The Story of Lori, Chapter 2

[Sephirah]

A very belated happy birthday, Lori.

I should have known you were a Virgo.

Loyal, analytical, kind, hardworking, practical... someone who likes books, nature, the outdoors... dislikes asking for help... yep, sounds about right!

https://www.zodiacsign.com/zodiac-signs/virgo/ 🔗

<3

[Lori Dee]

A very belated happy birthday, Lori.

I should have known you were a Virgo.

Loyal, analytical, kind, hardworking, practical... someone who likes books, nature, the outdoors... dislikes asking for help... yep, sounds about right!

https://www.zodiacsign.com/zodiac-signs/virgo/ 🔗

<3

Thanks, Lauren!

That is a pretty close summation of me. 

It says compatibility is Pisces and Capricorn. Every book I read said it was Taurus. My first wife was born on May 10th. My second wife was born on May 9th. When wife #3 and I were dating, I asked her if she was born in May, because that's a deal breaker. She was born mid-July, so I let her stick around for a few years before I kicked her to the curb. 

It was shortly after that when I figured out what was going on with me: Asexual, introvert, transgender... yeah, no wonder it couldn't work out.

To all my exes, "It wasn't you, it was me ... except for the crap you pulled, that's on you." 

[davina61]

Well I am Aries, when I lose it stay away! Head down and butt my way through life.

[Emma1017]

I'm a Libra. Not sure that matches.  I'm supposed to be indecisive but I am the complete opposite of that.

Lori I hope you had a great birthday and I love this quote!

"To all my exes, "It wasn't you, it was me ... except for the crap you pulled, that's on you."

[Sephirah]

I'm a Libra. Not sure that matches.  I'm supposed to be indecisive but I am the complete opposite of that.

Lori I hope you had a great birthday and I love this quote!

"To all my exes, "It wasn't you, it was me ... except for the crap you pulled, that's on you."

To be fair, Emma, I think you need your scales to be in balance. You do what's best for everyone but you. To not make a decision is to let other people make those decisions and go along with it. As long as, on balance, it's something you can live with. You are very much a Libra. You need harmony, and that is the most important thing.

Intelligent, kind, and always willing to put others before themselves, Libras value harmony in all forms. Ruled by Venus, the planet of beauty, Libra adores a life that looks good. As the master of compromise and diplomacy, Libra is adept at seeing all points of view, and excels at crafting compromises and effecting mediation between others.

Totally you. 🙂

[Emma1017]

Lauren, much more flattering than true but I do love the association with Venus.  That woman knew how to dress!

Lori, I am so glad your birthday was a success.  Maybe the prairie dogs (that are so cute) were singing Happy Birthday to you!

[Sephirah]

Eye of the beholder. Message to all of you 😛 We are all wired to see the worst. Trust someone who has no vested interest in it to tell you that you are gorgeous. And then don't believe them.

Omg prairie dogs...

this never fails to crack me up...

🔗

[ChrissyRyan]

https://everythingbackyard.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/polished-pebbles-1576521_960_720.jpg 🔗

I saw some pretty rocks for sale at a gift shop.  Polished.  You picked what you wanted, put them in a small bag for $3.99 or a larger bag for $6.99.  They were are different shapes and colors and lines, but all were smooth and polished.  Some were speckled.

Some nice jewelry could have been made from some of them.  The picture above is from the Internet and is just an example of some of the same sizes and types of rocks.  Sometimes the rocks are very pretty in the shops.

I have seen similar displays of rocks for sale.  I wonder how much time and money it costs to make maybe a dozen of these rocks ready for sale that you might be able to cram into a small bag.

[Lori Dee]

Maybe the prairie dogs (that are so cute) were singing Happy Birthday to you!

I hadn't considered that! Thanks!

[Lori Dee]

Eye of the beholder. Message to all of you 😛 We are all wired to see the worst. Trust someone who has no vested interest in it to tell you that you are gorgeous. And then don't believe them.

Omg prairie dogs...

this never fails to crack me up...

🔗

OMG that is hilarious!

[Lori Dee]

I have seen similar displays of rocks for sale.  I wonder how much time and money it costs to make maybe a dozen of these rocks ready for sale that you might be able to cram into a small bag.

