02/12/20: Just a quick update. As you may be aware back in November I had part of my colon removed thanks to a malignant tumor. Thankfully my body was cancer free after the surgery but a short course of chemotherapy was called for to prevent a reoccurrence. Unfortunately my first hip replacement for December was understandably scrubbed. Before the cancer event I had been just able to get back into the shop (for a few days) but fifteen days in the hospital (eight of them in ICU) left my legs weakened precluding climbing the stairs down into the shop. It has been icky as I am unable to take effective pain relief and continue to be restricted to the main floor of my home. Add to that the chemotherapy (otherwise uneventful for the most part) has not been kind to my hip joints.
The light at the end of the tunnel is that I am so far on track for my first hip replacement at the end of March followed by a second replacement in June. I intend upon being back in the shop by early May up until my second replacement in June and then back again in the shop in late July.
11/19/19: Ming-Kahuna will be closed for business until further notice. I’ll be back.
2/28/19: Well, the dust has settled since October and I’m now well into the twenty-first year of Ming-Kahuna. As the two twentieth anniversary sets are well on their way to completion I’ve had an opportunity to look back and do some navel-gazing.
2/8/19: When it comes to watching TV I am most definitely a surfer. Watching five movies at once isn’t as challenging as it sounds. What is a challenge is moving beyond some movies when they pop up on the screen bringing the whole shebang to a screeching halt. Here is a list of movies (and shows), to name a few, that demand my focus:
1/17/19: As it’s winter my cigar smoking takes a most definite back seat to my pipes. Smoking a cigar in the back deck is great fun but puffing on a ten dollar cigar in forty degree temps is somewhat of a waste. Puffing on a briar in the comfort of my home gets the call. It’s at these times that I am re-invigorated as to the wonderful rituals of pipe smoking.
1/30/18: I have finally decided on the exact nature of the 20th anniversary set. First, there will only be one rather than two. As before, all of the set will be made from the first material of Ming, Cuda. In addition to the stand there will be three pieces; a Pocket Model, Presentation Grade, and a Stiletto pick.
11/13/18: This news feature will be expanded to include ramblings that are offered in addition to my work. All work and no play makes Art a dull boy. While I love to share all things Ming there is far more to life. About the only thing that I won’t be writing about is politics. I’ve had quite enough of that. I will be avoiding controversy at all cost. Of course opining as to who was the best Bond villain may ruffle a few feathers, but I will just have to take that risk.
So, stop back now and then if you have a mind to for a little bit of this and a little bit of that.
Oh, and for the record, Donald Pleasance as Blofeld very closely followed by Christoph Waltz as Blofeld. Honorable mention goes to Telly Savalas as Blofeld.