Tanker, a Lodge buddy and my neighbor, stopped by the house midmorning the day before yesterday. Tanker’s given name is Thaddeus. Never heard him called that. Had to think to remember his given name. Interesting backstory in how Thaddeus became Tanker. Some other time, maybe.
Finishing final touch-up work on the foyer, I heard the back door open. Tanker hollered out.
“Chief! You home? It’s me, Tank.”
Climbing down from the ladder, I yelled back, “In the foyer, Tank! Almost done in here. Finally!”
I hit the bottom rung on the ladder as Tank came into the foyer.
Taking in the whole of the foyer, the aroma of fresh paint, and my handiwork, Tank mused, “Lookin’ good, Chief, lookin’ good!”
“One more trip up the ladder. Twenty feet and I’m done here. Gimme a hand moving this booger two feet over.”
Tank asked, “Which direction?” Among other reasons you might suspect for Tank’s nickname, he’s built like one but that didn’t generate “Tanker.” I motioned to the right. By himself, Tank moved that awkwardly heavy monster which, save maintaining balance, he could have done with one hand. “There ya go. Easy peasy. Uh. You said twenty feet? Where’s the other eighteen?”
“Up, Tank, up.” I started up the ladder. Tank, familiar with extension ladder wiggle, steadied the ladder as I went up. Coming dead-even with the chandelier, I popped the brass decorative ring into the center globe groove.
“Not in the way for painting, Chief, why’d you take that off?”
“Didn’t. Fell off when I smacked it with the ladder while painting the ceiling above it.”
“Musta smacked it pretty good.”
“Nah, it was loose, broken. Had to take it out to the shop to repair it. Just now putting it in place.”
“Another item to cross off your list.”
“Wasn’t on the list.”
“Add it. Then enjoy crossing it off.”
“Been accused of adding ‘oh, while you’re at its’ to the list just so’s I could cross them off. Don’t do it.”
“Why not? Get a sense of accomplishment. Some extra satisfaction.”
“Nope. That’d be immoral. Evil. sinful. Working Daily To-do lists are immutable.”
“Aw, c’mon!”
“At least that’s just not right.”
“Any other list rules I should know?”
“Why?”
“I’m thinking lists might help me get organized. If I don’t start lists myself, Emily is gonna start making lists for me.”
“Oh, no!”
“Yeah. Lists intimidate me. Seems they bully you into doing things you don’t want to do.”
“Lists are good for what you make of them. Otherwise only a few tricks to keep in mind.”
“Ohboyohboy! List ethics!”
“You could call it that. More just guidelines. Keeps you honest.”
“Like?”
“Like you don’t add to your Daily ‘To-do’ list. Especially if it’s already a done deed.”
“Not even to remember it for tomorrow?”
“Belongs on tomorrow’s list.”
“What else?”
“What you don’t finish on today’s list gets added to tomorrow’s list.”
“Logical. What else?”
“If an item stays undone, it keeps moving from day to day until it is done.”
“Increases priority, huh?”
“You won’t even realize it, but that’s exactly what happens.”
“Maybe get tired of looking at that undone thing and drop it?”
“Nope. List is only for you. Lying to your list is like lying to yourself. Can’t be done. Or…”
“Or maybe that item is not important?”
“Exactly! Makes you reassess.”
“I begin to see.”
“There are exceptions. You can add an item to your Daily To-do list. Only if it suddenly assumes top priority.”
“And hasn’t already been done.”
“You are catching on.”
“Anything else?”
“Working lists top-to bottom isn’t necessary.”
“Sure it is.”
“Nope. Can’t paint the walls, then the ceiling. You’ll sure as shootin drip paint and have to add wall touch-up to tomorrow’s list. In-progress lists automatically force reordering cart-horse anomalies.”
“Yeah. Okay. That’s it?”
“Well, yesterday, I finished an item. Checked my list to cross it off and pick the next item. There was only one item left.”
“Which you finished, crossed it off and celebrated!”
“Nope. Stopped work right then.”
“Why?”
“To reassess. Maybe I wasn’t honest when I put my list together. Maybe I needed to sharpen my list-making or task estimating skills. One or the other.”
“Interesting.”
“Lists work for me. Motivators and rewards all in one. Say, Tank, why’d you drop in? You didn’t come over here just to rub my fur about lists.”
“You have a receding filbert bit?”
“Almost certain I do. For the cabinet in your game room?”
“Yup.”
“Everyone has a receding filbert. You bust yours?”
“No. Need a left-handed one.”
“Ouch! That’s tougher. Don’t have much call for a left-handed receding filbert. Might have one though.”
“That’d save me hunting all the hardware stores.”
“Don’t have it, you might have to special order one. If I have one, it’s downstairs in the winter workshop. Let’s go have a look.”
I sure enough had a left-handed receding filbert. Don’t ask why. Can’t honestly say. It’s a guy-tool thing.
Receding filbert in hand, Tank headed for the back door. Walking with him, I suggested, “’Course your rule has merit too.”
“My rule?”
“Sure. No list at all. Always open to try something new.”
Tank chuckled. “Thanks for the loan of the receding filbert. Get it right back to you.”
“No hurry. Not something I’m likely to need soon. Anyway, I’ll know where it is.”
I crossed ‘Foyer’ off my Major Projects List and ‘finish foyer’ off my Daily To-do. New shelving for the Root Cellar was a few items below ‘finish foyer.’ I thought briefly to skip ‘start re-painting conservatory,’ moving it to tomorrow’s Daily To-do. Decided not to. Priorities. One of the reasons I keep lists. I started transferring ladders, drop cloths, and tools to the Conservatory. That, by the way, was not on my Daily To-do. Only for a second did I think to add it to my Daily for a quickly disposed item.
© spwilcenski 2022
Ramblings 