Glassblowing Workshop: Final Goodies

So it only took two weeks, but I finally brought home my projects from the second day of the glassblowing workshop.

The first one is a little practice glass that I made when I first learned glass blowing technique. As you can see it's a bit wobbly-looking, but glassblowing is hard! I included a book of matches in the photo for size... it's about the size of a shot glass. So if anyone adores me enough to want to have a handmade, wobbly shot glass to drink from so that you can think of me fondly... let me know.

Next is the piece de resistance - a huge drinking glass. This is my pride and joy. The shape isn't perfect, and it's a little thicker than an average drinking glass. I so desperately wanted to make a glass in this class and this was only my second attempt at blowing glass so I am actually really proud. Neither glass is dishwasher safe, though, so I will get to use (and handwash) with love.

We had just a little time left at the end of the second day, but not enough to blow another glass or vase, so I made another paperweight with a cooler technique that the one I made on the first day. This one required twisting the glass after you've colored it, and then stabbing the center with a tool to make and indent and bubble. It's very pretty.

And as a bonus... the girl at the gallery found Jess' and my Christmas ornaments from the 20 minute workshop we went to in December. If you remember, Jess had Bella in December, so we completely forgot about picking up our ornaments, but the instructor went on a hunt for them last week and they were still around. Yay!

So my plan is to take another class in the fall. The instructor said that there's a group planning on evening classes, and once that is scheduled, she'll let me know. I'm not sure I can pull off evenings, but I'm willing to consider it. This glass blowing is just entirely too cool to never do again.

Flashback Friday

Damn, I love this picture. It's like catching a rare photo of an animal doing something uncharacteristic for that species, although unfortunately, Rob has probably thought of doing this very thing from time to time. Ha ha.

I Love My Job

Okay...

Now it's too hot. My apartment is about 80 degrees, and although the cross breeze is helping, it's still really, really hot. And yes, I'm anti-air conditioning. I lose a whole window with an air conditioner and I love the smell of REAL outside air. All-in-all it's fine to torture myself, but it's nearly impossible to have people over when it's hot... well, unless sweating is acceptable.

At least now I've ordered pizza, and am planning on spending the rest of the evening on my deck by firefly light, eating pizza, drinking iced tea, and chatting. Now if I could only figure out how to keep the blood-sucking red bugs off of my deck railings, I'd be all set.

Happy Memorial Day

It figures I would wake up with a headache today. Katie came over at 10:30 to see my new deck and have a beer. Four beers later, I passed out in bed and woke up with a cloudy head. Ugh. It was lots of fun to just sit and chat though, and it was the first time I actually spent quality time on the new deck.

Do you like my stars? There's one on each side wall.
And these are my firefly lights. I only hung them in the overhang of the roof instead of around the railing. It's more charming.





Katie and I also invented the rat game. We got points for each time we spotted them, which (thanks to my young neighbor and her backyard made for parties) was easy because there were plenty of trash cans a few yards over that were practically a buffet for the little critters. Our yard is spotless - not one rat (thank God), and lucky for me, my flashlight can light up things a few yards away. Wow... I'm so Baltimore.

I've Created a Monster

I laid out a bit today around 11 AM, and decided I'd let Elliott lay on the deck while I read. Bad idea... I know. Because I turned around after 5 minutes, and Elliott had escaped to the next door balcony and was considering the balcony two rowhouses over. OMG. I waved at Elliott (that's his name in sign language), and he came towards me, but I had no idea how I was going to get to him. My arms are nowhere near long enough.

Just as I started freaking, my next door neighbor let her dogs out below the balcony, so I yelled for her. She came out, saw my predicament, and immediately ran upstairs to save Elliott. Of course, Elliott had no idea he needed saving. My neighbor cuddled him and handed him over to me safely, but lesson learned - no more cat time outside.

For the record, Elliott has done well outside before. When I lived in a rowhouse with ten foot walls around the patio, he laid out on the patio in the sun, but had no way out. It was impenetrable. Once while living in Canton, I put him on a leash with me on the roof deck, and he managed to squeeze between the spindles and nearly hang himself. He's clueless, and it's so unfortunate because he loves being outside so much.

So why the monster? Elliott has been meowing at the back window and back door for thirty minutes. Now I'm worried he'll make a run for it. Damn cat.

