Dan Antion

Apologies to Dad – #1LinerWeds

“Why did you wake me?”
Reflection on the basketball court.

Many of you know that my current project is the renovation of my workshop. I am taking about 10′ (3m) from the back of our garage and combining that with my existing 12’ x 16’ workshop. The project is complicated by the fact that I’m working around the contents of both spaces. Last week, I finished framing most of the partition wall – enough to let me turn my attention to clearing space in what remains of the garage for our two cars. This week, I’ve been rearranging the contents of the garage.

I haven’t explained this entire project, but there are a few significant goals that go beyond just dividing the space.

One thing I want to do is to separate the woodworking area from the metal working area. I won’t bore you with the details, but it boils down to this – metal working almost always creates sparks, and woodworking almost always creates sawdust – sparks and sawdust almost always result in fire.

I’ve been moving all of the metal working equipment to the front of my garage. In that location, if I have to do something that is going to generate sparks, I can easily step into the driveway, or at least direct the flow of the sparks into the driveway. In the course of this move, I’ve uncovered several containers of scrap metal. I periodically visit these containers for a bit of this or that, and they are handy to have around, but they take up too much space. The bulk of the material in these containers is heading to the recycling center on Saturday.

I know why I have these containers. My father would have them. It’s in my genes and it’s guided by my upbringing. “You might need that someday.” “That could come in handy.” “Having that can save you a trip to the hardware store.” Well, my message to my dad (who passed away 37 years ago) is today’s one-liner:

“Sorry Dad, but the Depression is over.”

Then again, as I’ve been moving things around and securing them in their new places, I’ve used a lot of material out of those containers…maybe he was right.

This post is part of Linda G. Hill’s fun weekly series One-Liner Wednesday. If you have a one-liner, If you would like to join in on the fun, you can follow this link to participate and to see the one-liners from the other participants.

That’s the partition wall between the garage and the shop. That pile of lumber is everything that’s required to finish the conversion. It has to sit there for a bit.
This is why I made the crane. Lifting ladders over my head is something I hope to avoid from now on.
From our last rainstorm.
This Mourning Dove is keeping a close eye on Maddie and me.
I liked the shadows.
Early morning walk.
Into Maddie’s park early.
I like the way the low sun hits those wires.
The view from Maddie’s new favorite place.
We don’t see the bunnies very often, so I took two pictures for River last week.
I had hoped to get a better shot of this leaf, but Maddie trumped it into pieces.
Sometimes, MiMi curls into a tiny ball of fluff. Today, she decided to spread out.
“Why did you wake me?”

86 comments

  1. My father-in-law was a bit of a hoarder and this has been taken up by my brother-in-law. To be fair both, like yourself are good at DIY and my brother-in-law has two workshops in his grounds which his Dad would seriously covet, if he were still around. Sadly, my beloved husband inherited the hoarding but not the DIY!

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  2. I’m in awe of what you’re creating, Dan. I suspect your father would have been very proud of you. And the Autumn photos are gorgeous. Thank you for brightening the day!

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  3. You jest, Dan. Depression or pandemic, those pieces of metal probably kept you from having to expose yourself to the herd of folks at your local hardware and big box stores and you saved money. :-) I’m with your Dad – keep it, but maybe in a smaller container to take up less space. :-) We cleaned and organized our garage yesterday putting everything back in its place and making a trip to construction debris with anything we hadn’t used or that we had duplicates of. Now, there’s room for all the winter tools. We were thinking of putting more shelving up, but got rid of enough stuff to have a little extra room. It’s good to have things organized. That shop of yours is going to be a really good thing when you get done.

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    • Hahaha – yeah, I think I was fooling myself, Judy. When I was trying to secure the lumber against the wall, I thought, “if only I had a hook or a bar to connect to, I could use a cargo strap.” Of course, the pile of metal contained just what I needed to make the connecting points I needed. I’ll still be throwing some of it away, but not all of it.

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  5. Your one liner is good Dan, but I think you missed the real one liner….”maybe he was right”! I’m not advocating to save things to the point of hoarding, but let’s face it, your dad was right. Digging into your stash has saved you money, lots of time not driving to crowded stores, and given you a sense of satisfaction that you “made do” with what you had just fine. You just need to organize it better. Perhaps engage the services of the Editor. I bet she could pare your stash down in no time while leaving you with exactly what you need! We gals are very good at that. Comes from living with you men! 🤗

    Oh! Boy. Bunny ears and bunny butt! Great shot of the Dove and the “puddle”! How dare that one leaf to barge in on Maddie’s deck. Guess she put that leaf in its place!! Lol.

    Can’t wait to see the finished workspace. It will no doubt be the envy of every DIY-selfer!
    Ginger

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    • My Dad would be happy with your comment, Ginger. Finding the bits of metal that I needed was everything you said. A quick, easy and “free” solution to a problem I hadn’t imagine I would have. He was right!

