One Day at a Time with Mom and Dad

11 Saturday Jul 2026

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Yesterday I got off to a later start than I had planned. I rolled up to my parents’ house a few minutes before 9:00 a.m. My goal had been to get there by 8:00, but I just couldn’t get moving. By the time I had eaten breakfast and made my second round of coffee, I was already running behind.

When I arrived, I didn’t see my parents’ car. Sometimes they park inside the garage, but most of the time it’s sitting just outside.

I unloaded the lawnmower, which takes a few minutes since it’s on a trailer. Once it was off, I moved it onto the driveway to make a few adjustments to the mower deck and ensure it was level.

Normally, by this point, Dad is already outside with me because his driveway alarm lets him know whenever someone pulls up. Since I hadn’t seen either of them, I figured one of them must have had a doctor’s appointment and had forgotten to tell me.

I started the mower and began cutting the grass. About thirty minutes later, I spotted Dad. Evidently, he had been outside the whole time working somewhere in the backyard. He was soaked with sweat. He had been picking up limbs to clear the way so I could mow the yard.

I immediately stopped the mower and told him he had done enough. I made him go inside where it was cool. I stood there and watched until I saw him walk across the deck and into the house. It was simply too hot for him to be outside doing that kind of work.

I mowed for a little over an hour before taking a break. When I went inside, Dad was sitting on the couch. He had changed shirts, but I could still tell he was overheated from being outside. I fussed at him a little for staying out there long enough to get that hot.

My poor mother was sitting on the other side of the room, bent over from the arthritis pain in her neck. She’s been dealing with that pain for several years now, and it just keeps getting worse. Unfortunately, there’s really nothing that can be done. She’s been rubbing Hemp cream on her neck, and it seems to help for a couple of hours, but the pain always returns.

Seeing my elderly parents in this condition always weighs heavily on my heart because I know the day will eventually come when they won’t be with us anymore.

Mom has been living with one kind of pain or another ever since they were involved in that terrible head-on collision back in 2014. She used to stand nearly six feet tall. Today, she’s barely five feet because of scoliosis and arthritis. She’s so hunched over and in so much pain. She refuses to just sit still. She wants to tend to her flowers and keep the house clean, but she’s reached the point where she simply can’t do those things anymore. Most days she ends up sitting in her recliner in the den, wishing she could still do what she once did.

Dad keeps talking about buying a new lawnmower. The truth is, he doesn’t need another mower because he doesn’t need to be cutting the grass anymore. But he refuses to slow down. He’s always got to be working on something. No one can convince him otherwise.

He’s a smart man. There’s a lifetime of knowledge locked away in that brain of his, and every now and then I still have to make a phone call and dig some of that knowledge out. I’ll definitely miss that someday.

After I finished cutting the grass, we were sitting on the back deck when I told him he didn’t need to worry about buying another mower. I told him I’d be more than happy to come up every couple of weeks and cut the grass for him. He seemed to appreciate that… right up until he asked if he could sit on my mower and drive it around to compare it to his old one. Before long, we were right back to talking about buying a new mower.

After everything was finished, Dad and I sat on the back deck talking for several hours before Mom joined us. A cool breeze had started blowing, making it comfortable enough to just sit and enjoy each other’s company.

We talked about life and the choices we’ve made over the years. We talked about my kids and the possibility of grandchildren someday since two of my three children are talking about getting married.

Mom quietly said she hopes she’ll still be around when my children become parents, but she isn’t sure that will happen.

To be honest, I have my doubts too.

But I’m still praying we’re both wrong.

Rolling With the Punches

09 Thursday Jul 2026

Posted by in Life, Uncategorized

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It’s been a few days since my last post, and it’s been a busy few days.

You never realize how much you depend on something until you suddenly don’t have it. Since my wife’s car is still with my daughter, we’re down to just one vehicle. That means choices have to be made, schedules have to be adjusted, and everything takes a little more planning. My daughter is still looking for another car, but she’s waiting on the insurance check before she can buy one.

On top of that, life doesn’t slow down. I’m going to physical therapy for my back twice a week, and my wife has therapy once a week. This coming week I also have two doctor’s appointments, and my wife has an appointment on the very same day. I think we’ve worked out the logistics, but if one appointment runs long, it could throw our whole schedule into chaos.

