So much harder than it should have been 🪛🔨

I keep getting blessed left and right, I have so much to be thankful for. My most recent play had me receiving a brand new TV stand to replace the 15-year-old TV stand that I've had since I was a teenager. All of this at absolutely no cost to me, it doesn't get much better than that. The only thing is, I had to put the TV stand together and that was no easy task. I'm happy to say that I completed the job, with some help from @flowerbaby and my dad. Let's talk more about this major upgrade that turned into a major workout/headache.

Right around the time that I got my PS5 about a year ago, I was also able to purchase a brand new 63in Sony TV to enable my 4K/120 FPS next-gen gaming experience. I was not able to purchase a new TV stand back then. I didn't consider it essential, despite the fact that the stand I had was missing some pieces and was almost the same age as my girlfriend.

My mom came through clutch again. She is partnered up with Wayfair thanks to their Tried & True program. She gets the opportunity to receive multiple items each month just to review them. She has been able to claim thousands of dollars worth of furniture. Lucky for me, she is a very giving human being and has gifted me multiple items that she was able to get for free. First was my computer chair. Then my new computer desk. Both of which go perfectly with my new iMac. She even got me a super high-quality gaming chair, which I somehow never wrote a post about. @flowerbaby even got a really nice makeup vanity for her place. As you can see, this list is starting to get long.

The only major catch here is that when you receive the items, you have to put them together by yourself. The assembly is often tedious and sometimes borderline impossible. I'm not a craftsman by any means, I've got a small toolbag and that's about it. Wayfair products are pretty much my only experience with the assembly of furniture pieces. I've managed to put together everything so far without major issues, but this TV stand was a major pain.

The instruction manual was not very detailed, as you can see from the image I provided above. There were 26 steps to complete. This was the worst thing that I’ve had to build so far. All of the parts were jumbled together in one bag and it took me forever to separate them all. Most of the wooden pieces weren't labeled with numbers like the instructions said they would be. Somehow I was able to figure out what all was what still. Half of the holes for the screws weren't even drilled and I had to create the hole myself by just screwing the screws with force by way of a screwdriver until a hole was started.

That last part was my biggest issue. I can't tell you how sore my hands are today from screwing with all of my might. I didn't have a drill to use for most of this project. Eventually, I got to the point where I refused to keep working without a drill. I made a special trip to my parent's house just to borrow their drill. After getting that, everything became so much easier. I wish I had used the drill from the start of the build, I certainly learned my lesson there.

Working with my hands like this made me realize just how underused they actually are. I do so much typing and gaming and so little hard labor. I go to the gym pretty much daily, but that only does so much. I feel soreness that I haven't felt in years because of this project. It's honestly such a satisfying feeling and I respect anybody who is a builder for a living. I give mad props to my mom for putting together all of the free items that she has received from Wayfair. She is both a beast and an angel!

Prepare for a laugh here. I'm about to lighten the mood in a big way. Just because building this TV stand took up pretty much my entire day, doesn't mean I didn't still have some fun. During the portion where @flowerbaby was assisting me (couldn't have done it without you baby), she caught one of my finest moments. I was bent over with a screw in my mouth and she started dying laughing because I had a hole in my underwear. She wondered how on earth I had not noticed the gentle breeze seeping into my lower region.

I couldn't help but laugh as well. The image she captured of me will go down as one of my funniest photos ever. Plus we were near the end at this point, so we both were feeling pretty excited to call it a night. The impossible to miss the hole in my underwear was the cherry on top of a job well done.

Just look at how sexy this new TV stand is. It is a clean white with light-colored wood trim. It matches my computer desk quite well. It is a cool switch up from the dark black TV stand that I had for so long. My gaming area looks so much tidier now too, very satisfying to say the least. Everything is tucked away in cabinets and the drawer, rather than right there in plain sight looking messy. My PS5 is and TV feels right at home with one another.

This new TV stand not only looks better, but it also increased my total space in my tiny little apartment. This was huge for me, it finally allowed me to rearrange some things. I only have so many options of where all of my stuff can go due to a lack of space. You may have seen that I recently purged my wardrobe, which also gave me a bit more room. The purge and new TV stand together have given my apartment the opportunity for a fresh layout. I actually have enough room for a couch now! I know my mom has her eyes on Wayfair for the perfect one. Hopefully, a retro-styled loveseat in my favorite color teal will come up at some point.

I think that Thursday night after finishing all of this was probably one of the most relaxing evenings in quite some time. Thursday was the hardest day of work that I have had since leaving my loathsome job with USPS. Even this terribly hard day was far more enjoyable than even the best day at my old job. I'm so thankful to have the time and energy to do things like this now.

I followed up my new setup with a busy morning of cleaning on Friday. This place feels better than ever and I'm happier than I have been in years. Life is good and I am beyond thankful for the people and things that I am lucky enough to call mine.