The good thing about getting up early ................

................. is that there are some nice pictures of the sun coming up to be had.

Practice really does make a difference

Who would have thought?
I mentioned already that I'm taking a soldering class with Terri Brush online (and an etching and soldering class, as well).
There's been some practicing going on and quite a bit of bad language. For one thing, I (and several other people in the class) have been having problems with our highly recommended soldering iron. I finally contacted the company when my second iron showed the same problems as the first and it's now on its way back to the manufacturer for repair/replacement. I've also invested in a different brand and am very happy. The other problem had to do with those cute little rhinestones - they are glued to the background but balancing two pieces of glass on something that small is difficult and there's been a lot of undoing going on.
But, I'm getting better. Really. And it's much more enjoyable.

It's not all paradise

I mentioned this homeless camp in a previous post - http://henrysmumsotherblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/aloha-aka-notes-from-small-tropical.html.
Seems that the end of the camp is in sight: According to Hawaii News Now - "Hundreds of homeless people are told they have to leave Keaau Beach Park. Take a look at some of their living conditions along the Waianae coast...http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/slideshow?widgetid=50331"
I found it disturbing to see people living like that. I don't find it any less disturbing hearing that they have to leave because I am sure few are there because they like to live rough.

Give up ...... to be happy

A Facebook friend posted a link to this article this morning. And it's good and true. And, no, nobody asks anybody to give up their big screen TV or their big honking SUV.

http://www.purposefairy.com/3308/15-things-you-should-give-up-in-order-to-be-happy/

Bad fan behavior

About once a year, we watch the Sharks play hockey in San Jose. Since we go so infrequently, we splurge on tickets these days and try for really good seats. Yesterday was that day. The Sharks were playing the Dallas Stars (there's a serious rivalry going on between those two teams.).

The above pictures were taken during warm-up and at the very beginning of the game (a long time before Ott, No. 29, got a game misconduct and was ejected from the game).

Our seats were two rows behind the Stars' bench, not so terrific for watching the game as we found out, but very interesting for seeing what exactly goes on on a bench.

Things started out well, the Sharks scored in the first minute and added two more goals to the first one. The people next to us and behind us were well behaved. But the young couple in front of us got louder and louder and more obnoxious with every beer consumed (and there were quite a few of those).

She kept yelling "Let's go Sharks" with increasing frequency and volume and towards the end of the third period, he started verbally abusing one of the Stars players loudly. Neither the attacked player nor the coaches reacted in any way, I'm sure they are used to this kind of obnoxious behavior.

It got to be so bad that we moved a few rows up and had to explain to the usher why. She was very understanding.

"Don't be those guys." Really!