Garage Before and After

I was so excited when we bought our first home four and a half years ago to have a garage where I could work on manly projects and fix up bikes.  However, entropy got the best of us and the garage quickly became a dump heap for everything we didn't want in the house.  It turned into a major frustration, with some jobs taking forever just because I couldn't find the tool I needed.  In my free time over the last two months, I have been remedying the problem.  Here are the before and after pictures.

Before:

Some of these really don't do it justice because on the first picture I had already torn out a giant workbench that spanned half of the front wall, a really ugly shelf thing on the wall and about 1.3 million nails.  The previous owners apparently just pounded a nail in the wall whenever they wanted to hang something or sometimes probably just for fun.  I also had started patching several large holes in the wall that really added to the ambiance.  These pictures also exclude about half of the garage's contents which were moved to the back patio.  A mess!

Clearing everything out of the way and tearing out the old shelves and whatnot...

Priming and painting the first half (this was a huge job):

Putting things into one corner and painting the rest:

After:

Some of my favorite things:

Bicycle hanging rack- which is a rip-off of a system called Velogrip that retails for around $500.  I made mine for less than $100 worth of stuff from the hardware store (thanks to some online help from friends over at bikeforums.net).  I love how the bikes hang then angle sideways to conserve space.  Plenty of space for helmets above and the bikes are off the floor so I can keep things tidy.

A new shoe bench I picked up on Craigslist for a steal:

I bike rack for the kids bikes that we made out of PVC!

The workbench that Amber got me for my birthday.  I put heavy duty casters on the legs so I can roll it around if needed.  The only problem with that was then the desk was a little bit wobbly, even with all of the casters locked.  I fixed this by getting two gate latches and attaching them to the wall on both ends of the workbench.  Now I just have to roll the workbench back and it latches firmly into place.  A little bit of duct tape on the connecting rods makes the connection tight.  One of the things I really like about the new garage setup is that everything can now be moved, where previously all the shelves, desks, etc. were nailed to the wall.  

The metal cabinet and wall cabinet were garage sale/Craigslist finds, both for $10!  The shop vac is a Hoover GUV.  I really like the bagless design and lifetime filter, and it has a lot of power.  The hose reaches far enough to detail a whole car in the garage and keep things tidy in the work area.  The magnetic paper towel holder from Harbor Freight is also a fun addition.  

My work space and bicycle repair area!  This is my favorite part.  

Here are a few more detailed pictures of my bike repair stand and clamp.  The repair clamp is permanently connected to a piece of wood that clamps into the vice on the workbench.  When I'm done using it, I can just unclamp and store away.  I'm really happy with this solution, as it is versatile and out of the way when not in use.  The clamp is a Park PCS-12 and the workbench is a solid wood model from Harbor Freight (one of my favorite stores).  

Wow- that was a lot of pictures.  It feels good to be done with such a big project.  Now I've got to hide before Amber sees this and wants me to remodel the kitchen.

Storage for kid's bikes in garage

I've been working on organizing and remodeling my garage (pictures to come).  We built this little bike rack for the kid's bikes this week.  It turned out great.  Isn't PVC the best?

Reattribute

In my work, I often speak to people about what it means to "reattribute" something.  That's a verb, and I think it's a made up word.  To attribute means to determine something's cause, or explain where it is coming from.  Our mind is always attributing, and sometimes it does so incorrectly.  Often times it can be difficult to know for sure how to attribute something.  The following is a good example of where some reattributing is helpful.

But what came to me the other day, was about whether or not we attribute things in our life to God.  I have spoken with others about their spiritual struggle to really know whether God exists, or if they can attribute good things that happen to them to him.  I can understand their struggle.

God tells us that when we receive a blessing, it is because we have obeyed a law upon which the blessing is predicated.  So that could mean that if I obey his law of health, that I could receive the blessing of good health, whether I believe the blessing comes from him, or whether I think I made it happen myself.  

What I realized, was that perhaps there are two levels or degrees of blessings, and that the level we attain depends on where we attribute the source of the blessing.  I speak for myself here.

Type 1: Those obtained through following a natural law or God's law (whatever you want to call it), regardless of our intention or belief that God is involved in our life.  

Type 2: Those that come as a direct result of following the law AND seeing God's hand in our life.  There is something distinctly different about this experience and the first type.  I believe that ultimately what this does is give a greater meaning to our lives.  I also believe that greater blessings and greater happiness come as we realize the hand of a loving Father.

The cartoon at the beginning of the post is humorous, but also points out a greater lesson:  That often times, what we experience in life takes on a different quality, depending on what we think it means, or where we think it is coming from.  And I ultimately believe that God leaves up to us, in His wisdom, how we will do this attributing.  This can be challenging and require faith if we are going to see him as the ultimate source of all good.  

I choose to see him as the source.

And behold, there were divers ways that [God] manifest things unto the children of men, which were good; and all things which are good cometh of Christ; otherwise men were fallen, and there could no good thing come unto them. -Moroni 7:24

Being Deliberate

It’s so hard to write my first post.

I think my brain is just making up a story that my first real post has to be something special, or nobody is going to want to read my blog.  Silly brain.  The truth is that is meaningful because it is shared, and I hope you enjoy it.  Writing a blog is more a forum for me to share the ideas I really value, and by sharing, I enhance the experience.

What I've been thinking about today is the importance of being deliberate.  I’m talking about doing something, in the here and now, on purpose.  I’m also talking about doing it with a compassionate and non-judgmental attitude.  I find it so hard, with certain aspects of life, to be deliberate.

To really pay attention to what I’m doing and to achieve meaningful goals. 

To be really aware of what is going on in my life today.

To see what I’m doing and why I’m doing it. 

To know what I’m not doing and why I’m not doing it. 

To place priority on what really matters and brings happiness, instead of distractions.   

To be present with those I love and to value their presence.

To challenge old beliefs and ask the right questions.

I think as we become more aware, it cannot help but make us more loving.  As our eyes open to God in our life, to the beauty around us, we cannot help but be filled with gratitude.  We become free to act, rather than be acted upon.  Perhaps this is why I place such high importance on becoming more aware and deliberate- because it is a truly God-like attribute.

Here is to a 2013 that involves a little more awareness, a little more gratitude, and a little more love.

Inspiration

I feel inspired to put some effort into blogging.  This is a place where I hope to share things that are inspirational, thought provoking, life enhancing, uplifting, and maybe sometimes funny.  Welcome to Matt's world.