I just took apart our dishwasher, cleaned out the clogged food chopper, and reassembled it. Last time we paid a guy $80 to do it, but I watched and learned his secrets. I also have another secret weapon that I should use more often, even for mundane stuff like this. It involves invoking a higher power before beginning. This generally calms me down before attempting a stressful task. Finding a manual at http://applianceblog.com was also very helpful. I think that's a good formula for a lot of problems:

1. Pray for help
2. Read the manual
3. Send the kids out to eat at Wendy's so you can work in peace.
4. Learn from a pro.