Lots of testing going this morning

Dying music

Sad news about the roadside piano. Hopes of possibly getting it home and restoring are dashed to pieces, because the piano itself was dashed to pieces. The day after I stopped to take photos and admire this piece of beauty, I went to retake some shots (I foolishly neglected to remove a big plastic cup from a few shots).

Driving up I noticed the piano wasn't there, and thought someone had beat me to the punch and taken it already. As I got closer I saw pieces of the old upright spread about. The hamer assembly over here, the keyboard there, and the soundboard (string-loom as I call it) was just laying there face up to the elements. Pieces of darkly stained wood that used to be the body lay broken and strewn about the area.

I took my pictures and went home, a little sad.

After showing Darbi the photos I had taken, she urged to go grab the pieces stamped with the maker and date. I found a friend with a trailer and brought the whole soundboard, keyboard, and what was left of the hammer assembly. All sitting in my driveway.

Hmmm...now to find what to do with it all......

Bikes and running with dogs

Well, one dog really. He's a smallish sort; kind of a lab/terrier mix. Drove down to the end of the road, parked the car/truck/van thing (an Element), and proceeded to attemp to run through the woods with Dozer. Through the entire length of the cearing of grass before the wood, Dozer stopped every 15 feet to do his thing and mark this spot, and mark that spot, and smell this, and mark another spot. Not a lot of running accomplished.

Once we got across the creek and into the woods however, apparently he didn't want to claim any of that rubbish and was much more agreeable to just whizzing through the woods, ears and tail flapping in the wind. He'd sniff about and take some time when I stopped or changed direction, and when we reached the abandoned house foundation with 5 new bags of Quickrete next to the cinderblock skate ramp, Dozer and I took a small respite from the running. Shortly thereafter I let the little guy take the lead back towards the car.

Dozer was definitely more eager to get home than to get to the woods. Running full tilt and not stopping for directions he sped along the rugged path. At one point the trail split and I heard a "YIPE !,"stopped and turned to see our poor little dog's front end spun around as he took the left fork and I, the right. Short leash. Damn. Next time I'll take the long one again. He was more along the right path than I was, so we took off and got back to the car in no time flat.

As I took the long route home along the back roads looking for scrap wood, I was surprised to see an old upright piano discarded. 1903 it was dated. Very sad to see a piano in that state of affairs, even more so as it's on a raodside exposed to the elements.

"Part 2"

A couple of hours after the run, after both Dozer and I had recovered our breathe and refilled with water, I decided to take a bike ride to a meeting sceduled that night. After all, it's only about 7 miles. "Only" *sheesh*

Usually I deal pretty well with the heat and the humidity. Also, usually I deal well with distances. I used to ride 6-15 miles regularly in high school (especially in summer), At least 10-20 miles a weekend (one way) in Japan, and met my current girlfriend while resting in the middle of a 40 mile ride across Houston (up on Wed, back again on Mon for about 4 weeks).

Yesterday, however, I must have forgotten it had been a while since my last bike ride, and that the heat was insane combined with ludicrous humidity. Although it took me about the same amount of time to ride the distance, I was beat when I got to the restaurant, and absolutely done after the ride home.

Seriously need to work a few more bike rides into my schedule and work back up to being comfortable after what I consider a short ride....

"Part3"

Job Interview at Sears today! See ya~!

and with a thunderous roll of applause ..... ! !

Ok ok...so it's not really that exciting.

I've had the summer off from school, which typically means lots of free time for me, but much less income. However, this summer I've been working renovating Ike damaged properties and getting by with a decent amount of monies in our pocket. I've enven had most evenings off because of my reprieve from working at Greek Tony's as a delivery driver. As a home propertiy repair and renovation technition type fella' I've taken all the skills I picked up growing up with my dad and actually applied them somewhere besides just puttering around the house. My landlord/neighbor/boss has also taught me a few tips a tricks of doing (and not doing) things the right/wrong way.

