Only 48 Hours Left.

     Looks like once again, this cursed year has reigned upon us with horrid despair, Debbie Reynolds has risen above us to join with her daughter Carrie Fisher in the ether. Normally, I would say that this isn't a tragedy, but a triumph. She was 84 years of age at the time of her passing, but that small phrase is terribly wrong. This is one of the tragedies that supersede all tragedies. This is clearly a case of dying from a broken heart. She outlived one of her children. It is a parents worst nightmare to do so.

     Todd Fisher, the son of Debbie Reynolds, and the brother of Carrie Fisher posted this in response to his loss.

This is a beautiful love story to witness in my 58 years. I miss them both so much. Love is everlasting pic.twitter.com/AeIVGaGl9k

— Todd Fisher (@tafish) December 29, 2016 You will have to click on the link to see it, but your heart will melt. It is a drawing of Princess Leia and Kathy Selden (Debbie's character in Singing in the Rain) from behind. Debbie is another of those people who you never heard a bad word about, with the exception of Gene Kelly blasting her for not being able to dance, but she found a way to work it out. 

     This year is going out the way that it came in, and that is with a multitude of deaths. As I look at the clock now, we only have 48 hours and 44 minutes to go of this miserable no good year. I don't normally celebrate the New Year, I call it amateur night, but this year, I think I will cheer as loud if not louder than anyone else when this year is gone. I hope you do the same.

     I managed to go on my ride yesterday. I made it to Stuart Florida. I was already out on Saki for about 2 hours at that point, so I turned into a 7-11 to get something to drink and maybe a small nibble. I found one of the new Reese's Cups, with Reese's Pieces in it. I know that it shouldn't happen, but since it did, I decided to take advantage of it.

     For the sake of honesty, I was a little disappointed. I really didn't expect much, but with the little candy shell bits inside, it kind of messed up the natural deliciousness of a Reese's Cup. Well, I know now, and I don't have to try it again. While I was sitting there on the corner sipping on green tea and having my Reese's, I looked up at Saki, and thought, that would be a great picture, so I took it, and I think I was right. What do you have to say about it?

    Once I finished, I began the two hour ride back. The ride back always seems to go faster, and the good news is, I was only nearly run of the road 4 times. It always seems to be the same person too. It's that person that is on their phone not paying attention to what they are supposed to be doing. Defensive riding is a real and good thing. I like to ride on the side of the road nearest the inside lane, that way, if I have to move quickly, I have the room to do so. I know other people that like to ride to the outside of the lane, so that they have time to stop when I car barrels into their lane. It is all personal preference, and no way is wrong. Ride the way you feel the most comfortable. It will save your life, on numerous occasions.

     Speaking of people talking on their phone or texting, or whatever they are doing while they are driving. A friend of mine was in an accident recently. I found out about it last night. She was beaten up pretty bad, and it was in no way her fault. She wasn't even moving in her car at the time. Here is what happened. She was sitting at a light waiting for it to turn green so that she could go, and out of nowhere, a car comes speeding into her. Hitting her in the front corner of her car, and spinning her around completely, to where she ended up finally stopping facing the opposite direction. That is a full 540 degree turn. When the other driver was asked what happened, he replied. I was looking at my phone and missed the turn. He was going 69 mph, when he missed that turn, and still tried to make that turn, which sent him into my friend. Stay off your phone when you are driving. What ever is on your phone can wait until you get somewhere to stop and look at it. That is my morality lesson for the day.

     I made it over to the Dali Museum today, to see the Frida Kahlo exhibit, and it was quite fantastic. Frida Kahlo didn't have the easiest of lives. When she was young she was in a massive bus accident, that lead to numerous surgeries throughout her short life. She died at the age of 46. She was a free spirit that didn't care what others thought about her. At a time when being a lesbian wan't even a thought, she was sleeping with women. It wasn't thought of as evil at that time, it was simply not thought to be even possible. She was an atheist, a communist, a feminist, an anarchist, and most of all, someone that painted because, in her words, she had to. She painted what she felt, and since most of her paintings were self portraits, you would think that she was shallow an narcissistic. You would be wrong. She said of her self portraits, that she painted what she felt, and since she mostly felt lonely, the only thing she could think to paint was her self, because herself is what she knew best. Her paintings are miraculous. One of the things I love about the Dali, is that even though the works are behind glass, or the large scale paintings are roped off a bit, you can still get close enough to see brush strokes and details you would ordinarily see. Frida Kahlo had an incredible ability to paint faces and hair. Her stokes in hair are unbelievable. It is as if she painted each strand at a time. The faces have so much depth and emotion. One of the paintings there, was one of the rare non self portraits. It was a portrait of an old woman, and there was a melancholy sadness to it, that if you stared too long, you yourself would begin to cry. It was magical to see.

     If you are somehow in the St. Petersburg, Florida area in the next 3 months, I beg of you to go see this exhibit. You won't regret it, I promise you.

     Before heading home, I sat outside in the garden and stared at the building. I love the architecture of the building, with it's glass, steel and concrete layers. I think if Dali were alive to see it, he would have been very proud of it. It is a marvel. This was the view I had while I sat on a stone slab on the edge of the garden.

     It is one of my favorite sights. I will return to see the exhibit again before it is over, and maybe I will get some more time to look at her brush strokes. Peace in and goodnight.

A Princess Is Gone.

     Ok, let's get right to it. Once again, today proved just how much this year sucks. I awoke to good news, which I will get to later, but that was soon ruined upon hearing of the passing of Carrie Fisher. I, like anyone my age, loved Carrie Fisher, because of her role as Princess Leia Organa in Star Wars, and that love affair was made anew with the latest Star Wars films that had her in them. Leia was a bold and brash character. She was a strong opinionated female, that took no guff from anyone or anything, and Carrie Fisher by all accounts, was the same way. Not only was she a talented actress, but she was a fantastic writer as well, in both screenplays and novels. She did it all, and always with a smile, or maybe it was that sly Princess Leia smirk, that charmed millions.

     I found a couple of pictures that I want to share with you. The first is from Warwick Davis's twitter feed. He was Wicket W. Warwick the ewok, as well as many other characters including another role in the Star Wars prequel movies, and a recurring role in the Harry Potter films. He posted this picture in memorium of Carrie's passing. I think it simply shows her spirit and love for people.

     A rather beautiful and touching picture. Another was from Clark Gregg, who plays Agent Colson in the Avenger movies and on Agents of Shield. I thought this one was fantastic and heartbreaking because it takes you all the way back to the beginning of this year, with one of the first legendary icons to pass this year, and that was non other than the Thin White Duke himself, David Bowie. Here is the photo that he posted.

     It takes the iconic image from the Aladdin Sane album with the title to one of his most recognizable songs, and throwing the Star Wars rebel logo in there to boot. This one is very tattoo worthy, and I'm going to have to give it a lot of thought before I turn down the idea. The last photo is one of my favorites. I posted as my picture of the day on Instagram, even though I've posted it before. it just made sense for today.

     She loved to have fun, and if you look for them, there are several pictures of her and Peter Mayhew, (Chewbacca) in all kinds of fun shots. She will be missed by all in the Star Wars realm. Carrie Fisher isn't swirling in the ether tonight, she has become one with the Force. May the Force be with you, and the end of this year come sooner than the date will allow.

     Whew, I made it though that without bawling my eyes out, so now we can get to some more fun matters. I woke up and checked my email, and while I was doing that, I checked the tracking on one very important package. I was pleasantly surprised to see, that the Mya-Moe was on the truck for delivery. That meant that the ukulele was going to arrive on time, which technically made it early, so it was both early and on time. Don't try to follow my logic, it hurts my own head. Anyway, I was planning on hopping on Saki today, and just heading south, and see how far I got before I got tired and decided to go home. I was doing that today, because I knew I was going to have to stay home tomorrow to wait for the Mya-Moe based on the tracking info. I switched it up, and as I was making lunch the ukulele arrived.

