Today I rode 130 miles north to Tandy Leather in Connecticut. Now 130 miles on the east coast/New York wise, is about 4 hours. The entire thing is road work, and traffic jams, narrow lanes, and well, yeah 4 hours. I arrived at the supposed location of the Tandy Leather store at approximately 3pm, after some detours through towns and makeshift routes. Google Maps chimed in "destination is on your left." Guess what I saw, to my chagrin...an empty store. Famished, sunburnt, and thinking "of course it's not there" I pulled over to cool my jets and call the number of the store, cause I figured they'd just re-located somewhere in town. Someone answers I put the phone up to my helmet to try to get an ear on their location. They moved to a place called Berlin, 15 miles south, down another highway, but still on the way home. And what's 15 miles when you've just come 130. I was Stoked it wasn't a complete waste of an overshot. Although I could have done without all that 84 road work/traffic.
So there I was, hungry, and keeping their doors open, drooling all over the tools and rolling in the beds of fine leather. The gal helping me find all the things I need was a real help, she gave me all sorts of advice and showed me all sorts of tools that I'd need after explaining in amateur depth what my projects were to consist of. So, after trolling the aisles and throwing everything in my basket, I'd racked up a good pile of goods/necessities up at the register. Basically I was like, "ring it all up, and I'll take the stuff off that I really don't need according to how affordable it all is and how much I can strap to the bike. The first tally was up in the 190's, so I took a couple things off, talking briefly about each item, to each item, about how I really didn't need it. Then we were down to 170's, then 160's then 150's and then when it got down to the 140's and I couldn't really do without anything I definitely needed, I was like, "let's do it."
I boxed and double bagged, and then shook that woman's hand. Then I proceeded to cleverly strap everything: large roll of leather to the back of the sissy bar, standing out proudly far above my head, much the way a flag pole would. The pack of holster patters went delicately in a backpack, and the 'how to carve leather' book and box of tools, rode right behind me strapped to the passenger seat. Then I went next door for Chinese food, at the kind of place that just had bare tables, and no service. Not the way I expected Chinese in Connecticut to be. But I was hungry, and the guys at the table next to me, owned the white SUV outside with the stenciled letters that read loudly across the back window "White Knight."
I made it out of there safely. And me and my new trade tools, rode home a new route through the ups and downs of what Connecticut probably calls mountains. It was the 15 south. Decent separated two lanes up, two lanes down. And the flow of traffic was delightful. I knew I was making good time. I left at 6:30 and I got home at 10. So I'd say I made better time for sure getting home. Navigating the city is always going to be a labor of time/traffic/and wondering why people/I, deal with this shit.
Ok, It's late, I've got a ripping headache, and neighborhood kids are underaged drinking outside. I'm going to bed. Stay tuned for photos of my leather goods, and videos of my trip back from Connecticut. I took one video. haha
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Friday, August 14, 2015
Do the Hokey Pokey.
This is the European report on preventing violence and knife crime. In the U.S. this title would read "U.S. report on preventing violence and gun crime." So basically that's what Im saying. It doesn't matter really what tool you take away, there will be a transfer of attention onto another means as soon as you do.
Same shit, different weapon. Same shit, different island. Same shit, different shitty people. Basically, people will find lots of ways to kill and injure each other. We are a demented people. Take guns away, we'll use knives. Take knives away, we'll use forks. Take forks away, we'll use our hands...hey, hands are used to wield all of these things. Hands are the real enemy. Outlaw hands! Wait that's ridiculous, hands can't be to blame. What controls the hands? The messages that the brain sends it...Outlaw Brains! Or better yet, how about we raise healthy and responsible brains, that will use their hands for good rather than harm. Well that's impossible to do these days because we've already become such a shit race of violent humans. Everyday we are surrounded by bad examples of humanity, and bad influences. It takes quadruple the effort to reverse the years of damaging humanity. It takes calling people out on their shit when you see it. Holding folks accountable, when nobody probably ever held them accountable for anything in their entire life. When nobody probably bothered to teach them to challenge and hold themselves to a higher standard in the face of adversity, and bad peer advisory. Those of us who hold ethical high ground, are usually passive or quiet, going about our day peacefully, trying to be and worry about ourselves only, being model citizens. But we need to be the voices that the bad peers need to hear. It takes vigilance. But like bad habits are born out of repetition, good habits must be as repetitive and demanding if we are ever going to change. Telling some one to pick up their litter and throw it away.. Telling someone at the grocery to push their cart to the cart holder. Not just leave it in the empty parking stall. Calling people out on their shit! These kind of folks never developed that heightened state of awareness and cognitive ability, so now they're shitty adults lacking the discipline and leadership abilities, that a little positive peering and encouragement and the correct amount of discipline in their formative youths could have instilled.
Same shit, different weapon. Same shit, different island. Same shit, different shitty people. Basically, people will find lots of ways to kill and injure each other. We are a demented people. Take guns away, we'll use knives. Take knives away, we'll use forks. Take forks away, we'll use our hands...hey, hands are used to wield all of these things. Hands are the real enemy. Outlaw hands! Wait that's ridiculous, hands can't be to blame. What controls the hands? The messages that the brain sends it...Outlaw Brains! Or better yet, how about we raise healthy and responsible brains, that will use their hands for good rather than harm. Well that's impossible to do these days because we've already become such a shit race of violent humans. Everyday we are surrounded by bad examples of humanity, and bad influences. It takes quadruple the effort to reverse the years of damaging humanity. It takes calling people out on their shit when you see it. Holding folks accountable, when nobody probably ever held them accountable for anything in their entire life. When nobody probably bothered to teach them to challenge and hold themselves to a higher standard in the face of adversity, and bad peer advisory. Those of us who hold ethical high ground, are usually passive or quiet, going about our day peacefully, trying to be and worry about ourselves only, being model citizens. But we need to be the voices that the bad peers need to hear. It takes vigilance. But like bad habits are born out of repetition, good habits must be as repetitive and demanding if we are ever going to change. Telling some one to pick up their litter and throw it away.. Telling someone at the grocery to push their cart to the cart holder. Not just leave it in the empty parking stall. Calling people out on their shit! These kind of folks never developed that heightened state of awareness and cognitive ability, so now they're shitty adults lacking the discipline and leadership abilities, that a little positive peering and encouragement and the correct amount of discipline in their formative youths could have instilled.
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
New necklaces up for sale.
These are leather letters that I stamp and cut and then make whatever name you want made put on a really great stock of flattened cable chain.
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