However, we just finished up the last repairs of the last house. Although I'm still working for him I'm not sure what I'm going to be doing for him other than minor repairs on his properties and some organization/moving of his supplies and tools. So I have been out seeking steady employment elsewhere. However, I work well once I have the job, but am not fond of the actual looking. A bit of a problem due to cause and effect....pretty much equals no job without looking.

Furthermore, contrary to expectations, I will not be going to school this fall. I misread the statement on payment deadlines and have been disenrolled from the classes I signed up for. I'd try to reenroll and rush in at the last minute, but wouldn't be able to pay at the moment anyway. So another semester off. Damn.

Well I'm off to be productive elsewhere than the computer. Hope everyone's days are fantastic!

Christopher

And !

.....and one of these days I'll actually update it properly with information to astound and tales of wonderment to fill you with knowledge. Life, death, skilling feats of dare, and adventure-raising hairs await you.

(( It's probably not all that exciting, but maybe if I drag the story jsut right, and just the fact that I'm actually updating....))

**grins and giggles**

Chris

Oh My Goodness!

I have a blog! .....

Completely slipped my mind.... *whoops!*

April 23

So today's my birthday, and I'm spending the day home alone...Doing homework...Projecting in the yard a bit....Listening to pretty good music loudly. Nothing special.

...and lovin' it.

This weekend I plan on taking Darbi to a coffeshop to chill at for a bit and just sit and enjoy a drink with my girlfriend.

Maybe some friends might show up, maybe not. I'm thinking about posting a message on facebook.

My gift is my life. Hard or easy, I have it to make of it what I will. Just thinking about it like that brings tears to my eyes because of all the possibilities, all the sorrow, and all the joy that lies within.

I have survived another year of choices. I look forward to another year of choices.

Choices, variety, and emotions.

Ahhhhhhh......very nice. . .






. . . and some rum. Also, very nice.

Lost and Found

So I went for a bike ride the other day with almost no obligation to back at any certain time. Took of into the woods with a bike, a bedroll, a camera, and little else. No worries or responsibility.

Very nice :)

So I wandered down some 4-wheeler tracks that narrowed into a walking trail which decreased more to a wildlife path and then disappeared altogether. By this time I had been wandering for nearly 2 hours or so. At this point I was not very far from where I had begun the trip, although I only found this out later.

As the sun set and the light faded I was still neck deep in woods, and although I was prepared to sleep out there, I was not eager to do so. No paths around and surrounded by woods, I heard the music of an ice-cream truck across the creek....and saw some 4-wheeler tracks in the sand on the beach opposite of my side of the creek. Not knowing how deep the water was, nor what state the creek bottom was in (mud, trash, or whatnot) and very few trees fallen completely across, getting to the other side would be interesting. I did find a tree (see above, middle photo) and proceded to walk my bike across, carefully, my feet between the tires as I inched along beside the bicycle.

On the other side, I know had tracks to follow again, however, I had no clue which direction. Hoping for the best, in the woods of fading light, I headed, with hope, out towards a paved road again. With minimal backtracking and "oopsies" I made it past and oil derrick, storage tanks, and found a gate, outside of which was road with blacktop! Woot!

Climbed over the fence and traveled, what google says is almost 2 miles, to the street sign in the above-last photo . *sigh* I was way off from where I hoped I'd be. **double sigh** Onto the bike and down the road I go......

All around google says I traveled just under 20 miles, although I've my doubts on the accuracy of a couple of parts. But after 2 hours of woods, and 2 hours of road, I arrived at a friend's house worn out and dirty. One shower later, I felt cleaner but still worn out.

Totally awesomely worn out. Death in the woods was unlikely, and I was fairly confident I would survive the roads and traffic, but after that much time and distance and not knowing where I was for the most part, it felt really good to be alive. Safe in the knowledge that I was alive to hurt so badly, and feel so good about it.

Below is a map with an approximate path of my trip marked in.