     I contained myself. I brought the package in, and sat it on the dining room table, and finished making lunch and then ate it. When I was done eating, I cleaned all the dishes and pans, and put everything away, and then got out my trusty box cutter, and made forth on the delicate task of opening the box. I got it open and saw nothing but packing peanuts. I had to fish around in the box to find the case. I picked the right end, and found the narrow end of the case, and began gently lifting it out of the box, so that I wouldn't fling packing peanuts everywhere. The case was beautiful just like Cindy Lou's case. I pulled the plastic bag that was covering it off, and opened  it up. As I knew I would be, I lost my breath, it was simply taken from me, by the beauty of this instrument. Pictures really don't do it justice, but I have one for you anyway. I would like to introduce to you, the one, the only, Claude.

     I really wish you could see it in person, so that you can see how truly impressive this little instrument is. if I remember, I will get a picture of Cindy Lou and Claude together for Thursday. I tuned Claude up, and sat down and commenced to playing. It is quite marvelous. I have my original Lanaki that I put a low G string on, so that I could get those lower tones, and that is how I had this one strung. If I played the two of them for you one after the other, you would notice how amazing Claude sounds, and here is the kicker, It will take about a month before Claude reaches his true potential. The wood still needs to open up, and that comes from daily playing, good thing I now a lot of songs. One of the things my teacher made sure that I knew about when I got Cindy Lou, was to play through each fret every day as well. Ukuleles can get dull spots if the areas aren't played often, so I make sure to always go through from time to time, and play each fret up and down each string. I do need to get a picture of me with both Cindy Lou and Claude for the Mya-Moe website. They like to post pictures of their owners for the site, and they even post a quote if you allow it, and of course I did. So one last time, here is the link for my UkeTracker page so that you can see the quote as they put it up. I said one last time, but once the post the picture that I get taken, by the way, I need someone to take the picture for me, I could set up a camera and do it myself, but I think that ends up being far too impersonal, so if there are any volunteers out there, hit me up. Back to what I was saying. I will probably post the link one more time, when the picture is posted.

     I also received a new pair of riding gloves in the mail that I ordered last week. These are gloves that I have been wanting for some time now, and finally pulled the trigger on. They are full leather gloves, so they are better for riding in cooler temperatures. They are the Icon Hypersport gloves. I got the short cuff, because I really can't justify a gauntlet style glove. The protection on these gloves is top notch. Floating knuckles armor, and even protection on the pink in case of a low side crash. I don't have a picture of them for you, but if you really want to see them, go to Revzilla or some other motorcycle supply site, and you can find them easily. I went with the red and black, because everything with Saki is red and black. 

     Now for a short review of the new gloves. I need a little time to get used to them. They are a bit more bulky than my textile gloves, and the fingers are a tad bit longer. Both of these make for a different handlebar feel. I went riding tonight, and after about 10 minutes I began to notice things getting a bit easier for me with the controls, so it shouldn't take too long to get used to. One thing I don't think I will get used to though, is that with the longer fingers on the thumb especially, I can't use the monkey paw feature on my Icon jacket. I just can't work the fingers well enough to get the loop over the extended thumb. I can just ride without the loop over my thumb. It's there to keep the jacket sleeves down, and not blowing up, but the cuff is really sturdy and I shouldn't have that problem anyway.

     That brings us to Favorite Song of the Week, and since I didn't do George Michael justice on Sunday night when I wrote about his death, he gets the honor of FSOTW. I've been running this song through my head every since he rose up to swirl in the ether, with all the other amazing musicians that we have lost this year. Man that has got to be one hell of a jam session. Although you could take your pick of fantastic songs be him as both a part of WHAM or  his solo albums, I chose one from the solo effort. Outside of "Careless Whisper" this is my favorite song by him. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Here is George Michael with "Freedom".

     When I was younger, I couldn't read unless I had noise, and the way I would make that happen, was to play the radio, and this song always reminds me of Stephen King's "It". When I was reading that book, this song was huge on the radio, so I heard it a great number of times while I was reading.

     There is one last thing tonight, and I've been debating whether or not to bring this up at all. It is rather personal, and maybe even one of those things, that people shouldn't talk about in public settings, but since I said that this would always be honest and without censor, my less than better judgment has won out. I'm not even sure that I know where to begin with this, so I guess I should just dive in. I finally did something I thought I would never do, no matter how lonely I would get. What is it you ask? Did you hire a prostitute? An Escort? I can answer no to both of those. I don't think I will ever do that. There is too much of a threat of disease with that, and I don't like disease. No, I did something that might be even more cringe worthy. I ordered a Fleshlight. Make sure you read that properly so that the humiliation can truly be engrained in me. It does read as Fleshlight. If you don't know what that is, and can't guess by the name, it is a product that looks like a flashlight, but it hides a silicone sleeve inside that, well, it's shaped like one of three orifices, and it's used for masturbation. If you want to know anymore about it, you can look it up. Why did you order one of those? Well, in a short answer, I can't even get a woman to go on a date with me at this point, so, I spend a lot of time alone. Sometimes to pass that lonely time, you have a little self love, and by sometimes, I mean pretty much all the time you are free and alone, so why not bring something that can enhance that time.

      I havne't gotten a shipping notification on it yet, and it was on sale  for the holidays, so I got a deal, other than that , I can't answer any question on it right now. Now, if you want a review of that once I get it, I'll gladly and with no shame do so, but you have to let me know if you want that.

     Well, that was exciting. I'm not sure what I'm doing tomorrow (insert fleshlight joke here). I will either head south like I planned to do today, or I will head over to St. Pete to see the Frida Kahlo exhibit and the Dali Museum. I may just hold off on that until Thursday, so riding south is looking pretty good tomorrow.

     If you made it past the Fleshlight stuff to get to this point, I finish up with what I always finish up with, and that is, peace in and goodnight.

Christmas Night Edition.

     Well, this year just won't stop sucking. I woke up to the news that Joey Boots a frequent caller to the Howard Stern show had died, and then later in the day I heard the news that George Michael had died. There is only a week left, could we not lose anyone else for just a little while. Carrie Fisher nearly became a victim of this year, just last week when she had a heart attack on a plane. I'm not foolish enough to think that just because this year is up, that no one will die, but we could we just have a break from all the well known people leaving us.

     I usually wait until the end of writing this to create a title for it, but I took the lazy way out, and wrote the title after the first paragraph. Yes, it's lazy, and very uncreative, but I'm going with it. I needed a break from thinking. This weekend is coming to a close, and I only have to get through the next week of nothing to do, to make it out of this holiday season. I've done my best to make the most out of a bad situation, and I think I've succeeded so far. Last night was a bit of a struggle at first. The strip club was open, so I figured what better place to leave my thoughts behind, then to go there and have a couple of drinks. Well, my bartender was working last night, so a couple of drinks didn't happen, I did however manage to avoid doing any shots. When I'm there, I don't expect her to spend a lot of time talking to me, so I just sit at the bar, and watch whatever is on TV, and take a look at the stage from time to time. There was one big problem last night though. The only seat I could find at the bar, faced away from the stage, so I could only see the TV, and the dudes across from me. It felt like I was somewhere trying to participate, and I was failing miserably.

     A friend of mine, had his plans change, and he decided he was going to meet me at the club. He was a little late showing up. If he wasn't going to be there, I probably would have stuck to my couple of drinks and left, but since I was waiting for him, I was on my 3rd drink by the time he finally showed up. Once he was there, things leveled out for me. I had someone to talk to, so it was no longer that struggle to not be the loneliest person in a crowded room. I was also in a good spot, that the dancers didn't come around me. I was right near the servers station, so they couldn't really stand there or they would be in the way, and there was always someone sitting to the other side of me. I only bought drinks last night, and not dances. I tipped the bathroom attendant more than I did any of the ladies combined. I call that a good night.

