Tag Archives: Kayaking

Catching Up, Slowing Down, and a Growing Family

07 Monday Sep 2026

Posted by in Cancer, Family, Fishing, Kayaking, Leukemia, Life, Twins

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I’m behind on my WP blog reading. It’s been a rough couple of days with this fatigue. I’ve been doing pretty well with the dizziness, but between this extreme heat we’re having and the fatigue, life has slowed down to a crawl. I haven’t been doing much more than sleeping my life away.

Right now, I’m waiting on my phone to charge enough to last through the night so I can use it for my alarm in the morning. I’m going to try to go to bed early tonight, so once I’m done catching up, I’m calling it a night regardless of how much charge is left. 4 a.m. will come early, and I need to be up and moving so I can make it to Bible study by 6 a.m. Apparently, my body and I have different opinions about what constitutes a reasonable bedtime.

Because it’s been so hot, even in my garage, when I am awake, I’ve usually got my Kindle out, and I’m reading. I’ve started reading one of my favorite authors, John Grisham, again. I’ve read just about every book he’s written. I took inventory the other day and discovered I only have ten more books to read before I’ll be completely caught up.

He just came out with his latest book, and he already has another one scheduled to be published in 2028. Yep, I’ve already got that one on my “to read” list, too. I may be tired, but apparently I’m still organized enough to plan my reading schedule several years in advance.

My wife, my twin girls, and I also met up with my son’s future in-laws. My son wanted to use today’s holiday as an opportunity for all of us to finally meet. We had a great time getting to know them. They may be a little higher class than what we’re used to, but they are really nice people and were incredibly easy to talk to. I’m hoping we’ll have more opportunities to get together before—and even after—my son’s wedding.

Oh, by the way, my son is getting engaged next week.

They’ve already set the wedding date for sometime in March of next year. So, that makes two.

My daughter, who got engaged a few months ago, will be getting married in June, and my son will be getting married in March. That means we’ll only have one more to get married off.

At this point, I’m not sure when that will happen, but we’re not in any big hurry. I’m pretty sure my daughter isn’t either.

I do have a fishing date planned for this Wednesday. It may take me a little longer to get to my fishing hole because of this fatigue, but I’ve got it on my calendar anyway. Sometimes you just have to put something on the calendar and hope your body gets the memo.

So, I guess we’ve officially entered the “planning weddings” phase of life. Between that, Bible study, reading, fishing, trying to stay cool, and trying to convince my body that sleeping all day isn’t actually a hobby, plenty is going on around here.

I just wish I had a little more energy to actually participate in it.

Listen to What Your Body is Telling You.

30 Sunday Aug 2026

Posted by in Cancer, Kayaking, Leukemia, Life, Uncategorized

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I was reminded of that today while reading a blog post I follow. Hazel reminded me that no matter what I’m doing, I need to listen to what my body is telling me. Sometimes we have a tendency to push through things, thinking we’ll be okay. Other times, our bodies have a way of making it very clear that we need to slow down.

Mine has been doing a pretty good job of getting my attention lately.

I started a new medication for my CML last Thursday. I’m taking two tablets, 40 mg each. I’m supposed to take them on an empty stomach, with no food for two hours before and at least one hour after taking them. I took them at bedtime both Thursday and Friday.

Friday night was rough.

I had a very restless night and finally decided to get out of bed around 3 a.m.—or at least I attempted to.

I sat up and immediately became dizzy. I sat there for a few minutes and waited for it to pass. When I finally stood up, the dizziness returned, and I nearly hit the floor. I grabbed the wall to keep myself upright and waited another couple of minutes before attempting to move.

Eventually, I made it to the den and collapsed into my recliner. I was exhausted. I felt like I had absolutely nothing left in the tank.

I tried going back to sleep, but I couldn’t get comfortable. I decided I would read for a while, but, of course, my glasses were in the bedroom.

I really, really didn’t want to get back up.

I knew what was probably going to happen.

Sure enough, when I stood up, the dizziness hit again. I nearly fell backward into the recliner. I grabbed hold of something and waited for it to subside. After a minute or so, I was able to make my way to the bedroom, retrieve my glasses and return to the den.

