just like in the game today, where every move was calculated but unpredictable, woodworking has this cryptic beauty that keeps drawing me in. it's like, before i start on a new piece, there's this preparatory phase where i'm planning and envisioning the outcome. sometimes, the wood seems to rebuff my initial efforts, challenging me to reset my approach, to find the perfect technique. and when someone notices the finished work, their admiration feels as rewarding as tonight's victory, because both victories and masterpieces share that cryptic allure, you just gotta put in the effort to uncover it.