Never ending list

4wanderingeyes

5 year old buck +
I always seem to have this never ending, ever growing list of things that “need” to get done. I try to get things knocked off the list, but it seems I add more things to the list faster then they come off.

I have been wanting to install a security camera system to my house, and outside of the house for years. The system I wanted went on sale yesterday, about 30% off. I was so excited, I had it in the cart, then before I clicked buy, I started to think about when I will have time to install it, and realized it probably won’t be anytime this summer.

Then last night my wife got off work and told me she is bored, and we never do anything anymore, she is sick of just sitting around the house after she gets off work. I then realized the list is just my list, and she doesn’t help me at all. I asked her isn’t there any things you need to get done, or want to get done that you can work on, she said nothing.

Why is it I have a 2 year long list, and she has nothing to do? Is anyone else have this same issue? This weekend, I did tell her we will go and have some fun, but she needs to help me with some projects as well.

I do know a lot of my projects I bring on myself, hunting, and habitat related stuff. And I have never ending things like fire wood, and yard work, and a job that get in my way as well. Plus being a semi retired auto mechanic, I always have people who need me to work on their stuff.

I can’t be the only one, that has no idea what it would be like to think, “I need to find something to do, I am bored”
 
You are not alone. As a guy who was single my entire adult life until about 34 (a couple years ago), i'm still learning how to prioritize family over my never ending hobby to do list.
 
Sounds like a case of learning how to say "no".

If you're too busy with your own projects, learn how to tell people who want you to fix their car "no".

Your marriage is your first priority. Everything else can either wait or not get done.
 
You are not alone. As a guy who was single my entire adult life until about 34 (a couple years ago), i'm still learning how to prioritize family over my never ending hobby to do list
I have to say - once we had kids - THEY became our priority. My wife and I WANTED to be involved with them. My hobbies went to the back burner - happily, I have to say - in favor of doing stuff with our kids. We've had more FUN doing things with our kids than I ever could have had "doing my own thing." My own hobbies were always outdoor types - hunting, fishing, canoeing, hiking, exploring new territory, etc. Having sons to take along (If I headed for my truck - they were going too !!!) was the best thing that happened to me!!! They became wingmen and wanted to do whatever I was doing. I never forced them to come along. They've loved the outdoors and all it has to offer since they were little. They both were involved in sports, and did very well at them. The times we spent coaching, practicing, going to games & matches, my wife being "team Mom" & all the other kids & adults we met are solid GOLD. I wouldn't trade those great times for all the tea in China.

It's amazing how much FUN can be had with family/kids. They're only young once.
 
You are not alone. As a guy who was single my entire adult life until about 34 (a couple years ago), i'm still learning how to prioritize family over my never ending hobby to do list.
Same deal. Didn’t get married till 31, didn’t have a kid until 39. I had to hit the brakes so hard my head went through the windshield after that. I spent my whole life doing whatever I wanted until 2 years ago. Physically I’m doing what I should as a parent and husband but I’ll be damned if mentally I’m doing habitat work most of the day!
 
I work a full time job, own/operate 2 companies and my small hobby farm on top of that. None of this includes my addiction to building my own habitat, hunting or weight lifting. I'll admit, my wife is probably frustrated and wishes I was around more sometimes. On the same coin I get frustrated with her as well, She's a teacher, doesn't work in the summer. Spring/Summer are my busy months on all fronts. So while I'm legit putting in 20hr days some weeks, she's watching reality TV on the couch.

My son is old enough now (5) that he spends a lot of time tagging along with me as he seems to enjoy most of what I do, even actually helps get stuff done now.


I don't know, it seems to work for us....
 
Same deal. Didn’t get married till 31, didn’t have a kid until 39. I had to hit the brakes so hard my head went through the windshield after that. I spent my whole life doing whatever I wanted until 2 years ago. Physically I’m doing what I should as a parent and husband but I’ll be damned if mentally I’m doing habitat work most of the day!

That’s about the same story as for me, but I am now retired for 3 years. I have been doing lots of projects that were neglected for 3 decades. I need to get them done while I am physically able to do so.

I have also done some projects on flower beds and such for my wife. She knows me. I grumble, complain, and then usually tell her we should go get the materials we need for projects she wants done.

Living on this old farm for 30 plus years did allow me to get some habitat projects done,even with kids.
I have some hunting land where much driving time is needed and I have got to the point of no habitat work there, except for periodic timber harvests. Gas price has accelerated my lack of work there.

We all need to remember our wives and kids and compromise.

I pray that I can get over the grumbling and complaining that I do for my wife’s projects.

Live on your hunting land if you can do so!


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In my case, we are empty nesters. My wife is a retired school teacher, but works an office job now. Prairieshadow, I can relate to the summer off, watching soaps, and myself always busy. Then when I was done working, and eating dinner, I would get a honey do list to add to my busyness.