     There were a lot of confusing things that happened this weekend, but I don't really want to dwell on them, so I just want to get to somethings that aren't confusing. For instance, I went to see the movie Passengers. It stars Jennifer Lawerence, who by the way, if I ever meet in person, I'm asking her out on the spot, and Chris Pratt. It's really good, they do a good job with not giving away a nice little twist in the movie in the commercials for it. The twist made the movie much better than I thought it was going to be, basically I was seeing it for Jennifer Lawerence anyway

     The other little positive thing that happened was, that I ordered my helmet cover. It kind of looks like Elmo with big eyelashes. It should be here in a few weeks. The guy that makes them is in England, so it has to travel over sea to get here. I don't think I can get it on my daily rider helmet, so I'm going to have to put it on my HJC Ironman helmet. It can be put on and off, so it's not a permanent fixture on the helmet. The other thing si, it will give me a reason to wear my back up helmet a little more often. I think it will be a lot of fun riding around in that helmet cover. I watch the videos of Kawi Brock, and it is just fun. Is it for attention? Sure it is, but it is more about possibly making someone smile more than it's about any attention I will receive from it. Wouldn't it brighten your day, if you were driving along and came a across someone on a motorcycle that looked like a muppet? That is what it's all about.

     I do have a little bit of bad news, not as bad as the two deaths I mentioned above, but very minor in terms of bad. My Mya-Moe has been delayed in transit by a day. I know, how will I get through life now that I won't get my ukulele until a day later? I'll manage, but that does change my schedule a little bit. I'm going to have to stay home that day until it arrives, cause I'm not missing out on being there when it shows up. That means that I can't go to St. Pete to the Dali, or go to Universal that day either, but it looks like I'll be hitting Universal a little closer to New Years anyway. My bartender finally let me know that Friday night.

    Speaking of Friday, I nearly forgot. It seems like the weekend has taken forever to get through. Friday morning I rode out on Saki before the sun came up, and got a few pictures at that spot on the beach. I would like to share some of them with you now.

     I think the last one is my favorite of them. i took more shots, but theses are the ones that look the best. I shot them with my phone, so I couldn't manipulate the exposure time or anything like that. I could have gotten much better shots with my Canon, but these came out nice, and the last one went over well on the Moto Amino app. I have failed to mention that before, but it's a great little app for motorcycle riders. It's a social biker media type of thing, and it's all about people being positive about riding. There are no egos on there, at least none that I've come across. Everyone is just there because they are on two wheels, and no one rails on anyone for riding a certain type of bike, it's as simple as, "You ride a bike, that's cool, let's all have a good time on two wheels". It really is refreshing considering how much of social media goes. That is the reason I left Facebook, because it became a thing where everyone aired their hatred towards other things, and I didn't need that in my life anymore. So, if you ride, and you want a positive social media experience, go look up the Moto Amino app. You might find someone near you that wants to ride.

     I'm going to call it a night. I was hoping to have pictures of the new ukulele on Tuesday for you, but as I said up above, that's not going to happen. I'll live though. I hope you had a great holiday so far, and hope that you continue on that course. Peace in and goodnight.

It's A Good Day For A RAK.

     I have something that I would like you to watch. As you know, I am all about the RAK (Random Acts of Kindness), and this video is a prime example of the RAK. It's from a Motovlogger that I recently find out about. Most of the videos I've seen so far, have a similar feel to them, and it's him doing RAK's of some sort or the other. Yeah there are those videos where he is just riding around talking about things, but even those you can tell that he is genuinely about making people have a little bit brighter day. In this particular video, he is going around and randomly handing out candy canes to people on his motorcycle, oh and by the way, it's in sub freezing temperatures. He lives in Oklahoma, and he has one of the greatest helmets ever. You'll see it if you make it to the end of the video. With the helmet in mind, and a new found way to RAK people, I looked up helmet covers, and found a guy that makes funny muppet like helmet covers. Guess what I'll be getting in the future? Anyway, here is the video, please take some time and watch. It will put a smile on your face. Oh I do have to warn you that there will be some dirty language involved.



     That right there is the epitome of the RAK, and what this time of year should really be about. Keeping on this positive theme. I was made aware of an apparel company that happens to be by another Motovlogger that I follow called Ride Apparel Co. The idea behind it, is to represent riding motorcycles in a positive light. Let's face it, motorcycle riders get a bad reputation. Whether it be from biker gangs, to riders racing through traffic (lane splitting, and I won't go into why it should be legal right now, but I will eventually), or doing wheelies on crowded roadways. The video above is one way to combat that stereotype, and another is with Ride Apparel Co. I ordered a couple of things from them a couple days ago, and it arrived today, a day ahead of schedule. One of the things I got was a hoodie that has a great message on the back of it. it reads : Positive Rides, Positive Vibes, Positive Life. I'll be honest, I was buying it more for the message than it being actually useful as a way to keep me warm. I was very surprised when it arrived, and to find that it is a quality hoodie. I've seen hoodies that aren't as good as this hoodie for almost double the price. It is a fantastic hoodie. It's thick material, and well put together, and it has that great message on the back. They are sold out of the hoodie but I'm going to post a link to it anyway. When you show up to the site, there is a pop-up window for you to sign up for updates, I'm sure they will have more hoodies in soon. If you ride, do yourself and them a favor, and grab a hoodie, if not, look around at what else they have, and maybe pick up a shirt or sticker instead. Here is the link to check out the hoodie RIDE.

     They are very small right now, and the hoodies they had for sale, were funding entirely by the two owners of the company, so they could only do 100 of them in various sizes. So, buying something form them can serve two purposes. 1. You are helping a small business get going, and 2. You are spreading a positive message to the world about what you want to represent as a rider. That right there, is a win/win. I almost forgot, they also threw in a free sticker with my order. That makes it a win/win/win. Triple threat baby.

     I stopped in and talked to my tattoo artist tonight. I didn't mention this earlier, but his son was hit by a car skateboarding home last week. I wanted to see how everything was. His son is home and recovering. He managed to only get a fractured jaw, and a chewed up mouth. Apparently when he bounced off the SUV, he went far first into the ground, and his bottom lip was dragged across the asphalt. My artist was telling me about how he went to the spot that it happened and tried to figure out just what happened. He was driving himself crazy trying to figure it out. I told him that it was probably one of those things that you just had to let go. He will probably never get the answers he is looking for, and he should just focus on the fact that his boy is doing fine. He agreed with me. He will probably try a little longer to figure it out, but I think he's ready to move on. I can only image how scary something like that would be. I could tell that if it turned out worse, he would have been broken. He doesn't really need anything, but if you want to give him a smile, and you have an Instagram account, follow this link Jasonblanchart and give him a few likes on some of his work. you'll see my last tattoo of David Bowie on there as well. He is a really good guy, and right now, a like on his photo, can maybe bring a small smile to his face.

     Never underestimate the power of a smile. It can change someone's day. The little things you do, to help people add up, and after a while, you will see that you have made a difference in this world. It may seem small in comparison to the vastness of the world itself, but it does change things. Its very easy to destroy things, but lifting things up, that takes work, and that is why, every time you say hello to someone, or hold a door open for them, or give a dollar to someone in need, or even just smile and say Thank You, to someone who has done something for you, you help to build a foundation of positivity, and the world need more of that. I need more of that, and that is why I try to do something for someone every day. I may not succeed all the time, but I try. I want you to go out, and do one good deed tomorrow, and then comment below what it was you did. Get a little recognition of this one, and then just enjoy everything else you do. Peace in and goodnight.

   

Music Is Life.

     I have a lot to talk to you about tonight, and it's probably all music related. First up should be a Mya-Moe update. I received my shipping notification, and according to it, I will be getting my new ukulele next Tuesday. As of me writing this, it is in Portland Oregon. The Mya-Moe shop is in White Salmon Washington, which is about an hour away from Portland. I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on it, and I will have a fresh picture of it in Tuesdays edition of this.

     I got a surprise email late last night from Twenty One Pilots. They did a session with their favorite band MuteMath, and redid 5 of their songs. The email had a link to download the EP. I don't have that link for you, but I do have a video they made for it for you to watch, if you have the time. It's 25 minutes and 31 seconds long, so you need to put some time in for it, but it's worth it. It is them in the studio doing the songs as they were recorded, and it's pretty fantastic. Here is the video.