Today was my second physical therapy appointment. Unfortunately, I had already spent part of yesterday doing yard work, so I was pretty sore before I even walked through the door. After an hour of stretching and exercises, I’m even more sore now. The therapist warned me that I’d probably feel it for a couple of days because we stretched muscles that haven’t been worked like that in a while. My next appointment is Monday morning.

Tomorrow I’ll be heading back to my parents’ house to cut their grass again. I’ve already loaded my mower and weed trimmer onto the trailer. Last week I didn’t have time to do any trimming, so it’s really needed now. The biggest question is how my back is going to handle sitting on the mower for four hours. It may take me longer than usual because I’ll be stopping often to stretch and give my back a break. I’d rather take my time than pay for it later.

Speaking of my mower…

It’s about four years old. After I finished mowing my own yard yesterday, I drove it over to my outdoor hydrant to wash off all the grass clippings. I do that every single time I use it. I think it looks better when it’s clean, and maybe—just maybe—it’ll help it last a little longer.

When I finished spraying it off, I climbed back on, turned the key…and absolutely nothing happened.

For the next hour, I started troubleshooting everything I could think of. Eventually, I convinced myself the starter had gone bad. I began pricing replacement starters and quickly discovered they aren’t cheap. I finally found an aftermarket one that appeared to fit my mower, but something kept nagging at me.

“What if it’s not the starter?”

I’ve been down that road before—buying parts I didn’t actually need. I’d hate to spend the money, wait for the part to arrive, install it, and discover the mower still wouldn’t start.

So I called my dad.

He suggested I try one more thing before ordering a starter. I’m glad I listened.

Earlier in my troubleshooting, I had tried jump-starting the mower with my jump box, thinking the battery might be weak. It still wouldn’t even try to turn over. I checked the battery with my meter, and it showed what appeared to be enough voltage, so I ruled it out. Just to be safe, I put it on the charger while I went inside for lunch.

After lunch, I spent a few hours doing other things around the yard before checking it again.

Surprisingly, the battery voltage had actually dropped even lower than it was before I put it on the charger.

Well, there was my answer.

The starter was fine after all—it was the battery.

That meant another trip to the auto parts store for a new battery. While I’m certainly glad it wasn’t the starter, I still wasn’t thrilled about spending money on a battery that I hadn’t planned on buying.

Sometimes life has a funny way of piling things on all at once. Between juggling one vehicle, therapy appointments, doctor’s visits, back pain, cutting my parents’ grass, and now replacing a mower battery, it has definitely been one of those weeks.

Hopefully next week will be just a little less eventful…but somehow I doubt it.

A Morning on the Water and an Evening Under the Fireworks

05 Sunday Jul 2026

Posted by in Boy Scouts, Family, Fishing, Kayaking, Life, Photography, Retirement

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I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

I took advantage of the few hours I had available to go fishing Saturday morning. I didn’t invite my friend Rick on this trip because I wasn’t sure how long my back would hold up. Since the ablation, I haven’t been able to sit in my kayak for very long before the pain starts bothering me.

I launched on the river around 5:30 a.m., and by 10:30 I was ready to head back to the launch. I knew that if Rick had gone with me, he would have wanted to stay out all day, and I knew that just wasn’t going to be possible for me.

The other reason I went alone was that I didn’t want to have to track him down when I was ready to leave. Last week, I told him I planned to head home at 2:00 p.m. By 2:30, he still hadn’t made it back to the launch. I finally left without knowing where he was, and that made me feel pretty uncomfortable.

At least until my back gets better, I think my fishing trips will end around 11:30 each morning. That’s quite a change considering we normally stay on the water until around 4:00 p.m.

Saturday evening, we went to my in-laws’ house on the river. They invited us, along with eight couples from their Bible study group, over for a barbecue and the annual fireworks show put on by their next-door neighbor.

I was genuinely surprised by the quality of the fireworks. It looked like something you’d expect to see at a professional display. I started recording about ten minutes after the show began, and it continued for another ten minutes or so after I stopped. My arm finally gave out from holding my phone up for so long, so I had to call it quits.

https://youtu.be/hIVYBx3J-Q8

As you’ll see in the video, we were very close to where the fireworks were being launched. In fact, I think we may have been a little too close at times!

This was also the first time in about ten years that I was able to spend the Fourth of July at home. In years past, I was always away at Boy Scout summer camp. That meant leaving my wife at home with our two cats, who were terrified by the thunderous fireworks our neighbors set off every year.

It felt good to spend Independence Day with family, enjoy some great barbecue, watch an incredible fireworks display, and still squeeze in a few hours of fishing that morning. Even though my back limited my time on the water, it was still a day well spent.

