Woodworking and Life on the Road
My issue of Woodsmith arrived today. As usual there are several great projects in there that I want to do. The nested tables look particularly interesting as does the folding picture frame. I would also like to start working with Lyptus, the new plantation grown hardwood. The only problem is that my chances of working in the woodshop on a regular basis seem to be receding faster than my hairline. I really am beginning to wonder about this new assignment. While I am excited that my career is beginning a new phase, I am also experiencing a sense of loss. The loss of free time in the evening to work in the woodshop, the loss of being able to attend my Rotary meetings, the loss of my friends at the lab that happens to be closing and shortly will be no more.
I like to think that I'm a positive person. I've noticed that most woodworkers are. Let's face it, only an optimist will buy a couple hundred dollars worth of wood and begin a big project guaranteed to take several months and also guaranteed to test the limits of his ability. Negative people would just whine about the noise and the dust, and then go in the house and play video games. Yet, even as a positive person, sometimes I just see no upside for quite a while. That is where I am right now. 100% travel means that I am gone during the week for the forseeable future. From here it looks like I may occasionally get a chance on the weekend to work in the shop. I hope it's enough.
Johnny Cash had a song out a good while ago called, "One Piece at a Time". It's about this auto worker who finally got his Cadillac by smuggling out a piece in his lunch box every chance the could. When he finally gets it assembled, a man asks him what year it was and the refrain goes, "Its a 51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60 automobile."
I guess that I'm just going to have to take that approach. I'll do what I can and when I can and wait for the day when I get the chance to do more. In the meantime, I'll content myself with thumbing through woodworking magazines in airport lounges and hotel rooms.
I like to think that I'm a positive person. I've noticed that most woodworkers are. Let's face it, only an optimist will buy a couple hundred dollars worth of wood and begin a big project guaranteed to take several months and also guaranteed to test the limits of his ability. Negative people would just whine about the noise and the dust, and then go in the house and play video games. Yet, even as a positive person, sometimes I just see no upside for quite a while. That is where I am right now. 100% travel means that I am gone during the week for the forseeable future. From here it looks like I may occasionally get a chance on the weekend to work in the shop. I hope it's enough.
Johnny Cash had a song out a good while ago called, "One Piece at a Time". It's about this auto worker who finally got his Cadillac by smuggling out a piece in his lunch box every chance the could. When he finally gets it assembled, a man asks him what year it was and the refrain goes, "Its a 51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60 automobile."
I guess that I'm just going to have to take that approach. I'll do what I can and when I can and wait for the day when I get the chance to do more. In the meantime, I'll content myself with thumbing through woodworking magazines in airport lounges and hotel rooms.
posted by Greg the woodworker | 4:07 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home