     Tonight, I watched America's Got Talent's Christmas Special that was on last night. This was the first time that they have done this, and it was rather good. They had a lot of past acts, as well as acts from this last season. The highlight as it was during this past season was Grace Vanderwaal. She came on near the end of the show, and performed Frosty the Snowman with a children's choir. During the season, which she won, and she was a favorite of mine, she only did original songs. It was a bold but very good move on her part. I'd seen some of her covers on her Youtube channel, and they were good, but her originals suited her much better. That has changed a bit. This version of Frosty was of course a cover, but she managed to put her very original flare on it. Before you even ask, Yes, I have the video of her performance for you.  There is just something about her voice, that you can't help but love.



     Once I was done watching AGT, I turned over to what was left of the Micheal Buble Special. I was a little bummed that I only caught 15 minutes of it, but I forgot that it was on tonight. There was good news though, and it was a bit of a gift. There was a Tony Bennet 90th Birthday Celebration on after it. I'm a big fan of Tony, and I'm going to hold back on doing a big write up of him here right now, because I know that I will be writing it all again when he passes, and I'd rather take this time to talk about the performances that happened on the stage.

     There were some incredible artist on that stage, and all to honor Tony. He greeted each one with an appreciative smile, and mouthing words of love and encouragement to them. Tony Bennet is an enormous supporter of the Arts, and even has a foundation to help Youth Arts programs. The show started with Alec Baldwin done up as Tony himself, and Alec did a great Tony impersonation. He introduced the first act, and without even blinking my eye, I knew who it would be. It was none other than the Mother Monster herself, Lady Gaga. Gaga has the talent to sing anything, and she proves it with each performance I see of hers. She did two songs during the show. The one to start it off, and then one later on. When they would cut to Tony in the crowd, you could see his love and respect for her. She can do no wrong in my eyes when she is singing, and it appears that Tony feels the same.

     I don't remember all the acts, but I'm going to go through a few of them that I do remember. Micheal Buble was right after Gaga, and he did a fantastic job himself. He is a true modern crooner, in the vain of Tony. He has those same golden vocal chords of Tony, and can really belt out a song. Diana Krall was up after that, doing another of Tony's hit songs. She has a sweet voice, that spreads over you like wings. KD Lang was soon after Diana, and walked out barefoot and just as awesome as ever. KD Lang has one of the purest voices that I've ever heard. There were a few prerecorded performances shown in from time to time. Billy Joel with Tony from Madison Square Garden. Bob Dylan, Elton John, and a few other birthday wishes from Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, Garth Brooks, and one or two others.  Two performances that caught my attention were from  Leslie Odom Jr., who preformed a song that I chose as the Favorite Song of the Week. We will get to that a little later. The other performance was by Stevie Wonder. I can't even begin to explain how great Stevie is. He did two of his songs, but what he did that no one else did, was have the entire crowd dancing in their chairs. Stevie blew the roof off the place, and then fixed it, and blew it off again. The whole crowd stood and cheered for him when he finished, it was an amazing performance, and Tony loved it.

     The final real performance of the night, was Tony himself. Alex Baldwin came out as Tony again, and played the part of a show host. he introduced his next guest as a celebrity impersonate by the name of Phony Bennet. It was Tony of course, and Tony went with it. it was funny and fantastic. Alex got serious and said, "Tony it's time for you to do what only you can". Then he left the stage for Tony. Tony saddled up next to the piano, and at 90 years old, he crooned like he always has. He did 3 songs and just laid it all out there for everyone. The crowd was in awe, and so was I. I'm hoping that I don't have to write that eulogy piece I was staying away from tonight, for a very long time, and they way Tony was so alive up on that stage, I think my hopes will be answered.

     Now let's get to that Favorite Song of the Week. As I said earlier, Leslie Odom Jr. sang a Tony song, and that was the choice. There is a catch though. As good as his version was, I wanted Tony to get the honors tonight, so without further adieu, here is Tony Bennet with "Autumn Leaves".



     I know it was a lot of videos tonight, but they are all worth watching, and believe me, I had a couple of more that I could have thrown in there. For instance, I had a different pick for FSOTW before I saw the Tony Bennet 90th. I was going to post a video by Aurora. You'll probably see it next week, because it is such a great song and video.

    I was also going to go off on meteorologist and how they are so terrible, but music is much more positive, and a whole lot more fun, and that is where I want to be right now, because this time of year is so bad for me. Music is life, and it heals so much, so do yourself a favor, and watch as much of theses three videos that you can, you won't regret it. Peace in and goodnight.

Day By Day, And A Treehouse Restaurant.

     I got everything I wanted to accomplish, accomplished. I had the lasagna at my favorite watering hole, and I got to see Star Wars Rogue One. So, the bout with depression is over right? Wrong, I'm still full entrenched in it, and will be more than likely until the new year. As I said before, I don't like this time of year, and this is the very reason why. I do know one thing though, in order to stay invested in life, I have to participate in it. It may seem like color by numbers at time, and it kind of feels that why, but it keeps me involved. That was the point of setting such a small goal for this weekend.

     Even though I was off on Friday, I didn't go see Rogue One on that day, I was saving that for Saturday. Instead, I took Saki out for some quality time. It was a good temperature for riding. I didn't need the jacket, all though I kinda of wish I had it as the day got longer. It did start to get a bit chilly, but the scenery of the ride was fantastic. I did my North Tropical Trail ride, which is my favorite part of that road, because it is where the old houses are and it's a bit more winding. From there I jumped over to the Banana River ride heading south and back to the main road I hit the Trail on. I decided on my way back, I would hit the South end of Tropical Trail, and follow it all the way down to Mather's Bridge. It's a tiny little draw bridge at the end of the Trail, that leads over to A1A. From there, I headed home, because it was getting time for me to hit the watering hole and get that lasagna.

     I got to the watering hole, and apparently, everyone was sick, and it appears to be the flu. This would normally freak me out. I'm a bit of a germaphobe and don't like being anywhere near sick people, but given my current dance with depression, it didn't bother me in the slightest. I just figured I would drink more whiskey to kill off any germs that might be lingering in my area. The lasagna came, and it was everything I hoped it would be. They went heavy on the mozzarella, which really made it for me. After a few more drinks, and when I say a few more, I mean a lot more, I went home and went to sleep with aspirations of waking up before dawn and riding over to then beach for that sunrise photo I wanted. That didn't happen.

     The alarm went off, but I wasn't interested in getting up, so I turned it off, and went back to sleep. I was still up by 7:30, so I made breakfast and planned for an early showing of Rogue One. I managed to get tied up, and missed the first showing at 9:45, but I was able to make the 10:30 showing. The movie was great, but it really isn't a movie I should watch at this time. I won't give anything away, but I will say, that it isn't a happy ending. They did pull off some pretty neat tricks in the movie, and even added a few new ships, but made them look like older models of ships, so that they fit in very well. The story was exciting and well done, but I don't know if I can go see it again. I'm getting to let it sink in a bit before I make final judgement on that. I do think my current state of mind has a lot to do with that idea, so I need to revisit the multiple viewing option at a later date. I pretty much called it a day after that. I sat around and caught up on some recorded TV, and then went to sleep. I participated enough that day.

     Today was good though. I went on a long ride with Saki. I decided to head north on US1 and see where I ended up. The answer to that question was, New Smyrna Beach. I hit an area and saw a sign that read A1A with an arrow pointing East, so I went that way, and I'm glad I did. There is a large bridge right after turning on that road, that goes over the Intracoastal Waterway, and it was gorgeous. I always have these ideas of living somewhere else, but I really love Florida. There is so much beauty here that I haven't seen yet, and Saki is taking me to all of it. After crossing that bridge I rode by this amazing looking restaurant. It had an enormous deck on the upper level, that had  bridge that ran across the parking lot to a deck that went around a tree, like a treehouse. I wanted to stop, but it looked a little too fancy for what I was wearing, so I'll save it for another time. I looked it up online when I got home, and I probably could have stopped in and had a bite to eat. The menu looks really good. I want to be in the treehouse area though, when I go. Here is a link to their site so you can take a look at it yourself. Norwoods, the front page shows a shot of the place from across the road. It's kind of fantastic. I rode along the beach after seeing that. It was a little on the hot side today, so the faster I went the better it felt, so on the way back, I laid on the tank and just opened it up. I kept it reasonable, only hitting triple digits once. I felt like I needed that, and it felt good.

