Why am I such an ass?

[CRASH]

Why do I have to make eveything so complicated?

Why is nothing "good enough"?

Why does my rig have to be perfect, and not wheeling?

Why not just drive junk, and actually wheel, vs. missing a season of wheeling due to an unfinished rig?

Am I the only perfectionist dumb-ass out there?

[Lawn Cher']

You are not alone... unfortunately I am also a procrastinator so I never get anything finished and usually wind up wheeling as-is until too many things are broken and then do a major rebuild.

[XJEEPER]

Hard one to put my finger on Andy.....the scope is way to wide.

There's a lot of us rowin' the same boat though....and now that my Accord tranny has pooped itself, $2K of my Jeep project stash O' cash will be blown on the must fix VS wanna build.......

[Bryan C.]

Why do I have to make eveything so complicated?

Why is nothing "good enough"?

Why does my rig have to be perfect, and not wheeling?

Why not just drive junk, and actually wheel, vs. missing a season of wheeling due to an unfinished rig?

Am I the only perfectionist dumb-ass out there?

Who said that you don't drive junk already? :flame:

I too am a procrastinator, but I will just wheel my junk as-is for the sake of having fun instead of wrenching on it.

[Handlebars]

While you were busy working on your junk I was..
http://www.fototime.com/E92DCBABD88E47D/standard.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/FF302D562F20F68/orig.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/8357C682DE973E9/orig.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/8F07ADD2EA00B75/orig.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/9DD2CBED6212638/orig.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/ACFFCE611812332/orig.jpg

If it makes you feel any better, I am not going to make it to Johnson Valley either. :)

[GSequoia]

Bah.

You've got plenty of time to get something going URF style.

[azdesertrhino]

Sweet pictures. Are they all in the New Mexico area? Sorry I don't recognize the areas.

[DaJudge]

Handlebars that was low! You like to turn the knife don't you? :scottm:

Now to hi-jack this thread.....If we get any snow this year are you up for some snow wheelin'?

Glen

[Root Moose]

Why do I have to make eveything so complicated?

Why is nothing "good enough"?

Why does my rig have to be perfect, and not wheeling?

Why not just drive junk, and actually wheel, vs. missing a season of wheeling due to an unfinished rig?

Am I the only perfectionist dumb-ass out there?

x2. :(

Don't switch platforms during the ultimate build either. Missing one season of wheeling would be a stroke of genius over here.

Blew the engine in the Impreza last night. So much for getting suspension under the Jeep before the snow flies.

As for being an ass, embrace your inner a55h013. When you don't give two fooks things are a lot less stressful.

[Chero-King]

As for being an ass, embrace your inner a55h013. When you don't give two fooks things are a lot less stressful.

Exactly. Couldn't have said it better myself.

[Jes]

Why not just drive junk, and actually wheel, vs. missing a season of wheeling due to an unfinished rig?



Perhaps quilting would be more your style?

http://www.quilt.com/

[Beej]

Perhaps quilting would be more your style?

http://www.quilt.com/ :laugh2:

[SeanP]

I don't know about you, but Alex is certainly showing asshole tendancies in this thread :)

Andy, you are two years behind me. The kiddo will rule your world, but there will be light at the end of the tunnel and the rig will be awesome and a whole new stage of your wheeling career will start. Mine is just turning the corner after lieing dormant for a long time (4 years and 3 wheeling trips). I solved my tow rig problem in a BIG 3/4 ton way this week. :)

SeanP

[XJEEPER]

Sean's right.....(really?)

You're merely experiencing the phenomenon most commonly known as "Priority Shift". When Nat and I bought our first house it was a fixer-upper and we had a 3 yr plan on turning it for big profit. We had no children at the time and I seemed to have time to not only remodel the home, but build on my Jeep, fab bumpers, perform tranny swaps, fab stuff for others......enter the scene, Mason.
Suddenly I was spending less time in the garage, less time on the remodel and more time with my new addition......gasp! A short 2 years later Kylee arrived and free time went from occasional to sneak in an hour here and there on home and Jeep projects. Oddly enough, things that seemed so important and at the top of my priority list pre-kids were now moved to over to the list of things I'd like to accomplish someday in the near future.

Fast forward 8 years. Mason's getting big enough to help me on project and loves to work with me on our new home and on the Jeep. Both kids love to get out on the trail and wheel and now it's become a family affair instead of dad's hobby.