By the time I got back to my chair, I was wondering if I had enough energy to make the trip again if I had forgotten something.

Around 5 a.m., I finally decided I needed to find out exactly what might be going on. I made my way to the kitchen and retrieved the medication information packet that came with the prescription.

I started reading through the list of possible side effects.

Number three was dizziness and feeling faint.

Bingo.

Unfortunately, there was nothing listed specifically about fatigue. Later, I learned that fatigue is a side effect associated with many cancer medications, so apparently I managed to get a two-for-one special.

Dizziness and fatigue.

Just what I was hoping for.

I texted the guys in our Saturday morning Bible study group and told them not to expect me. I explained that I believed I was experiencing side effects from the new medication and that I simply wasn’t feeling well.

I spent most of the rest of the day in my recliner, getting up only when I absolutely had to.

I slept a little better Saturday night, but I’m still dealing with the fatigue and dizziness when I stand. Because of that, I didn’t go to church this morning either. Thankfully, I was able to watch the service on YouTube.

I had been thinking about going fishing Monday.

I’ve changed my mind.

At this point, I seriously doubt I’ll feel up to it. And honestly, I don’t think getting into a kayak while I’m dizzy is exactly what my doctor would recommend. Besides, I’m pretty sure the fish would take advantage of the situation and laugh at me.

I don’t have any appointments until Tuesday morning Bible study, and I’m really hoping I’ll be feeling better by then.

I’m also not taking any more of this medication until I speak with my oncologist on Monday. I want to talk with him about what happened and see what my options are. Maybe there is a way to adjust the dosage so that the medication can still do what it’s supposed to do without making me feel like I’m one wrong step away from becoming a human tumbleweed.

I’ve spent a lot of years dealing with CML and everything that comes with it. I know how important it is to take the medication and follow the treatment plan.

But I’m also learning that following the plan doesn’t mean ignoring what my body is telling me.

Sometimes you have to stop, pay attention and say, “Something isn’t right.”

That’s where I am right now.

So, for the moment, I’m going to listen to my body, stay in my recliner, and let my oncologist help me figure out what comes next.

Maybe the fishing rod can wait a few more days.

The fish aren’t going anywhere.

Well… at least I hope they aren’t.

Maybe My Fishing Days Aren’t Over After All

28 Friday Aug 2026

Posted by in Fishing, Kayaking, Life, Nature, Uncategorized

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After my back started giving me issues a few months ago—and especially after dealing with the pain following one of my attempts to go fishing—I had pretty much decided that my fishing days were coming to an end.

I just couldn’t sit in a kayak for more than a couple of hours before my back reminded me I was no longer 25.

Apparently, my back has a better memory than I do.

After spending some time with my therapist, we talked about some possible solutions. One of those was trying a different type of fishing seat that might provide more support for my lower back.

That sounded like a great idea, except for one small problem: finding a seat that would actually fit my kayak.

After more than a month of research, I finally purchased one that I thought would work. I was hoping it would give my back the support it needed and, perhaps, give me a few more fishing hours before my body decided it had enough.

I received the seat about two weeks ago, but between my wife and my doctor’s appointments and my daughter being in the hospital, I hadn’t had a chance to take it out on its maiden voyage.

There was another problem, too.

If I was going to try it out, I needed to go by myself.

Normally, I would invite my fishing buddy to go with me. But I had no idea how long I would actually be able to stay on the water. The last thing I wanted was for him to drive all the way out there, get comfortable, unpack everything, and start fishing, only for me to announce an hour later, “Well, boys and girls, my back has spoken. We’re going home.”

I knew if he went with me, he would want to spend the day on the water. And honestly, I couldn’t promise him that I could make it through the day.

So, I went by myself.

I didn’t leave nearly as early as I would have if my buddy had gone with me. Normally, we’re on the road around 5:30 in the morning. This time, it was nearly 7:00 when I finally hit the road.

I figured if my back was going to ruin my fishing trip, I might as well let it sleep a little later first.

I arrived at the creek around 7:45 and was at my first fishing hole by about 8:30.

