Back when I was living in Deseret, I saw an ad in the local paper about a couple of workbenches for sale. $10 a piece. The ad said they would make good computer desks. I went there with the intent of buying one, which is all I had room for, but ended up purchasing both because $10. That was the best purchasing move I made that year. Possibly ever. The desks have since followed me on five moves. They’re perfect computer desks. Legroom underneath where I could place the computers. And they were easy to break down and transport. Because they were workbenches, they were sturdy as all get-out. It felt like they were never going to die and as long as they didn’t, I fully intended to use them.

The movers destroyed them. I don’t mean that they failed to pack them properly. I mean that they destroyed them. For better packing, they tore out pieces that were not meant to come off. I don’t think I am going to be able to put it back together. Finding a suitable replacement looks like it will cost between two and six hundred dollars. Each.

I would put in a claim, but but I am not sure I want to raise a stink. The whole billing process was rather opaque, but what we believed we would be paying was considerably more than we paid. Over $1200 more, in fact. Ordinarily, when this sort of thing happens, I am very quick to insist that we pay the full amount. But we don’t know what the full amount was. It wasn’t explained to us. The contract had multiple amounts on it. I can’t figure out how they came up with the figure that they did.

I’m not usually the guy that does this. In fact, my conscience has been eating at me and I have been mulling over what my obligation here is. I am the guy who last fall drove back to the tire place to explain to them that they had under-charged me by $300.

But now… they destroyed my workbenches. (And some lamps, and a bookcase…)

All is not lost, though. I’m not going to be able to replace the workbenches, but since I live near actual cities, there are a few options on Craigslist. Under $100 to replace both. Which will give me something to use while I look for the pieces of the workbenches and see if maybe I can put it back together.