Sometimes I feel like Im running through mud.

[SpaceMouse]

My list of things to do keeps getting longer, but nothing seems to be getting done on my layout.

I've been working on a mine for four weeks--but it's been two weeks since I touched it. I got down in the basement last night and put metal wheels on 12 cars and added a jack receptical for my throttles--so at least there was something.

But mainly I've been working late and weekends for about 5 weeks. I have next weekend off, but I have a stack of honey-dos and a yard that hasn't been touched in 6 weeks.

Weekend after that is Timmy's Immodium and that will just add to my do do list.

Yep, feels like I'm running in mud.

[selector]

Mouse, it happens from time to time. This is a time when other things are going to get in the way. So, use quiet time to create a priorized list of things you'd like to get done before, say, Thanksgiving, and plan how to do them. The list needn't be all inclusive, or long, maybe just four or five things that are achievable.

I have had those interruptions, and I just grit my teeth and get to work on the other things. For example, I am spending a lot more time at the computer with my students, but fall is approaching, and the garden needs attention. I have to pull everything up, place them in a large pit for composting over the winter (dug just last week..whew), go get two bit loads of fish compost, roto-till the entire garden, and cut our acre-lot lawn at least four times over the next four weeks. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

Come back to the big tasks when you know you'll have a good run at them. Keep in touch here, and don't fret. You'll get there!

[SpaceMouse]

Crandell,

I know, I'm just whining.

[jwar]

Spacemouse I hear you loud and clear. Felt the same this morning, went into the train room, looked at four or five really importent tasks to get up and running...felt a tad overwhelmed and stressed on account I havent ran a train in over two months...Sometimes I have so many projects going at one time....I grab a pencill and set short and long term goals and stick to them untill compleated,.....

So take one at a time and things sort of work out...take care...John

[howmus]

I hear Ya! What I hate is waiting for other people to get stuff done that has to get done before I can do the next step. Like, I couldn't fini***he Icehouse scene until I could get a bunch of people together to move it onto the layout. Now I'm waiting on the Painter to find time to seal the Basement walls so they will hopefully leak a bit less and look a lot better, so I can reassemble some benchwork and start on the next section of the layout. The contractor can't start on the new room until the outer walls are sealed also. The gas heater can't be installed until the room is built, etc., ect, etc. There is also the question of money.... Like how am I going to pay for all of this?????

Not only that, my garden, lawn, and a whole lot of outside stuff MUST get done before snow flies, which will be way too soon.

[selector]

Chip, I knew you needed to whine [:D] I felt the same way as you about four months ago when the magnitude of things left undone and the yet-to-be garden loomed over me. It makes me happy to hear of others who experience the same feelings.

You will never be alone here, Bud. [:)]

[robengland]

I've only been back to the hobby for less than two years. I had a MS-Project plan going that was out to 300 tasks to be done. It got me down (but I still continue to track and prioritise rather than just soldiering on). But when I looked back over those two years and how much i had done and learned (and bought [:^]) it was impressive. I think this is one activity where you DO look back.

It occurs to me now that I had a couple of weeks during that two years when my Dad died and I just buried myself in the basement and MR carried me through, so I might not get as much done in any other two year period but I think the principle still holds that you can only see progress when you look back over a longer time.

[SpaceMouse]

MS--Project?

Now it really does sound like an enterprise. I haven't used that software since I was somebody.

[West Coast S]

Know the feeling well, my wife is in the midst of her belated honey do season, my CO is playing with the duty roster., seems like I can't get in the groove. I did manage to accomplish some maintaince on the car, three months after it should have been done.

I have several kits, partially built, detail parts have arrived for the Mogul project, yet it sits on the bench. I see progress on the horizion however, i've gone on a sudden, unexplained power tool purchasing spree so all is not bad, now to just direct that energy into my modeling to do list.

Dave

[robengland]

Yeah I was trying to keep track of all these dependencies between tasks: can't do this until I've finished that and put those in ..... Muist admit right now it is out of date and I'm just muddling along, but I'd like to get a new project plan going. Somehow I feel better when i'm pretending I'm in control

[ereimer]

i've wanted to build a model railroad for 30 years , you've been interested for 8 months ?
hehe i'll give you lessons on how to whine [:)]
or maybe on how to procrastinate !