I knew almost immediately that the new seat was going to give me more support. The real question was whether it would give me enough support to actually stay out there for a few hours.

I fished for several hours and, while I did start to feel a little fatigued, it was nothing I couldn’t handle. That alone felt like a pretty big victory.

I finally left my fishing spot around 11:30 and made it back to the launch a little after noon.

My back was a little stiff, but that was about it.

And that was a whole lot better than it had been a few weeks earlier.

In fact, I consider the trip a success. I didn’t have to call anybody to come rescue me, I didn’t have to paddle back using only my arms because my back had gone on strike, and I actually got to fish for several hours.

That’s a win in my book.

I also finished my last session of an eight-week round of physical therapy on Monday. The therapy definitely helped, but now I have to wonder: Was I able to stay out fishing longer because of the therapy, because of the new seat, or because of both?

Truth be known, it was probably a combination of the two.

And I’ll take it as a win either way.

Now, before anyone gets excited and thinks I’m going back to spending all day on the water, let me stop you right there.

I’m not.

I’ve learned that I need to listen to what my back is telling me. Ignoring it usually ends with me regretting my life choices somewhere between the kayak and the truck.

So, I’ve decided that 11:30 will be my new fishing curfew.

If my buddy wants to stay longer, that’s perfectly fine.

He can stay.

He can fish until dark if he wants.

He can catch all the fish.

He can even catch the big one that I would have caught if I had stayed.

I’m going home at 11:30.

Because apparently, I’ve reached the age where my fishing buddy isn’t the one who decides when we leave.

My back does.

And believe me, that thing has no problem telling me when it’s time to go.

So maybe my fishing days aren’t over after all.

I just have a new fishing partner.

His name is Lower Back.

He’s not very good company; he complains constantly, and he never helps paddle.

But he always knows when it’s time to go home.

Progress Isn’t Always a Straight Line (Especially with My Back)

06 Thursday Aug 2026

Posted by in Family, Fishing, Kayaking, Nature, Uncategorized

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Twice a week for the past five weeks, I’ve been going to physical therapy for my back. I’ll admit that when I first started, I didn’t think therapy would do much good for fused vertebrae and a bulging disc. I figured it was something I would just have to live with. Much to my surprise, though, therapy has been more beneficial than I ever expected.

That doesn’t mean there haven’t been a few setbacks.

This week alone, my back decided to remind me that it’s still in charge of this relationship. Apparently, I only get voting rights.

After church on Sunday, my kids and I went out to eat. The restaurant seated us in a booth with one of the strangest backrests I’ve ever encountered. Whoever designed it must have based it on someone who had never actually sat down before.

Within a few minutes, I knew it wasn’t going to work. My back was getting more uncomfortable by the second, so I finally excused myself and headed out to my truck to do some stretching.

Apparently, seeing a grown man bent, twisted, and stretched out in a restaurant parking lot gets people’s attention. Several patrons stopped to ask if I needed medical assistance. I appreciated their concern, but thankfully, all I needed was for my back to quit throwing its little temper tantrum.

The very next day, I went fishing with my friend Rick. Before we launched, I warned him that I probably wouldn’t make it through a full day on the water. My plan was to fish until about 11:30 a.m., giving us roughly five hours before heading home.

Well…my back had already looked at my schedule and crossed that out.

By 10:30, it was screaming, “We’re done!” Loud enough that I didn’t feel the need to argue. I paddled back to the launch, unloaded my gear, and before loading my kayak into the truck, I stretched out flat on my back across the tailgate for about ten minutes.

If anyone drove by, they probably thought I was either taking a nap or waiting for the coroner. Thankfully, neither was true.

That little break settled my back down enough for me to finish loading everything. Rick finally made it back around noon. He was fortunate I’d taken those few minutes to recover because otherwise he would have been loading all of his gear by himself. As much as I enjoy fishing with him, I was ready to get home and put some heat on my back.

When I told my physical therapist about both incidents yesterday, she decided to extend my therapy for another couple of weeks. Her goal is to add some exercises specifically designed to help reduce the pain I experience while fishing.

