The last time I watched Wheel of Fortune, Vanna was still turning letters not tappin’ tv screens, but I tuned in Saturday night…and they were givin’ away 2 pairs of RJ’s Boot Company custom boots! Someone picked ’em up off the wheel, but they didn’t get to keep ’em. Doesn’t matter what kind of a heel they’ve got…Rocky Carrol’s boots have a “high profile”.

I’m already putting soles on my second pair…can ya believe it?

Brian Thomas came by the shop. Brian is an Okmulgee graduate who worked for Tex back about 15 years ago (and is one of my e-mail pals). Right now, he’s making boots off and on while he’s finishing up an Air Force career. Brian brought in some of the first boots he made in Tex’s shop. They were a comfort…some of his early stitches wandered off just like mine did. It hard to remain optimistic when all the stitches in the shop to compare yours to are Tex’s…he stitches even rows, with the machine going full blast…and just using two fingers on his left hand. The three of us ate lunch together, and I spent my afternoon inseaming and listening to the two of them talk. Brian’s taking my “invention” back with him for someone he knows in Wichita Falls…(Tex and I haven’t come up with a name for it yet) I found it in the automotive aisle at WalMart….basically it’s a piece of door trim, you know the kind that keeps you from banging up the edge of your door in parking lots. I stick a small piece of it on the back of the lip knife blade. It’s got “ultra grip” don’tcha know…a little bit of adhesive on the inside, so it doesn’t slide around (but you can still take it off for sharpening). Anyway, it seems to help keep the back of the knife from cutting into my hand…at least for now until I get some more hand strength….or maybe until I get callouses.

Symmetry is overrated.

I think we’ll get this second pair on the lasts today.