The rocks need to be quite a bit larger because polishing them rounds the edges and wears down the surface. They need to be sorted by hardness, too. Hard rocks, like the quartz varieties (chalcedony, jasper, agates, citrine, rose quartz, and amethyst), take longer to shape. Softer stones like Sodalite or Sunstone can skip the shaping stage and move straight into the smoothing stage.

I run all of the rocks through five stages, each lasting about one week. The first stage can take from one week to a couple of months for hard stones. I now use a more aggressive grit for the first stage to knock that down to a week or three.

I run each stage simultaneously, so all my machines are running at the same time. Then I move the rocks to the next stage, empty the final polish stage, and refill the first. I haven't calculated the cost of grit and polish, but it is not expensive. Even with the added cost of jewelry wire, the cost is less than $3 per piece. A small bag like that would be a good way to get rid of the rejects that are not very nice for jewelry due to flaws.

[Lori Dee]

@Sephirah

At first, I thought your video was this one: 

[ChrissyRyan]

The rocks need to be quite a bit larger because polishing them rounds the edges and wears down the surface. They need to be sorted by hardness, too. Hard rocks, like the quartz varieties (chalcedony, jasper, agates, citrine, rose quartz, and amethyst), take longer to shape. Softer stones like Sodalite or Sunstone can skip the shaping stage and move straight into the smoothing stage.

I run all of the rocks through five stages, each lasting about one week. The first stage can take from one week to a couple of months for hard stones. I now use a more aggressive grit for the first stage to know that down to a week or three.

I run each stage simultaneously, so all my machines are running at the same time. Then I move the rocks to the next stage, empty the final polish stage, and refill the first. I haven't calculated the cost of grit and polish, but it is not expensive. Even with the added cost of jewelry wire, the cost is less than $3 per piece. A small bag like that would be a good way to get rid of the rejects that are not very nice for jewelry due to flaws.

The rocks I saw seemed flawless but I am not a jeweler.  I should have bought some.  A pink one caught my eye as beautiful. 

Chrissy

[ChrissyRyan]

Have a wonderful week Lori!

I rode in a Rubicon style Wrangler.  Cool.


Chrissy

[ChrissyRyan]

I have been busy doing lots of work.  Hope to get another day off besides yesterday but some things just have a true time deadline. 

[Lori Dee]

Have a wonderful week Lori!

I rode in a Rubicon style Wrangler.  Cool.


Chrissy

Thanks, Chrissy. You too!

I have been eyeing the Rubicon Wrangler as possibly my next vehicle. My Patriot has now clicked over 101,000 miles, which is not unusual. However, I really want a 4x4 vehicle with high ground clearance for my prospecting adventures.

I am still wrestling (wrangling?)   with whether or not I am ready for the increased cost. My Patriot is paid off, so a new vehicle would mean car payments and an increase in insurance rates. I can afford it with no problem; I just have other things I am budgeting for that have priority right now.

So I will hang on to the Patriot for now. But if a great deal comes along, I'll be ready to jump on it. The end-of-year sales will be kicking off soon, and maybe the tariff fiasco will encourage American auto dealerships to cut prices. I am in no hurry.

Jeeps are just so much fun to drive. And they get me places where I want to go.

[Lori Dee]

I have been on the phone with our local Furniture Row store. The repairman came out and replaced the recliner mechanisms in both the sofa and the loveseat. When I asked about the broken drawer, he said the store never called him, so he didn't have the replacement.

It has now been a few weeks, and no one has called me to deliver or even tell me the status of the replacement drawer. The gal who answered the phone was pleasant, except for calling me "sir" in every sentence. She said the manager was able to push through the order for the replacement drawer, but it has not arrived yet.

It only took two weeks to get the whole set ordered and delivered, so my patience is wearing thin. After she "sir"ed me one more time while assuring me that someone would call when it comes in, I decided to take advantage of her perception. I told her that if no one calls me in one week to tell me what is going on, I will be standing in the manager's office to get some answers.

"Yes, sir. Have a great day!"

ARRRRRGGHHH!   

[Sephirah]

@Sephirah

At first, I thought your video was this one: 

Omg! That is awesome.

Here's the one I first saw the prairie dog one in. Try not to laugh, lol.

🔗

[Lori Dee]

Omg! That is awesome.

Here's the one I first saw the prairie dog one in. Try not to laugh, lol.

🔗

I have tears rolling down my face. OMG that is too funny.

[Sephirah]

A smile is a precious thing. <3