Normally, I probably would have complained about having to continue therapy longer than expected. But in this case, I’ll let it slide. After all, if a few more therapy sessions help me spend a few more hours fishing, that’s a trade I’m willing to make.

She also suggested replacing the seat in my kayak with one that offers better lumbar support. I’ve already started looking at a few options, and I’m planning to show her what I’ve found during tomorrow’s appointment. Who knew shopping for kayak seats would become part of my medical treatment?

If there’s one thing this experience has taught me, it’s that progress isn’t always a straight line. There are good days and bad days, victories and setbacks. But each week I’m seeing small improvements that remind me I’m moving in the right direction.

My back may still think it’s the boss, but physical therapy is slowly teaching it that it’s about to lose some of its authority.

My Mouth Has Declared a Revolt

30 Thursday Jul 2026

Posted by in Amateur Radio, Cancer, Diabetic, Disability, Family, Fishing, Kayaking, Leukemia, Life

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I believe I’ve mentioned this a couple of times before, but I have a love/hate relationship with doctors. When it comes to dentists, though, it’s a little different—I absolutely despise dentistry. Don’t get me wrong, I love my dentist, but I hate everything about going to see him.

I know how important it is to take care of my teeth. I’ve also been told—although I’m not sure how much truth there is to it—that having CML can affect your dental health. Whether that’s the culprit or not, my teeth seem determined to keep my dentist in business.

About two weeks ago, I noticed what I thought was a missing filling. I already had an appointment scheduled to have my teeth cleaned, so I called the office to see if they could replace the filling during the same visit. When I got there, my dentist took one look and informed me that it wasn’t a missing filling at all—it was a broken tooth. That meant scheduling yet another appointment to get it fixed.

Then, last Friday, while I was out fishing with my daughter, I bit into a peanut butter cracker and heard that dreaded little crunch. Sure enough, I had managed to break another tooth. Because apparently my teeth have a flair for dramatic timing, this one was on the opposite side of my mouth… and my appointment to fix the first tooth was the following Tuesday.

On Monday morning, I called the dentist’s office to let them know I’d added another broken tooth to my collection. I figured if they were already going to be working in my mouth, they might as well fix both while they had me in the chair.

I’ve been going to the same dentist for more than forty years, so we’ve developed a pretty good rapport. Naturally, his first question was whether I’d been eating rocks again.

Before long, he had both sides of my jaw full of the magic juice that makes you feel like your face is sliding off your skull. He drilled both teeth and fitted them with temporary crowns.

About an hour after I got home, the numbness started to wear off. The right side of my mouth seemed perfectly fine, but the left side was a completely different story. I’m not sure why, but even two days later it’s still pretty sore.

Then this morning, while eating a bowl of Cheerios, I felt something strange. Sure enough, the temporary crown on my right side had come loose. It’s currently sitting on the table beside my recliner, patiently waiting for me to throw it in the trash.

I go back to the dentist on August 5th to have the permanent crowns installed, so I think I’m just going to wait. Knowing my luck, they’d put another temporary crown on, and I’d probably find a way to break that one too.

Have I mentioned lately just how much I despise going to the dentist?

At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if my dentist sends me a Christmas card thanking me for helping put one of his kids through college.

When Good Days Take Unexpected Turns

24 Friday Jul 2026

Posted by in Family, Fishing, Kayaking, Life, Nature, Twins, Uncategorized

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Tuesday was spent at the doctor’s office with my dad, following up on his broken nose. After examining him, the doctor decided not to do anything since he could still breathe through it without any difficulty. Dad actually broke his nose when he was a kid, so it was already a little crooked. I guess he’s had decades to get used to a nose that doesn’t point due north.

My plans to go fishing on Wednesday changed when my son called early that morning saying his air conditioner had quit working.

I haven’t had to do much HVAC work since I retired, so it took me a little longer than usual to diagnose the problem. It didn’t help that there were actually two problems. After several hours, two trips to the hardware store, a new thermostat, and a new capacitor, his air conditioner was finally back up and running. It felt good to know I hadn’t forgotten everything I learned after 32 years in the business.

