The pocket hole rant

 O HI PO!

I like the way that looks in all caps. I figure you’ve been in bed for an hour or so. I took today off, which felt good even though I had some stuff to take care of this morning. I made myself some Cream O’Wheat for breakfast. Mom and grandma went thanksgiving shopping and I thought I had dodged a bullet. So I started assembling the base of the projector cabinet. 

I’ll take a sidetrack here for a rant. I hate pocket hole joinery. Did you ever do that in woods for your projects? Here’s the process: 1. Carefully measure and mark all of your joints. 2. Precisely set up the drill collar for proper depth for the thickness of wood I’m working on as well as imprecisely setting up the jig so I had to redo all of the holes that were mostly in unseen places on the base. 3. Carefully and solidly clamp my joint, so that my perfectly cut boards are precisely aligned. 4. Select the proper screw length for, once again, the proper thickness of wood, insert screw into the pocket hole and make sure it’s property aligned in the hole and…drill. 5. Expel several words that are not repeatable to missionaries or posterity because no matter how many times I do this the joint slips by anywhere between 1/16th  and 1/8th of an inch. As you know, that’s a lot in woodworking. 6. Repeat this several times each time clamping it down harder to the point I added biscuit joints (that’s a rant for another letter) and brad nails. It got better, but I think it’s time to advance past pocket holes. Luckily, I can hide the worst side of the base at the back and I was planning on painting the base black anyway, so it should hide the mistakes. The other thing I got done was the back of the cabinet, or the part I’ve decided to call the wall shield because I have to make the cabinet so low the ugly wall plate with all of the wires coming out shows. Anyway I decided to use my $12 doweling jig to joint those parts and it turned out way better, stronger, and easier. 

Somewhere during the earlier part of that above paragraph mom called to have me pick up the groceries because her car was loaded with stuff for the DI. But I ended up hanging out with mom and grandma at Costco. Grandma is starting to feel some of the effects of her treatments, but the doctor said she’s doing really well. I brought the stuff home and continued doing that stuff in the second paragraph. It’s interesting how the day before having a few days off and how going through the next day you can almost feel that stress as it melts away.

Tonight Ben made his good burgers, last time we had those you made them. Then mom and I went to Walmart to look for, and remember this when you think your life might be dull, thanksgiving table cloths. Just so you know, mom and I can spice things up, we found a small tree to put behind the chair. Now the exciting part is that we had to ask no less than three employees if we could buy the display model and get a discount. You would have loved to been there for that. Oh, and we could and we did.

Mom just turned off the TV and I can hear your brothers downstairs. Jordan is spending the night so I’m glad they are having fun, I can see Ben and Jake going through the same adjustments the you and Jake did when Ben left and also you and Ben did when Jake left. Sometimes they are quieter than normal and sometimes much, much louder. I haven’t heard them play music together since you’ve been gone.

Yesterday was pretty busy at work. Do you remember the Gates family from the house across the street and the park. The mom passed away last year from cancer. They had a son that lived there and for some reason we began to talk. Anyway,  yesterday he randomly called me and I had no idea who he was. But I figured it out and we started talking. I was about to join a Teams call but had the impression that talking to him was much more important. So I did. We talked for a good 45 minutes. I know he has a history of substance issues and depression. He’s moved to Corpus Christie, Texas for some reason and sounded lonely. He also told me that he had been drinking all night. For some reason it came to mind that I should just listen and tell him one thing. That no matter what he’s done or doing that God loves him and wants him to be close to him. I think it was the right thing to say because he got quite and thanked me. He said he felt the Holy Spirit. I need to check in with him periodically. I can imagine being alone fighting addiction and mental health problems. Life can get hard dude.

It’s quite now and I’m tired. Mom just turned the tv off and the hum of the furnace kicked in. Life is simple here, but I’m so grateful for that. Tomorrow is thanksgiving, the best holiday. Jacob and Jordan planned a turkey bowl for tomorrow morning. Yes, you’ll be missed there too. 

Hopefully we can chat tomorrow, my favorite part of any holiday. I sure love you, 

Pops