Unwieldy Kitchen Mitt

Burned right hand leads to typing with one finger of my left hand and slows down bicycling as well as studio work. Not sure how long 'til I can use it...I'll catch up when I can type with both hands!

Going Around in Circles

I have finally ordered my new road bicycle! I'm really excited about it. (For all you bicycle snobs, this is a Shimano Ultegra complete drive train.)

This summer while on my second motorcycle trip to Alaska with my daughter and two nephews, I met way too many people camping and touring on bicycles. One guy was just starting out on a trip from Prudoe Bay to Tierra Del Fuego (spelling?) - about a two year trip. Others were traveling around the world on bicycles. Wow! I used to think that long distance motorcycling was an adventure... that's not even in the same realm with bicycle touring.

Naturally I figure that I've got to do that. At least travel for hundreds of miles on a bicycle. At least... What a lot of fun that will be! So, not wanting to throw money away, I bought a road bike at a thrift store for $13. A Raliegh Grand Prix from the late 70's or early 80's era. Cleaned it up, adjusted it, put on new tubes and tires, new seat, new adjustable steering stem, new brake pads and cables, and a trip computer and began to ride. It's been a long time since I rode to school every day! To make a long story short, I'm now sure I want to ride for a long time to come so I've taken the plunge and bought a new road bike with index shifting and all modern drive train components.

You can't forge steel, carve stone, cast bronze or glass, forge copper and brass if your so fat and out-of-shape that you gasp for air just getting out of a recliner. So I'm going to enjoy my new bike and get fit while I'm at it. Wish me Luck!

One Down Lots to Go

Well I did get the three designs for CWP done and submitted before the deadline. If you want to take a look at all of them follow this link. These aren't the full size submitted but that would make the page load too slowly. Remember that these things will be six feet long!

I like all three of these but I think the clown would be the most challenging to get right and the reclining lure the most fun to build. Oh well, we'll see. If two of my designs should get sponsors, I've asked that the third be pulled since making two of them will require that I donate a lot of time to the project. It's a good cause but I've only got so much time to work.

Procastination

The designs for the Alabama Rivers Clean Waters Partnership are due by the 15th of this month. (See Dec 6 below.) All I've got at the moment is 4 or 5 rough pencil sketches and another couple of ideas. I think there are three strong ideas in the bunch so I'll make better renderings of those three and get them submitted. Time is running on at an ever increasing pace.

Home Project

For a Christmas present, I bought castings and a 2" schedule 40 pipe to create a new mail box post and bracket. Today it's time to weld it up and prime it. So today I'll spend time putting the studio in order and completing the Christmas present.

The number stone I carved for my sister-in-law was well received and we installed it at her house over New Year's weekend. Here, to the right, is a photo of it as installed.

New Year Will Come Green

This is my first post from my phone. Photo is of the rye grass jumping up in my backyard taken and sent from the phone. Very GREEN!

Post Dramatic Stress Syndrome

Driving home from my sister-in-law's house yesterday, I felt vaguely discontent while rolling down US231 South. As the 185 miles slid by I recognized a sense of loss that the promise of the holiday season was over and the glow of Christmas lights had turned into the grey overcast skies of early January.

Just as this sobering thought floated through my brain it was followed by the promise of new beginnings. Like an extra big Monday, the New Year brings the possibility of fresh starts and renewed effort to meet our goals.

This year ahead is full of potential (I know that every day is full of potential but new years seem particularly so!) - so I'm focusing on the things I want to spend my energy on and spend my life on... At my age how you spend your time is an important question ;-}>

Health, Art, Music, family and friends: these are the things I will spend my time on this new year. Learn something new every day. Do something for someone else everyday. Be grateful everyday. I will give my best this year! No half-assed efforts, no regrets.