Project: Thank you, I'll do it myself

It seems that once you start fixing things up around the house or fixing up thrift store finds, you suddenly decide you can probably fix just about anything. I recently munched a piece of the trim work on my car and decided that I could fix it myself and save a ton of money, which I did.

However, it turns out the auto-body guys would have earned their $175 dollars changing out the little piece below my tail light. We pulled out the lining and took out the tail light and discovered that the piece was riveted in. No big deal, drill out the rivets and replace them with little bolts. However, in order to do that, we first had to take off the bumper cover--a process that involved watching two youtube videos that explained how to take the front bumper off a Corolla and then reading and carefully re-reading the eHow instructions for getting the back bumper off. This is similar to taking off the front bumper but also involves take apart the back part of the trunk and cussing a lot. Anyway, we got it all apart before the sun went down and got it back together this morning. I did decide during this process that John and I would not make a good mechanic team. My little OCD compels me to keep all of the little pieces collected in a bowl so I can find them easily to put them back. John was popping out plugs and taking out nuts and just tossing them in the trunk or in his tool box, which about sent me over the edge, and I nearly killed him this morning when I couldn't find one of the lining plugs. Luckily I found it caught in the afghan I keep in the trunk or I might be in jail right now. Although to be honest, the tire iron that comes with a Corolla would be pretty hard to kill someone with.
Also, I love my car, but if freaks me out how much of it is made of plastic and Styrofoam. Still, this was a fix it project that stretched my creativity to another level, and one that I am proud of the results of. John says that I now need to wash and wax my whole car so that it is as shiny and new and the new piece, but I'm thinking it will be easier to just take a little drive down a dirt road.