Monkey in a Space Suit

The beginning of my week was spent at SubZero-Wolf appliance training. After any training you come away feeling pumped up and full of knowledge. I learned a lot and plan to share some tid bits with you in upcoming blog posts, but today, I want to talk about monkeys in space suits.

I know SubZero-Wolf would be thrilled that this story is the first thing I'm inclined to share with you after two long days of training, but some pieces of information just speak to you more than others, and the story of the monkey in a space suit did just that for me.

Back in the late 1950's, when space exploration was in full swing, the great minds at NASA decided training humans to be astronauts was too expensive and time consuming. Instead, they decided monkeys would be a better choice. The plan was to train the monkeys to flip a switch or push a button when a light flashed or a banana fell (I'm improvising here, but you get the point) while up in space. As life always goes, certain things happened upon arriving to space that were not expected.  If anything occurred that was outside of the specific training the monkeys had received, they had no idea how to handle it. They were incapable of problem solving or thinking outside the box. Obviously, every possible occurrence could not be accounted for, so needless to say, replacing astronauts with monkeys was an epic failure.

Hindsight is always 20-20, but clearly, NASA would of been better off investing in professionals who SPECIALIZED in these tasks, instead of trying to cut corners and go with a cheaper, "too-good-to-be-true" option. I know you are nodding your head in agreement, but steady your head and listen up. This type of situation/mindset/decision happens ALL THE TIME and the people at NASA are not the only guilty ones.

I can't tell you how many times a monkey in a space suit has been chosen over me.

So many people are concerned with getting the cheapest price and forget that cheaper does not always (or ever) mean better. I'm all about a good deal, but you have to understand that when you're talking about investing in your home you need guidance from people that know what their doing. During this recession companies have popped up all over the place that claim to do it all. Regardless of how good this sounds, the reality is, you can't be good at everything. The same company that cuts down your trees should not be designing your kitchen, anymore than the same doctor that cleans your teeth should be removing your spleen. People go to school and specialized trainings and have obtained experience in specific fields to better not only themselves but their ability to help you, the customer.

Just like space, kitchens and baths are not cut and dry. These spaces require a LOT of attention to detail and curve balls are around every corner. Years of experience and training equip qualified designers, contractors and builders with the ability to recognize warning signs and the knowledge to problem solve. Thus, things are less likely to get out of control, and you are more likely to have a good remodeling/building experience.

The best tool you can have is a qualified professional in your corner! Money is money, so before you opt for the cheapest option, consider that if you are unlucky enough to end up with a monkey in a space suit, the additional money required to right the wrongs of the confused, unqualified, stumped monkey brain will be far more substantial than the money you saved. By all means shop around, but keep in mind....

All photos are from google search.