Best Thinking Spot

One question

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA


>I know you Floridians are kind of casual about clothing, but do your neighbors ever mention that it's odd seeing you walking out starkers and dripping wet, then going into the shop?

Re: Best Thinking Spot

William Duffield, on the Cohansey


>The shower is good, but I wonder if the inspiration may have more to do with the time of day? Does it make a difference whether you have downed your first cup of coffee before or after the shower?

That said, have you considered installing a shower in the shop?

Sometimes, I think I get my best inspirations while driving, but I'm not sure, because it is really dangerous to write them down while avoiding cellphone-enabled SUV traffic, and I have a short memory, so I don't. During other commutes, my main concern is keeping myself from falling asleep behind the wheel. I think that also depends a lot on the time of day. What we need is a company with the inspiration to challenge GM, Verizon, et. al., with the transportation equivalent of the SawStop.

Re: One question

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native Now in FL. :~(


>Well bill, so far that has yet to happen, tho I may of came close to it today when I had my big Eureka! moment. :~O

Here in Jacksonville au natural does not seem to be very socially acceptable like it is down in Clay's neck of the woods, er, er beach.

T.O.

Re: Best Thinking Spot

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native Now in FL. :~(


>William you bring up several good points. My schedule goes as such:

wake up around 6 a.m., make coffee, feed the cats, hit the shop until 1:30ish p.m.. Take a shower, to get ready for work, go to work, get home at 10 p.m.ish, take a shower go to bed. Now that you mention it I do get most of my brain storms during the 1:30 shower, and this is after I have consumed most of a pot of coffee. The 10 p.m. shower is definately the uninspired one.

A shower in the shop is quite un-doable, but perhaps I could rig up a shower head to the spigot just outside of the door. Hmmmmmmmmmmm.

I do understand the "short memory" problem. I get so many ideas, and things to do that I usually end up forgetting most of them, or it takes me forever to get around to them. Took me probably close to 4 months to mail Ernie two 71 cutters that I owed him. I must of moved them from place to place at least 100 times, and one one point I had actually lost them. I try to write ideas down when I get them, but than ulimately lose the list.

When I drive I focus completely upon driving. These fools around here are absolutely insane. Stop signs and red lights mean nothing to them, and lets no even speak about lines in the road or blinkers. It's so bad that I want to trade in my S-10 for something bigger as I no longer feel safe in it. Tomorrow I'm going to go look at a '72 Chevy short-wide box. I really like those trucks, and they will take a pretty good hit.

T.O.

Re: Best Thinking Spot

Moses Yoder in White Pigeon, MI


>I've come to realize that my best thinking is done while my wife is talking to me I think. There is just somethng really inspiring about the background noise that seems somehow to quickly ferment and then cement great ideas. Unfortunately, I am usually thinking about something at work and not about my shop ;)

Re: Best Thinking Spot

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native Now in FL. :~(


>Yeah Moses, I hear ya'. I have recognized the fact that when it comes to my wife--whom I do love very much--that I am a very poor listener. In 10 seconds or less I can figure out the entire answer that I'm gonna get for at least an hour when I aske the simple question "How was you day". Every night I say to myself that I'm not going to ask, and than I do anyhow. After 10 seconds I'm thinking about at least one of the 1000 other things that I've got whirling around in my head. I try, I really do to listen to her out, but my brain filters out mind numbing chatter, so the only way I know she is still answering the question is that I can see her lips moving.

I guess she's making up for my short answers to the same question. I usually say "Fine, or Not bad" and than "How was yours"?

Todd O.

and the she said, so than I said, than he said, than I wonder if my mortice chisel needs to be sharpened before I use it next time? Did I wipe the oil off of the stone when I got done with last? Sure hope so, I better go check, oops, sorry honey was you still talking?

T.O.

Re: Best Thinking Spot

Donald Pierson


>Todd,

I spent 50 years applying mathematics and writing computer programs and the shower was a very productive place where I came up with ideas and solutions to a problem. Also walking through the parking lot at work was a good place. Nowadays that I am retired it is when I take my dog to the off-leash dog park for an hour walk...Don in Vancouver,WA,USA

While listening to corporate jargon

Stephen Kirk in Quakertown, PA


>I don't really have a good explanation, but maybe something about hearing how the corporation is going to "leverage my core competencies to fully realize our marketable potential" is like a catalyst to drive me mind towards something considerably more, um, real. Like the other day, when in the middle of a meeting I realized that a sliding dovetail would be a better joint on a particular project. My expression looked liked I was touched by the meaning of the meeting, but I won't tell anyone there the real reason.

Re: Best Thinking Spot

Marc in Luxembourg


>Best ideas come to me just before falling asleep. The moment everything's quiet and I can relax. Taking a shower, walking the dogs, waiting somewhere, yes in a meeting are good too... I think it's pretty often I think of wwing.

