Will I ever get back to woodworking?

[Matt Meiser]

After spending the past week and a half pulling bushes, piling up brush, grading, etc, today's forecast called for rain. My Ranger has been leaking oil from a rusted oil pan and its been getting worse, so I did the job today. Nothing like spending the better part of the day under the truck. I had to jack up the engine 2-3 inches to provde clearance (did use the CMS to cut some hunks of wood to put under the engine mounts.) Once I got it back together and let it run for a while I discovered a power steering leak, probably from putting stress on a rusty line. So I sent LOML to the store (second time today) for the part.

During the only break I got from working on the truck (while LOML was at the store the first time.) I burned off the brush piles from pulling the bushes. Hope to finish up the grading tomorrow so we can get grass seed down.

Then I just need to put on the mower, mow, do mulch around the play area and trees, clean out the ditches, then maybe I can do some WWing. :(

[Jim Becker]

Welcome to my world...one with only rare visits to the shop, usually to retrieve something we've hidden from the girls... :(

[Tyler Howell]

Dial 1-800- WHAAAAA!
I was wondering when you guys would confess to real world lives.
95 weeks till I'll be unemployed:D :D :D
But nobody's counting:D :D

[Joe Mioux]

Welcome to my world...one with only rare visits to the shop, usually to retrieve something we've hidden from the girls... :(

Welcome to parenthood!;) :)

[Keith Starosta]

Welcome to parenthood!;) :)

A-freaking-MEN! :D

I don't remember the last time I actually turned on my table saw. :(

- Keith

[Mark Pruitt]

The good news is you now have that outdoor stuff done--which is more than I can say for myself. Yard's probably going to look only good enough this year to keep the neighbors from talking. I am dead-set focused on my shop. I don't know how you guys with kids do it all. It's amazing how quickly a whole day can just zip right past you.

[Matt Meiser]

I don't know how you guys with kids do it all. It's amazing how quickly a whole day can just zip right past you.

Luckily my 4yo daughter is really good about playing while we work. I even take her out to the shop as long as I'm not going to be doing power tool work. In the event I need to do something, I have her go in the office and watch me out the window. When we're working outside she'll play on the driveway or in the back yard.

From the looks of the western sky and radar, I don't have to worry about any yard work today. :D

[Tim Burke]

We are recent empty nesters, and I thought I would have a lot more time. I probably have a little more, but with 3 adult kids, 2 still in college, the responsibilities are still there, and they get more complicated.

4 cars to maintain, dorm rooms to move, help oldest kid select his first house a 1000 miles away. Then there are the friends and relatives with the same age kids - this weekend alone was the wedding and reception for our goddaughter yesterday, today is my niece's confirmation open house.

In between it all I made a 4 hour visit to a hardwood supplier for some nice rift and quartered oak for a desk project for my wife. I did it in between my morning yard work and the early afternoon wedding.

My point is family people will always be busy. You just need to plan and make it happen!

Tim

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

A-freaking-MEN! :D

I don't remember the last time I actually turned on my table saw. :(

- Keith

Neither to I, but that is because I bought the Festool TS55 :D

[Keith Starosta]

Neither to I, but that is because I bought the Festool TS55 :D

Oh yeah?!? Well my EZ-Smart would kick.....errr......what? Sorry.

:D :rolleyes:

- Keith

[Michael Gibbons]

In the event I need to do something, I have her go in the office and watch me out the window.

You have an office that looks into your shop? Well, la-dee-da. Aren't we special!

[Fred Voorhees]

If it's any consolation Matt, your saga sounds just a bit like my life. Always something to do and almost never something that I want to do, but "gotta"!:eek: Thank heavens for fishing, stock car racing and occasional woodworking. All of that, of course, when I can fit it in.

[Matt Meiser]

You have an office that looks into your shop? Well, la-dee-da. Aren't we special!

The previous owner had a storage room. I thought about tearing it out, but decided to leave it. It is separately insulated and heated so that I can keep glues and the like in there. I also have an old computer in there for breaks.

I probably should complain as I had a very productive period in the shop from last summer through this spring, not counting my router accident which kept me out of the shop for a couple weeks. Oh, and before the rain started today, I finished grading, and compacting the area I cleared as well as got the area around my daughter's playground ready for mulch. We picked up grass seed and fertilizer, and since it is supposed to rain tomorrow night, I hope to get that all down tomorrow after work.

[Chris Gregory]

Matt,

It seems many of us feel your pain, I am almost at the point where I might even be able to post some pictures of my soon to be shop (which eventually will be our home theater/rec/guest room.

Before I could even begin I had to dig up the sorry attempt at a French Drain and haul out the 3 to 4 cubes of dirt which then had to be replaced with the same amount of gravel and then topped of with concrete, last weekend I framed it, this weekend I roughed in the electrical which got wicked complicated for the home theater setup but at least there is plenty of power for the shop :-) I just finished sheetrocking and insulating and some time soon I hope to get at least one coat of spackle up which is not one of my better skills. Then all that will be left is to connect all the electrical into the panel install devices plug everything in and try and find the time to actually cut some wood :-)

Chris