Estimation Skills

I have a problem estimating the size of items. If you asked me to hold up my fingers to indicate how big an inch is I probably wouldn't even get close. Let me show you just how bad this problem is....I ordered some envelopes for our office. I needed them to be slightly bigger than the white one pictured below. I looked through the catalog and chose a size that I thought would fit what I was looking for. This is what I ended up with!

My boss says to me the other day that we need to order a new dolly to carry our materials to recruitment events. So, I decide that I need a flat cart and not a dolly. I also have issues with steering and my stuff always falls off of dollies, but that could be a whole other post. I browse through our handy office supply catalog and order a cart with the help of a co-worker. I know that this cart is a little bigger than I want but it is all I could find. It came in Wednesday afternoon and it is about the size that I pictured but it is ridiculously heavy! The wheels are huge and probably the heaviest part of the cart. I am estimating that they weigh about 5 lbs. each, but we all know how trustworthy my estimation skills are! The cart is currently in the trunk of my work car, so I do not have a picture.
Yesterday, I travelled to the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville for a career fair. The fair was held in their union which does not have any parking around it. The career services dept. had all the recruiters park in a parking lot about 6 blocks away. They had a really nice shuttle for us to ride in and a van to haul all of our stuff. I finally get to the place where the career fair is being held (it was quite the journey) and I am wheeling my humongous cart in to the room. I can tell other recruiters are jealous of the ease of the way this cart maneuvers. I am getting closer to my table when a wheel pops off!! I was SO embarrassed! It just up and died on me!

I had to go hunt down someone that knew where a wrench was and get them to fix it for me. I lost 2 screws, but the guy said it should be fine with only 2. I was just hoping it would make it back to the car! I left the fair about 30 minutes early. The shuttle was not scheduled to pick any one up until right when the fair ended. I decided that I could make the walk. After all I was used to walking around a college campus and a little exercise couldn't hurt. I start on my walk back to the parking garage pushing my cart. The sidewalks have huge cracks in them and I am just praying that my wheel stays in place! I did not realize how many hills were on this campus--I'm talking huge hills. I start to go down a street and realize that it is straight down hill and there are a bunch of students milling around. I realized that I could NOT go down that street. If I did I would lose control of my cart and there would be a big crash. I decided to go up another block and then back over. I got lucky and the next street was not as steep and was void of people. I finally made it back to the parking garage only after having 2 items fall off of my cart down the hill. It was quite the adventure!