Two shots of 92 proof Sailor Jerry's spiced rum in my last bottle of huckleberry soda can make any night better.

I had planned on posting a proper entry, but I'm out of time.

So, Merry Christmas everyone!

*scurries off to finish wrapping stuff*

http://m.costco.com/costco/product/.....xNum=undefined

I was thinking one would be nice to take in the car, on the bike or hiking too and something like this should work for everything.
Is this a good one and a good price?

Wasn't it just Thanksgiving? Where'd the time go? *flails*

The boss took the day off so I did the minimum work I could do and scooted off to the post office.
Everything going overseas shipped today. I hope it gets to you all in time, otherwise, I'm sorry. :-/
All but a couple of the domestic things went as well and the last will go tomorrow.

Last night I was working on my latest carving project and needed to give it a rest, so I hopped on FA to see what my friends are up too.
The first thing I see blows me away and makes my meager project look like crap.
Carving is something I've been wanting to do for a long time. I do enjoy it and it makes me happy if I can create something that makes a friend happy too.
So I know I shouldn't be hard on myself, but it's hard not too sometimes.

Meet Buck!

http://vimeo.com/17535548

The most excellent artist that drew my current icon is open to do more.
If your thinking about getting one or need a gift for someone special, don't hesitate!
http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/1920600/

I was just cutting out my latest project, and as I was thinking it would be so much easier to do with a scroll saw, I broke the ear off.
I've glued it, but now I'm going to have to be extra careful.

Look! I've got a cool new avatar by my friend http://www.furaffinity.net/user/carowyn/ !

I wish I knew how to be more gracious about accepting compliments and gifts.
It means the world to me that people care enough to show it, but I've never had this kind of support and I'm totally at a loss as to what to say at times.
I'm trying really hard to overcome my social awkwardness and meet people. I'm sorry if I come across a bit eccentric at times.
Your more than welcome to corner me and ask what the frack I'm talking about if I start to ramble.

I guess what I'm trying to say is I really appreciate all the support, encouragement and friendship you all have given me. I've never had much confidence in my abilities, but I hope to improve and give a little back to the community. And every gesture may not seem like much, but really does mean a lot to me.
Thank you!

My friend and her sister are having a huge Pokemon virtual yard sale.

They have a ton of stuff, so if your into it, you might see if they have something you can't live without!

http://meroevirtualyardsale.blogspot.com/

It's a rare thing for me to not have anything I really have to do. Of course, I've got the day to myself and no one is free to hang out. :-/

I've always loved Whatever It Is by The Zac Brown Band, but I keep running it thought my mind ever since I saw this beautiful picture: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/4835141

It just started playing when I turned the radio on as I hit the freeway tonight. Then when that station faded and I switched to another, it was the next song that played.

I don't know why, but I seem to find correlations between seemingly unattached things like this and can't help but wonder if there is an underlying meaning.

Other than Mrs S's mom going into one of her crying tangents about how a parent shouldn't outlive her child when she thought I couldn't hear, one person trying to talk me into trying eHarmony and getting cornered about why I haven't asked a mutual friend out by several others, it wasn't too bad. ~.~
Oh, did I mention I got to help move and set up some furniture too? At least I didn't mind that part...

And you may wonder just how redneck a group I come from?
I parked in the driveway next to this:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y1.....s/4a9357fd.jpg

Now keep in mind that I'm the black sheep (dog) of the family. :-P

Tomorrow I get to go to my Mom's, joy...

The revised AUP does leave me worried as to how long until other things are not allowed.

Ultimately, this is a free service, they can do whatever they want and I agree that illegal things should be banned.
Although, I don't recall seeing anything about it, but does this mean I won't be assaulted with to vore now?

What worries me is the "Photobucket" policy. If they start banning everything but furry and animal art, created completely by the artist, I feel it will effect a lot more people and takes away the community feel to this site.
And if they do that, how long until I'm left with nothing to post?

The "Photobucket" Policy - Collection images ("Things I own...") are not permitted. This includes images of commercial items such as DVDs, games, toys, cars, computers, plush/inflatable animals or objects, posters, etc. In addition, this applies to random body parts (e.g. hands, feet). Users wanting to showcase these kinds of images should use a general-purpose image-hosting service such as Photobucket and link to them via journal.

Whelp, there goes a good chunk of my gallery and all hope of new people finding me.

Maybe I'm just tired and because work sucked extra hard this week, but I'm feeling kinda bah-humbug about Thanksgiving. I'm not really looking forward to seeing the ex-relatives tomorrow, and actually, I'm not really looking forward to seeing my relatives the next day either.
Oh well, I suppose the food will be good and I'll probably have fun once I get there.

I hope you all have a good Thanksgiving!