Celebrating 35 Years Together

29 Monday Jun 2026

Posted by in Family, Life, Pets, Uncategorized

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Today is our 35th wedding anniversary. Time has really flown by. It doesn’t seem possible that we’ve been married that long.

We spent the afternoon watching Toy Story 5. That’s what my wife wanted to see, and I’m glad we did. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s well worth it. It has a great message for parents. I won’t give away any spoilers, so you’ll just have to see it for yourself to understand what I’m talking about.

After the movie, we drove to a place called Peach Park. It’s a combination produce market, ice cream shop, and cafeteria. They’re best known for their fresh peaches, peach ice cream, and peach fried pies. Their BBQ isn’t half bad either. We didn’t get there in time for the cafeteria, but we did enjoy some peach ice cream and picked up a couple of fried pies.

On our way home, we stopped at Chick-fil-A and grabbed a couple of chicken sandwiches for supper. We’ll celebrate with a nicer dinner one evening next week.

When we got home, we were greeted by a very unhappy cat. Since we’d been gone most of the day, she’d missed several of her snack sessions and wasn’t too pleased with us. There’s no telling how long she’ll stay mad, but I think we’ll survive.

Thirty-five years have brought us countless memories, plenty of laughter, a few challenges, and more blessings than I can count. I’m thankful God brought Tracy into my life all those years ago, and I pray He continues to bless and keep us in the years ahead.

Here’s to another 35 years. May God bless and keep us.

When Your Body Says, “Enough”

28 Sunday Jun 2026

Posted by in Amateur Radio, Disability, Fishing, Kayaking, Life, Uncategorized

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It’s been a few days since my last entry. Between other family matters and life’s daily responsibilities, I’ve been too busy to sit down and write.

I did get the opportunity to go fishing for a couple of hours last Thursday, but I didn’t have much luck. I only caught two fish before my back started hurting, forcing me to cut my trip short.

Before heading out to fish, I had taken the time on Wednesday to load up my riding lawnmower so I could go to my dad’s house and cut his grass. If my back wasn’t hurting enough after Thursday’s fishing trip, it was screaming by the end of the day Friday. It took me nearly four hours to cut his lawn, and all that bouncing around on the mower certainly didn’t do me any favors.

Saturday started much better. After spending a couple of hours with our Saturday morning men’s group, I headed to Pell City, about 50 minutes from home, for Field Day. Field Day is an annual HAM radio event where Amateur Radio operators practice and sharpen their emergency communication skills. Thankfully, I was able to sit for most of the day, which gave my back a much-needed break.

Then came Sunday.

The pain returned during the church service, and it became so intense that I thought I was going to have to leave and wait it out in my truck. Fortunately, I found some pain medication in my backpack, and after a little while, it started to take the edge off.

In two weeks, I begin physical therapy in hopes that stretching and strengthening my back will provide some relief. I can’t have another RFA procedure for another six months, so I’m hoping therapy will help bridge the gap. Something has to give because I’m growing tired of letting my back decide what I can and can’t do.

Homeownership: Where Projects Never End

23 Tuesday Jun 2026

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One of the responsibilities of being a homeowner is taking care of your yard. When we first moved into this neighborhood, our house had never been lived in. We were the first owners, and everything was brand new. The landscapers had just laid the sod and planted bushes along the side of the house.

For years, we had one of the best-looking yards on the street. I took a lot of pride in it, and it showed. I did all the work myself. I cut the grass at least once a week—more often if it needs it. Twice a year, I fertilized the lawn and applied pre-emergent to keep the weeds from sprouting in the spring.

Then my neighbor talked me into hiring a lawn service.

They came out once a quarter and sprayed the yard with something. To this day, I’m not entirely convinced they knew what it was. In fact, the guy doing the spraying didn’t seem to know exactly what was in the tank either.

Not long after they started treating my yard, I noticed a strange weed I’d never seen before. It started as a small patch. Every time I spotted it, I tried pulling it up. If a piece broke off, a milky white substance would ooze out.

I mentioned it to the lawn service, and they assured me they’d take care of it. They didn’t.

The small patch got bigger.

I mentioned it again and got the same promise and the same results.

The following year, that little patch had spread enough to take over nearly half the front yard. I started researching it and tried every spray I could find. Unfortunately, I was doing more spreading than killing. Before long, the weed had taken over the entire front yard.

