Procrastination…
Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2025 1:39 pm
When I get deeply into the "head-scratching" part of a project, trying to sort out a solution that will not require me to re-do it several times (like with my Kurath's 6th valve linkage solution) I have two ways to work it out. One is simply sleep. I obsessively work stuff out in my mind as I drift off as a way to combat my lifelong issues with insomnia.
It works almost every time. The issue is that once in a while I drift off at the moment of a flash of insight, which wakes me up completely AND pumps me full of adrenaline. So I have to get up and document whatever it was, dig out parts to see if they fit as I imagined, or actually set up the torch and do some work. This can be unfortunate, but I have had some great successes in my work at 3:00 a.m. Other than these occasional "eureka" moments I generally fall asleep like a normal person.
The other way I work out construction problems is to start another project or dig out an old one that had me stumped to the point of setting it aside for a while.
Lately, I have been doing the sleep thing, but yesterday I dug up an old project. It worked, too. I figured out what caused me to set something aside. Unfortunately I am now more jazzed about the old, now-resurrected project.
<sigh>
So now I have to cope with the ACTUAL issue: when I get too many projects up and running I tend to stop working on *anything* because if I work on one I stress that the others are not receiving any attention at all.
I can't freaking win.
Here is my current list of mental constipation projects:
• clean up 186 for sale
• rebuild/tweak Kurath 5th/6th section
• clean up Kurath
• lacquer Kurath bugle
• lacquer Holton bugle
• install the 6th valve to Holton
• design and build a lever system for Holton
• gut and reblock MTS case for Holton
• design and build MW-182-based 3/4 F tuba
• design and build King K-90-based CC tuba
• replace blown head gasket on Accord
• chase down electrical gremlins in Jeep
• stain and finish tops of desk and table I built
• finish stripping window molding in the office
• finish painting the office
• fix gutters that have fallen from the house
• work on my jungle-like backyard
• cut down two trees
• cut back overgrown crepe myrtles
• hire a roofer
• pay the roofer
• cry over the expense of the roofer
• take up sniffing glue and huffing paint
• prepare Broughton for orchestral performance
It works almost every time. The issue is that once in a while I drift off at the moment of a flash of insight, which wakes me up completely AND pumps me full of adrenaline. So I have to get up and document whatever it was, dig out parts to see if they fit as I imagined, or actually set up the torch and do some work. This can be unfortunate, but I have had some great successes in my work at 3:00 a.m. Other than these occasional "eureka" moments I generally fall asleep like a normal person.
The other way I work out construction problems is to start another project or dig out an old one that had me stumped to the point of setting it aside for a while.
Lately, I have been doing the sleep thing, but yesterday I dug up an old project. It worked, too. I figured out what caused me to set something aside. Unfortunately I am now more jazzed about the old, now-resurrected project.
<sigh>
So now I have to cope with the ACTUAL issue: when I get too many projects up and running I tend to stop working on *anything* because if I work on one I stress that the others are not receiving any attention at all.
I can't freaking win.
Here is my current list of mental constipation projects:
• clean up 186 for sale
• rebuild/tweak Kurath 5th/6th section
• clean up Kurath
• lacquer Kurath bugle
• lacquer Holton bugle
• install the 6th valve to Holton
• design and build a lever system for Holton
• gut and reblock MTS case for Holton
• design and build MW-182-based 3/4 F tuba
• design and build King K-90-based CC tuba
• replace blown head gasket on Accord
• chase down electrical gremlins in Jeep
• stain and finish tops of desk and table I built
• finish stripping window molding in the office
• finish painting the office
• fix gutters that have fallen from the house
• work on my jungle-like backyard
• cut down two trees
• cut back overgrown crepe myrtles
• hire a roofer
• pay the roofer
• cry over the expense of the roofer
• take up sniffing glue and huffing paint
• prepare Broughton for orchestral performance