So off I went, headed to the first show.

 Never drove a yellow truck yet.

 I really am new to setting up stages and assembling trophies... But there was plenty to keep me busy
We actually used two stages at the Columbus, Oh. show.

There were over 700 participants there to dance
And I mentioned trophies.

We put together a trophie for every single dancer.
This is just a very small part of the trophies given out. There were several trophy presentations made each of the three days. Half days Friday and Sunday. All day Saturday.

I never saw so many kids well behaved. They all wanted to be there. I like my job.  Next show for me is Orlando, Fl.

Can google goshowstopper.com to learn more

I have worked on cars since I was a kid. I will admit to not doing a lot of it in the last decade. We all know why.

So Vivian had a headlight bulb burn out in her 2010 chevy malibu. No big deal, says I, pick one up on the way home and I will pop it in. I guess I had not changed a bulb out in one of these over-engineered cars yet.

I think it took me about 3 hours to change out every bulb in the front of that car. I left just two bolts fastened on the opposite side of where I was working to help line it back up. That and because I had nobody to help hold it up when reassembling it. I changed all the bulbs because you know what would happen. Two weeks down the road another bulb goes out :-)

 I went in yesterday for my pre-employment drug screen. While waiting, I decided to look at a magazine. The choices were golfing or good housekeeping. Saw a mention of recipe on good housekeeping.

Womelets(you can google it and get recipe). We had them last night. We substituted ground mozzarella for the gruye're. Used canned, diced potatos and chopped mild banana peppers instead of pickled peppers. They will be eaten regularly here. They were great. No, we did not use syrup. I will come up with a sauce. But not a sweet one. They actually were mouth watering and did not need anything. We had mandarind orange slices for a side.

I got my shoe anvils in last week.

I also found a place that teaches shoe cobbling.
Next spring I hope to attend their seven day workshop. Do I really need to learn how to make my own shoes? No. But I have always had trouble finding shoes that fit well. I decided it was worth looking into what it takes to make my own. It has been an elusive quest to say the least. So... Although I could just pay someone else to do it, I will not.

About the new job. The first show is in Columbus, Oh. on February 5th and 6th.

Things are really looking up. It will be pretty busy until the end of July. Then sailing season is on. I am starting to get all jacked up about that :-)

Christmas was very good this year.  Leading up to Christmas(on Dec 23rd) I got a new job. Still driving truck. But now I will be working for a small company that really cares about employees. I am 51 years old. I guess I am the young pup by a couple of decades.

That job starts the beginning of February and runs until the beginning of August. I will make my years wages there. Mary Lee will be finished completely this summer and I will have the time to sail. FINALLY!!!!

I am doing a bit better all the time. I begin to suspect my inability to be working was causing a bit of depression. My whole adult life has been about traveling and learning new things. It was severely dampened.

So I mentioned Christmas...

We may have gone a bit overboard buying gifts this year. Lots to celebrate

To make more room. I let Vivian open a gift early :-) A pink Daisy bb gun. Going to start teaching her to shoot. That is "A Christmas Story"  on the tv. Remember Ralphy wanting a bb gun? (You'll shoot your eye out kid!!)

Jon was home from college. Mitch was over with his girlfriend Connor.

A little gift action.

Then dinner.

Vivian got a selfie stick in her stocking. So it was an experimental shoot. Smile...click... Didn't work. Smile... Click.... Try again. Eventually it was figured out. I was all out of natural smile. Think Mitch was too :-)

In keeping with tradition. There have been several. But I will share half of one. Because I just finished the first half last night.

We have noticed a need for end tables. I decided to make some. Went to lowes and found a kit. I know. Cost more and I could build same for much cheaper. But I wanted done quickly.


 I assembled it first to see what I had.

 Not horrible. Hopefully the finish is successful.

Yup. The old home brew stain. Steel wool rusted in vinegar

 Hard to believe it is pine with vinegar and steel wool rust. Bottom picture is still wet. It was in the 30's so all drying was done in house.


So finally time for finish. I chose a semi gloss polyurethane. First coat. I had done the legs and apron first. Assembled and took inside. Top would be packed inside to dry each time it was sprayed.

Hard to believe how well it matches the floor.
As I applied each of the seven coats(I sprayed them). I took pictures to see if you could tell the difference in a picture.

