“Where are you going?”
Nowhere
“what are you going to do?”
Nothing
I’m taking the week off, between jobs. It’s been over four years since I’ve had this much down time. Riding RAGBRAI is a great busman’s holiday, but this, this is a whole new world. Exile, sabbatical, hiatus, break, down time, retreat, removal, vacate, evacuate, exit, check-out, disappearance, leave-taking.
Take rest; A field that has rested gives a bountiful crop. --Ovid
A life of leisure and life of laziness are two things. --Ben Franklin
They taught me how to work, but they can’t teach me how to shirk correctly… --XTC
...
What do you want to do?
Why do you want to do it?
A worm drive Skil saw kicks ass. Ripping, cutting, shredding. Sawdust flying in a cloud of power. The distinctive scream of the blade echoing through the neighborhood. I can appreciate and utilize its power and efficiency.
However there is something to be said for the beauty and elegant simplicity of a fine hand tool. Wood chips slowly curling from the blade. The substantial weight and feel of an ornate hand-decorated handle.
This year we’re going to get a real Christmas tree, and we’re not going to buy it at the mall parking lot, we’re going out in the woods to find one.
Does that mean?
You’re going to storm the wilderness in your SUV hop out on the edge of the road and leave the engine running, fire up the Husqvarna and pulverize that poor little tree, toss it in the back and drive home. All the while the kids never leave the rig, never stop watching their DVD, never stop text messaging their friends about the stupid “nature” trip you’re on, never even look up except to turn up the volume when the chainsaw goes off for 5 seconds. The kids are annoyed with the excursion and complain about having to go the bathroom.
Or does that mean?
You’re going park your Volvo wagon at the ranger station buy a tree permit and hike in five miles through knee-deep snow until you find the ideal tree. Stopping several times along the way to point out some things to the kids and have some hot chocolate. When you find the tree you want you pull a bow saw from your pack and let the kids take turns sawing and sawing and sawing until that tree comes down. With some twine you lash the tree to your Flexible Flyer and pull it back to the ranger station. The kids are exhausted and a little wet, but smiling and they fall soundly asleep shortly after getting back to the car.
What do you want to do?
Why?
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