      Maddie dragged me over to her other porch, because a leaf had blown up onto it. She’s OK with the yard being a mess, but that porch better be clear.

      The Editor would probably have me find a place for all of the stuff I’ve been saving. She knows how many times raiding that bin has saved me a trip to the store.

      I hope you can stay dry today!

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    • I know, I know. You’re right, GP. I just have to organize a little better. Our daughter is probably shaking her head and saying “I was that close…” – She’s not looking forward to cleaning this garage,

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  7. Hi Dan – the generation above us had to hoard … we were taught not to throw things away – to a point it’s faded over time .. but my aunt and uncle without children … had stuff they’d brought with them from the edge of London from post war, to the house near here – it was still in its boxes – ah well … life is life – but when one wants something … it’s gone. Decision made … well done – and poor MiMi … she does look a little irritated … enjoy more of your project – Hilary

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    • Thanks Hilary. They had to save, and they had to make use of every bit of every thing. Inevitably, when I do throw something out, I find a use for it, or I find myself buying something similar – at least that’s how it seems.

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  8. My Father was a quiet man. He loved to move furniture around the house. Mom would go out for a few hours and he would move all the rooms around! I have inherited that gene. It is amazing what I can move with a wheelchair! Love the leaf pictures of course, but I particularly love the sun peeking through the dark trees.

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  9. I have similar experiences with a dad who saved everything – and a hubby who is likewise inclined. I’d rather he just get rid of the excess. But then there comes that time when he needs a certain whatsit to MacGyver something, and he has it! Not only does he have it, he manages to find it! AND he recalls what he paid for it decades ago and where he purchased it. How can you argue with that kind of success?

    Love the reflection images. Very cool.

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  10. I grew up with parents who said the same thing, or its equivalent: “we have to save this because someone might need it someday.” Who this someone was I don’t know, but we saved things for him or her.

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  11. My husband is quite the hoarder, Dan, yet just lately he’s begun to throw out. Now in the past when this would happen, a hole or space would appear which he again would fill. I hope that won’t happen this time. Your Fall pictures are from a unique perspective which I really like. Loved seeing your fur-kids of course …. they always bring a smile to my face. Good luck on that project ….. I hope the weather holds for you. I noticed the picture with the ice …. oh boy! Here we go!

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  12. Although I’m not surprised, I still have to say — that is amazingly neat for a work in progress, Dan. It seems you’re already regretting getting rid of the scraps, before they’re even gone. LOL. Maybe there’s an out of the way place you could stash them. They’re not too weather sensitive are they?
    MuMu’s(?) startled expression looks a lot like Crystal’s yesterday when she saw a bunch of snow on the ground, when I opened the door to give the birds fresh water. Hugs on the wing!

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  13. I am not that handy with tools, but have a much larger than needed “collection” of computers and cameras and all the associated peripheral gear. You can always use bits of hardware and bits of metal in new projects, while I can’t imagine that I will ever need to use my Zip and Jaz drives ever again. My film cameras, though, are another matter altogether. As always, I especially enjoy your photos with shadows and reflections. (As an aside, you might want to re-check your first sentence, where I suspect you were in fact not “combing,” though I must admit that “combing” has been out of my area of expertise for quite some time. :) )

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    • Thanks Mike. I was ‘combining’ but no one edits on Wednesday. I understand keeping the film cameras. I’ve been tossing computers and parts for years. I still have a ways to go.

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      • I can’t decide if I want to hang on to my first computer, a Kaypro that ran on CP/M that predated DOS. It had versions of WordStar and CalcStar and, as I recall, had dual 5 1/4 inch floppy drives and no hard drive and a small built in monitor. I haven’t powered that computer on in decades, but it is stored somewhere in my townhouse. :)

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        • I had an idea to frame an few old add-on cards. I still have them, but I never did anything with them. They’re in an area inside that I plan to tackle this winter. We’ll see if they survive one more year. I still have my first TI programmable calculator. It cost so much money, at a time when I didn’t have any to spare, I haven’t been able to part with it.

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  14. Most of us raised by parents who struggled through tough times had to unlearn these sorts of hoarder tendencies. My biggest one was saving every blessed “tupperware” container that came into the house. Finished the lunch meat? I might need an extra container. Cleaned out the Cool Whip? You can never have enough storage. I finally cleaned it all out and swore I’d never go back. :)

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  15. Our garage is a clear example of “You never know when this will come in handy”. There is definitely some truth to that, but longterm storage might just outweigh the need. My grandmother always kept the cellophane wrappers to grease the cookie sheets. My grandfather always had coffee tins full of screws.

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  17. Oh, my gosh, your pictures are magical, especially your puddle pictures! Charlie was a saver, too. The girls have come over several times each since he passed to use something he saved in case somebody needed it sometime. It’s almost like raising a toast to him.

