During my home remodeling adventures, my most notable realizations in physics involved removing kitchen cabinets and transporting wood.

Uncle Ted received my phone call of bewilderment one day when I was preparing to haul down a cabinet for refinishing.  “I can only find 3 screws!”  I had a friend whose cabinets crashed down in the middle of the night at her Brooklyn apartment.  Surely there was something else supporting all this weight which wasn’t used in my friend’s kitchen?  But no.  And my Uncle patiently explained I must stuff mounds of pillows underneath them, mindful to increase the height nearest me so I’m not crushed when the last screw is loosened and the cabinet falls down.  I found they were 5” screws, and they were firmly entrenched in the studs.   Wow.

Sticking a 12-foot piece of base molding out the passenger window of my station wagon to transport it up the highway provided additional insights to physics.  If you must do it, don’t exceed 45 mph.  Enough said.