Morning Warmup

One cliché throughout the skilled trades is that workmen should clean up entirely at the end of the day and get their tools prepared for the next morning so that with the new day they can “hit the ground running.”   I am not that way.  I do not “hit the ground running” at the start of almost any day that does not have an extreme emotional import, I have to ease into the day.  Simply put I am not a morning person, Mrs. Barn knows not to discuss anything important with me first thing in the day.  I’ve been told my animus towards that time of day is due to my antipathy towards coffee.  That might be true.  The taste of coffee is repugnant to me, not as severe as cilantro or curry but in the same lineage.

I find that my best approach to a day of work in the shop starts with, well, my approach to the barn, which is about 150 yards from the cabin, mostly at about a 15-20% incline.  I promise you that gets the juices flowing.  Once in the shop my preference is to spend a little time cleaning, sweeping, putting away, and sometimes even spending a little time sharpening.  This routine is what gets me in tune with the unfolding day’s undertakings, and after a few minutes of puttering like this I am ready to attack the day with vigor.

And yes, I do clean, organize, and sharpen throughout the day as is necessary.