301 Days of Working and Writing Wood

01 Jan, 2021, Oakland, CA

Well, well well, we made it through 2020 – let’s not dwell on that spectacle.  I for one am turning toward the new year with a spring in my step and a resolution I actually intend to keep; the first one in a long time, maybe ever.  

You see, dear reader, I’m on a journey to make woodworking the central focus of my professional life.  I’m still not sure exactly what shape that will take yet, but I was always told growing up. “If you set your mind to something, there is little that you can’t do.”  This is me setting my mind to it. I’ve been geeking out on every bit of woodworking content I can find for months now, have enrolled in the Wood Technology program at Laney College here in Oakland, and have built out a pretty functional little home-shop in my garage.  I’m ready to start getting serious.  This website and this blog are part of the process. Hopefully it will help me hold me accountable over a sustained period of time.  

Why only 301 out of 365 days you ask?  Well let’s be serious; Life is hectic and it is just not practical for me as a parent and a human to be in the shop every single day of the year.  That plus we are planning a move back East, we travel a bit, we entertain guests etc…  So, 301 days seems like an aggressive, but attainable goal. So what are the Ground Rules?

• Things that count:
  • Actually making dust/shavings
  • Finish work
  • Sourcing lumber in-person (ordering online does not count)
  • Design work (Sketchup etc..) and marking/planning
  • Tuning tools and machines, cleaning and organizing shop
  • Other in-person field work: museums, site visits, trade events, etc… 
• Things that don’t:
  • Writing these posts & administration of this website
  • Reading, watching, listening to woodworking content (though I pledge to share nuggets and impressions as they come to me)
  • Yard work & other household labor
  • Standing in the shop wondering what to do next

I suspect these rules will evolve.  I will remain the sole arbiter of what counts and what does not in perpetuity, so just you keep that in mind.  

I’ll also report how tight things are getting timewise with each post.  Today is New Year’s Day and I’m not going to work, so only 64 slack-days remain [insert ominous music].

Here we go!