New Years resolutions...... No BS!

[jazz]

That sounds ideal to me. I always like men more the less I have to see them.

Wait until you have a couple rugrats running around. You will be thrilled to pass off some chores especially at 2am.

My dad was from the mad men era. Those guys dont change diapers. He would often leave the house at 5 am and didnt come back until meal time. Could have been dead in a coulee somewhere. Somehow made it to 80.

[LEP]

You guys must have a different wife than me. After all summer in the field she sure wouldnt like me hiding out in the shop too. Especially with the kids at home in lockdown and going nuts.

I remember my dad doing that. Wintering cows, calving, seeding, haying, harvest and then tinker in the shop on the side and run to town for coffee. He only slept and ate in the house for many yrs. I dont think many modern marriages would stand for that.

Fair comment about balance needed. I am gone from spring to fall. I get alittle freedom in July although I often have a project then, It might be at home or on the farm.

Winter time I do work in the shop some but not everyday and always home for breakfast and done before supper. I think that is plenty now that we are empty nesters.

I remember a friend who had retired and was home alot more, telling me his wife told him to get a job. He was driving her nuts.

Part of my point about shop size is, if you have a really large shop, you better use it alot.

[SASKFARMER]

Build it bigger than you need
Think you need if you use them they are always to small.

Now Nykolashian’s is a shop I would be happy with.

[Blaithin]

Wait until you have a couple rugrats running around. You will be thrilled to pass off some chores especially at 2am.

No thanks. I can deal with men around a lot easier than small children. If they arrived via stork somewhere between 6 and 8 and could get their own Cheerios and turn the cartoons on then I’d be fine.

[fjlip]

Great discussion, I spent many winter hours in a 1988 model shop. Till combine got too big, did all the "greenlites" there. Nothing like SF, but maintenance. I enjoyed wood work for 20 years, in the winter, kids were in school, then kids grew up. Now less of that, age changes all, NOTHING is forever. Do what you can, but a heated shop can save marriages too. The words about absence...and hearts. Enjoy while you can. It's an investment.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Great discussion, I spent many winter hours in a 1988 model shop. Till combine got too big, did all the "greenlites" there. Nothing like SF, but maintenance. I enjoyed wood work for 20 years, in the winter, kids were in school, then kids grew up. Now less of that, age changes all, NOTHING is forever. Do what you can, but a heated shop can save marriages too. The words about absence...and hearts. Enjoy while you can. It's an investment.

I know a lot of welders, rig workers, siesmographers, pipeliners etc, whose careers keep them away from home for long periods of time.
Then something changes ( like a lock down or industry crash, or career change), and they start spending time with their families. Wifes say they are in the way, cramping their usual routine, it is hard on marriages.

There is a joke to the effect of this:

The internet failed, the power was off, too dark to read, too cold to go outside etc, so I had nothing else to do but to talk to my wife, She seems like a nice lady.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

No thanks. I can deal with men around a lot easier than small children. If they arrived via stork somewhere between 6 and 8 and could get their own Cheerios and turn the cartoons on then I’d be fine.

Funny, most guys would agree with that. Perhaps a business opportunity beckons?

[Partners]

Well everyone's situation is different.
Surprising what happens when a man does the dishes..washes the clothes..vacuum the house..cooks dinner.
Then the wife is super happy too drive the combine..haul grain..haul water to the sprayer.do the books.etc..
For us never built a heated shop cuz winter is a form of stress relief..every possible day on the skidoos..and yes..100% of the time together. After 42 yrs we are still newly weds. Can't imagine it any other way..

[tubs]

Just built a new shop 60x100 well insulated with floor heat. We will do more projects in house get pats and work at it overtime. In the spring always in a rush to get thing ready and not always the nicest weather, Then you need a part and have to wait 2 weeks for it.I am going to order some parts from the states as the are a lot cheaper there and get it done.

[LEP]

Another thing that I noticed was once the shop was built, there was a big backlog of projects to get done.

We were motivated to get them done, then overtime the list gets shorter and now we are quite abit more on top of things and not really looking for jobs. It just shows all the way through the season as there is less to get ready for each upcoming job.

Often in July the harvest equipment is ready, so we do our major work on the drills and have them ready before we harvest. We try to fix many things right after we use them while it is fresh in our memory what needs fixing.

Not always being behind is worth alot.