On Mon, 24 Sep 2007 08:37:23 -0700, Frogwatch
wrote:

At some point, you exceed the optimum number of "toys" so that your
ability to maintain them begins to exceed your time to use them. I
believe this has happed to me. With two small homebuilt sailboats and
a 28' S2 sailboat, a homebuilt dinghy, a 20' Tolman Skiff (homeebuilt)
and a canoe, a 100 yr old log cabin in Wyoming that needs rebuilding,
an old Nissan truck with 309,000 miles on it that I love and a need to
maintain camping and caving equipment (did I mention a 20 yr old Dodge
Ram I inherited), I have no time to use any of it.
Yesterday, we wanted to go sailing but after I had de-fouled the prop
by going overboard in the canal, the engine overheated. Dang, I knew
I shoulda had the bottom painted thsi year (its been 4 years, a long
time in N. FL.). Engine intake was clogged with fouling and I couldnt
find a piece of stiff wire long enough to run through the intake from
inside (I wasnt going back in that nasty water again). So, sometime
this week, I gotta take time offa work and go to the coast and do
this, oughta replace the impeller at same time, scrape barnacles too.
My prop is just about shot from corrosion and dings so I'll haveta
sail her about 40 miles sometime in early Oct to have her hauled, prop
replaced, I will paint the bottom, and replace cutless bearing.
Somehow this week, I gotta set up caving gear for 5 people cuz my 20
yr old daughter has decided she wants to take her new BF on a caving
trip (gotta take the younger kids too).
Somehow, I think that I can do all of this if I optimally use each
evening and weekend to do stuff but something has to give. Money has
not been an issue because I do all the work myself cuz I dont like the
work anybody esle does and I have built 4 of my boats and my truck was
paid off 16 yrs ago. What should I give up to make room for doing
stuff?

Dump the vehicles. I finally had to do that. Was maintaining four
vehicles that average 200,000 miles. Sold off the 76 Datsun truck
(yeah I still had one with that name badge), Declared the "kids"
officially off the dependent status so they could maintain the cars
themselves or pay to have it done. Then sold off my wifes minivan.
Now have two vehicles that average 5K miles with warranties. No car
stuff for five years of so.

Of course what helped the most was retiring. I may be able to catch
up if I can stay off this computer.

Hey, I scallop in St. Joes bay, but I'm curious, are there any scallop
beds off of St Marks or east of St. George Sound. Do you ever hear
anyone talk of scalloping over there.

Frank
OH, I have this notion of building a kayak for my 11 yr old daughter
cuz she likes kayaks............