[orsonroy]

Working on a layout in the early stages is full of information and work overload, especially if you're buinding something that's at least semi-realistic. Between planning, heavy construction, model building, data collection, and general "stuff to do" on the layout, the whole project seen as one big lump usually looks overwhelming.

But don't let it get to you. Looking at the whole layout at once has probably killed off more layouts than anything else in this hobby. True, you need to get some of the basic stuff done first before you can move on (benchwork especially) but once those items are done, you can work on several projects at once without getting swamped.

Personally, I solved the overload problem in several different ways on my last layout. I designed my benchwork to be as easily constructed as possible, which greatly sped up that aspect of construction (I basically had all my benchwork done in two month's worth of weekends, working alone). I then drew in my mainline centerline and got it laid. Once trains were up and running, I gained a sense of accomplishment, and could work on other stuff as my whim dictated. If I wanted to lay track, I'd cut in the mainline switches and start laying out a town. If I wanted to work on scenery, I started carving and flocking foam. I moved most of my model building into the family living areas, so I could count that time as dual hobby & family time (I've switched to water-based paints for most of my painting, and only do heavy gluing downstairs). And when I ran into research gaps, I either left that question open and moved to something else, or made an educated guess and dove in. I know plenty of proto modelers who get bogged down in unanswerable questions, and who rarely get anything actually done on projects.

Layouts aren't something that you can't change. Just start working on it with some sort of plan, and start getting things done. It's easy enough to change something out if your research, skills level or tastes change.

[Anonymous]

Remember Chip....there can be forward movement through the mud.

[SpaceMouse]

Ray,

I think you hit the nail on the head. The real problem is what I have to do to get ready. Three years ago my mother-in-law moved in--with everything she owned. This includes everything in her huge 2 bedroom condo and garage. We had two of everything. We have spent the the last couple years sorting through things and have gotten everything, including the garage, storage shed, etc. sorted out, but the basement has not been solved. So to build my layout, I have to solve this:



This used to be the place where I would come down and watch movies.

The stuff has to be gone through, sorted, etc. Then I have to knock down the shelves and wall and rebuild my workbenches. The first phase is done, the area behind me in the picture. I can move the entertainment center and sofa to the clean area which will leave a sorting area. Once the stuff is sorted, I can start the remodel phase of the construction.

I just need some major blocks of time to do this and can't get them.

[ereimer]

sounds like you know what to do and how to do it , just don't have enough hours in the day . think in small chunks of time , 20 minutes sorting is still progress even if the room looks no different when you're done

[SpaceMouse]

There are projects that must come before the sorting, but I get the picture. thanks.

[howmus]

QUOTE: Originally posted by SpaceMouse



This used to be the place where I would come down and watch movies.

I just need some major blocks of time to do this and can't get them.

Know exactly what you are saying. (Actually that looks my living room. LOL) One of the "first projects" I am trying to wade through is getting rid of several hundred (mostly worthless) items that my Sister and I salvaged from our parents house 4 years ago after my Father died. At that time we filled to overflowing a 30 yd. dumpster with stuff from around the property and the basement. We then had 28 more garbage bags full of stuff we decided not to store and sent that out to the landfill. (The great find was 3 thirty gallon bags full of plastic knives, forks, and spoons coillected from 30 years of bringing home Chicken BBQs) My parents saved everything. My sister cringes every time I say I am throwing out such and such. I usually say to her, "you want it? I'll bring it over to your house." She then usually decides I should dispose of it...... The good news is that I only have about 6 more boxes of S**t to go through before I will have a handle on it. Good luck! You will get through to dry land sooner or later. [:D]

[trainboyH16-44]

You should have seen the railway room for the first 15 years in my house! What eventually got us (Especially me) started in railroading was, about 10 years ago, my dad permeated a disc in his back, and decided to build a model railway to take up the rest of his crippled life. We built it very quickly, and he recovered fully, to the contrary of our expectations.
I'm not saying that you should injure yourself, but if you do get a large amount of time off, you should take it and get a huge amount of work done.
Good luck!
Trainboy

[robengland]

Last night as I ratted around in a two foot layer of lumber and rubbi***rying to find the chuck key for the drill press that I had dropped, I said "That's it. No more MR until I've tidied the basement". I wonder how long that resolution will last??? It won't be this weekend - Wellington has its annual MR show this weekend [:D]

[Anonymous]

Robert England....ain't you the dude that plays Freddie Kreuger?