This never happened to you? Having much time to spend in the shop and in the middle of a project, all the steps are done and you haven't yet thought of the next one. How will I do the next thing? I have no distance to manage the next step. I'm a little bit lost and have to cut grass or walk the dogs. Luckily I will realize this dead point and not marring the work. Maybe this comes, because I'm not a great planner. :-))

Regards, Marc

"The Art of Thinking", by Ernest Dimnet... *LINK*

David Barnett - SW Florida


>This little paperback has changed lives. Socrates wasn't the only philosopher to appreciate both the bath and the latrine, you know.


"The Art of Thinking"

WHAT!!!!

Ernie Miller


>You had them for 4 months! it's a good thing I have plenty of other tools. and to think I got better cutters back than the ones I sent you. I win time is relative. Thanks buddy!

Re: Best Thinking Spot

Ernie Miller


>I kkep a pad by the bed as I get all kinds of idea whiule I sleep I wake make a couple scribbles and fall back to sleep I have sever diagrams in that tablet waiting to explain them selves to me. one is electrical and I have no clue about electricity? whatis up with that? My wife says it looks like I write in my sleep some times. I hate it when I come to work in the morning with an answer to one of there problems as I didn't get paid for that work.

Re: Best Thinking Spot

Greg Betit, Vergennes, VT.


>I've had solutions to a lot of problems bubble up when I'm sleeping. I think it's the left side of the brain finally getting a word in edgewise & that's the only time I'm "listening".

Greg

Re: Best Thinking Spot

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX


>Good practice, Ernie; but I wouldn't begrudge your employer the odd freebie or two. Just think of all the times you were getting paid to work and were instead thinking about a woodworking project. :)

Pam

Re: Best Thinking Spot

Ernie Miller


>Oh sure just walk up and bust my baloon with that Japanise chisel of yours. Your right I probably do get the best end of the deal. under a 1000 days untill retirement.

Me too. I love it when that happens!

Hank Knight from SC

Days left!

Mac in Indy


>Ernie,

I thought I was the only idiot that tracked how many days left untill retirement from the day job. My Excel spread sheet tells me I only have 771 "Getups" left till I'm eligible to retire. Is your less than 1000 days calender days or work days? I remember when I first set up the spreadsheet I had something like 1600 workdays left. Time will tell if I'm finantially to pull the ripcord on April 28, 2010 but it won't be for lack of trying! Good luck on your countdown,

Mac

Cool, only 3 more years, you can do it. :)

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

In bed and sleeping...

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond, CA


>Seems mine come in the middle of the night and wake me right up. Yes I keep a pen and a pad paper on the night stand.

Re: Days left!

Ernie Miller


>it is realy an aproximation there is a one best day to leave so I get my maximum benifits and it only happens twice a year or 4 weeks a year to be exact. So when I get a little closer I will set down with the retirement person and figure out that date. I do know that I only have about 10 hours of sick leave that I can use right now or I won't get paid for all of that that is built up when I leave. the cut off point is 1000 hours or more. I just go on vacation if I am sicker than that.

Walking...

John in NM


>Used to get stuck on calculus homework in college. When I gave up and walked home from the library, I'd usually have figured out the problem. Didn't help much on the exams though.

John

Re: Best Thinking Spot

John Veerkamp


>Legend has it that Napoleon's best place was the "throne".

Re:No pics PLEASE!!!

kevin French, Antrim, NH


>Now I have to deal with the image of TO in the shower about the same time I arrive at one of my favorite thinking spot, -the dump, especially when it comes to storage ideas.

I don't have a favorite spot I tend to be thinking all the time. I see or hear something and I'm off.

I also don't make lists, until I have a day to myself, and need to get a lot done. Staying "ON LIST" is sometimes a problem.

I counted days for 16 years!

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native now in Jax Fl.


>I had gotten out of the Army March of '86, and by October I had decided to join the Navy. Actuallt spent Christmas '86 in bootcamp, but I digress.

I had a job working in the chicken barns that I worked at for 6 days a week, 9 hours aday. So I sat down and fiqured out how many days there where in 16 years, and in those years how many days I work for the chicken barns vs how many I'd work if in the Navy, and the numbers where staggering. Once I got in I counted the days down frequently. What I didn't take into consideration when first doing my calculations was the 12-18-24-36 hours days I'd pull while in the Navy. Ahhhhhhhhhh well, no matter now as I'm certainly getting that time back now. :~)

I only keep a list to be able to remember my "Grand Ideas" to one day be implimented, but rarely does that ever happen as I easily lose the lists! Just as well tho as just the ones that I can remember keep me busy enough as it is.

I enjoyed all the responses.

T.O.