There are a few very distinct advantages to working as a college instructor. Probably the most obvious one is the time off. This Christmas season, I decided to spend a few days of my break sawing wood into various pieces and attempting to turn it into something that resembles furniture.
Early on in our marriage, I had attempted to build a hutch for our kitchen. The results were... functional. We eventually chopped it up into a set of toyshelves for Nathan. They did not make the cut when we moved back to New Mexico from Texas. I have since successfully built a trash bin for the kitchen and a cabinet for the bathroom that are a little more aesthetically pleasing than that first stab at a hutch.
After a rather stressful semester, trying to apply for tenure at work, this break, I was more than ready to spend my tie out of doors and offline. And so, I decided to try my hand at something a bit more complicated. I am not yet brave enough to start working with "real" wood, oak, cherry or something expensive like that. Everything so far has been made out of white pine, that way, I can mess up without the angst of destroying some really nice wood. Incidentally, I have the issue with paper, I would much rather draw on a napkin than on a three dollar sheet of sketch paper. That probably says something profound about my personality. Maybe I should examine that later... maybe I'll write about my ponderings, on a napkin.
A five foot tall three drawer dresser made of white pine and carpenters glue
Currently the cabinet is sitting alone in the garage waiting for the stain to dry before I move it to the bedroom, where it will take it's predetermined place as real live furniture.
While my work is a far cry from fine art, It sure is satisfying to create something with your own two hands. Typing on a keyboard just doesn't produce the same effect. With that said, I am going to logoff, unplug and go do something useful.
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