glimmers

Fun morning of playing with my electric metal shears and cutting up bits and bobs for the WIP, a prototype for something else (see: this week's earlier Replicate post for why I'm considering most of my metal things prototypes) with occasional glimmers of the writer coming out to play as I pick at the WIP over on that side of The Shed. Acceptance that my primary method is to go do other things while things percolate until a line or phrase shows up that fits and then bang the whole thing out while ignoring the guilt of not going about things the way I used to (because, clearly, that worked out oh so well). Out into society for a bit today, society being a waiting room and a book store and maybe an antique mall. Status: fit for public consumption, more or less.

metalshack complete

Fought the icemud which is now just mud mud and put a new, vinyl roof on MetalShack (because the original one didn't survive last night's freezing rain, much to my welding table's dismay; oh well, it's seen worse), put up the rest of the flame-retardant curtains, and used the remaining vinyl roofing to line the inside of the ceiling. Pretty sure The Shed's protected from my spark-inciting passion, so now I can get back to play. It isn't pretty - nor is gold my jam - but it'll do the job.

icemud

Morning's ice has given way to mud again though I did get to experience walking on icy mud which was certainly an experience but anyhow it seems that the key to making the writing part of The Shed as creatively appealing to me as the workshop side is to lock the desk at standing height so that I can pace to my quasi-beating heart's content: clearly, the lapsed percussionist of 20 years ago remains a steadfast part in position if not in performance – and besides, I always have Derbz's chair should I need to take the proverbial load off but only if he's not in The Shed with me because that's HIS chair, whether I'm in it or not.

enter: metalshack (mind your head)

Honoring David Lynch's wisdom to always have a setup (and perhaps ameliorate today's midday concerns?) by transforming my scrap wood space into a dedicated metalwork shack behind The Shed. Still have to figure out the power situation and add fire retardant blankets or tarps as walls (including over the metal sheets that separate MetalShack fromThe Shed), but it's getting there.

spacepoint

Been having a hell of a time getting myself into writing mode, hence the return of these daily things (finally settled on midday), "What's the point?" being the operative thought – though I have a feeling that's more the result of an all-encompassing emotional exhaustion sourced to the last 15 years. Perhaps it's that I use/d writing as a way to emotionally (and rationally, sometimes) process things and the only rational and emotional answer is I just can't anymore. But here I am anyhow, because what else am I going to do? Current quandary: how do I make my writing side as appealing as the workshop side of The Shed in a way that makes "What's the point?" moot? Notions simmer.

fri/20250131

Backyard and, especially, the path to The Shed are mud bogs. Melting snow, increased temps, and general foot traffic have combined into a muddy hellscape which have inspired me to consider constructing a walkway from the house to The Shed. Shedwalk. Out of wood, probably – and while I'm not averse to poured concrete and brick though I'd just as soon throw a bunch of palettes into the yard and reenact WATERWORLD. But I'll probably stick with a nice wooden walkway.

In spite of falling under the auspices of the Great Schism (which if I haven't written about it yet, involves me throwing out every writing project – no matter if it's a seed or 7/8 complete –  that didn't work or that I didn't see through to fruition before this year), J's enthusiasm has brought one project back from the dead. And I'll grant you, it's a pretty cool idea. Cool enough that my desire to make it something real has overtaken my desire to branch into the entirely new. Everything old – or at least this bit of the everything (and oh shit now another thing too because I still want to know how it turns out – until it wears me down and I never look at again for another two months – +2 back from the dead, I guess ok that's it really) – being new again? *

I want to be more overwhelmed with the stakes in THE MADNESS than I am. Otherwise, solid show. Colman Domingo is fantastic.

nightshed

Exhausting day involving lots of water spraying everywhere - Paintshop sink removal project has begun - but at least I got to see The Shed at night with the lights on because I forgot to turn them off and ohmyfuck I’m so tired but hey we have water again thank you emergency plumber.