| To attain my goals and my mission, was
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| | to do imaginative things, so I got
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| going to require taking chances. And, to
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| | started, and some of the ideas I came up
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| take risks with my work would require
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| | were out in left field for sure, but
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| that I be honest with myself. My
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| | these were the things that made happy
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| confidence and self-esteem would have to
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| | FIRST and those pieces included:Donut:
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| be high and it would take courage, too!
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| | This is a simple piece to carve, and this
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| I took an inventory of my qualities
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| | piece I never sold because I had so much
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| (yeah, right!), to see if I had the right
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| | fun with it over the years. A chocolate
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| stuff to do this. Was my self-esteem and
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| | donut, complete with frosting on top and
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| confidence relatively high? Did I have
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| | was about the same size as a real donut.
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| the courage to take chances out in
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| | I placed the "donut" in a Dunkin donuts
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| public? Could I deal with rejection and
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| | sack, complete with tissue, and some
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| failure? Can I get "egg on my face" and
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| | people were amazed at how real it looked.
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| survive? Could I suffer through
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| | The person reaching down into the sack
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| embarrassing moments? Could I eat a
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| | to get the "donut" wasn't aware that it
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| little "crow" along the way? The answer
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| | was made of wood, and they would always
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| to all these questions was NO...I WANT MY
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| | ask: "How old is this donut?" I had a
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| MOMMY!To take chances with my work, I
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| | lot of fun with it.Little black bear cub
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| would have to "go against the grain"
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| | in a high-chair: Over the years, this
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| (woodcarver, get it?) I would have to go
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| | was my best seller! The little bear cub
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| off the beaten path. (I was already off
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| | measured about an inch tall and the red
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| everybody's beaten path) I really didn't
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| | and white high-chair measured about 5
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| know the answers to all these questions I
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| | inches tall. As soon as I placed one of
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| asked myself, but I wanted to do what
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| | these out on my display...to was gone! I
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| pleased me FIRST, and then hopefully
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| | would usually take about ten of these
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| others would like my work as well.
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| | with me and they would all sell.Lion
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| There's a big difference in producing
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| | sitting in a bathtub: This was my second
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| something that will never go before the
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| | best seller. At an art show, it didn't
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| public. It's quite another thing when
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| | take long for this piece to disappear
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| you produce something for public show,
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| | either.Flu bug sick in bed with the flu!
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| etc.I've always been a competitive
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| | I figured if a person can get the flu,
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| person, and I don't like to lose at
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| | why can't a flu bug get the flu? So, I
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| anything! Checkers; ping-pong;
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| | carved the little flu bug (about 2" long)
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| basketball; football; golf; tennis;
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| | out of redwood. I made a little bed out
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| cards...you name it. I don't like to
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| | of masonite; complete with a tiny pillow
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| lose, but if I do, I consider myself a
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| | and bed sheet. The little flu was
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| good loser and a good sport. I don't go
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| | covered with a blanket. And, the caption
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| off throwing a temper-tantrum all over
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| | on a small piece of card stock read, "Flu
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| the county because I lost a silly game of
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| | bug sick in bed with the flu"Caterpillar
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| checkers! (I just call my buddy in the
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| | wearing a brown derby: About as silly as
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| Mafia...Vinnie Testasterone, to put out a
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| | it gets, right? I carved a caterpillar
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| contract on the person who beat me and
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| | and painted it lime green, and mounted it
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| it's all taken care)I started carving
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| | on a branch about 10 inches long. And
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| wood, when I was in the ninth grade in
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| | yes, I took it to a show and put it on
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| middle school. In the wood shop I was
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| | display. A couple of hours I sold it to
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| taking, just about all the students were
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| | a fellow, and I asked him why he bought
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| building projects such as a coffee table;
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| | it, and the answer was; "Because I like
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| bookcase; chairs and because all these
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| | it!"Volkswagen: I have no idea where
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| projects were made of hardwood, they
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| | this idea came from but I carved a
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| could be expensive. Because my parents
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| | Volkswagen in pine that had two front
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| didn't have much money for the class, I
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| | ends. (no trunk) Because most of my
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| had to keep my projects affordable and
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| | work was captioned, the caption read,
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| simple.My wood shop instructor had an
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| | "Make up your mind...are you coming or
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| on-going project of carving little animal
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| | going?" I sold this piece to a woman,
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| characters, and he kept a few of them on
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| | who said her boyfriend didn't know if he
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| his desk. (show-off) Small carvings
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| | was coming or going half the time, so
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| which measured about 5-6 inches tall...a
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| | this piece was perfect for him.A fawcett:
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| giraffe; dog; cat; elephant and so forth.