The culprit turned out to be Spotted Spurge, and getting rid of it isn’t easy. After a lot of trial and error, I finally found something that seems to work. After several applications, I’m finally starting to see some positive results.

Of course, just when you think you’ve won one battle, another enemy appears.

My plan yesterday was simple: cut the front and back yards, trim around the house with the weed eater, and apply moss killer. Things were going according to plan until I headed toward the backyard and noticed something didn’t look right on the mower deck.

One of the brackets that holds the mower deck to the tractor had broken.

So off I went across town to the parts store.

By the time I got home, it had started raining. I waited for the rain to pass and then spent about an hour repairing the mower. By then, it was getting late, so I called it a day and put the mower away.

Today I finished cutting the backyard and sprayed the front yard with moss killer. Overall, the yard is looking much better, except for the bare spots left behind by the dying spurge.

I haven’t done much in the garage lately because I’ve been dealing with other things. I’ve got a couple of doctor appointments tomorrow, and I’m planning to go fishing on Thursday. Then on Friday, I’m taking my mower to my parents’ house so I can start cutting their grass. My dad’s mower has developed some sort of problem, so mine gets drafted into service.

It seems there’s always something that needs fixing, cutting, spraying, or repairing.

Life goes on.

Church Etiquette. Is There Such a Thing?

22 Monday Jun 2026

Posted by in Family, Uncategorized, University of Alabama

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As I mentioned in my last post, the church I attend is large with a seating capacity of around 2,500 people. I’ve been going to church on and off my entire life, and before coming here about three years ago, the largest church I had ever attended had maybe 100 members.

I absolutely love this church. One of the things I enjoy most is that there is always something going on. Case in point: our Vacation Bible School was held a couple of weeks ago and drew more than 1,500 kids. This church simply doesn’t do anything small.

However, attending a church this large does have its challenges.

I call them “Church Etiquette.”

This post will undoubtedly spark some debate, and it may even convince some people that I’m petty. That’s okay. It’s my blog and my opinion.

As I mentioned in my previous post, Sunday was my pastor’s final sermon after serving our church for forty years. It was a bittersweet day for thousands of people. Unfortunately, I had a difficult time enjoying the sermon because of several distractions that could have easily been avoided if people simply knew how to behave during a church service.

Distraction #1: Not Showing Reverence

It is my opinion that once the service begins, people should be reverent and avoid carrying on conversations.

Now, don’t get me wrong. If you want to say “Amen” when the pastor makes a good point, then by all means, let it fly. But discussing where you’re going to eat lunch afterward or making comments about how someone is dressed is completely different and uncalled for.

This was happening with a mother and her teenage son sitting directly in front of me. To make matters worse, because they couldn’t hear each other during the music, they simply talked louder.

And they did it throughout the entire service.

Maybe they don’t attend church very often. I don’t know. That’s just my opinion.

Distraction #2: Personal Space

What exactly is personal space, and how far does it extend?

According to Google, personal space is the invisible physical or psychological boundary surrounding an individual. People instinctively maintain this “bubble” because it helps them feel secure. When someone invades that space, it often creates discomfort.

I’m a firm believer that if someone wants to wear perfume or cologne, that’s entirely their business.

However, I draw the line when it invades my personal space.

If I can smell you from three to five feet away before I even see you, you’re probably wearing too much.

If you feel the need to bathe in perfume or cologne, perhaps a few extra minutes in the shower would be a better solution. Or maybe it’s time to switch soap brands.

A lady arrived late and squeezed into the same row as my wife and me, along with several of her friends. How all of them managed to find seats together remains a mystery.

Thankfully, there was one empty seat between us.

Unfortunately, her perfume was strong enough that the empty seat only reduced the impact by about ten percent.

I was still getting ninety percent of the experience.

Distraction #3: Parenting Skills

When I was growing up, we didn’t have Children’s Church. We sat with our parents in the “big church.”

We were expected to sit quietly, pay attention, and behave ourselves. If we didn’t, there would be consequences when we got home.

Believe me, we were as quiet as church mice because we knew exactly what awaited us if we embarrassed our parents.

Kids today seem to have a different arrangement.

Our church has theater-style seating instead of traditional pews. They’re comfortable, modern, and a lot easier on the back.

Unfortunately, they also make excellent drums.

A family sat behind us with a little girl who, for whatever reason, wasn’t in Children’s Church with the other kids her age. Her parents had given her something to keep her occupied, probably a coloring book.