     After the ride, I cleaned up Saki, and my helmet, both were covered in dead bugs. Then I just washed my clothes, I feel content right now. I know that it won't last, as a matter of fact, I'm sure it will last until tomorrow morning. I won't be riding Saki to work, because there is a heavy chance of rain tomorrow, which means no Saki. That will be the end of my contentment. I was hoping to ride Saki in all three days that I will work this week, but that isn't the case now. I din't even bother to look at the rest of the weeks forecast, I'm only going to go, day by day. It fits in with my thinking right now. Day by day, is the only way to take it.

     Before I go, there is one more thing that happened on Friday, that I forgot to mention earlier. Mya- Moe finished my ukulele. The final photos are up, and it looks incredible. They are shipping it out tomorrow (Monday) and it should be here sometime the following week. I don't expect it to get here before Christmas. UPS has a handful delivering packages as is, and the last time it took 10 days for my ukulele to get into my hands. Anyway here is the link to the completed page UkeTracker make sure to scroll all the way to the bottom, so you can see what the wood on the back looked like before they started, and how it changed with the oil treatments. It's almost mesmerizing. I get the tracking info tomorrow as well, which should have a projected delivery date. I'll update you on that date on Tuesday. Until then, peace in and goodnight.

The Walls Are Crumbling.

     Hello, I know that it's been some time since I've written to you like this, but today seemed like a good time to do it. I can feel the steps of the spiral giving way. Things have been okay for too long. I've tried my best to take everything in stride, and let things wash over me, but it is starting to pile up now. The voices of negativity and despair are beginning to get louder. I try to ignore them, but it's getting harder. I know that I need to participate in order to get them to stop, but when they get loud enough, I might not be able to do that.

     This is always the worst time of year for me. I've never felt a connection to the holiday season, even when I was younger. I always felt bad when I received gifts. There was a guilt that just hung over me. I didn't deserve that gift. I didn't earn it. It wouldn't matter how much a gave, I would have the highest level of guilt over just one gift given to me. I was always awkward in accepting anything. I grew to learn how to hide that awkwardness, but it is always there.

     That awkwardness turns to anxiety, then that turns to depression. It's a step ladder that always leads down. I probably shouldn't be alone for the holidays, and I really shouldn't be around people either. It's this time of year, when I am alone even in a crowd of people. You probably don't understand that, or maybe you do. Maybe I'm underestimating your understanding of what I'm talking about. These are the thoughts that go through my head in a crowd, and this is how I become alone. I think about what everyone else is thinking, and it always leads to me thinking that it's best that I'm not there. I know, that I'm bringing everyone down. It may not be true, but I feel that when I'm in any crowd. I'm the one that they look at and say,"Why is he here?".

     I'm going to have about 2 weeks off of work starting next week, and that is always a terrible thing. I will have nothing to occupy my time. I will sit and think, and when I do that, it's never a good thing. I'm trying to create things to preoccupy that free time, but nothing is working. I'm going to have to focus on simply creating. I need to draw, paint, and write. I need to keep the voices out of my head, or at least have them narrate what I'm doing. If they narrate, they aren't telling me things to do.

     I will get through this, I always have, but this year feels different for some reason. I'll write again soon, until then, peace in and goodnight.

Bowie Ink, And New Ukulele Day Is Getting Closer.

     Even though I said that I was wanting to leave last weekend alone, because of the negativity involved, I did need to bring a couple of things to light. The first of which, is the new tattoo. My artist came through in flying colors. He has earned the "god arm". I can't tell you how much I love this new ink. Was it painful? Absolutely, it hurt just like the other rib piece did, and maybe a little more, because more surface area was covered, not to mention, it was a full color portrait with a twist. I guess I should just put the picture up so you can see. Here it is, the new ink.

     We changed up the iconic image from the David Bowie Aladdin Sane album. I'm not going to give you all the reasons, because those belong to me. Just know, that it is in tribute to Bowie and my artist nailed it. It's still in the healing process right now, this picture was taken about an hour after it was done. Currently it is till pealing, and a little tender. I've been through this a few times now, so I know what to expect from it. I have a couple more days of pealing before the new skin takes hold. Then that layer will slowly peal off as well. When that does, it will be fully healed. I will continue my Aquaphor treatment for about 2 weeks. It seems to work the best for me. When I have done this with other tattoos, I don't seem to lose much color at all. It will soften a bit from the picture above, but not much, I can already see that the color is holding incredibly well. just like it did with the "Love Symbol" in honor of Prince. That one seems to have lost no color from the day I got it.

     The other thing I wanted to mention, was that I got to see a very rare motorcycle. I was helping a friend of mine that needed to drop her bike off for maintenance. After dropping it off, we spent the day at a bird sanctuary, it was pretty fun and informational. When we went back to pick her bike up, there were a few people that had rode up to the shop. One of these people was riding a Honda RC 51. In the early 2000's Honda put out a race bike that they tuned down a bit to be street legal. They only made a limited quantity of them each year they were made. I don't know what year this particular bike was, but it looked cool. I should have gotten a picture of it, but I was to enamored with staring at it to pull my phone out. That bike is simply, raw power. I was hoping to hear it start up before leaving ,but alas, I wasn't that lucky. I'll just have to live with the fact that I stood next to one of those beautiful machines.

     I have a Mya-Moe update. It isn't the one I was expecting to have, they broke their previous schedule a bit, and didn't do any work on the ukuleles in the shop on Sunday. The did pick back up on Monday though, and two steps have been done since you last saw it, which means there is only one step to go. I'm assuming they will be in the shop tomorrow, so that should put my ukulele being finished at that time. They put the 4th coat of oil on it yesterday and applied the lemon oil and glued on the bridge today. That leaves only putting in the tuner pegs, and stringing it, and adding the pick-up. After that, they do the final photos and then pack it up for shipping. I'm still thinking that I will get it the week following Christmas. I just don't expect it to get through the busy parcel service before the holiday. Anything can happen though. Here is the link so that you can take a look at the latest two updates UkeTracker. Let me know what you think of it. I should be able to post the final update on Thursday, assuming that they finish it up on Wednesday. If that doesn't work, I'm sure there will be something to post by Sunday.

     I have only two goals this weekend, and they are:1. To finally try the lasagna at my favorite watering hole, and 2. Too see Star Wars Rogue One. They aren't lofty, so I'm pretty sure that I will succeed in my chosen tasks. I know what you are saying, "After Sunday's post, why isn't riding Saki one of your goals?". There is a simple answer to that, and that is, that riding Saki is a foregone conclusion. It isn't a goal, it is a fact of life. I haven't ridden the last two mornings, because the humidity was so high, that I wouldn't be able to see from the fog build up on my helmet, but tomorrow I ride no matter the conditions. Two days is far too long to go without riding. As long as my heart beats, so will Saki's.

     I haven't given any thought to Favorite Song of the Week yet this week. I guess I should brainstorm right now, and come up with one. Ok, I know time doesn't pass the same when you are reading this, as it does when I'm writing it, so you have to believe me when I tell you, that it was several minutes of deliberation. I have a song, and it's a goody. So, I have this favorite band, I'm sure you all know who that is by now, but if you don't, it's Twenty One Pilots. Well they have this one song, that is a favorite song of one of my very best friends, and it just so happens to be the favorite song of my new dancer friend Teal. Those are two very good reasons why this should be Favorite Song of the Week. There are other reasons of course, like, it's a great freaking song. It's fun, it's bouncy, it makes you want to move, and puts a smile on your face. Here is Twenty One Pilots with "The Run And Go" Enjoy.

