Outsourcing
My downstairs neighbor Drew helpfully volunteered to take the broken window around and get the bad screw removed. As reported, he succeeded. I was then able to clean up the frame and take a better look at it, at which point it became obvious that there were another 4 stuck screws that had been covered up by the outside piece.
I am capable of learning, so I did not immediately strip the screws, but instead liberally sprayed them with WD40. Didn’t help. I was in despair. Rather than sit around and wait for them to miraculously remove themselves, I decided to try outsourcing again. I thought maybe I could find a small machine shop near work. One of the first that popped up when I searched was actually an auto glass replacement shop. Hmm. Cars and boats, both methods of transportation, and a window is a window, right?
I showed up ready to be sent away in disdain, holding my broken window. The nice Persian guy grabbed it from me and handed it over to workers before I could even ask if they could fix it. I helpfully pointed out the stuck screws and I believe his response was “Piffle!”
I picked it up that afternoon, nice new plexiglass, all back together, at $90 a bargain. See, outsourcing works, just not to India.
That weekend, put it back in the boat (remembering to tether the frame to the boat as I lowered it into place, just in case it slipped - don’t want to lose it into the water) and with the help of the new man, sealed it all up and ready to go.
And since its plexiglass, I can hit my neighbor’s boat as often as I want.