When our kids were growing up, I would go to the cabin a couple times a month, the kids for the most part loved it, until dating started, then either we had to bring significant others along, or listen to them whine the entire time, or they would play on their phones the entire time. After the youngest moved off to college last summer, we moved to my hunting land, and call it home now. We have grandkids, thye love to come visit us, and spend a week a month here in the summer. Our kids do com visit us yet, not often. I have 1 son that has helped me the most here, building, food plots, hunting partner, etc.. but now he is married and with his own kids. When he comes, he doesnt come to work, more to relax, and have some fun. So I dont get much help with projects anymore.
 
That’s about the same story as for me, but I am now retired for 3 years. I have been doing lots of projects that were neglected for 3 decades. I need to get them done while I am physically able to do so.

I have also done some projects on flower beds and such for my wife. She knows me. I grumble, complain, and then usually tell her we should go get the materials we need for projects she wants done.

Living on this old farm for 30 plus years did allow me to get some habitat projects done,even with kids.
I have some hunting land where much driving time is needed and I have got to the point of no habitat work there, except for periodic timber harvests. Gas price has accelerated my lack of work there.

We all need to remember our wives and kids and compromise.

I pray that I can get over the grumbling and complaining that I do for my wife’s projects.

Live on your hunting land if you can do so!


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6a6ede49184a1bcf27d2b5f374fc5c3a.jpg

This is the classic last example of me grumbling and complaining and then doing something for my wife. I need to eliminate the grumbling.


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I'm bored out of my mind right now. Spring habitat work is done. I've got the cabin all built out where I want it. Fall plotting is still 5 weeks out. I don't own a home, so nothing to work on there. I am going to try to get the excavator out in July, but I need a couple weeks of dry before I'm gonna do that. I don't want to try to wrestle clay paste out of the bucket. I need to go deep again this year.

I'm glad I had some blow down on the trails last week. At least we got the annual shaker outta the way to take down sick and rotten trees ahead of this winter's chainsaw season. It also gives me a reason to fire up the saw now. I'm fairly certain the flail mower is gonna sell this weekend, so then I can rip the garage apart and clean it and reorganize it from top to bottom. I do need to wire up a power outlet under my game cleaning table to run an electric fillet knife, but I need some of that crap outta the garage before I can move around out there.
 
I'm bored out of my mind right now. Spring habitat work is done. I've got the cabin all built out where I want it. Fall plotting is still 5 weeks out. I don't own a home, so nothing to work on there. I am going to try to get the excavator out in July, but I need a couple weeks of dry before I'm gonna do that. I don't want to try to wrestle clay paste out of the bucket. I need to go deep again this year.

I'm glad I had some blow down on the trails last week. At least we got the annual shaker outta the way to take down sick and rotten trees ahead of this winter's chainsaw season. It also gives me a reason to fire up the saw now. I'm fairly certain the flail mower is gonna sell this weekend, so then I can rip the garage apart and clean it and reorganize it from top to bottom. I do need to wire up a power outlet under my game cleaning table to run an electric fillet knife, but I need some of that crap outta the garage before I can move around out there.

Fishing?


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Fishing?


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No boat yet. Still working through other things on the to-do list. Maybe next year if I can find a little rig to venture out onto the local lakes. It's getting close though. I've got one more year of dirt moving after this, and then I may just get down to a single day or two for fun each year.
 
I always seem to have this never ending, ever growing list of things that “need” to get done. I try to get things knocked off the list, but it seems I add more things to the list faster then they come off.

I have been wanting to install a security camera system to my house, and outside of the house for years. The system I wanted went on sale yesterday, about 30% off. I was so excited, I had it in the cart, then before I clicked buy, I started to think about when I will have time to install it, and realized it probably won’t be anytime this summer.

Then last night my wife got off work and told me she is bored, and we never do anything anymore, she is sick of just sitting around the house after she gets off work. I then realized the list is just my list, and she doesn’t help me at all. I asked her isn’t there any things you need to get done, or want to get done that you can work on, she said nothing.

Why is it I have a 2 year long list, and she has nothing to do? Is anyone else have this same issue? This weekend, I did tell her we will go and have some fun, but she needs to help me with some projects as well.

I do know a lot of my projects I bring on myself, hunting, and habitat related stuff. And I have never ending things like fire wood, and yard work, and a job that get in my way as well. Plus being a semi retired auto mechanic, I always have people who need me to work on their stuff.

I can’t be the only one, that has no idea what it would be like to think, “I need to find something to do, I am bored”

Same here. In addition to working at the new retirement property, I recently had a game camera issue at the farm. My signal levels had dropped as the pines had grown and then the tall antenna mast on one of my repeater cameras took a hit in a storm and began to list. It has an 8db monopole antenna on it. The antenna pattern on those is donut shaped, so between the two, I lost contact with half my cameras.