Any time anyone wants to be a little insane on a hike/bike ride, let me know. Alive is a good feeling.

Chris J

no news is good news right?

So apparently I've been nudged by one who knows my life isn't as eventless as it appears from the sporadic posting I do here.

February, the month of love. Ahhhh....Through this month I've officially been a in a relationship with Darbi for 4 years as of the 13th. For our anniversary/V-day we got her a djembe (hand drum) and I got some tye-dye shirts, and a new computer monitor. Life seems to be going pretty well :)

I'm starting to try to spend more time relaxing. I've been busy going and going lately, and have kind of forgotten about myself a little. Theis past Sunday I broke out a huge canvas (and little one, too) and started painting. I've also been sewing a bit more as well. It feels good to make things and actually finish them. I'll try to plst pics of those later, if I remember. Also, if I actually finish the paintings....lol.

Just a quick update for now. Homework is supposed to be getting done, and I'm leaving for work in a little while, too.

Thank you for the nudge :) I forget about this space everynow and then.

Why were there no names...

So I woke up last night kind of moaning/screaming and not at all happy.

I'm not at all sure what it meant, if anything, but I had a crazy dream.

It was based on the premise that many, many years ago there was a fairie that distilled magic into everything. One object that stands out in my mind even now, was a group of 3 books, with a single yellow face on the spine of the center book. the book was a burgundy color. It gets revealed through other characters that they somehow resent her for it and have been hatching a plan over the past million years of so. It is my belief they wanted to kill her.

Somewhere there is a wedding taking place and the focus is on a couple of red headed children that are possibly related to a boy and girl hanging out with an older woman. She happens to have a very nice fancy hat on. Wide brim, and dressed in white. This lady is the one relating the history of the Great Fairie Mother, and the history of magic, and the plans that are unfolding. As the wedding party is doing its thing, Lady, Girl, and Boy pause outside of an house in a field. For some reason the boy had shot an arrow, piercing the mailbox by the road. As they are looking through the envelops in the mailbox, they come across one envelope from an insurance company. It strikes their interest for some reason. Girl hands it to the older gal and as Lady is studying this item, Girl examines the arrow, sees that it punctured the side of the mailbox, and notices a side pocket containing mail. The first item in the pocket indicated the house was for sale.

Girl showed Lady and asked, "Why would anyone want to sell that house?" Before she could inquire further, Lady shushed her, and sent some kind of spell toward the house, possibly a field of silence so the Fairie Queen (who I assume lived there) would not hear. As the spell hit the house and activated, a wispy white form appears at the sliding patio door - wathcing - listening. Lady sees, oens her mouth to relase a small thick puff of dark grey smoke.

As the smoke rises into the air, numerous wisps of mist rise from the ground and coalesce into small fairie children with butterfly wings. As these winged children float upward, Lady, Girl, and Boy have also sprouted wings and are spiraling upward with the rest. Once the crowd had reached the atmosphere, the group disappeared.

Next we see the boy floating an inch or two above the ground as he makes his way between the rows of metal folding chairs at the wedding. Lady and Girl are walking behind him, keeping him under control. Lady is apparently the mother or some other guardian of the redheaded children at the wedding mentioned earlier. She is concerned they might have been unruly. Possible displaying magic abilities and pranking others, although she did not voice it just so.

Scene change to a small comfy house. We are in the den area. Me and my friend, who is a strange combination reminiscent of two friends of mine from high school. She is currently (in the dream) about 25-30, and I'm closer to 12. Strange as there are only actually maybe 5 years difference in life. The purpose of this scene is kind of a mystery as we are talking but I cannot hear what. The doorbell rings. Some guy enters and sits on the recliner in the den with us.