Every so often, I could hear her mother telling her what color to use.

But coloring wasn’t the only activity taking place.

The little girl apparently decided that the back of my chair was part of the entertainment package.

Throughout the service, she repeatedly punched, kicked, bumped, or otherwise made contact with my seat.

Normally, this would just be annoying.

However, with the back problems I’ve been dealing with lately, every thump felt like a personal attack from a very small boxer.

Had that been me as a child, one look from either of my parents would have ended the behavior immediately.

If it continued, I would have found myself outside receiving a lesson in proper church etiquette.

I suspect most people my age know exactly what that means.

The Great Sunday Traffic Jam

Now the service is over.

Surely everyone wants to go home, eat lunch, and beat the Baptist crowd to the restaurant.

Apparently not.

Every Sunday without fail, people stop directly in the middle of the aisle to carry on conversations while everyone else is trying to leave.

My wife and I often find ourselves standing there waiting for people to realize they have created a human roadblock.

If you see someone you haven’t talked to in a while, that’s great. Say hello.

But maybe step to the side first.

The same thing happens once you get outside.

People stop right in the middle of the sidewalk and carry on conversations while everyone else has to maneuver around them like they’re driving through a construction zone.

I’ve threatened to make comments such as, “Move along,” or “If you’re going to talk, pull over to the shoulder.”

My wife has strongly encouraged me not to.

Apparently, though, I’m not alone.

Last week, I overheard a lady say, “Move along. Don’t stop to talk.”

It didn’t work.

But I bet she felt better afterward.

Stepping Off the Soap Box

Well, that’s enough complaining for one day.

Despite everything I’ve written, I truly love my church. The people are wonderful, the ministries are amazing, and the impact this church has on the community is incredible.

No church is perfect because no group of people is perfect. If it was perfect, it no longer is because I’m going there. After all, I’m not perfect.

These are simply a few observations from someone sitting in the congregation who occasionally gets distracted.

You don’t have to agree with me.

You don’t have to disagree with me.

Right or wrong, it’s my blog and my opinion.

I know nothing will change because I wrote any of this down, but sometimes it feels good just to vent.

Thanks for listening while I stood on my soapbox for a few minutes.

Another Year, Another Blessing

21 Sunday Jun 2026

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Happy Father’s Day! I hope all you dads had a great day.

My family and I spent the first part of our day at church, where our pastor of 40 years preached his final sermon. It was a bittersweet day for thousands of people. Yes, I said thousands. The sanctuary seats 2,500 people, and during the first service, people stood along the walls and filled the overflow chapel.

After church, we came home and had lunch together. I was able to celebrate Father’s Day with all of my children, and I couldn’t have been a happier dad.

After lunch, we loaded up and drove to my parents’ house to celebrate with my dad. Today was not only Father’s Day, but also his birthday. He is now 87 years old and is the last surviving member of his family of four siblings.

For his age, Dad is in remarkably good health. He still gets outside and works in his yard and tinkers with his farming equipment, even though he doesn’t do much farming these days.

We nearly lost both of my parents in 2014 when a woman who wasn’t paying attention crossed the center line on a dangerous curve and hit them head-on. Both of my parents spent several weeks in the ICU. After they were released from the hospital, they stayed with my brother and his wife for several months while continuing their recovery and medical treatments.

Mom never fully recovered from the accident. She still struggles with significant back problems, and Dad has balance issues caused by damage to his inner ear.

They both suffered serious injuries from the seat belts and airbags. While those safety features undoubtedly saved their lives, they can also cause severe injuries during a major collision.

I consider myself incredibly fortunate to still have both of my parents with us. At their age, I know every visit, every conversation, and every holiday together is a gift. I don’t know how much longer I’ll have them around, but I intend to treasure every day that I do.

Days like today are a reminder that family is one of God’s greatest blessings, and I’m thankful for every moment we get to spend together.

The Phone Alert No Parent Wants to See

19 Friday Jun 2026

Posted by in Family, Life, Retirement, Twins, Uncategorized, Weather

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I was under the weather yesterday, and honestly, I’m still not quite up to par today. As a result, I didn’t get much done in the garage. I’m not sure if my illness was related to the weather or not, but it rained here most of the day. Whatever the cause, I simply didn’t feel like doing much of anything.

The heaviest rainfall came around 4:00 yesterday afternoon. My daughter was on her way home from work. Normally, her commute takes about 50 minutes, but with the rain, it took much longer.