     Great song right? I'll see you on Thursday with what will hopefully be the least Mya-Moe update before I finally get my hands on the new ukulele. No, I still don't have a name for it, but it will come, when it does. Peace in and goodnight.

Freedom Can Be Found On Two Wheels.

     I'm writing this early tonight, because frankly, I don't know if I'm going to make it to the end of The Walking Dead. I was out on Saki this morning, and thinking about what I was going to write tonight. The normal stuff ran through my head. You know, the "what I did this weekend" stuff. Then it hit me. The whole reason I was out riding on Saki this morning, was because I needed to clear my head. The weekend was filled with positive events. I had a good time with friends, my dancer friend contacted me, I spent a day at a bird of prey rescue facility, I helped a friend out with their motorcycle, I had a great conversation with an old friend, and I gifted another old and dear friend. Lot's of positive things to write about, but then there were the negative things, and even though they were fewer in number, their reach was much broader. I'm not going to go into those negative things, because I want to leave them behind me. Once again, the whole reason I was out riding on Saki.

     While I was riding, it hit me, that I should be writing about why I ride. The simple and short answer, is because, it's fun. The long answer is what I'm going to go into. There is the zen attitude, which states that you become one with the motorcycle, and that is true. If you re doing it right, you do become one with the motorcycle. You become one entity that is against everything else on the road. Your view is 360 degrees. You can see everything, and you are aware of all. You are the motorcycle and the motorcycle is you. It's cathartic in nature.

     There is the what I like to call, the Kerouac affect. You see an adventure at every turn, and each road is a journey that you must see to the end. Endless possibility abound. You make a left turn, and it could lead to disaster or salvation, and each is energetic in it's potential. When you get to the end, you have a story to tell, whether it's a short tale about a quick ride, or a long tale about what occurred with every passing tree, car, and curb. You can write a book based on one solo ride.

     I'm sure there are many other affects on why people ride, but the reason I ride, is freedom. The restraints of a steel cage are cast off. The restraints of the pressures of an every day world or thrown aside. There is only me and Saki. I don't listen to music while I ride, I only listen to the song that Saki sings. Saki tells me everything I want to hear. Saki tells me when it is under pressure and needs relief of a higher gear, or gets throaty when I need to throttle up. A lot of people want to put a gender to Saki, but to me, Saki is gender fluid. Saki can be delicate and nimble in the corners, like a lady, but on the straightaways, Saki growls and flexes it's muscles like a man. Then there are the times that I've written about at other occasions, when Saki just disappears from under me, and becomes neither male or female. That is why I always refer to Saki as "it". In my eye, Saki has no true gender, it is what it is, at the moment.

     I rode this morning, and everything went away. I didn't think about the good things that happened, nor the bad things, I simply thought about Saki and me. I had no idea where I was going to go. I simply pulled out of my neighborhood, and went a direction. The next thing I knew, I was riding north on A1A beachside. I remembered an old place that I used to surf when I was younger. We called it Officer's Club. It was an Officer's Club that was across the A1A from Patrick AFB. It burned down years ago, but they left and repaved the parking lot. I knew that it was the one place, that I might have a shot of seeing the water from the parking lot. Everywhere else has a large berm or dune that protects the beach. I pulled into the lot, and I was the only one there. I had the whole lot to myself, so I rode until I found the perfect location. I was able to get a shot of Saki next to a palm tree, with some waves peaking over the small dune. The picture is almost everything I would want. The reason I say almost, is because I want a sunrise behind it, and no that I remember that that place is there, I will get that shot soon.

     In that moment, I was at peace. There was tranquility and freedom. Could I have gotten there in my car? Of course I could, but would I have? More than likely not. Saki took me there. Saki knew what I needed. It was me, Saki, and mother nature, in all her glory, and it was remarkable. I needed a few more shots. First a closer look at Saki in this beauty, then a selfie with Saki, and then the coup de gras, a shot through a gap in the dune of the beach and the surf.

     This was the world in a snapshot. All it's beauty and power confined in one moment. It was freedom, and Saki took me to it. 

     I needed today, I needed today more than I knew it. Saki knew it, and Saki took me there without delay. Saki roared through the straightaways, and danced through the corners. Saki released all that negativity from me, and left it somewhere on the road behind me. So, when someone asks me form now one, why I ride. I'm going to tell them, that I don't ride, I just go along for the journey.

     I'm not going to tell you that you need to get a motorcycle, but you need to get a motorcycle. If you treat it right, and take very good care of it, it will take you where you need to go, even if you don't know where that is. Get out and ride. Peace in and goodnight.

Will This Year Ever End?

     I woke up late Tuesday night, early Wednesday morning with my left ankle in pain. Every time I would move in bed, it would wake me up. Sharp pains tearing through my ankle with each movement. When I finally woke up, I could barely walk. I checked my ankle for bruising or swelling, and there was nothing. I dislocated that ankle around 10 years ago, and the pain was similar, so I checked that everything was in place, and it was. It's a complete mystery to me. After I moved around for a while, I could put weight on it, and walk with a limp. Wednesday night, after watching Arrow, I got up, and nearly fell down. All the mobility that I had during the day, was gone. I woke up this morning and the pain was worse. I needed to brace myself on door frames and walls in order to walk. Once again though, as I moved around more, the more mobility I gained.  It's still in a lot of pain now, but it isn't as bad as last night, so I'm hoping that the majority of pain is behind me now. The only thing I can come up with, is that I somehow dislocated the ankle again (this would be the 4th time), and popped back into place, all in my sleep. That is the best I can come up with. I'll let you know if it goes away, or gets any worse.

     I'm hoping it will be better tomorrow, because I'm getting stabbed with needles for a few hours, and pain on top of pain, doesn't lead to a fun day. And I already have a buddy that wants to go out tomorrow night. It's not 3W, but if he is in town, I expect that I will get a text from him at some point. I went and took a look at the stencil for my tattoo yesterday, with an idea to add a little something to it, but my idea was useless, I took one look at the stencil, and I was sold. This should come out looking really fantastic. My artist is the only person that has tattooed me, and if this comes of as good as I think it's going to come off. He is getting my "god arm". That is what I'm calling the plans I have for my right arm. It's going to be a sleeve of Greek Gods, and it's going to be in photo realism/black & white. I had a woman in mind to do that sleeve, because I have seen her work, and it is right in line with what I want done, but if my artist nails this, and I think he will, the arm is all his.

     As promised, I have another Mya-Moe update for you. Yesterday they applied the third coat of oil on the new ukulele, and it looks magnificent. I don't think they will do anymore to it until Sunday, but I could be wrong, that seems to be the schedule they have been going on lately. If that is the case, there is a good chance that my new ukulele will be done on Tuesday, or possibly Wednesday. As I said on this past Tuesday, that is far ahead of their planned schedule. If you want to take at the new picture that is up, and just a general look at everything that has been done, go here UkeTracker. The maple binding on the side really stands out in the most recent photo, and you can get a little peak at what the sides look like. Once the oil goes on, and you can't really see this in the photos, the wood gets this wavy iridescent look to it. It's really beautiful, and I'm not really sure that a photo can capture that. If you zoom in on the picture that shows the back of the ukulele, you can get a small sense of that in the lighter sections of the wood. It's looking far better than I could have imagined.

     Growing up on the Space Coast of Florida, one of the things that is engrained in us, is the space program. We see launches from our backyards, we run into astronauts at diners and restaurants, we see touristy spacemen everywhere. Every time I head to the beach over causeway, I see the Vehicle Assembly Building. It is as much a part of my life, as breathing is. My heart is heavy today, because of the lost of one of America's greatest heroes, and he was, in every sense of the word. John Glenn was the first American to orbit the earth, and the fifth man in space. He was part of the famed Mercury Seven, and the last remaining member of that historic group of heroes. His accomplishments range from war hero, to test pilot, to astronaut, to U.S. Senator. Glenn was a native son of Ohio, He took his first and last breath there. John Glenn has already touched the heavens in Friendship 7 and again on Space Shuttle Discovery. Tonight, he joined the rest of the Mercury Seven in the ether to form a constellation in the shape of a 7, in hopes that Perth Australia will once again turn on all their lights to become "City of Light" in his honor.