Dreams never really have any smooth, logical scene transitions. *sigh* In the bedroom now, Darbi and I are laying under the covers, both our current age, and it is in the night hours of the morning. She wakes up to a tapping, as of someone gently tapping out an odd disjointed rythm on the front door. We discount it to pesky kids, as it is only a few days past Halloween. a small time later, again she wakes, and rises to investigate.The side of the bed is against the wall separating the den, and the headboard is pushed up against the window. The window is covered with a thin lacy veil, as well as venetian blinds, which are open to allow the moonlight through. Very pretty, but also spooky.

As Darbi exits the door just beyond the foot of the bed and is making her way to the front door, I feel a shift in presences. Laying on my belly facing the window, I'm looking through half-lidded eyes, watching for the Fairie Queen. She is not happy, and I beleieve is after me. To what end I know not, but I am nervous. I do not know how well whe sees in the dark, but I know I don't want her knowing that I'm aware of coming. As I peer into the moonlit window, I see not quite a silhouette through the veiled window, but more of a shifting of air (remember Predator when he was invisible? Yeah, like that.) She is outside the window, and I feel something pattering about on the bed, similar to a kitten bouncing around, but a *big* one. I am now decidedly scared, and starting to get a little panicky.

I know it is Fairie Queen doing this, and she knows I know. Now my vision is obscured by images of the shoulders and head of a cat silhouette with little X's for eyes. The cat silhouetes look similar to the afterimages you would see if looking at a light for a time and then closing your eyes. Whether my lids or open or closed I cannot see anything through these cat "afterimages." I am telling to stop and leave and starting to yell a little. Still Darbi is not back.

I can feel the air around me start to compress and tighten around me. Even before I start to scream I know no voice will escape my throat. I am am sitting on the crumpled comforter near the foot of the bed, a malevolent presence slowly increasing her embrace around me, and I struggled sceam escapes my open mouth.

My eyes pop open as I am laying in our room and a strange muted scream has woken both Darbi and I. I am breathing heavily, a little scraed, and it is nearly 5 am.

Such is the story as I remember it, a little over 5 hours later. There were more details and bits, but they don't take or add much.

A New Year

"I've been very excited to have recieved a Wacom brand graphics tablet over the holidays and am absolutly in love with it. --Chris Jones"

For those that don't know a graphics tablet is like pen and paper instead of a mouse for your computer. It can be used as your mouse for navigation, but more importantly makes drawing and editing photos much easier. I've been wanting one for a while and now have one. Thank you, Darbi :)

Life in general is going pretty well. I'm enjoying evenings at home now, and it is very nice to be able to make plans and spend time with Darbi, as well as with other friends instead of constantly working all the time. My landlord now has control of me for a full work day, and school will only be taking up a few hours out of 2 evenings a week. Not bad at all.

New Years passed with plenty of smiles and no dismemebered appendages. *whew* Darbi and I visited a friend out in the middle of nowhere, and we all had a good time around a li'l bonfire, some drinks and what I heard was 5000 dollars worth of fireworks. Not sure if that included the handmade ones, which weren't much to look at, but had plenty of BOOM! The day next was spent lounging around at another couple of friends' house as a gathering commenced and we all had lunch/dinner together.

Darbi and I are doing well again together, and although only a month or so has passed since our recent vows I am feeling really good about things this time. And before anyone asks, by vows I do not mean marriage vows. We simply needed some reaffirming of a few things and clearing up of a few issues.

She has started a new job yesterday, and is utilizing the crappy bus system Houston has in order to get downtown to work. Yesterday was awash with calls complaining about the system of public transport, both going to, and coming from work. Today I recieved only one text: "Woo hoo! Made it here with plenty of time for breakfast with no problems this morning! :)" I was greatly relieved, especially with the cold temperatures we've been having over the past few days.

40 degrees. Plus wind. Ugh.

40 degrees, plus wind in addition to his kids visiting from out of state prompted my boss/landlord to deem this morning unfit for work and said come back after lunch. Which it almost is. So, after a productive morning of getting nothing done, I am off to possibly get something done. Ahhh....what a plan.

Til next time! See ya!