Welcome to parenting Andy, cherish the time you have with you family and keep it a priority, the projects eventually get worked in......takes more time to get them done now, but the most important thing you can do is be there for your wife and kids. Before you know it, you'll be working on projects with a little Jeeper on a creeper next to you..........

[Root Moose]

What he said. For me it was two kids, losing job, changing jobs 2 times independent of the lay off, moving three times (last time to place without a garage).

Works out to ~7 years.

[SeanP]

Sean's right.....(really?)

You're merely experiencing the phenomenon most commonly known as "Priority Shift". When Nat and I bought our first house it was a fixer-upper and we had a 3 yr plan on turning it for big profit. We had no children at the time and I seemed to have time to not only remodel the home, but build on my Jeep, fab bumpers, perform tranny swaps, fab stuff for others......enter the scene, Mason.
Suddenly I was spending less time in the garage, less time on the remodel and more time with my new addition......gasp! A short 2 years later Kylee arrived and free time went from occasional to sneak in an hour here and there on home and Jeep projects. Oddly enough, things that seemed so important and at the top of my priority list pre-kids were now moved to over to the list of things I'd like to accomplish someday in the near future.

Fast forward 8 years. Mason's getting big enough to help me on project and loves to work with me on our new home and on the Jeep. Both kids love to get out on the trail and wheel and now it's become a family affair instead of dad's hobby.

Welcome to parenting Andy, cherish the time you have with you family and keep it a priority, the projects eventually get worked in......takes more time to get them done now, but the most important thing you can do is be there for your wife and kids. Before you know it, you'll be working on projects with a little Jeeper on a creeper next to you..........


Yep! great description of my life right there. It's all about prioritizing and getting rid of all the stuff you can.

Plus, andy, if what you told me on the phone this week about a new gig is true, you are about to lose 10 hours a week of commute time and gain more parts budget. Don't want to jinx you tho, so I'll keep the fingers crossed.

[Gil BullyKatz]

Sean's right.....(really?)

You're merely experiencing the phenomenon most commonly known as "Priority Shift". When Nat and I bought our first house it was a fixer-upper and we had a 3 yr plan on turning it for big profit. We had no children at the time and I seemed to have time to not only remodel the home, but build on my Jeep, fab bumpers, perform tranny swaps, fab stuff for others......enter the scene, Mason.
Suddenly I was spending less time in the garage, less time on the remodel and more time with my new addition......gasp! A short 2 years later Kylee arrived and free time went from occasional to sneak in an hour here and there on home and Jeep projects. Oddly enough, things that seemed so important and at the top of my priority list pre-kids were now moved to over to the list of things I'd like to accomplish someday in the near future.

Fast forward 8 years. Mason's getting big enough to help me on project and loves to work with me on our new home and on the Jeep. Both kids love to get out on the trail and wheel and now it's become a family affair instead of dad's hobby.

Welcome to parenting Andy, cherish the time you have with you family and keep it a priority, the projects eventually get worked in......takes more time to get them done now, but the most important thing you can do is be there for your wife and kids. Before you know it, you'll be working on projects with a little Jeeper on a creeper next to you..........

well said...

kids make for less hobby time but more than make up for it in smile factor...

wouldn't trade an "I love you Dad" for all the jeeps in the world.

[Geepfreak]

wouldn't trade an "I love you Dad" for all the jeeps in the world.

Haven't heard that since my kids turned into teenagers...:D

[XJ_ranger]

well said...

kids make for less hobby time but more than make up for it in smile factor...

wouldn't trade an "I love you Dad" for all the jeeps in the world.


:gasp:

Nothing sarcastic in a post from Gil?

:scared:


:D :D

[Lincoln]

Andy, I wouldn't say you're an ass all by itself. You are a dumb ass, a jack ass, and a smart ass all rolled into one.

Jes is on the right track, but I'm affraid that may take too much of your time. You need smaller projects that get completed fast and give you more personal satifaction. This site should fit you well http://www.marthastewart.com/ .

You guys have made fun of me for years about how I take forever to complete anything. I was just getting practice early. :D

[XJ Dreamin']

Why do I have to make eveything so complicated?

Why is nothing "good enough"?

Why does my rig have to be perfect, and not wheeling?

Why not just drive junk, and actually wheel, vs. missing a season of wheeling due to an unfinished rig?

Am I the only perfectionist dumb-ass out there?