     This has been a really crappy year. We have lost so many, an so many terrible things have happened. As much as I look forward to this year being over because of that, I will also miss this year, for the strength it has given me to deal with these very same things. With the upcoming year, I will strive to bring a little more joy when and where I can, and I implore you to do the same. Peace in and goodnight.

Sometimes You Have To Just Let Go.

     Let's start off with a little Mya-Moe news. As I thought, they have two new updates on the new ukulele. They put the first and second coats of oil on it, and it looks amazing. Like I said, the oil brings out depth and colors in the wood that just weren't there before oil went on it. At this point, they only have 2 more coats of oil, then they finish it up with a coat of lemon oil, at the same time they put the bridge on. Then it's all about stringing it and putting in the pick-up. If things go the way I think they might, the new ukulele will be completed next week, which would put it a full month ahead of schedule of what their projected schedule was. It will be a full two months ahead of their committed completion date. I'm really looking forward to getting this ukulele in my hands. Take a look at all the updates right here UkeTracker. I just have to say, that it's a beauty. I love the tiger strip look of the back, and how that red cedar came to life with the first coat of oil. You can really get a good look at the head of the ukulele on the picture that accompanies the first oil. That is their signature.. They don't put a name on the ukulele other than a sticker that has the model information that goes on the inside of the body. That head plate is their logo. It's a design that owner Char came up with, and it really makes it stand out. Don't forget, even though Mya-Moe are finishing up their final custom builds, they are still going to build ukuleles. They will be preconfigured by them, and you can go in with a configuration of your own, and they will see if there is anything that they are building that is similar to what you have chosen. If so, you too can own a Mya-Moe Ukulele. I highly recommend it, if you are a ukulele player as well.

     I guess another update is in order as well. I have still not heard from my bartender, so I guess it is time to admit, that nothing will ever come of this. I had hope, but sometimes you need more than that. Maybe I will hear from her again. I'm not going to pine away though. I have Saki to take up my time, and that is pretty damn enjoyable.

     Even though I'm only having a three day work week, because orders are low, I feel that this week is going exactly the way it should go. I went and talked to my tattoo artist last week, and told him that I was ready for some new ink. Seeing how things have been going at work, and the end of the year is always slow. I told him that there would be a good chance that I would have Friday off, and that would be a great day to get it done. My appointment is for 1PM on Friday afternoon, and I can't wait to get stung by that needle once again. What am I getting done you ask? That, I can't tell you. it must remain a secret until I unveil it to you on Sunday. I can tell you, that it is going on my right ribcage. Because the ribs were the most painful spot that I've had tattooed, I decided to do it again. I'm looking at it this way. Once the right side is done, I never have to get another rib tattoo again. I will have knocked both sides off the list.

     I have another link for you. This is for a chance to buy a t-shirt and help out the North Shore Animal League. Camren Bicondova, who plays Selina Kyle, AKA CatGirl in the TV show Gotham, has created a t-shirt with the proceeds from the sales going to help out the North Shore Animal League. I'm quite fond of North Shore because of Howard and Beth Stern, and because they are a "no kill" shelter. The put animals in homes and not graves. Howard and Beth have been big supporters of North Shore for many years now. They even foster kittens in their own home. If you just follow this link Camren & The North Shore, you can get your hands on a snazzy looking shirt that says "Don't Be a Copycat, Just Be a Cat", and you get the added bonus of helping orphaned animals. In my book, that is a win/win. I will be ordering mine tomorrow. As Camren said on her Instagram post when she launched the campaign, "Let's Help Some Animals".

     We have now made it to Favorite Song of the Week. I had a bunch of choices this week, but I heard this song today, and I knew that it made the cut. This is from an artist that is relatively new to me. I've heard a few of his songs in the past, and enjoyed them, but today I looked up his new album, which is pretty good. What spurred the interest in this artist was that he was on SNL last Saturday, and he once again did a great job. The artist in question is The Weeknd. Has a great way of mixing R&B, pop and urban sounds. It melds together and creates a very original sound, and this song is no exception. This song is off his new album, so sit back and enjoy "Party Monster".


     This was more of a slow groove for you tonight, or today, whenever you read this. I really hope you liked it. Let's look forward to another Mya-Moe update on Thursday, and maybe I'll have something interesting to talk about then as well. Peace in and goodnight.

Saturday Was A Blast, But It Brings Forth A Whole Bunch Of Questions.

     There are no new updates on the new ukulele front. Even with that, they are still 2 weeks ahead of schedule. I'm sure there will be something by Tuesday though, so I'll let you know then. In the meantime, I can tell you about this weekend.

     Did I mention on Thursday, that my dancer friend texted me? I don't remember. Anyway, she texted me saying that she would be working on Friday. Oh wait, she texted me on Friday that she was working that night, but I was already out having a few drinks, and couldn't make it over there to see her. I asked her if she was working on Saturday, and she was, so we will get to that later.

     Friday afternoon, I went to see Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. It was very good. It had everything you want from a movie. Drama, intrigue, action, a love story, humor, and a little surprise at the end. I'm not going to tell you what it is, you will just have to go see the movie yourself. You will know the surprise when it happens. As I walked out of the theater, I looked at my phone, and I  had gotten a text from 3W. I knew what he was wanting, before he even asked. He was wanting to go have a couple of drinks. I wanted to see how he was going to play the whole wingman thing, so I was up for hanging out. I really wanted to see if he would mention the woman he winged for me. I really have no other way to put that. He only apologized for her lying to me. I know he put her up to texting me last Friday, but he didn't say anything about that. I never mentioned to him, that she had texted me either. I think he was waiting for me to tell him a big story about how she texted me, but he wasn't going to get it. He left early that night, and it was soon after he left, that my dancer friend texted me, saying that she was working

     As I stated earlier, I was already a few drinks in, and there was no way I was going to head over to where she worked. She told me that she would be working on Saturday, so that I could stop by and see her then. I got her stage name from her, so that I could introduce her properly to friends of mine. I didn't want to give out her real name, if she didn't want it out there. I'm not going to use either of her names here, so I have to come up with something to call her. She does have a Donnie Darko tattoo on her leg, but nothing comes to mind off of that. Oh, I know, she has teal colored hair, so from now on, she will be referred to as Teal. I contacted a friend of mine, that I hadn't seen in some time, to see if he wanted to hit the club with me, he was up for it, and mentioned another buddy wold be up for going as well. We were going to be a rambunctious Three Musketeers. Oh, but we still aren't done with Friday night yet.

     There was a new bartender working on the watering hole, she was nice, but she wasn't my bartender. I did speak to her, to get to know her, and allow her to know me, so that we can start the training process for her getting my drinks right. It will take some time, but she'll get it down. I was on my last drink, when I ran into one of the women that 3W was chatting up there, the night that he introduced me to Lying Woman. It was the one, that he made the mistake of introducing me to, and then she wanted very little to do with him after that. I think it was because he was definitely hitting on her, and wouldn't listen to what she was telling him, which was that she has a boyfriend. I wasn't hitting on her, and we just had a good time talking. Anyway, she told me that she ran into 3W last week at the place he likes going, and she told me how annoyed she was with him. I found that to be very funny. She then asked me if I go to the watering hole often, I told her that I was there most Friday's. She said she would see me around, and we would talk again. I have a feeling that this is going to get very awkward for 3W.

     Finally on to Saturday night. I met up with my buddies at a bar that was a few doors down from the strip club where Teal works. We had a couple of beers there and then walked over to the club. I had no idea if Teal would even recognize me, or if I would recognize her, but as soon as we walked in the door, I saw her at the front desk. She lit up with a smile. I was shocked. It was so noticeable that my buddies knew it was her, and said, "here's your boy". She came around the desk and gave me a hug, and then said that she had to change. She was in normal jeans and a hoody, not really what you would wear as an erotic dancer.