Not as much as you would think. But the different angles and light made interesting changes

 So finally. Seven coats. 9:00 pm. A coat every two hours. If I missed the two hour window... Then have to wait 72 hours before recoating. Has to do with the finish cracking. I could explain it but it can be lengthy. Post is not about putting finish on wrong... I hope??

Let it dry over night. Remember. It is semi gloss and has not been polished out yet. But it is a good heavy table. $30 in finish. Every square inch of wood has polyurethane on it. Should not have a moisture problem.





I will start the second one today. Is in the 20's this morning. Maybe not. Garage is not heated.

Soon as that is done. Making my own sandals for summer. Want to make my own shoes. Will start off with something easy. Finally going to use that hand crank shoe repair sewing machine. OhBoy!!!! :-)

Had two days off for Thanksgiving. I have now been out 20 days. I will have been out 25 on December 22nd. Lots of 14 hour days in that mess. The driving truck really does appear to be just like riding a bike. Once you learn how, you can always do it.

So where have I been?. Ohio and Pennsylvania, along with Illinois and west Virginia are getting top billing. Some New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina. Also some Virginia and Georgia. Missing Vivian. Some pain issues. But I am working again :-)

Here are just a few recent shots.

 Bought a new Rand McNally truckers gps. Is awesome. Of course, you never know where you will be doing laundry.
Then of course. Sometimes you need a good hot fudge sunday at the end of the day to go along with the reindeer you won out of the machine

All is well. I may have some great news when I get home. Keeping fingers crossed.

My tablet was not downloading pictures from emails. I generally use the phone to take pictures... Then just email them to myself. Suddenly, it is working again.

The return to work is a success after two weeks out in my own truck again. It appears to be much like riding a bike. Once you have done it, you never forget. This is my truck

Not brand new. New guys never get the new trucks. Like always... You can end up almost anywhere.

The first snow storm of the season found me driving into Chicago from Ft. Wayne, In. With a load of potato chips. Light loads are great for dry roads,but you want a heavier load for increased traction on wet and slick roads.
Certainly planning to move to Florida next summer. I have a sailboat that needs to be used. I want it where it can be taken out at any time. So it needs to be in a warm place.

I am still in orientation. My back is doing well. I have a couple more days of this before heading out with a road trainer for final brushing up of driving, electronic logs and company policies and procedures. Then back to Charlotte, N.C. for some testing. Then in a truck.

This is the truck I have been using to get my driving ironed out. I am a little rusty but after a couple hours...it is coming along.

 I am eating mostly salads now(for dinner) I use greek yogurt for dressing. I eat kashi cereal with almond milk for breakfast and while at orientation, I eat two chicken drumsticks and a side vegetable.

 I will continue eating this way on the truck. Likely eat less meat. Will also do my best to stay away from wheat and sugary, yummy things ;-)


I realized the first time I crawled back in a truck and fired it up...I love driving truck. I have missed it.

Vivian had her lazik procedure this week. It went well. Her eyes were -7.5 and -8 before the procedure(nearsighted, I never even knew it could be that bad) now they are 20/25. Just needs reading glasses now. I took a last picture of her in glasses just before she headed in

She could not wear her contacts for two weeks leading up to it.

We are just about done going to the beach most evenings to hunt for fossil shark teeth.

We have something over 1400 in a jar that we assumed would hold about 500 - 800 at most. If you look closely, you can see all the small pieces and tips of teeth. Sometimes it is all you find. We figured...a tooth is a tooth. Besides, it is something to do. The real fun was in going to the beach to enjoy the sunshine and sand.

In other news...

I return to driving truck this week. I drive up to Charlotte, NC. Oct. 19th for orientation. Will have come full circle. Will be driving all 48 states and Canada. Will likely be in California

Not intending to retire from trucking. It is a means to an end.

I have done some major cleaning in the garage. Do not have an afterwords picture but a beginning and "getting there"

 
 

Will be set up for drafting the panels for the nester dinghy on my days off.

 I am looking forward to this. I will also be building in the booth and installing new instruments. Next spring will see Mary Lee finished. The intentions are to get her back up to Chesapeke bay for a few months. Lots to see there. I was told by someone that he had been boating on the Chesapeke for 25 years and had not seen it all yet.

Then...at long last...it will be time to go south