If you wanted a leather coat, would you buy Naugahyde?

If you collected knives, would you buy $5 Chinese crap off the c-store counter?

You know what your rig needs to be. That's not necessarily what someone else wants from their rig, but their choices are irrelevant.

Sure, kids'll slow you down. We've got three and I get absolutely nothing done. That doesn't change the preferred future condition of your rig.

Hang in there. I don't even have an XJ, but I'm rootin' for ya'. You'll get-r-done :)

[hadfield4wd]

Sean's right.....(really?)

You're merely experiencing the phenomenon most commonly known as "Priority Shift". When Nat and I bought our first house it was a fixer-upper and we had a 3 yr plan on turning it for big profit. We had no children at the time and I seemed to have time to not only remodel the home, but build on my Jeep, fab bumpers, perform tranny swaps, fab stuff for others......enter the scene, Mason.
Suddenly I was spending less time in the garage, less time on the remodel and more time with my new addition......gasp! A short 2 years later Kylee arrived and free time went from occasional to sneak in an hour here and there on home and Jeep projects. Oddly enough, things that seemed so important and at the top of my priority list pre-kids were now moved to over to the list of things I'd like to accomplish someday in the near future.

Fast forward 8 years. Mason's getting big enough to help me on project and loves to work with me on our new home and on the Jeep. Both kids love to get out on the trail and wheel and now it's become a family affair instead of dad's hobby.

Welcome to parenting Andy, cherish the time you have with you family and keep it a priority, the projects eventually get worked in......takes more time to get them done now, but the most important thing you can do is be there for your wife and kids. Before you know it, you'll be working on projects with a little Jeeper on a creeper next to you..........

Couldn't have said it better. 3 kids though. The thing I do different now is take smaller bites of a project. I break it down, even if it will cost more and I have to redo some things. I had a 2 1/2 year project because of priority rearranging. I also schedule garage time on our calender so I don't get busy with other things. It works better if my wife can plan me in the garage. Usually the boys are there with me working on their own "projects"

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/Jeepboy.jpg

My 8 year old shags tools and keeps them clean. He can also name most of the parts and has torqued head bolts. I use it as a learning experience and it takes 3-4 times as long to accomplish any work on the Jeep but I accomplish more than that with the kids.

Matt

[XJ Dreamin']

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/Jeepboy.jpg



Hey! Get some stands under that rear end! Never trust a floor jack! j/k :D

When our 11yo was about 2 1/2, I was in the middle of overhauling the 360 out of my '86 Ram Charger. One night his mom came out to the shop and told me to come see what "your son was up to." He had put the front end of his peddle car up on his little rocking chair, grabbed the plastic hammer from his pounder toy, crawled under the car and was beating the chit out it, cussin' a blue streak in baby talk. It was hilarious! :laugh2:

[hadfield4wd]

Hey! Get some stands under that rear end! Never trust a floor jack! j/k :D

When our 11yo was about 2 1/2, I was in the middle of overhauling the 360 out of my '86 Ram Charger. One night his mom came out to the shop and told me to come see what "your son was up to." He had put the front end of his peddle car up on his little rocking chair, grabbed the plastic hammer from his pounder toy, crawled under the car and was beating the chit out it, cussin' a blue streak in baby talk. It was hilarious! :laugh2:

Yeah the jack stands has come up in other posts.

The tougest part about having the kids in the garage is when you smash a finger or hand and not cussing. Broke my finger with a slide hammer and my son said, "look mommy daddy's face is really red." Also a work of caution don't do rhyming words with truck. Don't ask me how I know.

Matt

[CRASH]

Thanks for the encouragement guys. Got a lot done this weekend, hopefully, I'll be driving it out of the garage by the end of next weekend.

Oh, and Sean, got the new gig, w/ a very nice package. ;)

[FarmerMatt]

well said...

kids make for less hobby time but more than make up for it in smile factor...

wouldn't trade an "I love you Dad" for all the jeeps in the world.

Wait till they get older... You'll want to trade them for a mere 6 pak of Natural Lite.:confused1

It just takes time Andy. I'm ahead of you by about 7 years. The oldest is 13 & the youngest is 8. Time is still a problem though...

[SeanP]

Oh, and Sean, got the new gig, w/ a very nice package. ;)

Hmmm, let's see: More $$ and two hours per day less travel??? Sounds like a nice package, indeed. See you Sat.!