well, summer officially started yesterday, and i am glad for it. i took on this project of re-webbing a couple old chairs. i got mad at my friend for dropping off these 2 junk chairs on me a couple months back…”i got enough junk around here, i don’t need you dropping off this crap.” then last week when i was about to get rid of them i remembered the piles of lawn chair webbing in our lightnin’ salvage storage… so i went ahead and re-did them. glad i did too because these are some nice beach chairs, lightweight and comfortable.

i’m off to a slow start this year in my painting… i’ve just finished my second one this year, but already well into my third so i may get on a roll…. plus, the first two were bigger than normal so that takes extra time. anyway, here’s the sneak peek for the followers of the blog: (i know eileen likes seeing it.)

well, my mac has some issues… it won’t play a video without pausing and stuttering, and my itunes is slow and my iphoto is slow… when i take it to my mac man it works fine, but at my house, not so much… anyway, i struggled to put this together for you. it was quite hard to edit and so it’s not as good as i would have liked but my computer may be slow for another week so i just decided to do what i could…

new wheels from satchel on Vimeo.

it took a few years to get these capes from inception to production. i think we started with 10 capes? well, they’ve all sold out now and i’ve put the order in (to mom) to sew up 10 more… then they go to the printer, then to the packager… anyway, i came across this picture today and wanted to post it. it was supposed to go on the website long ago but there’s been this glitch getting the photos page where i want it and getting photos added to it… and well – some things just keep falling through the cracks…

i’m hoping now that the new photos page will finally get up and running soon and that i’ll be able to get new photos up weekly, or at least monthly. also hoping that the new capes will be on the production line again soon. we’ve got patches coming, and i’d like to make an LSE flag…

i ate lunch late, at about 2. when my family, wife, kids, mom, and aunt and uncle gathered at 5 at satchel’s to eat dinner, i was not hungry and got busy and didn’t eat. i worked and had a great time. i made pies and talked to customers and staff, and left without eating. i don’t know why. i wasn’t hungry is the reason i guess. after a few emails, and troubleshooting my computer problems, i am downright starving. why didn’t i get a calzone and bring it home? have i lost my mind? if i didn’t eat it tonight i could have had it for lunch. what is my problem? anyway, i just opened the frig in desperation and found my daughter’s leftover half cheese slice, and about 20% of my son’s leftover pepperoni pineapple slice… i am so happy right now. that stuff is in the toaster oven and is about to make my night.

i am so happy that “summer” is here! kids are out of school and so let’s have a good time kids! pizza in the toaster oven so all is not lost.
i need those misters around the outside. an employee told me tonight, why don’t you get those misters? uh, i don’t know. maybe i should? where do i get them? anyway, the trouble is i love the heat so much that i don’t think about misters. i was so incredibly happy today that it was so hot. i felt like a baby wrapped in a blanket so i couldn’t move. i love this weather, but everyone else hates it. i guess i need to get misters for them. just like i should make them some ranch dressing, right?

check the website no to polos for info about the new school uniform policy in gainesville and help by signing the petition and going to protests. the new bumper stickers out next week are “satch says no school uniforms” and i am really fired up about my hatred of this idea. i can’t believe that 3 misinformed commissioners can make all the students wear solid colors and collars… makes me sick to my stomach i tell you.

i’m mad about the school uniform policy that was just passed for alachua county. maybe there’s a facebook group to join but i couldn’t find it, or more likely just don’t know how to find it. i want to advertise the bumper stickers i’m going to print up, “satch says no school uniforms!” some good it will do, the policy was passed, but i’m not ready to give up so easy. get the people stirred up and action can happen. change can happen. anyway, i think it’s wrong. so i started a group which folks can join here.

anyway, all i could find was a FB post about a picket and i sent the creators friend requests so i could try and get them (and their people) to join the cause and create a place for folks to post and info to be discussed. these high schoolers will have no clue why i am trying to friend them and i’ll be surprised if i get 5 people in the group in a month, but it’s my feeble attempt at trying to help the kids out. i feel for them. i think it’s a crime to make everyone wear the same thing.

i have this great photos of my kid in a crazy outfit that would make a great photo for the group, but my main computer is in the shop and this computer has only a few strange photos… please send me photos of people dressed up crazy. i’d like to change out the group photo, although i really know very little about how to use facebook and am not on very much so this could hinder my efforts. we’ll see.

ok. so i know that nobody wants to watch a nearly 7 minute video of an ice machine being installed. i know that. however, this is exciting for me and so i’m posting it anyway. here’s why. it’s about the trifecta. #1. Hoshizaki. i have been around restaurants for over 25 years. i’ve heard about these machines and how good they are. i’ve heard they are the best. i also know they are expensive, like anything that is good. i wanted crushed ice but wasn’t willing to fork over another $2500 for it. anyway, able appliance assured me that i should get a hoshizaki and never see the bottom of my ice bin again. #2. national donut day. freddy jr. stopped at krispy kreme and brought some donuts for the install. i asked for chocolate iced but he didn’t hear me. anyway, i wondered why there were 13 and later found out it was national donut day and everyone got a free donut, thus the extra. growing up krispy kreme was like my favorite thing in the world, so i was excited about getting donuts, since i don’t eat them much these days, and then glad i had eaten a krispy kreme glazed on national donut day. how nice. #3. beat circus. my first cousin brian carpenter is my mom’s sisters kid and someone i grew up seeing and playing with every year. he has turned into quite the amazing musician and he lives in boston and heads up a band called beat circus. the music is unbelievable. you will thank me for turning you on to it. click the beat circus link above and check out the albums… anyway, i put a song of brian’s as a soundtrack for freddy sr. and jr. installing my hoshizaki on national donut day. wow. now you may be thinking…”maybe i should spend 7 minutes to check this trifecta out.”

hoshizaki baby from satchel on Vimeo.

yesterday i bought my first ever brand new ice machine. 7 years and i’ve had at least 4 old beaters… but we’re about to step up to the big leagues… i’t's going in soon and i’ll bring you video here.

we have the court, but i like this bocce ball holder that danny found a picture of online and sent to me. we are about to begin our first annual bocce tournament and if nothing crazy comes up tomorrow i think i could build one of these by the court. we’re going to allow up to 20 teams to play in a double elimination tournament and we are currently working out the details. ( I say we but mostly it’s danny.) we plan to put up a chalkboard bracket and enjoy the florida summer watching the bracket to see who will win… to me, it’s all in the team name. i bet on the best named team to win. my team (my wife and I) are named the “corn dogs.” but danny’s team is “balls on fire.” i think we may still be able to accept a few more teams before we make the cut-off. sign up at lightnin salvage and you will be sent an email soon with instructions for playing your game. you will be given 2 weeks to play another team and it will be up to the 2 teams to plan a time when they can meet to play. 1st annual. the t-shirts will be awesome!