes a bit of a problem.  Because we also have dark hardwood floors.  Which show every little smudge or bit of dirt or piece of cat hair.  Or, most often, all of the above.  So to be honest, I really don't like ANYONE using the front door because it makes such a mess.

Also, I am crazy.

So since my car is the one that gets garage preference (I know.), Zach has a key to the backdoor, requiring him to walk around the house to get in.  Which would be fine, except when it is 5 degrees.  Or when we have 6 inches of snow on the ground.

Which all begs the question:  HEY DUMMIES GUYS, WHY DON'T YOU JUST GO TO HOME DEPOT AND BUY ANOTHER OPENER?

Which is a legitimate question.  Even though you called us dummies.  And even though we really are Lowe's people.  Also - I don't really have a good answer.  I'm not sure if I dreamed it or what, but I remember hearing that the cost would be something like $150-$200.

So when we showed up to Lowe's the other day and just happened to breeze by the garage door opener aisle, we picked one up.  You know, because they were only $35.00.  You can call that DUMMY ALERT #1.  And even though we didn't know which brand we needed, we picked the one that said "fits most big brands."

Spoiler alert:  It didn't fit our (small?) brand.

So once we got home, Zach opened the packaging anyway to try it out.  DUMMY ALERT #2.  When it didn't work, I went ahead and ordered one that matched our brand from Amazon for...

wait for it...

$8.42.  EIGHT DOLLARS AND FORTY TWO CENTS.

Embarrassment set in.  I mean, how lazy are we?

It came in the mail today.  It sat on the kitchen counter for most of the day.  You know, because really, that's a man's job.  DUMMY ALERT #3.  And then, about an hour ago, I was feeling particularly frisky and opened the instruction sheet.  Then I slid the cover off the new garage door opener and the old one, flipped their switches to match each other, stood in the dining room in my pajamas (one garage door opener in each hand), opened the garage door with the old opener, held my breath and closed my eyes, AND CLOSED THE GARAGE DOOR OPENER WITH THE NEW ONE.  THE ONE THAT COST $8.42.  THE ONE I PROGRAMMED ALL BY MYSELF.

Then, I wrapped it up in construction paper and wrote this note on it:


























I'm not sure if I am more embarrassed that it took us half a year to figure out this 4 minute, $8.42 project; or how proud I am that I did it all myself.