Summertime

I need to feel that my life is in order, so what do I do? I clean. Last night I cleaned all of the linens. My throw blankets are in the washer/dryer now. I'm going through my closet, junk drawer, medicine cabinet, and other random places, and I'm tossing what I don't need. I've finally started decorating the deck (I can get sun while I do that), and it is gorgeous outside. Hmmm... I'm feeling better already.

In my head... and on my mind...

I think about you in the summertime
And all the good times we had, baby
It’s been a few years and I can’t deny
The thought of you still makes me crazy
I think about you in the summertime
I’m sittin here in the sun with you on my mind

Five on Friday

1. I was out with customers last night, and although I'm not really hungover, I am so bloody tired.I tried to fall back asleep for the better part of two hours this morning, and although the rest is nice, I need sleep. The whole event went really well (thanks for the support!), but some sort of crash is in my future.
2. My feet are done. I have two blisters and two rub spots. The balls of my feet are aching. I desperately want to wear flip flops.
3. I had a double cheeseburger for breakfast.
4. I really need to do laundry. Like really, really. It's pathetic.
5. Although I wanted to sleep in, I'm getting up. I'll be more tired as the day goes on, but I might as well work. There's so much to do.

Safe travels to everyone doing something exciting this weekend. Just please don't get crazy tans that make me look even more like a ghost. Is that too much to ask?

So Sleepy

Day two of my event at work begins in just a few hours. I am so tired after yesterday. Yesterday's work day lasted 15 hours with dinner, and on my way home around 11 PM, I was pulled over for a broken tag light. Fabulous. It was the first time I'd been pulled over in 6 years. Luckily, all I received was a repair order, but between being tired and wine at dinner, I was nervous beyond belief.

So now I'm up again - trying to convince myself to get into the shower, but all I want to do is crawl back into bed. Today is likely to be at least 12 hours long, and I'm only really up for, well... zero hours. Maybe some praying is in order; I need all of the help I can get.

You Know You Watched It

So who should win American Idol?

David A?
or David C?

It's Oh So Cold

Why? Why is it 57 degrees? I just want to sleep with my window open, but tonight it will be 50 degrees, and there's no way I'll sleep well if it's 50 degrees in my room. Grrr...

No, I'm not irritable. I'm actually feeling pretty good considering I have another big event at work this week that I'm managing (remember the last one?). I don't feel panicky or worried almost at all, but I'm anxious to be on the other side of it. I'm looking forward to getting back that balance of work and play that I had going for so many months. It's been way too easy to drown myself in work again. So says the workaholic, right?

It's only Monday, but I feel the need for a list. What I'd do this week if I wasn't doing what I'm doing (wow - I'm so well spoken).

1. Sleeping late(r than usual). I'm determined to be on time/early all week, but oh, how I hate getting up in the morning.
2. Eating better. It was so hard not to buy the chocolate ice cream today at Safeway, but somehow I did it. Now if I could lay off of the soda and pretzels, I'd be great.
3. Watching movies. I miss going to the movies. Movies and a blue raspberry icee.
4. Decorating my deck. I still haven't hung the stars and lights, and I want to so desperately. Maybe Saturday...
5. Walking the dog. Poor Antonio hasn't been walked properly in a number of days. Sure, I could use the rain as one excuse (he won't walk in the rain), but much of it is my distraction. He deserves more walks.
6. Riding rollercoasters. I'm going to get to Cedar Point this year if it kills me. If I was a better planner, this next weekend would have been perfect, but it's too close to my last Ohio visit and this work event. Oh, to ride front seat down a 90 degree hill... I miss it.
7. Playing PC games. It's such a release for me. I can probably find time in this weekend to finish one or two.
8. And lastly, being creative. That class this weekend brought out my creative side again. I need another outlet because I can feel myself craving it. Maybe a few hours of papercrafts? Maybe photography? I dunno... but I need to think of something.

Glassblowing Workshop: Day Two

I'm showered and in pajamas (surprise). I am tired. My legs are tired from standing on a concrete floor for two days, my arms are tired from spinning pipes during the workshop, I'm still dehydrated, and my belly is burning - probably from the Indian food we ordered for lunch.

But boy was the class fun! Today I got to bring home the flowers that I made on Saturday. Pretty, right?
I also have this beautiful paperweight that is going with me to work tomorrow. Isn't is cool?