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  18. Dan, nice memory of your Dad. And, of course, love the photos. Your workshop is coming along. The shadows longer in the fall. The bunny. The sunset. Mimi’s sweet face. And where is Maddie? Have a great rest of the week. 📚 Christine

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  19. Never mind your scrap metal supply, I’m in awe of TWO workshops – metal & woodworking – although I do understand the logic of separating sparks and sawdust.

    I grew up near a plywood plant. By the time I left home at 19, I had watched that plant burn down twice because of sawdust. Three times counting a lightning strike. One thing I’ve learned is that when your business is wood, once a fire starts, it’s going wild really fast 🔥

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  20. I’m enjoying the fall shots, Dan, and I like that bit of reflection you got up near the top. My parents are savers, too, and I tend to be that way, too. Of course moving from Ohio so abruptly forced some serious downsizing and then moving to a one-story house this year did the same. Not saying I don’t have a stash of various things, but it’s much different now, especially as not all stashed things can survived storage in the garage when temperatures get into the 100’s for months at a time and if they can’t, room has to be found in the house without an attic or basement. :-) Tends to concentrate the mind.

    janet

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    • The heat makes a difference. I hadn’t thought of that.

      I kinda like the annual drill to get the cars under cover. It causes me to focus, and it usually results in some purging. Dad has scored a minor victory, I’ve decided to keep a good supply of metal. I’ve used so much in organizing the garage, and I realize it was good to have.

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  21. Between you and me–I have tossed more metal cans that my husband ‘might need’ and he has not even noticed they are gone. But, in a moment of clean-up mode a couple months ago, he tossed a bunch of small pieces of lumber he said he didn’t any more. Dontcha know, last week, I was told “I could use that lumber you made me throw out!” What?? I thought I was helping him and now he needs lumber that had been sitting in the garage for several years?! You guys….!

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  23. We don’t have a large garage (and two cars are usually parked in it) but my husband has several stacks of What Ifs. I’d complain more, but those little bits and pieces have come in handy more times than I can count. As long as I can park my car and hook it up to its charging station, the garage space is pretty much his.

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  24. I know what you are saying. We have lots of stuff we are sorting through now and some of it are collections of cords, assorted nuts and bolts stuff, that I would like to get rid of instead of carry it to our new place.

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  26. Sometimes I have to shake my head to remind myself you are not my hubs. It would seem in philosophy if nothing else, you have led parallel lives. I have lived 33 years’ worth of meticulous pegboards, categorized power tools, handy dandy ‘old school’ implements (as well as the ‘can’t leave that in this antique shop’ outdated items), piles of wood for projects, priceless 5 gallon buckets-with lids, cuz everyone knows how hard those are to come by, always a sawhorse and rows full of nails, screws, nuts, bolts, washers and rivets-oh my! Now that he has slowly but surely purged most of these things from his ‘necessities’, I am filled with a strange mixture of jubilation and a deep sorrow for what defined him, and his father. These things are the stuff that legacies are made of. The Depression was real and it shaped the face of this country for so many years. Congrats on the weeding out. We are still doing that. Now, after the hard work I get to enjoy the lovely gallery of photos! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻My favorite? 🤔Leaf standing in the porch crack. 🙂

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    • I understand the feelings you mentioned, Cheryl. These are family traditions in a way. I blame my dad, and his mother, but I find it very hard to part with these things. Organizing around pegboard and special containers is an art form all to itself, and your hubs and I are artists ;-)

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  29. Kitties! So cute! Reflections! So pretty! Bird, bunny, leafeses! Hurrah!
    Okay, so dare I say I’m proud of you? It’s good to have some scrap metal around. It’s good to have some fabric around. Neither of us will truly benefit from having bins of it. Good job. Nice One Liner!

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    • Actually, I have to give my dad credit for the separation idea as well. He made a small section in the driveway for welding and grinding metal. He was worried about the sparks.

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  31. My husband and your dad have the same philosophy. I, on the other hand, am a pitcher. I tend to be too quick to throw things away. Good plan to separate the sparks from the sawdust!

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  32. I don’t recall my parents actually saying these things, but my dad’s garage was overwhelming to go through after he died. Now that I think about it, I have about five containers of old screws and nails that have been pulled out of things – and that’s just in the house. My David also has plenty in his workshop. I guess it’s in the genes. Love those leaves and shadows, and leaf shadows!

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  33. Hubby is the Yankee saver, as was his dad. I have to say, those windows he salvaged from an old house and carried around for a decade were just the right thing when we moved here. Still, it’s hard for me not to want to purge his ‘stuff’. It looks like you will be finished with your project by Thanksgiving, Dan! Love the photos. Your early morning walks won’t be so dark.

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