     We worked our way around the bar, and found a few seats at the bar near the main stage. Teal came out a few minutes later and I introduced her to my buddies. Here is how things are different with them as opposed to 3W. They didn't try to take over the conversation with her, and talk about themselves. They were just there to hang out and have a good time. Teal stayed with us the entire time we were there. She had to dance on the stage a couple of times. Each time she did, we hit the chairs by the stage, and tipped her generously. Half way through the night, a couple of things happened. First, one of the bouncers came up to us, and said that we were the most fun, and funniest trio in the place. That was in part to every time the DJ would finish a song, he would call out, "Let's make some noise!", so we did. We started out making duck sounds, then it went to wolf howls, and finally settled on the Tarzan call. People thought we lost our mind, but every time that bouncer came by, he would high five us. Even some of the dancers started doing it with us. The second thing that happened is that we met Marilyn. That isn't her name, and not even her stage name, but that is what we nicknamed her. She looked like a goth version of Marilyn Monroe. She was gorgeous, and one of my buddies was in love. She began hanging out with us as well. We became the party in that place. We were having a great time, and so where the people around us. I'm sure the ladies could have made more money if they were walking the floor, but the didn't care, Teal even told me that. Actually she said that it was a lame crowd, and she was sure that she wasn't going to make any money that night. So she was fine with just having a good time with us.

     I almost forgot something. There was a third thing that happened, 3W stopped in. This is why I mentioned the difference with my two buddies and him. As soon as he got there, he zeroed in on Teal. I didn't tell him that I knew her, or how I knew her, but he started directing the conversation to him, and all the things he has, and she wasn't having any of it. She listened to him politely, and as soon as he took a breath, she pulled me closer to her, and started talking to me. I'm sure he was confused by the whole thing. When he finally got that she wan't having any of it, he moved in on Marilyn, I'm not sure how she reacted to him, because I was talking to Teal, and really couldn't care about what was going on over there. 3W left soon after that, and we had pretty much had our fill of drinks. Teal had to do something in the back, so she wasn't out on the floor when we were getting ready to leave. I told my buddies that I would meet them back at the other bar we had walked from, I just needed to say goodnight to Teal. They were like, "sure thing, get her number". I already had her number so I was ahead of the game on that one. While I was waiting for her to come out, I began talking to a lady that was sitting next to us. She told me that she thought one of my buddies was cute. I told her where we were going, and that she could get cheaper drinks there, but she was with a group of people, so I couldn't convince her to head over there for my buddy. I tried. Teal finally came out after a few minutes, and I gave her a big hug goodnight, and told her that I would see her again.

     This is a very weird situation for me. I think that she genuinely likes me. I got a dance from her earlier in the evening, and we pretty much just talked the whole time. Once again, it wasn't a sexual thing. She is very easy to talk to, and I learned quite a few things about her life. I always say, that everyone has a story, they are only waiting for someone to tell it to, and I am normally that person. With her though, it was a little different. It wasn't her just telling it, she really wanted me to know these things about her. It was a deep conversation. I don't know, I'm a little confused right now, because I met her, because I was there originally to see my bartender, who I want to date, but now I'm thinking I could have a chance dating Teal. Like I said, this is weird for me. This is something that never happens, which probably means that it's all going to blow up in my face.

     With all that in mind, I needed a course of action, so today, I texted my bartender, and asked her out. I have not heard back from her. You can look at that a few ways. On one hadn't, maybe that is fate telling me that she isn't the one. On the other hand, she is thinking it over, and want's to turn me down in a very nice way. On an even other hand, and this little bit of information is a little important for the choices, is that she hasn't read the message. She and I both have iPhones, and iMessage let's you know when someone has read your text. It will say read below the text you sent. It still only says delivered. This last thing brings up a whole other list of concerns. She lost or misplace her phone. Something has happened to her so that she can't get to her phone. She saw the preview on the home screen and wants nothing to do with it. Only time will tell on this one. I'll keep you up to date on everything that happens, but for now, I will just say, peace in and goodnight.

It Could Be An Early Christmas For Me.

     I was driving to my ukulele class tonight, when it hit me, I felt confined and caged in. I wanted to be on Saki. I wanted that freedom of the open air. I love my car, it's a great little car, but I couldn't help but feel like a cager. Barring Monday, I rode Saki to work every day this week, and even on an errand. If I could figure out a way to transport my ukulele while I'm on the bike, i would. It just doesn't seem like there is a safe way to carry the ukulele while riding.

     Speaking of ukuleles, I have a couple of updates for you on the new ukulele. I was sure, that the update I got yesterday would be the last one for the week, but I was pleasantly mistaken. I looked a little while ago, and they had a new update with the fretboard and neck attached, and boy does that red cedar top look gorgeous. You can see the current update, and the one form yesterday right here UkeTracker. They are now, more than half way finished, and they were originally supposed to begin building this ukulele today. That's right, the original start date, was December 1st. If they keep going at this pace, I may receive this new ukulele before Christmas. I don't expect that to happen, but I didn't expect them to be half way finished on the first scheduled build day either. As you can see from the UkeTracker page that is my ukuelele, the next step is the first coat of oil, and that is scheduled, as is based on the original schedule, to happened December 15th. I think they might get it done a bit sooner than that. The oil coats are when the ukulele really begins to come to life, at least that is my opinion on it. The oil brings out different layers of depth in the wood. What it looks like in the picture now, is not what it will look like after 4 coats of oil. If you want an example of what I'm talking about you can go here Cindy Lou Uke. This is the UkeTracker build page for my first ukulele built by Mya-Moe. If you look at the picture in step 6, you can see what the Bearclaw Spruce top looked like before they applied any oil to it. After doing that, take a look at the picture in step 12. They are very similar shots, so you can see how the wood was transformed. 2125 is going to do the same thing, and I can't wait to see what that Chocolate Heart Myrtle looks like after the oil is applied.

     I was listening to Greg Proops "Smartest Man in the World" Vodkast today, and he recited a gem by President Jimmy Carter. It was about his wife Rosalynn. There was one particular line in it, that to me was so profound. It leapt at me, and the image just grabbed a hold. That simple line, told me everything you could want to know about how much he loves his wife. I have a link for you to read the poem, and take a guess at the line. I of course, am going to share with you the line after the link, but I would like you to read it first, and see if anything jumps out at you. Here is the link Rosalynn by Jimmy Carter. The line that stood out to me, was the third verse. "I'd pay to sit behind her, blind to what was on the screen, and watch the image flicker upon her hair.". That line is simply beautiful.

     A couple of things about Jimmy Carter. He was commissioned into the Navy as an ensign in 1946, that was after 3 years at the Naval academy. He was discharge as a Lieutenant in 1953, but served in the Naval Reserves until 1961. That leaves Jimmy Carter with the longest military service record of any President. Most people know that he had a peanut farm, but what many don't remember, is that when he ran for President, he put the farm in a blind trust so to not have any conflict of interest while doing the job of President. He was still investigated by Congress because of that, and it was a lengthy process. When he went back to the farm after his Presidency, he found that the farm was mismanaged and left him in debt. President Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 due to his charitable work with the Carter Center. I only bring this up, as food for thought, at how our democracy has changed since President Carter was in office.

     I have a video for you to watch, which could give you a chance to be in a music video. It's by one of my favorite artists, Danielle Ate The Sandwich. She wants you to send in video of what you think of as "Your America". Now, this isn't some political rant, she wants to see the beauty that you see in your part of the country. The landscapes, the sights, the landmarks. Here is the video, and if you feel like doing it, please do, and then tell me what your clip is about, so that I can look for it when I watch the video.



     That's all I have for tonight (wait, you haven't given any update on your bartender). That's right, I haven't given any updates on my bartender. There is a very good reason for that. That reason is, that I have no updates on my bartender. I haven't talked to her since Monday, and there really hasn't been any good reason to. If I hear anything, you will be the first to know. Well, I'll be the first to know, but I'll tell you about it as soon as I can. Peace in and goodnight.