It would be really good to see my wife again. I'm so grateful I don't have to travel in this type of weather. When I traveled for a living I used up eight of my nine lives so it feels like a good thing that I can avoid the highways on days like today.
The kids were home from school as the buses were canceled early this morning. They were not broken hearted... maybe it shows.
I haven't run in a week or so. I'm trying to scramble before month end. There is lots of work to do, but my ability to stick to it has always been challenged. Over the past few months I've tried something a little different with work. I've done business with a local jewelery store for almost twenty years and they've always been very good to me. I thought I'd like to do something for them so I offered to go in and work at the store on Friday afternoons and they thought that was a great idea.
I've been answering questions, open difficult cases and doing pending jobs in the back. It's turned out to be a good thing for everyone. They seem really happy and more and more people are coming in specifically to see me about their watches or clocks. Being there at the end of the week means that the staff are usually really light. It's a good atmosphere and I'm really enjoying my time there.
Last week I went in on Friday, Saturday then again on Monday. I used it as a time to get away from the distractions of being at my home shop. I had a big job that required an extended application of time and attention that I could do most of in the back at my bench beside the goldsmith. I'll use that more in the future as needed. It seems to work well for keeping the priorities straight. Structure is so helpful for me, but I do have a love hate relationship with it.
Today, of course, has been a complete wash out. Kids will do that, but I didn't need much encouragement. Bird cages that come with budgies will do that too. The budgies are like the proverbial boomerang. We just can't seem to get away from them. The cage was filthy. I spent more than an hour cleaning the two part base tray. I'll tackle the upper wire cage another day.
The scorpion doesn't eat very often and I had never actually seen him eat so I wasn't prepared with a camera at the ready last night. I fed him a cricket and he showed his talent for shredding his food. What a beast he is. The mouth bits below tell the tale.