Today we actually blew glass. To make a very complicated process as simple as possible, it requires multiple gathers of molten glass, lots of blowing into the glass to trap air, lots and lots of spinning, lots and lots of marvering (shaping/flattening on the marver surface), and lots of bench time spinning, using tools and spinning. (Did I mention spinning?) My body is tired, but I actually made three things today: a little practice glass, a huge drinking glass, and another paperweight with a cooler technique than yesterday. But because it needs to cool overnight, and because I have a busy week, I won't be able to get today's work until Thursday or Friday. *sigh*

I highly recommend this class. Now that I have taken the Introductory Workshop, I'll definitely be going back for more - I caught the bug. :) But what's neat is that you really do feel more and more comfortable and get more and more confident after every piece that you make. I felt ten times better working on my own today that yesterday, and we could all feel ourselves getting better at the basic skills.

This is the place:
Corradetti Gallery
2010 Clipper Park Rd, Suite 119
Baltimore, Maryland 21211
410.243.2010


More pictures - these are LOADS more interesting!

















A clear drinking glass. Here he is dripping water on the joint between the glass and the pipe to make a clean break.

















You have to shape the glass quickly as it cools.

















This looks to be right after a second gather. That's a lot of glass!

Firing a vase to keep it hot enough to shape.
















This is cool - the glass on the right is being blown and shaped on the marver. The vase on the left is being shaped using a tool to flatten the base.

















Once this vase was shaped on the first pipe, he had to transfer it to a second pipe to complete mouth/opening of the vase. This shows classmates fusing the new pipe to the finished vase bottom so that the vase can be removed from the first pipe.

















A paperweight on a pipe - straight on. Cool pattern, eh?

















My two new glasses and paperweight in the kiln. The colors that you see aren't the real colors. As they cool they will becoming the color I added to the glass. (Tune in later in the week for the finished products!)

Update! One of my classmates just sent me pictures of me!

Here I am gathering glass at the furnace.
Me cooling my pipe.
Some marvering at the marver table.
Benchwork! Don't I look knowledgeable? Haha. :)

Glassblowing Workshop: Day One

I am tired. Not exhausted, but tired. Today we made caterpillars (which are just bumpy glass things we learned technique on), flowers (three!), and a paper weight. Crafting with glass is so cool. Like Guitar Hero, I found that I was not immediately good at glass technique, but there's nowhere to run in a six hour class, so I had no choice but to get better. :)

My class is really great. We have three men and two women (including me), two trainers and one intern. We get a long very well, and we're all quite positive people that it's fun to help each other out. I'll probably have more to say tomorrow after we actually BLOW glass (today was more working with glass, sans blowing), but I'm excited about tomorrow already. It's all completely outside of my comfort zone, but just so much fun. Here are some quick pics so you can get an idea (none including me).

Gathering glass on the pole.

Cooling the pole so that you can work - it gets hotter each time you gather glass.

Twisting the glass as it cools - this is the inside of a paperweight. You have to gather glass three times to make these paperweights.

Making a paperweight (color has been added).

















I forget the term, but smashing the glass on end is one step in the process of making a flower.

Pulling the glass with special tweezers to make petals.

















A very pretty flower right after breaking it from the pole (unfortunately, not mine).

NKOTB Preview

So I missed the TODAY Show yesterday... you know, where NKOTB performed again for the first time in 15 years. Overall, it got me pretty excited, but I have to say - what the hell is with the booty girls? Most NKOTB fans are women in their 30s, so I'm not sure what the though was adding a bunch of hot chicks (with better bodies than most of us have) to the show. I certainly hope they aren't in the tour. I wouldn't want anything distracting me from Joe's "Please Don't Go Girl..."

Although I'm on my way to glassblowing, stay tuned for information on our NKOTB tickets coming later today!!! Until then, I'll listen to Summertime on repeat as much as possible.

Happy Birthday, Katie!

Today is both (tgi)Friday and Katie's Birthday. As much as I'm looking forward to the festivities of both, there's just something to be said for waking up to a light rain outside of my open window. Mmmmm... this is definitely a 'stay in bed all morning' kind of day.

