The book on the left is the oldest book I own, the book on the right I found again 10 years ago; I regularly read both as a child. I am in search of My Side of the Mountain to complete the trio of most-read childhood books. They have a lot in common. I’ll get back to that sometime.

Downtown Vegas, Fremont. The old 70’s look appeals to me the most. Bet and lost on Kentucky Derby. Blues lost last night. Bet on them to win for tomorrow. Boxing tonight. Dumb and fun stuff on the strip.

At first, I tried something very complex, and it was a disaster right away, so I flipped the pink, Speedy Carve over and started again with a simpler approach.  I need to learn how to mentally transpose images.  I have a much bigger piece of this carve and it's not cheap.  I watched a YouTube video this morning recommending a cheap, Dollar Tree eraser rubber material as an alternative.  I might hunt that down while I'm giving stamped prints a try.

Splodges of blue, black, and silver.  Washes off hands, roller, and stamp (and sink, and everywhere else I dashed it!).  This took me a while.  I had to cut the lawn midway because I heard it starting to rain and the grass waits for no one.  The pollen *almost* killed me.  Maybe next time...

Speaking of next times, I am going to build myself a screen and try making a printed t-shirt.  No, really.  I might forego hammering my fingers and buy one I can assemble at the local Mart just to get moving.  Thrash an old t-shirt of lighter color, and see if I can Mental Thermos it up.

Planted Arizona Sun, Beekeeper’s Mix, Chocolate Cherry Tomatoes, Red & Yellow Jelly Bean Tomatoes, Morning Glory, Early Wonder Beets...pruned and weeded. It’s time. We might be safe from frost.  Almost flipped out when the cups, hit by a wind gust, took a little tumble over.  I had 18 of them lined up on the edge of the deck when that happened.  I fished out those baby seeds and replanted them all over again.  Sometimes you have to do things twice.

Cracked my windshield, maybe last weekend when camping. Did a second, longer hike (4 miles of Missouri hiking up and down the hills among the hickory trees and rough rocky river bed is a long hike for me right now). Have to get better hiking shoes. Mine are crap. Also, my in-laws’ camper blew a tire and we all ended up on the side of the highway - utterly terrifying. People zinging by at 65mph inches from you. I sent the not-so-little boy up the bluff to wait on the rocks in the shade and gave him instructions to keep an eye on our camper down the road. The police arrived. No one moved over a lane. He said “...yep, most people are jackasses on the highway...”

Had to hoof it back down to our little baby camper and take it to its storage spot and it was a long day Sunday, so, probably picked up a rock that day.

I was a little bored yesterday and signed us up for a half marathon at Disney. Surprisingly, my wife just texted me back “Ok, fine.”

I printed off a 19 week plan. We’ve done them before but not by training and I have come to hate mile 9-13.1. There’s probably a better way.

With 15 seconds left, coming back from trailing 2-0 for 2 periods, a baseball style shot put the Jets out of their misery and the Blues take the series lead again! They’re playing the best hockey I’ve seen in years.

My wife is turning 40 and I’ve been wanting to make it special - something to remember - so, stretching it over the next week we are celebrating. Had an epic family get together yesterday and promptly hit the road at 10pm headed to Bristol, TN, for the Food 500 NASCAR race, a good 9 hours from home. Pit passes start at 10am and I think we’ll just make it to town by then if all goes well. Listening to sultry country music (“...you break things when you get mad...”) about to cross into Kentucky.

Totally garbage week. Not much salvageable except to be glad to have left TX early, stormy weather all around there and tough work, getting home to the family and this little book, which is so heartbreakingly written it is worthy of a first reading followed by a second.