Guess what showed up this morning...

Yep...

More later.

A bright start...

Up this morning to this view...

Nice way to start the day, especially considering we are in for a change of weather for the weekend.  It has been gorgeous desert weather the last couple weeks, but the weather weasels are predicting rain starting this evening; add in some wind, and have it run through Sunday, maybe into Monday.

Old Hawaiian saying: No rain, no rainbows.

Old desert saying: It will keep the dust down.

Little Izzy saying: Better take me for a walk before that starts.

:-)

When your ship comes in...

Some discussion on a guitar forum about my wait for the new Emerald...

Quote:

Originally Posted by EvanB  You'll look back on the anticipation and it will be worth every second. I look forward to your ship coming in.

Ship?? First JD, now you?? It is supposed to be on a plane. Well, first a truck, then another truck, then a plane. Another plane. Another truck. Then a conveyor belt. Probably another truck. Three countries, two continents, cross an ocean, cross America, then make its way to another Post Office. What's the hold up??

I know about this ship stuff (that whole captain thing).  

What? Patient? Me? This is me being patient.  

-----------------

Yeah, I'm kidding. I have all the faith in the world that this will be a truly special instrument. The timing could not have been better with this Select Series. I am full of anticipation (some might say full of something else)... if I play up the "can't wait" thing, the Blonde gives me cookies.  

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Today is Day 13.  Wasn't lucky.  No guitar, yet.

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We made an appointment to get new rear tires for the scoots.  I was pleasantly surprised at the price (how often can you say that??).  While there, we looked around for other scooters... not much, but we did find this 2006 Yamaha Morpheus...

No, that image hasn't been stretched - that is a Yamaha Morphus... long, low... kinda art deco looking.  Cool, but I won't be trading my PCX for it.  Comfortable, though.

More Urban Scooting...

After coming back empty-handed from the Post Office, we took the scoots out for an afternoon ride.  We had been in shorts; Joan changed into jeans, I put on some mesh armored riding pants over my shorts...

Mid-70s, so it was warm enough for the mesh with shorts.  Heading out of the RV park...

No destination, just out for a ride.  We headed west, then turned north...

That is a freshly plowed field in the photo above.  Pretty landscaping for the entrance to a housing development...

Housing in this area is booming again - lots of new homes going up all over the west side of the Valley.

The international sign for "Come here!"

Heading east again (you can tell from the shadow); just enjoying the lovely weather...

The Pebble Creek area above; one of the many nice housing areas, this one is 55+.  We were heading back to the motorhome, but decided we needed a bit more riding.  Headed east (towards Buckeye)...

Green fields on the right, before you get back into more housing developments.  That is the White Tank Mountains in the distance.

A great afternoon on the scoots.  :-)

Still waiting...

Guitar Hostage Crisis, Day 12...

I wait.  And pace.  And continue to check the tracking, even though it left the Irish Postal System's reach a couple days ago.  Oh, the agony.

If it hadn't been for the fact that the Emerald X7 went from Ireland to south Texas in four days, I probably wouldn't be so anxious.  Yes, I am aware that the timing was perfect on that journey, and much less so this time around.  Buying the guitar after their business hours on a Friday evening... the guitar getting packed and shipped with a group of guitars going out, a full week later.  Getting into the AN Post (Irish Postal System) on a late Friday.

Yes, even considering how all that lined up, this is longer.  Possibly more painful, because I do know what I am missing... the X7 was a production guitar; this one is a custom, with exotic wood veneer... and it looks gorgeous in the photos.  Well, yeah - that is what hooked me on this one.

Our postal service in south Texas is slow by any standard.  "Two Day Prime" from Amazon always takes at least three days.  I thought, perhaps coming to a major metropolitan area, though, that it might be more efficient in the trip.  I am hopeful that way.  Alas, no... maybe the folks in US Customs or the USPS are playing it and saying, "Wow!  This is a nice guitar!"  I hate to think that nice guitar is sitting there in its case, wondering: "Where am I going?  Is my new family going to take good care of me?  Sure seems like I have been sitting around a lot."

Fear not, new X20 - your new family is anxious to meet you.  You will meet your smaller sibling shortly after you arrive.  In a couple months, we'll introduce you to more instruments in the family.

Does anyone have Liam Neeson's phone number??

;-)

Happy VD...

Valentines Day... what were you thinking?

Joan and I have been married for a lot of years.  Married folks know that love is how you behave with each other, what you do for that special person in your life.  It isn't about a Valentines card, chocolates, and flowers.  Although, I have done plenty of those over the years, too.

We took each other out for a movie and a sit-down meal.  Or, as I like to call it: another fun Tuesday.

Steph and Dan have a different outlook on Valentines Day: from the perspective of a teacher.

On one of my forums, a young guy asked, "How much is enough... or too much, for Valentines Day?"  Ah, the angst of young love.  Maybe young like.  ;-)

It isn't just a day for telling someone you love them... although the card companies would like you to think so.  For those you care about, every day is a good time to tell them you care.

:-)

Not obsessing...

I did check the tracking on the guitar a couple times today.  It is now at Heathrow Airport (London), ready to head for the good ol' USA.

Not that it means this will be the case, but things happened pretty quickly with the first Emerald I ordered once the tracking showed it was heading out of London.

:-)