＊A new year＊A new beginning＊

2012:

 A year of growing and a year of letting go.

A year of becoming a better person but losing a big part of myself.

2013: 

The first year of the rest of my life.

Be the change you wish to see in the world.

Be happy and healthy by yourself or you can never be completely happy with anyone else.

Learn from the past but cut the chain and watch the anchor sink to the depths.

Less judgement, more empathy.

Grounded, centered, finding the future.

This is my new year's card.

Somehow not complete.

I am thankful for my family and friends.

I wouldn't have survived this year without you.

Roots.

Hope for the future.

 Growing strong.

New life.

Near to my heart.

Building up.

Best of times.

Love lost.

Road trips.

Heavy hitters.

Persistence. 

 

Leap of faith.

Snow + Moyou = SnoMo

It was a beautiful day.

We had the park all to ourselves.

Looking forward to new life.

Looking forward to spring.

Cedar Scrap Computer Desk

Sometimes you just gotta do some woodwork.

This is not what I had envisioned but it works.

Made of all scrap cedar left over from other projects.

Glass top.

The left glass square is a light table.

I will add shelving under that for a printer and drawers later.

CB360 Carb tear down and inspection

 Probably won't need a rebuild kit for what I am using these carbs for.......

Diaphragms both looked good.

Reconditioned them for fun.

Dip parts, rebuild, start it up tomorrow?

Only if my gasket comes in.

I would like to hear this bike run before I put Jessy's up for a little re-wire.....

Clockwork

When the mail came today the mailman's movements seemed slightly different.  

 I heard a faint *beep-beep* and knew instantly I had a package......

Every year for over a decade I have been getting packages from Tokyo around new years.

Thank you Yuto!

  I am lucky to have had him as a student and met him and his family when I was 21 living in Japan.

  Thank you soo much and アケオメ！ 

The package

The contents

Mojibakeru 6?!?

Sick sticker!

Japanese version of a Christmas card

Look closely

Happy Birthday CB

  .....and happy vegan -X- to you too.

Front door trim

Legitimization.

Took the wood up to my dad's workshop to cut it down.....

....and plunge cut a design in it with the router.

All done.  

Moyou was the supervisor/cat poop finder.

Into the O.R. for a quick coat of KillZ.

Ripped a piece for the flooring too.

Stained and nailed in place.

Can you tell which one it is?

Door before the trim.

The door after.

Still needs a final coat/s of paint.

Snow day

Blizzard Smizzard

 Monon for miles

This is a long walk for someone with nothing to think about.

Get it?

Snow angel

H&M's

This is what I was searching for.

Anytime is a good time for some ramp time.

Even if you aren't skating.

Deck's finished.

The project 360 got some long overdue love

Ordering parts tonight?

Tune, hook up to the IV, check compression and listen to the engine run.

 .......before I put money or anymore time into it.

The O.R.

  .....is still open for business.

C110 Racing

This photo is epic in so many ways.

Taken in 1967.

55cc Big bore - uh oh!

Check out no front brake!

That's why he can pop that wheelie...

Spinning metal, turning plugs

This probably doesn't look like much to most people.

If you run barebones Honda's and think it sad that the tach drive is all naked out there spinning in the wind, then you might like what you see a little more.

I will admit it is ugly though.

First successful part made on the Jet lathe.

CB360 turnover

Torn apart

Tearing down.

  Wake up and come out fighting.

Student gifts part 2

Last day of finals.  

I got a toy, some cards....and a tin full of vegan snickerdoodles?  

Yes.

And she even took pictures of all the labels of the ingredients...dang.

I also got a gift certificate for a massage.  

I'm serious.  

Gifts this year have killed it.

 

Student art

From the first Friday of the first week my students learn Japanese I encourage them to draw on every test and quiz.  I tell them it's something that old people forget to do and eventually lose the ability to do so they should embrace it while they are young and never stop!
 I do have some selfish motivation though.  I am not the biggest fan of grading so my students little doodles and drawings are like my motivation to make it to the back page when grading that 5 page end of the semester final....  Here are some first year student gems from a Kanji test last week.

Elephants

Oh!  The Humanity!

Moyou!

I guess that's what I get for buying a toy with a squeaker for a brain.

Didn't even last a month.

Around the holiday season I get gifts from some of my students.

They probably don't realize it but getting gifts means a lot.  Notes and cards too.

Especially when they pay attention and know you well enough to get you something like this.

They know I love to read.  I try to motivate them to do the same.

And they know I love elephants.   

Perfect!  

Thank you, Corinthia!