The Lucky and the Not So Lucky

*Here I must interject. I root for the rookies of the nfl. Its my love of the happy endings interfering with my desire to win, I guess. But, you know how when you're sitting in a high school gym watching some honor ceremony of some sort. You hope that even the girl wearing dark colored long sleeves and long pants in 80 degree temps succeeds. You want everyone to make it.

*But this year I'm tying to ignore the rookie stories. When I heard Tyrone McKenzie injured his ACL in the second day of the Patriots rookie camp... I attempted to be oblivious. But poor guy! Half those rookies at the very least won't make the team. Maybe only 2 or 3 will. And I really want the long snapper from Hawaii to succeed.... as well as everyone else! And to win. Go Pats!

So back to jewelry and my change road rescue. lol. I know the copper content of pennies has lessened over the years. I know the present coin doesn't have much copper. But I thought using easy silver solder was low key enough for a 1985 penny. Apparently not! That poor penny lost it on the ditch of my learning curve. There was way too much tin in the penny. 1983 is the magical date. Now I have to decipher the freaking date on those poor pulverized coins. The next rescue coin I picked on was a 1972 coin. That coin hung in there. The first picture is of the accidental euthanasia of last night. (White metal goes quick when it goes!)

These other 2 are of my first finished Lucky Penny Ring, 1972. *The coins are coins I find while out walking.*

The Lucky Penny Ring

I pick up change I see when I'm out, walking about. I call it "change road rescue." And this might seem, well, eccentric, um, to be kind. But I started doing it because my standard response when anyone asked about health insurance or my lack thereof, I'd say, "when I win the lottery.... " Or if asked about my retirement plans I'd say, " when I win the lottery." The trouble is, I don't believe in the lottery (as I have explained before, here, and here.) *Its a poor tax, not a stupid tax.... though the poor may be desperate enough to act stupid. Essentially, its a tax on dreams.*

So. To get around my reluctance to support a poor tax, I decided to pool the change I find while walking. Every 2-3 weeks, I accumulate enough for a powerball ticket. Two of my best finds are a 1896 penny (worth one dollar), and a 1918 dime (worth 5 bucks. Though it is a bit nicked. I found it in the street.)



Not all of the change I find is recyclable. Some of the pennies are torn apart, and some are just pulverized a bit too much. I keep these pennies, and have ended up with a rather gnarly stash of orphan pennies. Hence, the Lucky Penny Ring. Here is one design of the Lucky Penny Ring, and tomorrow I'm going to start working on another design. It is carved out of green wax and will be cast into silver. In one picture I have a diamond I dropped in just for fun. I will be setting a 5 mm stone there, but not a diamond! All pennies will be seeking their new life, with luck.

Endurance, or, One Massive Holly Bush

"To increase your success rate, increase your failure rate." (Somebody said that.)

The picture above is in part a past bloom himalayan honeysuckle, my weedy yard, and a massive holly bush. The general area is for the birds. I don't like to trim back the holly much... because that would decrease the winter stockpile of berries for the birds. And besides, what do I care? There is a rosebush on the other side of holly that would prefer a more sculpted yard... or death of a holly bush... But it is surviving remarkably well.

I don't usually watch basketball or baseball. Those guys (and gals) play too much. And since I don't own a T.V. it would involve an awful lot of beer bought in a bar while watching games. Football is one game, once a week, 4 plus (hopefully) months a year. Also, its on Sunday. But out of curiosity and because I've placed an important BET on the outcome and because the NFL off season does drag on and if I read Bellicheat ONE MORE TIME... anyway, I have now watched portions of three Celtics playoff games.

Speaking of endurance. Watching those guys (basketball) run around... Jeeze. Its exhausting. The author of "A Drunkard's Walk Through Life" said in his NPR interview that there was a 40% probability that the worst team will win a best of 7 series. Which illustrates very well why I am not a physicist (as that author is.) Another thing he talked about is the role "luck" plays in success.

I feel quite in sync with the moon phase whatever it is though I can almost promise you its waning and the property of randomness as regards loose change on a sidewalk. Luck, I've got you covered, in silver as it were, and I think I need to increase my failure rate (ah, no!)!

Fine Filaments

I must admit, the title besides being yet another tortuous alliteration, is an echo of reading Paradise Lost. I don't want to go there again, hence just the echo, but. School time trauma creates its own associated flashbacks. Milton's filaments is one.

Now. On to the topic at hand... is to discuss the ye olde sayings type stuff. "I'd rather be lucky than good." Probably a misquote... it makes no real sense to me. I'd rather be lucky than good. Seems to be just saying you want to win.

Which bring up the Pats Ravens game. (JEESH!) By the time the last couple of minutes flashed before my beer soaked eyes... well. The game in itself was a winner. A Ravens player punching a Pats player who was on the sidelines... during a kickoff? Like what was going through his sweet little skull? And. I will probably mess this up but... That last Pats drive? One forth down conversion failed EXCEPT for a timeout called by the Raven's defensive coordinator who didn't have the authority to call it! (only the head coach does.) Second fourth down conversion failed EXCEPT for a false start on Pat's Russ H... (only time possible to be congratulated on a false start.) Third fouth down conversion failed EXCEPT for a holding penalty on the Ravens... Then touchdown! and an unsportsmanlike penalty was called on the Ravens and a Ravens player picked up the flag and threw it into the stands...

Like. Who is paying those Ravens... right? But they come back with a Hail Mary caught... on the one yard line. Suggestion to Ravens.... ::::think end zone with Hail Marys:::: Just being so generous with advice because game is over. And boy is it. One of the unmentioned memorables was the kisses the Ravens Head Coach did to Harrison after Harrison mouthed off to him. (What did you say Harrison? Unmentioned memorables sounds like undergarments.... )

Looking like... backward at this weekend's Steelers game.... Oh boy. I can't even guess. I'd say its gonna be a finger crossing toe crossing hair braiding kind of a day. HEY PATS! Being lucky AND good is way okay and much easier on this flabby fanatic. Jeesh.