My apartment is the top floor of a rowhouse, so I have two vents/skylights with lead glass that lead up to through the roof. I think these are so often taken for granted, but I love the sound of rain on the lead glass. There's nothing like waking up - whether at 4 AM or 7 AM - to the sound of methodically drumming rain. (Include some thunder and lightning, and that's what I call a perfect night.)

But it's Friday, isn't it? So I'll finish getting ready, head off to work, and be contented that both the weekend and Katie's happy hour are just ten short hours away.

My Little Pony

Yeah, I'm fine. It's fun to kill people ponies off in stories when I'm irritated. It's really very comforting. The funniest part about this situation is that one of the crabby ponies is a regular blog reader. I guess he doesn't realize that sitemeter tracks his visits to my blog... like (let's say) around 7:30 AM from work (or around, say, 9:42 PM from home). Oh well, thanks for the blog hits, pony! I appreciate the support!

In other news, I hit 50,000 blog visits some time today. I've been blogging for two years, so that's 25k per year. (Snay - shut it.) Yay!

Oh! Antonio has a new toy - a killer whale. In fact, in case you didn't know it was a killer whale, it says it is when you squeeze it. "I'm a killer whale. I can be bigger than two cars." I wish I could adequately imitate the voice in writing, but I can't. It's funny. This toy won't last long, I don't think.

Lastly, THE DAVIDS! I didn't want to post about American Idol; I tried not to, but I am so THRILLED! Both Davids are amazing performers, and YES, I'm jealous, but they've got skillz that I'll never have, and I so enjoy listening to them. Next week is going to be killer. I currently have a dinner scheduled for next Wednesday... so I am going to have to old skool tape the finale and watch it after dinner without finding out the results. AH! I CAN'T WAIT!!

A Modern Day Fairytale

Once upon a time there were two ponies who were friends. These two ponies liked the same pastures and the same kind of hay, and they generally got along. They were happy ponies.

There were also some crabby ponies that were bored by their pastures, and because they were jealous that the happy ponies were chipper and contented, they were generally negative and critical of the happy ponies. One day those crabby ponies developed a horrible case of navicular disease - which is of course characterized by severe lameness - and they died.

The End.

Good story. :)

Tuesday Morning Edition

I don't know what the heck happened last night, but I had four (count them) four horrible dreams last night. And I slept terribly because of it. Here's a summary:

In the first I was in the car with my family when we saw two huge tornadoes coming our way. I have similar dreams to this one every few years or so. We made it to safety, but it was a panicked few moments while we tried to make it back to our hotel. In the second dream I was with a few strangers, and a convict (orange jumper and all) was chasing us through a building. We gathered in a room and of course, he finds the room and starts banging on the door while we scream and try to escape. At the end of the dream we get away and he gets caught, but then people start getting killed - kind of like Final Destination where destiny finds a way to complete itself. After this dream I got up and walked around. I was freaked and didn't want to fall asleep and continue the same dream, so I had to break it by doing other things. By the time I did fall back asleep, I had my third dream which involved Elliott. He got out of the house (my parents', I think), jumped a few stories down from a deck to the ground (which scared me), then caught a fish from a stream and the fish tried to bite off his face. Gross, right? Lastly, I dreamt that I was a teenager again, and a neighbor was making inappropriate advances toward me. I had to run from his house, past his family in the living room, to get away. That gave me shivers.

From what I can make out, here are the causes:
- Tornado dream - No cause. I have this one periodically. I don't think it's a stress dream because I'm not particularly stressed, but it's a familiar theme in my dreams.
- Convict dream - The convict in the dream was the actor from Desperate Housewives who plays the creepy dad. What's his name? I think that show, plus watching all the Seasons of OZ might be having some effect on me. Then, of course, there's the convict chasing me/us bit... maybe I feel vulnerable?
- Elliott dream - The deck is similar to my parents' deck, but not sure what the fish biting his face is about. I vaguely remember that I didn't want to beat the fish off of Elliott because people would accuse me of animal abuse, so maybe it's from watching a lot of Animal Cops lately.
- Teenager dream - This just has to be from watching Election, the movie with Reese Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick. In it she has an affair with her teacher. Not sure why it was me in the dream, but maybe it's that vulnerability thing again.

Okay, so there you go. This is all up for comment if you all have any other ideas.

Get Some Love

I've always wanted a girl to tattoo my name on her body... and if you'll be so kind as to type in your first and last name into the first two fields, you'll get some love too.