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| | The water fawcett was painted silver
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| They were inexpensive to make, and I
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| | like the real thing, with a wood water
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| liked the looks of them, so I wanted to
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| | drop coming out of it. The drop was
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| try wood carving.I got started on the
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| | painted a very light blue, and had a
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| animal pieces, and a few weeks after I
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| | funny face on it. The caption on the
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| completed a few pieces, I compared the
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| | very small piece of card stock read,
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| same piece to my instructor's wood
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| | "Whatever turns you on...or off!" I sold
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| pieces...and, I was surprised! MY
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| | this piece to a woman whose husband was a
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| INSTRUCTOR'S WOOD PIECES WERE ALMOST AS
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| | plumber.Friendly octopus; I saw a picture
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| GOOD AS MINE! (Just kidding!) Let the
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| | of an octopus on a billboard and I wanted
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| chips fall where they may, was the cry
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| | one. So I carved one. The legs were cut
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| for the rest of the year and I completed
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| | out of half inch redwood and the body out
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| the woodworking class.Many years later,
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| | of 2" redwood and all the pieces were
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| when I was thirty-something, I took wood
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| | glued together after they were carved.
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| carving up again. And, because I liked
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| | The octopus was painted a very dirty
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| the little animals, I continued with
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| | brown/dark green and it was shown at
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| them. I carved about a dozen pieces, and
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| | Octopus Car Wash for a while.Skunk: This
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| took them with me to the flea market,
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| | piece was painted back and white like a
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| along with a lot ot other junk, and to
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| | real skunk and carried a sign which read:
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| get reaction from the public on the wood
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| | "Help Stop Pollution!"Basket Case: My
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| pieces. A woman stopped my my display
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| | wife bought some cookies that come in a
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| and saw the little "critters" as she
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| | small straw basket about 5" long and two
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| called them, and invited me to
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| | inches high. I carved a female patient
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| participate in an arts and crafts show in
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| | wearing hospital pajamas to fit the
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| Santa Fe, New Mexico.During this period
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| | little basket and now I had my "Basket
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| of time, I went down to Old Town
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| | Case!"These were a few of the over 200
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| (Albuquerque), where there were several
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| | different original wood carvings I
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| shops and galleries, to show business
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| | produced over the years. And, as you can
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| owners my work, and to see if I could
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| | see, I took a lot of chances with my
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| sell my work on consignment, etc. I only
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| | work. And, because I've been in the
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| visited one shop and I decided this
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| | humor business most of my life, 90% of
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| wasn't for me. The shop owner liked my
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| | the pieces were cartoon-like characters
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| work, but she was interested in buying
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| | in wood.So, take a few chances with your
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| wood pieces of a southwestern
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| | work and just use caution and common
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| nature...roadrunners; cowboys; bulls and
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| | sense. If you have to eat a little
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| so forth.I decided very quickly that I
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| | "crow" in the process once in a
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| was not going to spend the rest of my
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| | while...trust me...it doesn't taste so
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| life carving roadrunners and bulls just
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| | bad! Over the years, I've eaten a whole
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| to make a buck or two! I didn't go back
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| | flock of "crow!
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| to a shop again! I had already decided
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