The Saturday before Valentine's Day was my 37th birthday. We went out junking during the day and then went out for dinner and drinks with friends later that night... thanks to everybody for coming out on one of the coldest nights this winter! I had a blast! It was great hanging out with everyone, especially since being jobless has left me in a funk lately.

[Image]I'm so excited I got Used To Be A Tiger by 32nd Turnoff from Tony as one of my presents! It was one of my most wanted records for a very long time and it features one of my favorite record covers! Glad to have this Italian-only monster crossed off my want list! Also pictured is a vintage caveman lamp that I gifted to myself... thanks again for the tip, Marc! He's awesome! Also, my good friend, Tim, surprised me with this Titan Records LP box-set. Not pictured is a bottle of booze that my friends Kevin and Amye gave me. Thanks again, guys!

[Image]We spent 10 days visiting friends and family in Arizona in January and while shopping around in Phoenix with one of our best friends, I spotted a vintage Knoll stool designed by Eero Saarinen in 1956. I was in love as soon as I saw it! It still had its original Knoll Associates tag and sticker on the bottom and retained its electric blue Knoll fabric that fits in so well with the vintage Adrian Pearsall sofa in our den. At the time, I was concerned with spending money, since I was just laid off, so I had to leave it behind. To my surprise, Tony and Genz decided to pitch in and get it for me as a joint birthday present. After we left Arizona, Genz went back to the store and nabbed it for me and mailed it my way. Thanks so much! You guys are the best! Seated on top of the stool is a vintage Laurids Lonborg teak elephant made in Denmark that Tony gave me for Valentine's Day. Tony's best friend, Damo, found it in San Francisco and sent it his way just in time for V-Day. I love him! Thanks, Damo!

[Image]Lastly, this is the Gonk that I made for Tony out of naugahyde for his Valentine's Day present. He absolutely loved him, and I'm pretty proud of how well he turned out. Lately I've been working on sewing projects and coming up with designs for a possible business venture, so I was glad I could make something to surprise Tony with. Stay tuned for further news and announcements! I'm hoping to get it all figured out really soon since my severance checks are about to run out. YIKES!