We use an app on our phones that shares family locations. One feature I both appreciate and dread is that it alerts us when there’s a sudden stop along the way. Usually, that means someone has stopped for gas or coffee. Unfortunately, your mind always jumps to less pleasant possibilities.

My daughter had been talking to my wife through her car’s hands-free system, but decided to hang up so she could concentrate on the road conditions. A few minutes later, her boyfriend called to check on her. While talking with him, she hit a section of roadway that was partially covered in water.

The next thing she knew, her car was hydroplaning. She spun several 360-degree turns before crashing into the center guardrail.

As you can tell from the pictures, her car is pretty torn up. The front, rear, and right side all have extensive damage. If the insurance company doesn’t total it, I’ll be shocked.

Thankfully, my daughter is okay. She has some bruising on her left hand, which we think happened when she instinctively braced for impact. Surprisingly, the airbags never deployed.

Now comes the fun part—dealing with the insurance company. Since she doesn’t have rental car coverage, she’ll be without a vehicle for a while. My wife has already volunteered her car so our daughter can continue getting to work until the insurance company decides whether the car will be repaired or replaced.

That leaves my wife and me sharing one vehicle. With both of us having doctor appointments and other obligations, there’s going to be quite a bit of scheduling gymnastics in the coming weeks.

Still, the important thing is that my daughter walked away from the accident. Cars can be repaired or replaced. People can’t.

There will be inconveniences, sacrifices, and more than a little juggling of schedules, but that’s what parents do. No matter how old our children get, when they need help, we step in and do whatever we can to make sure they have what they need.

Christmas in June: The Garage Edition

17 Wednesday Jun 2026

Posted by in Arts and Crafts, Fishing, Kayaking, Life, Retirement, Uncategorized, Weather

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There’s a tropical depression near Galveston, Texas, and it’s wreaking havoc on the weather forecasts in my area. Today marks the second day this week that rain was predicted, yet the sun has been shining nearly all day. That’s also two days this week that I could have gone fishing.

Instead, I spent most of my day in the garage.

I managed to clean off one of my workbenches and rearrange the battery chargers for my power tools. It may not sound like much, but in a garage-cleaning project, that qualifies as significant progress.

Then there was the plastic storage tub.

This particular tub is full of 32 years’ worth of items that came from my office when I retired in 2018. Apparently, when I retired, I decided that Future Tim would sort through it someday. Well, Future Tim finally showed up.

I spent some time going through the contents, throwing away things that clearly needed to be trashed and even a few things that I wanted to keep but realistically didn’t need anymore. Unfortunately, the tub is still just as full as when I started. It’s going to require a dedicated day of sorting, organizing, and deciding which memories deserve valuable storage space.

I didn’t want to spend that much time on it today because I’ve got plenty of other cleaning to do. The tub will still be there when I’m finished.

Actually, now that I think about it, that’s probably how we got into this mess in the first place.

Today was trash day, and the city came by and emptied our garbage can. I’m glad they did because I was officially out of room. Based on the rate I’m going, I’m fairly certain I’ll have it filled back up by tomorrow afternoon.

I’m slowly making progress. Nobody else may be able to see it yet, but I can.

I also found some storage bins that attach to a pegboard above one of my workbenches. I bought them quite a while back with the intention of organizing small hobby items like key rings, hooks, picture hangers, and other odds and ends.

There was just one problem.

The holes in my pegboard are too small.

So tomorrow’s project will involve a power drill and a drill bit as I enlarge every hole needed to mount those bins. Once they’re installed, they should free up a fair amount of space in my toolbox.

As if that weren’t enough excitement, I’ve also discovered that I apparently own enough sanding disks to open a small sanding-disk dealership. Much like my tape measures, they seem to be scattered throughout the garage in random locations.

To solve that problem, I found a file online and started printing a storage box with my 3D printer to organize them. The printer has come in handy several times for projects around the house, and this looks like another one of those occasions.

I’m also finding drill bits everywhere. Different sizes. Different styles. Some I remember buying. Others appear to have materialized out of thin air. For now, they’re all going into a temporary storage bin until I can sort through them properly.

So far, this garage-cleaning adventure has been surprisingly interesting. I keep finding things I bought years ago and never used. Some of them I had completely forgotten I owned.

At this point, cleaning the garage feels less like housework and more like a treasure hunt.

It’s kind of like Christmas in June—except all the gifts are things I bought myself and forgot about years ago.