Freakish Tree Skirt

 Check out this tree skirt I found online.

It's from: http://homeandgardenart.com/redtreeskirt.html

Why would they think this is a good design? I mean, the little trim pieces are nice, but the whole radiation symbol kind of ruins it... I guess if you have a glow in the dark tree with radium lights it might be kinda cool.

Prayer

This is gonna be a quick entry! I have so many chores do to around the house, but if some of them don't get done today I'll do them tomorrow or the next. :-)

I've had a prayer answered, I injured my back almost two months ago it seems. I still feel a little tightness in my lower back, it's healing slowly. I'd been sleeping on the futon for two months until this weekend. My memory foam mattress topper (4" on Overstock.com for only $149.99 with two memory foam pillows) had come in, my dear friend Fred recommended it. He said his hip pain disappeared after he and his wife Charlie got one. Well, I decided to sleep on it since 24 hours had passed. I slept sooooo long, so sound... and the dreams, oh my lord, this is like sleeping on a cloud! My back loves it!

I've got to take the Vulcan in to a Kawasaki Dealer this week for servicing and having the rear drive shaft worked on for that seal which is leaking, but I've got faith, it might be expensive, but God will provide.

God bless!

Stephen

[I've edited this entry]

Stereo and Hats

Well the Magnavox stereo is in the house. Here's some lovely photos from my camera phone....

Beauty Shot:

The turn table:

Me with one of my new woven fedoras:

New Hats and No Soliciting

I blew $50.00 or so on new hats this week. Ordered several sale hats from villagehatshop.com. The first two are straw fedoras, the last one in a wool fedora. I needed some summer fedoras, the straw ones will do the trick but the wool one will have to wait for winter before I get any use out of it.

I also ordered a No Soliciting sign last week from floppingfish.com and my friend Tracy e-mailed me to tell me she'd gotten the order. It'd been since Christmas when I last heard from her and Shea. The sign arrived today, so I took a moment when I got home to make two pilot holes in the door and install it. It looks really good! :-) The original sign has tarnished, and started to develop a green patina. Hopefully the new sign will begin to do the same. Regardless I'm very satisfied. Much much classier than those No Solicitors stickers you buy at the hardware store.

New Lid

One of my neighbors was out mowing his yard and saw me. His name is Mark. He yelled at me to come over, and he gifted me with a Shoei full face helmet. Turns out he used to ride, but since he and his wife moved back from Japan and have a daughter they've decided not to ride anymore. He gave me the helmet. It's a Japanese Shoei. He used to wear it when he rode in Japan, and he also wore it in New Zealand when they took a motorcycling trip there. He owned a 750 in Japan. It's a size medium, and in great condition. Has some normal wear on the finish but the interior is fresh and looks new. That means I've got 4 lids now. I bought 2 - Bell full face helmets in Pearl White on clearance at Tuesday Morning a while back after the divorce. A small and a medium, in case I ever have a girlfriend who will go riding with me. They're pearl white, and match my HJC Symax that I wear pretty well. The Shoei is a yellow racing pattern, but it's a nice helmet.

Kayaking for Exercise

 I did 2 hours on Lake Willastein today. I came home and picked up the Kayak and rushed to the lake. I put in a couple hours before sunset. I took my camera and some ziplock bags. I put my camera in the bag and took some photos, man I look bad in all the photos! :-) I guess it's just the way you look when you take a photo from a Kayak. It doesn't have the ambience of lighting style of the bathroom at home where most people take their photos! :-)

Anyway, took some photos of my feet here! :-) There was a boat on the lake doing some fishing. I saw a beaver, some geese, a bunch of ducks, and some turtles. I brought home a child's plastic golf ball I found in the lake for the dogs to play with. I wore some waterproof rain suit pants, and my aqua tennis shoes. So my legs didn't get wet but my feet did! :-)

Saturdays at the Salt Mines

Today I got up early and went to help my dad (normal Saturday, working with my Dad). We went to breakfast, had an argument, and then watched the Toy Run in Little Rock from a parking lot. There were A TON of motorcycles. Trikes, Metric bikes, Harley's, you name it, it was in the parade. I only saw ONE Vulcan 750 in the whole thing. Same year as mine. The riders were crazy, I've thought of participating... but the way those guys ride is crazy. I think I'll stick to solo riding or riding with one or two friends at most.

My friend Larry and I met up at Wendy's, and went to see Enchanted. It was really good, but like most romance movies it made me sad. It was about true love, fairy tales, and love at first sight. I thought I'd had that, until the divorce. I hate being cynical, but I'm still trying to figure out how I feel I guess... It's funny... Let me go over something.

Going to see Dad, I hadn't left home yet... Was still in town, but driving. I got this feeling to go home and check the house. Well, the only turn around was a back road which took me past the river, through tree lined woods, and when I came out I knew why I had the feeling. God knew I was down and wanted me to turn around, and see the glory of what he has wrought. He knows I worry, that I'm sad, and wanted me to see what he has done... and to know that the creator of all of that loves me and cares for me and that it is easily within his power to help me and walk with me, to guide me, mentor me. He wants me to be happy. I know that. I just lose sight of it sometimes when I'm sad.

The movie, well, we were going to go see the Golden Compass. I didn't know if I wanted to see it, because of the controversy behind it. Well, it was sold out. Enchanted was the next thing, and I think God wanted me to see that because it had some positive messages in it. It was also very funny. A good, and lighthearted movie.

I'd decorated my tree part way today. When you handle or touch so many things which remind you of someone who loved you once, it can be difficult. The ornaments, a lot of them were purchased by Maru and I after Christmas each year. We always bought the Hallmark ornaments then because they were half price. Well, putting them on the tree reminded me of her. Of past Christmases, places we'd been (we always bought ornaments on vacations). I had a pack of 60 glass ornaments I put on too, along with the rest. I left some miniatures off, but for the most part I put all but maybe 10 ornaments on my new 7' "Skinny" tree. This was the first time I could hook up the starships (Star Wars and Star Trek). It's a bit goofy to say it, but I have probably 20 or so Star Trek ornaments on the tree. I'm a geek at heart... :-) I also have a Frodo ornament.

The tree looks pretty all lit up.

I also hung a wreath on the house, and need to get a can of silver paint so I can paint some pinecones for a wreath for the front door.

To all my friends, I hope you had a great weekend. I appreciate your friendship and support. There are times I am very down, and I am afraid to reach out to many of you for support or to talk because I am internalizing a lot of this. I feel lost sometimes and it is hard. I am trying not to be all 'emo', and I'm not being upset just for the sake of it. I've got a lot of hurt, and I don't know how to get past it. Pray for me if you will.