Last weekend, I moved one of my other cameras to a spot that had good signal levels at the base and low but acceptable signal levels with the repeater camera. I then reconfigured things for a 2 hop topology. That got thins up and running again.

My original plan had been to rent a 50' man-lift to fix the listing antenna. This weekend I decided to re-asses the situation with the new 2 hop configuration. I decided that with the new configuration, I did not need that height to transmit over the pines (which was no longer over the pines with the growth). We do have a timber contract that will thin those pines but I can't wait for it to be executed. So, I decided to stay with the 2 hop system and lower that antenna instead of fixing the mast.

This antenna mast is on top of an elevated box blind. I decided that I could take the antenna mast down without a lift by building a small platform on top of the box blind. It cost me less than $30 in lumber along with some scraps I had. I spent this morning working on the platform. It was nearly finished when the heat began to affect me so I quit. I'll finish it in the morning and hopefully take down the mast. Getting that antenna vertical again should improve signal levels significantly.

My list is as long as my arm, but there is always something like this that needs done NOW that often is not on the list!

Thanks,

Jack
 
Between a farm, a ranch, a new startup business in regenerative ag, a wife I love doing things with, a massive vegetable garden we live out of, a passion for travel, numerous hobbies.....my list of things to do gets longer by the day. And I love every moment of it. { Just finished picking and shelling purple hull peas which my wife will turn into a masterpiece of divinity for our evening meal } Good Lord I feel like a lucky man!
 
I prefer to not have help on most of my jobs but they always come after the wife and kids list. That leads to stuff getting half done or close enough done. I pretty much have camp to myself now that my FIL passed. My oldest daughter will come once in awhile but wife and other daughter have no interest. looking like I will have two camps to look after so the list is only going to grow. If I get to it I get to it, otherwise try again next time.
 
I mostly enjoy the stuff, and like I said, I usually bring most of it on myself. I am too stubborn to hire out jobs, even when I dont understand them, so I will research for hours, trying to figure out how to do everything. Right now I am finishing installing an outdoor wood boiler, I have the cement pad done, and the piping, and electrical trenched, and a shed built around the wood boiler. I just got done cutting down 3 trees to give myself more room for a wood shed that I need to put up yet. My plan for this weekend is to hang a garage heater and finish plumbing the heater lines, install 8 posts for the wood shed, frame the wood shed, spread gravel for the floor of the wood shed, then put a tin roof on it. I also need to fill the boiler full of water, add the anti corrosion chemicals to it, then fire it up. I need to have a water sample sent in by July 15th for warranty. If I dont have it completed yet, I can call them and delay the water sample another 30 days, but I want it done.

I love spending time with my wife. She enjoys the simple things, she likes to canoe, go out on the boat and have a couple beers, while I fish, she likes camp fires, going on ATV rides, and she also enjoys taking me shopping, which I dont understand, because when I go shopping with her, I am usually wandering around in other departments, or staring at my phone, and repeatedly asking if we are done yet, for some reason she still likes me, I dont get it.
 
I mostly enjoy the stuff, and like I said, I usually bring most of it on myself. I am too stubborn to hire out jobs, even when I dont understand them, so I will research for hours, trying to figure out how to do everything. Right now I am finishing installing an outdoor wood boiler, I have the cement pad done, and the piping, and electrical trenched, and a shed built around the wood boiler. I just got done cutting down 3 trees to give myself more room for a wood shed that I need to put up yet. My plan for this weekend is to hang a garage heater and finish plumbing the heater lines, install 8 posts for the wood shed, frame the wood shed, spread gravel for the floor of the wood shed, then put a tin roof on it. I also need to fill the boiler full of water, add the anti corrosion chemicals to it, then fire it up. I need to have a water sample sent in by July 15th for warranty. If I dont have it completed yet, I can call them and delay the water sample another 30 days, but I want it done.

I love spending time with my wife. She enjoys the simple things, she likes to canoe, go out on the boat and have a couple beers, while I fish, she likes camp fires, going on ATV rides, and she also enjoys taking me shopping, which I dont understand, because when I go shopping with her, I am usually wandering around in other departments, or staring at my phone, and repeatedly asking if we are done yet, for some reason she still likes me, I dont get it.
That is not an ordinary list. Those are big boy jobs.
 
Y’all sound like me. I feel like I can never get through my list. My farm is in a county with only 9k people so I have a hard time finding someone to even hire to help. So I just do it as I can.
 
One day long ago I saw a sign. It was a list. I read the list. It listed all the bad effects of smoking and drinking and eating. I decided to give up reading.
Now having heard the horrors of making lists I'm going to avoid that as well....
 
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