It's not quite 6:30pm, 21F (and dropping) and my heaters are struggling to keep the house at 68F.
I guess it's gonna be a two dog night!

I figured I might as well make the best of my trip to the cabin and take some pics. It started snowing on the way up, so that was a nice contrast from the normal gloom.
The results are in my gallery.

My car needs new tires. One has had a broken belt since I inherited it from my Dad. It got really bad recently though, so I figured on putting the snow tires on for the winter and buying new summer tires next spring. But after taking the time to clean up the wheels and paint them, I've found two of the snow tires are bad and one leaks.
It's not like it will cost that much, it's just annoying after spending the time to go get the snow tires and clean/paint the wheels then not be able to used them

When I took the dogs out this morning I found the door to my old pickup open. The battery is shot and the one door gets stuck if you lock it, so I had left it unlocked for months now. There wasn't anything in it to steal, so I don't know why anyone would get in it. I guess just to check it out. The ashtray is on the floor, but I'm not sure, it may have already been there from before.

I found a jury summons in the mail today. I can't afford to miss any work for that crap, so I'm going to try and get excused.
Wish me luck.

I ran out of time the last trip to the cabin, so I figured on winterizing it next weekend since I have to go up for turkey day anyway. But the weather forecast says it's supposed to be in the upper teens by mid week. So now I get to blow most of tomorrow to make a special trip up there.

Sorry I'm being so negative, I was trying to be social earlier but it's not working. I'm just stressed out and hating my life right now and probably should just go to bed.

My friend and her sis are selling Pokemon:
http://meroevirtualyardsale.blogspot.com/

I must be reincarnated from a dung beetle with all the shit I'm given here.

  Be completely empty,
  Be perfectly serene.
  The ten thousand things arise
  together;
  in their arising is their return.
  Now they flower,
  and flowering
  sink homeward,
  returning to the root.

  The return to the root
  is peace.
  Peace: to accept what must be,
  to know what endures.
  In that knowledge is wisdom.
  Without it, ruin, disorder.

  To know what endures
  is to be openhearted,
  magnanimous,
  regal,
  blessed,
  following the Tao,
  the way that endures forever.
  The body comes to its ending,
  but there is nothing to fear.

Lao Tzu

I got to admit that although it is lonely at times now, not being nagged about the mess of wood chips on the kitchen table is nice.

I guess I can understand now why most artist are wary of a non artist like me suddenly trying to strike up a conversation.
I've been noticing a lot of artist feeling used and unappreciated lately. Maybe it's just coming to a head, but it seems like there are more people every year that expect something for nothing, like they seem to feel an unwarranted sense of entitlement.
I have to say I know how the abused feel.
No one has demanded I provide them with free art, like anyone would with my lack of skills, but I have had people act like a friend and say one thing, then I find them doing another. And I've had people suddenly push me away for no apparent reason and with no excuse.
Honestly, if someone has a problem with me I would rather try to resolve it, if it can't be resolved, then part ways.
Maybe I'm just too sensitive, but to have someone sneaking around trying to avoid me hurts, it feels like being lied too.

I have had a couple friends gift me art and I'm forever grateful for those gifts. It is very special to me to have someone want to share something as personal as that. I don't understand how anyone can expect someone to do something for them 'just because'. For me that also takes away the true value of the gift.
I enjoy helping my friends and have spent many filthy, cold nights under a vehicle to help get it running again. I enjoy sharing my abilities with my friends, but I would never do anything for someone who 'expected' it of me and I have had to tell people to piss off when they got pushy and started expecting too much.

There are some wonderful people in the fandom and I'm so fortunate that some of them consider me a friend. I never want to lessen the importance of their friendship to me, my friends mean the world to me.
But I don't want to be like my parents.
My Dad died alone. He had a heart attack when he was working under his tractor, as I'm sure he would have wanted to go. Even though he always said he was happy how he lived, I could tell he was terribly lonely.
My Mom is a recluse that makes up all kinds of excuses to not go off her property and visit people, she only goes to town when she has too. I can tell she is lonely too, but nothing I do or say will convince her to go meet people.

It would be so much easier to wall myself in, just focus on my own little world and not strive to better myself. But for all the frustration and hurt I've experienced from meeting people online, the few good experiences have had have been worth it. I hate to consider it a resolution, because everyone knows what they are usually worth, it's more a promise. I made a promise that I would push myself to meet new people and try to be a better friend to the ones I have.
I have friends and know many good people locally too. There just isn't the strong connection with them as I do with my furry and artist friends.
Oh the joy of living in a furry no fly zone!
Sometimes I wished I lived in a bigger area where there is a furry group to hang out with, but I'm a country boy at heart and the big city would kill my soul.

I guess that's enough randomness for tonight, I probably should go to bed anyway.