What's everyone up to right now?

[Silver]

Feeling that stomach burn.

A little exercise each day before work to tighten my midsection.

[Tonus]

We've finished celebrating the birth of Jesus.

Now, it's time to prepare to celebrate his execution...

It's the circle of life!

[arewethereyet]

Just spent an hour on the phone with someone very special to me. He was (still is) a very good friend of my son. They will both turn 38 this year. That 'kid' had such a hell of a life when he was young. For several years he spent a great deal of time at my house. He would even call and ask to come and stay...he'd ask me without my son even knowing what was going on. I tried to give him a soft place to land. His mother was not all that emotionally stable and his father became a really bad drug addict and even did prison time. It's hard to believe that my house was his sane place to be. I coordinated a lot with his grandmother when it came to his care though she was often busy with his younger sister and a bunch of cousins.

He called to tell me how much he appreciated our family being there for him and that now as an adult with kids of his own, he realizes how important we were in shaping his life. Makes me a little misty. I love that young man like one of my own. What a way to start the new year on an uplifting note.

He's full time National Guard in South Carolina and has been for quite a while. He served two tours in Afghanistan (where I used to send him coffee, creamer, and sugar). He got blown up there while in one of the vehicles they used to sweep for IEDs.

He is a stepfather of a daughter from his first marriage. Has a son from that marriage and has two sons with his now wife.

He is an E-8! A Master Sergeant! I am so proud of how things have gone for him. Hearing from him healed a bit of my heart that I am not sure I knew needed to be healed.

It's been a good day.

[*Deidre*]

Happy new year! I'm hopeful we all have peaceful and positives ones.

[arewethereyet]

Here in TX you are supposed to be able to renew your license every other time online instead of battling a DMV office.

I went in person last time.  Today I got a letter saying that I am ineligible to do it online again...going through the list of reason why a person can't left me scratching my head as I don't fit any of those things on the list.

I have been hearing how awful it is to get into the DMV and you pretty much have to have an appt. now so I went online to make an appt. for June.  Thank goodness as the closest office doesn't have an opening till June 24th.  geez Louise.

Then I found out that not only do I have to have my license, but also my birth certificate.  So, the search was on for that.  Found it finally.  All the stuff is in my calendar for the appt. that is five and a half months from now.  fml

[brewer]

Here in TX you are supposed to be able to renew your license every other time online instead of battling a DMV office.
ine to make
I went in person last time.  Today I got a letter saying that I am ineligible to do it online again...going through the list of reason why a person can't left me scratching my head as I don't fit any of those things on the list.

I have been hearing how awful it is to get into the DMV and you pretty much have to have an appt. now so I went online to make an appt. for June.  Thank goodness as the closest office doesn't have an opening till June 24th.  geez Louise.

Then I found out that not only do I have to have my license, but also my birth certificate.  So, the search was on for that.  Found it finally.  All the stuff is in my calendar for the appt. that is five and a half months from now.  fml

The last time I renewed mine in person I was 56. Someone here clued me in to 'by appointment only'. Will wait and see what 2027 brings. If I remember right NE has a 60 day window for early renewal.

[Ravenshire]

Here in TX you are supposed to be able to renew your license every other time online instead of battling a DMV office.
ine to make
I went in person last time.  Today I got a letter saying that I am ineligible to do it online again...going through the list of reason why a person can't left me scratching my head as I don't fit any of those things on the list.

I have been hearing how awful it is to get into the DMV and you pretty much have to have an appt. now so I went online to make an appt. for June.  Thank goodness as the closest office doesn't have an opening till June 24th.  geez Louise.

Then I found out that not only do I have to have my license, but also my birth certificate.  So, the search was on for that.  Found it finally.  All the stuff is in my calendar for the appt. that is five and a half months from now.  fml

Pre-Covid, the DMV here was the typical cluster you hear about everywhere. Post-Covid, you have to make an appointment in advance, so it take a little forethought, but the appointments are in and out in 15-20 minutes, worst case. I'll take that over "take a number and bring a lunch" every single day!

[arewethereyet]

Here in TX you are supposed to be able to renew your license every other time online instead of battling a DMV office.
ine to make
I went in person last time.  Today I got a letter saying that I am ineligible to do it online again...going through the list of reason why a person can't left me scratching my head as I don't fit any of those things on the list.

I have been hearing how awful it is to get into the DMV and you pretty much have to have an appt. now so I went online to make an appt. for June.  Thank goodness as the closest office doesn't have an opening till June 24th.  geez Louise.

Then I found out that not only do I have to have my license, but also my birth certificate.  So, the search was on for that.  Found it finally.  All the stuff is in my calendar for the appt. that is five and a half months from now.  fml

Pre-Covid, the DMV here was the typical cluster you hear about everywhere. Post-Covid, you have to make an appointment in advance, so it take a little forethought, but the appointments are in and out in 15-20 minutes, worst case. I'll take that over "take a number and bring a lunch" every single day!

I would be okay with it if I fit one of the categories that states why you have to show up in person.  I will be asking.  I am going to blame Abbott, figuring it's got something to do with all the illegal, undocumented, gang rapists pouring over the border.  sigh

[Ravenshire]

The latest lovely to grace me with her presence:



She's a Bullfighter Strat Clone that is truly impressive for the sub $250 market. Stainless steel frets, locking tuners, brushed copper pick guard, roasted maple body, neck, and fret board, an H-S-S pickup set with coil splitting on the bridge humbucker, a tremolo bridge, and a very good initial setup. No sharp frets or fret sprout. All in all a very good deal. The only gripe is the pickups. The humbucker is base forward and a bit muddy at lower tone settings while the single coils are a bit noisy, even for singles. Already got advice on possible fixes for the humbucker, but I've also been wanting to do a custom pickup setup, so this may be the right guitar for that.

A couple better pics of the Ibanez. They still don't do her justice, but they're much better than the previous full frontal...





And, a couple "family photos."





Now if I can just convince the wife that I need this:






A Telecaster clone for $100! And, if the electronics are crap, who cares. For less than $100, I can tear her down and rebuild her and still be in for less than either of the last two.

How awesome it is to live in a time where cheap guitars are also pretty damned good guitars, and not the plywood and fiberboard atrocities of yesteryear.