Proof of Idiocy

When working on any sort of construction project, I often “plan as I go.” In other words, I generally have no idea what I am doing, but I don’t let that slow me down—I just get to work and hope the details sort themselves out as the work unfolds.

I am currently fastening metal siding to an existing sauna down at the lakefront. It’s a little tricky because I am fastening to an uneven log structure. Naturally, I have had to do a lot of stopping and thinking, and I have also cut some weird pieces of wood to create points for fastening the metal to the uneven structure.

After cutting one short length of treated 2 x 4 material, I decided to clean up my “construction site” while I thought in depth about my next move. After about ten minutes of cleaning and pondering, I picked up my drill and some screws, thinking I would fasten in place the last length of treated 2 x 4 I’d cut. And that’s when it occurred to me that I’d pitched the piece I cut into the burn pile while cleaning.

Once again, we have firm proof that I am an idiot, likely in need of a better plan.

The Board I Needed

—Mitchell Hegman