1. A brick from the old Acacia house - When I went to college the first time, I joined a fraternity called Acacia. It was a little diffferent from most houses; We were, in fact once described as the "smoker toker jokers of campus." The old house was condemned the year before I arrived, and the frat was then living in campus housing, but we'd go to the old house every once in a while to party. On one such drunken escapade, we were hooting it up in the crow's nest atop the three story house, and my pledge father noticed that the bricks in the chimney were coming loose. He decided he was going to walk across the roof to "get his son a brick". As drunk as he was, we were begging him not to do it, but he was the obstinate sort. He drunkenly reeled across the roof, got the brick, and reeled back. Thet next summer, being stuck in the country with nothing to do, I stylishly painted the word "Acacia" on it in black and gold (our colors) and still display it atop my entertainment center.
2. A small glass pyramid - A Christmas gift from a gorgeous girl I used to see. I was more into her than she was into me, but we had some good times, so I keep it as a remembrance. I don't know where she is now, but I hope she's happy and healthy, and still rockin' out.
3. The "footbowl" - My second pot pipe, which I got way back in high school. My first was a homemade deal fashioned from pipe fittings, which I loaned to a friend who loaned it to a friend who got busted with it. After that, my brother gave me a little ceramic pipe shaped like a foot. You draw off the big toe! He'd had it for years before that, so it has to be close to 30 years old. I rarely use it, but it does remind me of some good times back in the day.
4. Grandpa's leather coin purse - I never knew either of my gradfathers, as my mother's dad died shortly before I was born (I got his name) and the other died soon after I was born. Since I never knew him, my grandmother gave me his small leather coin purse that says "Dinosaur Caverns, Az." and has a picture of a dinosaur on it. It contains one of his rosaries. It's a small connection to a grandpa that I never knew, and a big reminder of a grandma that we lost to cancer back in the early 80's.
5. An old Scrabble set - When that same Grandma would come from Chicago to the country to visit, Scrabble was definately on the itinerary. She loved that game no end and would play it for hours. It's missing some pieces, but it's one of the classic old sets that has the WOODEN pieces! It reminds me of the many hours that I spent playing with Mom and Grandma. I still miss her.
6. A small woven angel - My mom was the arts and crafts sort. Every spare second, she was knitting or crocheting or embroidering something of some sort. When she had the first stroke, I think the frustration of losing her hand's ability to do these things came closer to killing her than the clot did. I also have an afghan that she made, but I always keep this little woven angel for the Christmas tree top in public display, and always top the tree with it. I always will.
7. A pair of rosewood nunchucks - I never learned how to use them well, but I certainly creased my skull a few times trying. It was a high school graduation gift from my best friend, whom you may have seen commenting here under the name Hillbilly Tim. Thus, they are indispensible.
8. A burlap hanging - It's about 6' x 4', and has a lithograph of some 19th century bicyclists posing with their old bikes, the kind with the huge front wheels. It was given to me by my old college buddy Marz, when he got married. He and his wife Sue have remained the best of friends to this day, and that hanging that used to be in his dorm room reminds me of the good times we had bonging our brains out in his room between classes.
9. A picture of Kansas - not the state. Kansas was a chihuahua I had as a kid, and was one of the best dogs ever. He weighed five pounds at his heaviest, and was always very quiet and very friendly with people, but fearless with the neighbor's doberman and geese. When they came over, he chased them right out without an argument! It was a riot to watch a five pound dog fiercely protecting a five acre plot! He was a great friend. He died the day before I turned 20, proving that Neil Young was right..... you can't be 20 on Sugar Mountain.
10. A cigarette holder from Hawaii - It is a metal case with some Hawaiian art on it, and a lighter build into the top. I don't know where my dad got it, as he stopped smoking ten years before I was born. He gave it to me when I was 19 or so, and I never used it all that much either, since it was a bit bulky. It would have been useful had I been in the habit of wearing jackets over my shirts, but I live in less formal times. Dad never approved of my smoking cigarettes, so it really meant something to me when he gave it to me. It was the first time he showed the willingness to accept one of my decisions even though he didn't approve of it. I haven't had a cig in seven years now, but I keep that holder just because.
11. Scripts - I was never into sports, but I did a lot of acting in high school, and had a good time of it. I still have the script from every play I was in. It's what I was good at.
12. Paperweight/paper clip holder - These are matching pieces made from marble, given to me as a Christmas present by an old girlfriend. We were together for three years. I couldn't stay with her for several reasons that aren't important here, but she was an important part of my life for quite awhile, and it doesn't seem right to get rid of them. I've heard some bad things about her lifestyle in the last couple of years. I do hope she gets things together.
13. My old record colllection - I've seen bigger, but this is respectable, and has a few rarities in it, like Badfinger's "Straight Up", the "Lake Shore Drive" lp by Alliotta, Haynes, and Jeremiah, and the flame cover version of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Street Survivors". Yeah, one of these days I'm going to buy a new cartridge for my ol' turntable. The hours I spent with this collection could never be counted, and were a great joy in my youth.

I guess I'm just an ol' softie.........................