My daughter told me on Sunday that she wanted to go fishing. Since she had a hair appointment on Thursday, she decided to spend the night and get an early start the next morning.

We fished for several hours before either of us had any luck. Her luck changed first when she hooked a big fish, but it got off before she could get it to the kayak. Then my luck changed when I finally landed one. Unfortunately, my good fortune lasted about five seconds.

As I was handling the fish, my phone slipped out of my pocket and disappeared into the lake, never to be seen again.

My daughter actually climbed out of her kayak and tried feeling around with her feet to find it, but it was gone. This is the second time my phone landed in the water, and you’d think after the first time I’d have learned my lesson. I have a phone tether on order now that should arrive tomorrow.

As the saying goes, a day late and a dollar short.

Needless to say, we called it a day and headed home.

After unloading the truck, I spent the next several hours at the phone store getting everything transferred to a new phone. It wasn’t exactly how I had planned to spend my afternoon, but at least I got to spend the morning on the water with my daughter.

I’d gladly trade a phone for memories like that… although I’d really prefer not to make it a habit.

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.

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

Posted by in Fishing, Kayaking, Life, Uncategorized, Weather

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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.

My Garage Needs an Intervention

15 Monday Jun 2026

Posted by in Arts and Crafts, Boy Scouts, Fishing, Kayaking, Life, Retirement, Twins, Uncategorized, Weather, Woodworking

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I missed a perfectly good day to go fishing.

According to the weather forecast I saw last night, today was supposed to be cloudy with rain. As I sit here writing this, it’s cloudy all right, but there isn’t a drop of rain anywhere nearby. Apparently, the weather forecaster and I have different definitions of “rain.”

Since I can’t blame the weather anymore, I guess I’ll spend the day in my shop doing some cleaning.

The shop is in desperate need of organization. I try my best to keep it neat, but somehow it always ends up looking like the “before” picture on a home improvement show. If the folks from a hoarding television program ever drive down my road, I’m keeping the garage door closed.

My two-car garage hasn’t actually been a two-car garage since my daughters came home from college. Before they moved back in, I told my wife that the girls needed to rent a storage unit for all their furniture. I explained that once their furniture crossed the threshold of our garage, it would become a permanent resident.

I was absolutely right.

Years later, some of that furniture is still sitting there. At this point, I think it’s claimed squatters’ rights.

To be fair, I’m not completely innocent. The side of the garage where I used to park my truck has become home to my hobbies. When I bought a larger truck that wouldn’t fit in the garage, I suddenly had extra space—or at least that’s what I told myself.

That space is now occupied by a motorcycle, shelves full of Dutch ovens, camping gear, fishing equipment, ham radio supplies, woodworking tools, and a collection of items that I apparently purchased because I was convinced I would need them someday.

Someday has not yet arrived.

The side where my wife once parked is home to my daughters’ furniture, my CNC laser, a newly acquired 3D printer, and a worktable where I paint and assemble projects. Unfortunately, the worktable is currently so covered with stuff that I couldn’t work on it if I wanted to. In fact, I’m not entirely sure where the actual tabletop is anymore.

I know it’s under there somewhere.

The garage also houses my table saw, miter saw, drill press, nail guns, sanders, drills, rotary tools, clamps, and enough miscellaneous hardware to open a small branch of Home Depot.

Need a screw? I’ve got 10,000 of them.

Need the specific screw I’m looking for? Not a chance.

I’ve decided that I’m not starting another project until I make significant progress organizing the garage. This is a bold statement considering that starting new projects is one of my favorite ways to avoid finishing old ones.

The problem is that I have no idea where to begin. Every time I move one item, I discover three more things that need to be moved first. It’s like playing a life-sized game of Tetris, except none of the pieces fit, and I can’t find the instruction manual.

To make matters worse, I have a storage building in the backyard that’s almost as crowded as the garage. Before I can organize the garage, I’ll probably need to organize the storage building.

Of course, organizing the storage building will require temporarily moving things into the garage, which seems suspiciously similar to the process that got me into this mess in the first place.

Maybe I should have gone fishing after all.