The week I spent down in Phoenix, Arizona with Morgan to build the "Flow" bubinga table was a model lifestyle which I try to replicate. My routine was simple and my day productive. I would wake up and make a good breakfast, then head to the shop. When I got hungry, that meant it was lunchtime. Then, back into the shop. When I got tired, it was time for dinner. So I’d clean up and get dinner out of the way. After dinner, I might either go back into the shop or go for a bicycle ride with Morgan through the Phoenix Mountain Reserve just out his back door. After that, I’d be exhausted. A second shower, check my e-mail and provide progress updates on the table, then bedtime. The environment (besides being hot) was casual and relaxed, yet productive. I ate well and took breaks. I got plenty of exercise and by the end of the day was exhausted. I got enough sleep to be rejeuvenated the next day. What a life!
At home, especially when the weather is not so nice outside and I am less inclined to go play outside, it is all too easy to do nothing at all. Spending hours sleeping in, watching TV, or surfing the woodworking forums is all too tempting. If not inspired, I may succumb to these temptations. And I never feel good about that, as I am not being productive. However, right now, I feel pretty good. My routine this week has been to wake up at 6:00 AM and make breakfast before heading off to start work at Lee Valley at 7:00 AM. I finish work at 3:30 PM and cruise home under cloudy skies in the 10-degree Celsius air with the windows rolled down and the music cranked. Upon reaching home, it’s straight into the shop for me.
On my days off, I don’t always have as balanced of a day. Often, I will skip breakfast and head straight down to the shop, sometimes breaking for brunch or lunch, other times fasting until dinner. It depends on if my stomach is growling and how involved I am on the task at hand. When I’m on a roll, I don’t stop.
If I am in charge of dinner, I will start it when I get hungry. Otherwise, I’ll break for dinner when I get a chance to break away. After dinner, it’s usually right back down to the shop. Generally, I cease using power tools by 10:00 PM for noise reasons. Sometimes, I will work in the shop into the early hours of the morning using hand tools, or occaisonally, cleaning up and putting things away. When I finally close the shop, I might check my e-mail and grab a late-night snack before heading to bed. Which is exactly where I am headed right this moment.
What a life!
Sculptural Woodwork by Chris Wong 