QUOTE: Originally posted by robengland

Last night as I ratted around in a two foot layer of lumber and rubbi***rying to find the chuck key for the drill press that I had dropped, I said "That's it. No more MR until I've tidied the basement". I wonder how long that resolution will last??? It won't be this weekend - Wellington has its annual MR show this weekend [:D]

[bpickering]

I know how it goes, too.

Between wrapping up work at one project, starting a new project, and trying to finish up my porch before the permit expires, MR times has been short and far between.

I actually had a couple of hours to do some painting last night... and couldn't find the bleepin' air hose for the airbrush! The compressor was used for blasting dust from the holes I drilled in the footings, but that was months ago... and I now can't remember where I swapped hoses to.

Ratchel-fratchel-gol-darned mess!!!!! [B)]

Brian Pickering

[Anonymous]

All of these examples of how life gets in the way are why I'm going to build a small MR. With all life has in it, there just isn't tons of time for model railroading.

I will be focusing on small, and hopefully high quality.

As to "inheriting" junk - isn't that terrible? A couple years ago we cleaned out my ill Dad's place when we moved him - so much junk, it was unbelievable. My uncle (thankfully) said he'd get a roll-off dumpster, so just leave the junk.

We left so much junk, they probably needed more than a roll-off for it all.

Keeping clutter just clutters up your life. Be gone with all the clutter, I say....

I've gradually whittled down stuff I keep to smaller and smaller boxes. My next move - taking pictures of sentimental things then tossing them (good will, or trash, depending on what it is).

Free yourself!!! Tra***he trash!!!

[jguess733]

i feel your pain. We just bought our first house two months ago, and we're still not totally unpacked. I'm preparing to go to sea again in two months, trying to replace the head gasket on my "old monster" and watch a 18 month year old boy in the evenings until mommy comes home from work. I don't know how she gets along without me while i'm gone.

[selector]

Chip, I applaud Ray's insight and answer.

Now, my questions to you are thses: what have you communicated to both your wife and your MiL? Do they have a clue as to your frustration and anxiety? Do you think they might be more overtly supportive if they understood how you are feeling?

If you were to ask to sit with them for a few minutes, and explain that you found yourself 'whining' to we fellows on the forum that you were feeling helpless and frustrated, the might listen in a way they have not done before. If you were to tell them how important this subject is to you (look at your post count!), and that you could use some of your forum time to getting your layout produced, they might offer a solution that THEY had chosen, one they owned, and that might be your ticket to layout freedom!

Just an offer of support for you...[:)]

[SpaceMouse]

QUOTE: Originally posted by selector

Chip, I applaud Ray's insight and answer.

Now, my questions to you are thses: what have you communicated to both your wife and your MiL? Do they have a clue as to your frustration and anxiety? Do you think they might be more overtly supportive if they understood how you are feeling?

If you were to ask to sit with them for a few minutes, and explain that you found yourself 'whining' to we fellows on the forum that you were feeling helpless and frustrated, the might listen in a way they have not done before. If you were to tell them how important this subject is to you (look at your post count!), and that you could use some of your forum time to getting your layout produced, they might offer a solution that THEY had chosen, one they owned, and that might be your ticket to layout freedom!

Just an offer of support for you...[:)]

My mother-in-law has Alzheimer's and is out of the picture.

My wife wants to get it done as badly as I do, but she relies on me to take the bull by the horns. She and my 13 year-old-daughter jump in any time I get rolling on it.

Now my wife putting out the money for the layout--well, I have to increase my revenue a bit first. I have until I get the remodel done. She's agreed to fund that far.