Last week the Planner watched a video about an Australian guy who ran a marathon. Not just any marathon either.  This man ran it over the course of a day in one mile intervals every hour.  During the remaining time in his hour he completed odd jobs around the home that have needed completion over various states of time.  A Mile an Hour, while being about just one man, has set the Planner on a let’s get organized kick.

What better way to stay organized than with a calendar.  But before this calendar could even begin to be built, it must be drawn to scale on the computer and printed out for accuracy. I swear even the simplest tasks sometimes turn into work. Designing and drawing takes time, lots of time.  Watching the Planner draw must not be interesting to the doggo as she spent the time napping.  She can’t nap on her new dog pillow. No, no, she has to nap off the side causing her to snore.  And drool.  Old lady doggos are a trip.
   

Final designs created a huge 5′ x 4′ wall calendar.  Not wanting a store bought calendar due to their small size and needing a strong backing to attach several magnets, we made one from a 4′ x 8′ sheet of white backing shower board.  Having been used by every penny pinching teacher/home school parent for the last 15 years or so, this white shower board is the perfect solution to a DIY dry erase board or calendar.

With the guidelines at hand, an extra large permanent marker was needed to draw lines on the board.  Your average run of the mill standard oil based paint pen will not work as the tip is too small and the lines will get lost on the board.  Jumbo calendars requires jumbo lines.  On a side note, I would like to comment of the safety of this purchase.  The pen came in a vacuumed sealed package inside of a vacuumed sealed cardboard packaging.  To top it off, the pen required customer service to verify that I was of age.  Good grief.  Huffing paint pens is so old school.  Are stores going to start carding your age to buy toothpaste?  Remember back in the early 90’s when that was the “thing” to get “high”.  Let me just say that by the time I got home with the pen, I was very jaded by the whole experience. 

And then jaded went to a whole new level.  A. WHOLE. NEW. LEVEL.  In testing how to write with this edged pen, it was discovered the pen does not immediately dry like all other permanent pens.  There is a set time.  This set time as it turns out is long enough that I had pen on my hands, my pants, and across my desk.  UGH. UGH. UGH.  Fortunately, the Planner has impeccable timing to my meltdowns and saved the pen before it was hurdled across the box and out the back door.  Mineral spirits was needed to clean the hand but the clothes will now be worn as a reminder to my hate towards this pen.

Back on track with the calendar building a slight delay occurred.  Originally we were going to hot glue craft roll magnets to the back of the white board.  Immediately upon hanging the board to the wall, the magnets failed and the calendar crashed to the floor.  It was then decided the calendar needed a strong durable backing to attach three or so industrial magnets.  A quick trip to the hardware store resulted with a sheet of CDX plywood that oddly came with some weird reflective backing.  Why CDX? Hello, DIY cheap. 

Cut to the predesigned measurements, the CDX was prepped for the white board.  Not wanting to screw the white board to the plywood, the white board was caulked into place.  Not wanting the white board to have bubbles, it was caulked crisscross, along the edges, and with an X into place.  In this case, I really don’t think there could be too much caulk.

Once attached, the calendar was weighted and stored for dry time.  What I forgot to take a picture of was the calendar with about a dozen or so clamps all around the edging to keep the two boards from pulling apart until the caulk could set in place.

Keeping on track with the Planners new desire to stay more focused and not waste “down” time, next on the agenda of small projects to accomplish was more Harvey tree cleanup. Of course, because it is never ending.

Before the tree was cut into firewood, the Planner played with the heart first.  He cut off several 2″- 4″ slices off the tree and then cut off the outer edges to leave just the beautiful dark, hard heart.  This piece in particular was closer to 6″ inches and heavy.  Holding wood slices for picture taking must be challenging as the Planner was clearly straining at this awkward angle.  Did you know that live oak trees were used for ship building way back in the day due to their dense, strong hearts?  This amazing little facts stumps me (not pun intended) as I have never cut a live oak tree that did not split at the heart.  I would love to conquer this feat because it sure would make fabulous furniture.

Taking a break to grab a quick bite to eat I snagged this classic picture.  The doggo in her old age is very needy.  During her youth, if she were left on her leash she would run the county side.  Today without a leash she is always less than one dog paw away.  Not being allowed to sit on the blanket as she was super funky, she inched her way over until she was just there.  Her ears state her unhappiness with the situation but she is still on the blanket.  Obstinate.

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With the firewood cut and stacked, the magnets were installed and the calendar was hung.  Now just to fill it with all the things that are completed in the Work Box.  Oh wait, I did not even mention that note.  This calendar is just for usage at work.  Not wanting to mix work with Boxes in Fields, I will just say that there are a litany of parts to build and assemblies to build in the Work Box.  Remembering what was done on what day and how much had lead to a inventory nightmare.  When the job is done, it is will be written on the calendar.  At the end of the month, a picture will be taken for reference.  I used to use this method at one of my other jobs and it worked well.  Being organized is the key to success and I need this Work Box to be successful so I have more time to spend on Boxes in Fields.  Only time will tell…