Some thougths for the day

[reible]

I'm starting to feel like it might be time to slow down and smell the roses. Here it is April first 2016 and I still have a hard time just setting back and relaxing. I think I'm ready for a change, a big change.


I know I'm still 38 but sometimes I feel older. Seems that some of it might be age related but my Dr. says I'm not old and need to exercise more. Don't mind that so much here as summer coming along but it does cut into the rest of my day. So little time and so many things to do. I think I need less things to do. I've walked 55 miles in the last 2 weeks taking up 19 hours of my time.


Sure I can waste time here on the computer by the hour but just sitting and doing nothing has never come easy. I think it might be a family trait but who knows. I once got a hammock and while I did manage to take a nap or two in it for the most part I just can't lay still and do nothing. Napping is of course something. I know it claimed that it is good for you to take time off and do nothing but with so much to do how can you relax?


Part of the problem is my hobby of woodworking, there is always another thing to make or jig I'd like to have. Wax on wax off, stacking, un-stacking and stacking again. And the endless sanding of projects.... Then there is the frustration of dropping something and loosing it. Or worse yet you put something down and can't remember where. Oh yes the fun of rearranging your shop only to being able to remember where it once was but not a clue as to where it is now. I do like the tool shopping, love those new tools, big, small, hand, power, just about any tool so long as it isn't some cheap junk.


Then there is my shop. Too many tools and not enough space. I'd love to have a real shop but I just don't have the money to build one and not sure if the effort would be worth it. I don't expect I have that many years left to make it worth while. Dragging things in and out to work on projects is getting old. Too much effort to get started and then when I tired I still have to put everything away. That takes a lot of the fun out of the day.


Then I have to deal with several hobbies. I like to take pictures and would love to have a good camera, but most of my spare money goes for new tools and the camera might get a new memory chip or lens cap...... And my old car, it needs more work then I have been putting in it. Not like the old days when climbing under to work on an exhaust system was easy. Now changing the oil is about all the work I can muster. I should be out cruising around in it now I have to admit to myself I will have to take it in for a new exhaust system. I expect that will not be cheap.



Yard and garden projects have been stacking up. I could spend the whole next year trying to catch up on them. I built new shed doors for last year, never got them up. The shed needs paint or should I get rid of it and get a little larger one? We are allowed one shed and it is limited to 160 square feet. The one we have is full but only 120 square feet, but I built new doors and I'd hate for them to go to waste.



So I'm at the point of getting ready to sell off all my woodworking tools, cleaning out the garage and making room for my car, it will be nice not having to scrape the ice off the windows in the winter! Also giving up on gardening and parting with the old car. Getting a nice camera and kicking back and trying this relaxing life style is sounding nice.


Without the tools there I will not feel like I want to go and do this or that anymore. I might keep a couple of things, circular saw, sander, and some hand tools. If I'm not going to be doing yard work anymore I don't see any reason to have many tools so the gardening tools could go too.


I'm thinking of offering all the tools as a bundle. I have 18 router, about 10 router tables this would include some incra systems, hundreds of bits, at least a dozen sanders, 6 circular saws, 3 jig saw, two electric drills, 4 battery drills, 4 biscuit jointers, 3 bench grinders, 3 belt sanders, and maybe 30 or so boxes of hand tools. Non shopsmith tools would include a 13" planer, 12" bandsaw, long bed 4" jointer, 6" jointer, and drum sander. Shopsmith wise I have 2 520's, 2 500's and a 10ER with speed changer(not assembled). Two of the machines have the powerpro and one has the dual tilt, one of the 520 has the saw train system. I have the bandsaw, jig saw, scroll saw, belt sander, 2 strip sanders, the old opr, the jointmatic, all sorts of attachments and spare headstock and the guts left after a powerpro ungrade. I'd more then likely include at least a couple of tool cabinets. I'm sure I'd come up with say 12 boxes of optional stuff I have. I might even include a couple of tool cabinets of automotive tools and test gear. I'm not sure if anyone would want the jigs and fixtures I've made so I might have to just toss them.



I was thinking would asking a $1000 be too much? That way I could go down to say $750 if it didn't sell or even $500 if it didn't move in a few months. I was thinking perhaps of offering to pay for a rental truck to help then cart it away as incentive. I think if I couldn't get at least $500 for it then maybe I could just donate it to habitat or some place like that. Actually maybe that would be the way to go, well if they would do a pickup it would just be over and done with.


Of course I'd more then likely pack it in here too. And since I wouldn't need to be here maybe I could eliminate my computer gear. Maybe get one of those apple pads things. Since I wouldn't be spending on new tools I might even go on vacation, take a cruise ship trip, see the grand canyon, might even be able to afford a BMW with the poor headlights since they will be going cheap after the bad press. I can see my whole world changing. So first thing in the morning I'll call and see if they can come and pick all this junk up. I do wonder if they do pickups on April fools day? Did you pick up on this being for April fools day?

Sorry, I just had to do it.

Ed

[BuckeyeDennis]

Dang it Ed, I had the map printed and the trailer ready to hitch up. Figured I could make it to Aurora by sunup!

[reubenjames]

Ugh. I'm an idiot.

[algale]

Ha ha ha!

[oldiron]

Wow! Half way through, I was thinking to myself, your 38 and feeling that way. You were starting to make me feel I was over the hill and at the bottom of the other side....

Anyhow, That was a good one!!!

Mike

[greasemonkey2275]

Well played sir...well played.

[Ed in Tampa]

Reible you might claim it is all April fools joke but I think I see a glimmer of truth in it. I think as we all get older thoughts similar to this goes through our minds.

[JPG]

Well played indeed!

Being 'out of character' spilled the beans.

[reible]

There was a good deal of truth to the tale, if you don't have that you can't string people along. As always add a bunch of "facts" is also a part of the game.

Of course I only spent about 15 minutes on it so it could have been designed differently and to be honest I wasn't sure where the story would go or how it would end. I have a few of these I have done over they years, some of which were quite masterful if I do have to say so myself. A few technical ones at work took me weeks to prepare.

Of course most people here know the only way my tools are going anywhere is when I have no control of it. But still as you say there is some truth mixed in for real. Especially the part about my age. Yes only 38 and still young enough to enjoy life. BTW it is still April Fools Day.

Ed

Reible you might claim it is all April fools joke but I think I see a glimmer of truth in it. I think as we all get older thoughts similar to this goes through our minds.