Don't Pour Seeds Down Your Sink.

That's free advice for you.

Anyway...

My capabilities in general are vast and random.

Useful?

Meh. That's debatable. It's not my instinct (anymore) to be useful.

But today I decided otherwise.

I needed to be otherwise.

See... 

My garbage disposal - which is only four-ish years old - stopped working earlier this week.

It was likely due to repeatedly making smoothies with chia seeds and flaxseeds in them, forgetting to drink them, then dumping them down the drain. 

When I went to turn the disposal on, all I could hear is a low hum.

I cut the power to it and checked for something stuck inside. 

Nothing.

I determined I'd just abused it too much - which is very likely - and it was done with me. 

I waited till this weekend to action on my decision to take it apart and check it. 

And yep... Pretty sure I wore it out from the seeds I kept dumping down it...

A lovely sludge. Full of seeds.

Off I went on my bi-weekly trip to Home Depot for a new disposal. 

I wasn't sure I would be able to install it... But I watched a few videos on how to install one, so I felt confident I could get part of the way there...

And then if need be, I would text my retired contractor next door neighbor. 

Which I did...

This isn't the first time I've gotten confused by wiring. And in case you are wondering...

The smooth black wire is the hot one. The ribbed one is the neutral one.

But it all worked. And 25 minutes after I started I had installed a new disposal.

All. By. My. Self.

I've used it many times today. No leaks. Nothing seems to have been done incorrectly. (Knock on wood.)

Maybe I'll try tackling replacing a toilet...

Sike. I'll call a professional for that. 

And I'll refrain from pouring leftover smoothies down the drain. At least those with seeds in them.