Getting in the Spirit

 

Gettin' in the spirit. I usually try to not even think about Christmas until after Thanksgiving, but this year one of the radio stations I listen to on my commute has been playing Christmas tunes, and the variety of the music is a pleasant change from the classic rock I usually pick up. Plus, I heard Susie Snowflake and Hard Rock, Cocoa and Joe hardly an everyday occurrence on anyone's playlist.

Truer words were never spoken. Even if Trump can bring back manufacturing jobs, filling them with qualified people is going to be tough. From what I've seen at the college, it's bad enough they can't tell time, or work with fractions, but they don't have the giddy-up to improve their skills. They rely on their phones for timekeeping and apparently there's an app to solve their math equations. Of course, when they're not allowed to bring their phones to the jobsite, they're helpless. Maybe Trump will eliminate the Department of Education, since our ranking compared to other countries has gone steadily downhill ever since the department was established. Maybe dust off the 10th amendment and put the power back with the States as it was intended.

This popped up in my One Drive feed. It was taken two years ago at a church that was having traditional Polish meal as a fundraiser. They were sold out by the time we got there but I really like how Mary stands out in the gray late afternoon light with the snow on the ground and the sidewalk leading right to her. Your eye is drawn to her instantly, as it should be.

The speedbag's up but I'm on hold with the sled project until the slippery stuff for the runners shows up. It should be here in plenty of time for me to get the sled welded finish at the college before it shuts down for semester break. I still need to make the chin-up bar, but I can weld that here. Actually, I can weld the sled here as well, it would just be easier at the school.

Surly came down Saturday afternoon and we kicked around some ideas for wrapping up the shop organization and deciding what comes next after that. There's definitely some motorcycle work on the horizon.