Um... anyone understand Portuguese?

HT: Mom

And Like That... It's Over

Once he decided to go after the squeaker, it was the beginning of the end. And once the squeaker was destroyed, Antonio lost his obsession. Now all is right with the world again...

Antonio Has A Problem

Really. I gave him a new toy fox over 24 hours ago and not only is it still in tact, but he is OBSESSED with it. So obsessed, in fact, that he didn't sleep in bed with me last night. He slept with his toy under the futon. All night. This is so uncharacteristic for Antonio.

When I left for work this morning he was under the futon with his toy. When I got home from work he was under the futon with his toy. I was home for 30 minutes before I had to FORCE him to go outside to go potty. And when he did go, he was more excited than I've never seen him to get back inside to the toy.

I just don't get it. This toy fox is like doggie cocaine. Like cat doggie-nip. And what is most disconcerting, is that the consensus at work is that Antonio thinks this toy is - ahem - his girlfriend (wink, wink). Is this possible? How creepy is that?

ARGH

Vacations have a way of kicking you in the butt. Well, not the vacation, but the first day back. I had almost 300 emails in my inbox this morning, and I managed to pair it back to 70 or so by the time I left work around 8 PM. That's some sort of strange success, but unfortunately I'm about five minutes from logging back in to get some crucial things done before tomorrow.

This is why I am a horrible vacation-taker.

Luckily, I bought an extra Swenson's burger home from Ohio, and I just inhaled it. That helps a lot. That... and dinner tomorrow. Breathe in... breathe out... breathe in... breathe out...

Back in B-more

I made it back from Ohio (and I believe in record time). I'm exhausted. Because of all of my belly problems, I've avoided Excedrin and Advil since Saturday, so I'm dealing with a mild nagging headache that I've now had for days. Grrr. But I'm home, the food has been put away, the sheets have been cleaned (I didn't have time to do that before I left), and I think bedtime is imminent.

Today I had a full day. I went to breakfast at Marie's parents house, where her sister's, sister's husbands and sister's kids were all together for a rare few days. I had blueberry pancakes. I met Charlie. I stopped by Cassie's house and had iced tea and chatted and played with her kids. I went to Big Lots with my mom and bought deck decorations (actually SHE bought them - thanks mom!!). And I picked up Swenson's and drove home.

Full. Day.

So now I'm letting 'Tonio out, washing my face and going to bed. Goodnight Baltimore. See you in the AM.

Calista's Big Night

Wow. Calista was amazing last night. Yesterday the whole family went to Weathervane Playhouse to see The Tale of the Three Little Pigs, where my niece, Calista, had a starring role. (This is her with the flowers I bought for her.) She was the youngest (and smallest) of the three pigs, and because most of the other actors were teenagers and adults, she really stood out. Her character's name was Ima Hogg - the pig who builds her house of sticks, and Calista had a ton of lines! Calista and I decided that our favorite song from the play is "Think Big" - go figure.

I think she froze a little when she first walked out on stage and saw the audience. I locked eyes with her immediately, and you could tell that she was a little caught off guard by the amount of people, but after a few seconds (and a nudge) she settled right into her lines. She was really fantastic... especially for a kid who has never done a real play before. She's a natural.

I snapped some photos after the play ended, but even after looking at them today, it's just not the same as seeing her that night. Calista is adorable, and I am just so impressed with how grown up she is becoming.

This is her stage photo. She is definitely laughing here. :)
Here she is in her costume. Isn't that pig nose huge?

Me and Ima Hogg. (I'm so freaking proud.)

Calista's first autograph.

Calista and her Aunt Rissa. In the first one I'm wearing her coat. In the second one she's wearing it, but sportin' some major girl attitude.

Today our immediate family came over for lunch/dinner. It was so great to see everyone. The kids are growing up so fast these days - each time I see them they have changed so much. But they are glorious children. They really are. What a great family I've got.

Saturday in the City with Cassie

I slept in today. No... the belly is not okay yet. I think I know what it is, but it's unlady-like to say so on the blog (and no, it's not prego). Time (and mylanta) may just fix it.

So I met Cassie and Jordyn at Vegiterranean, Chrissie Hynde's vegan restaurant in downtown Akron. Yes, that Chrissie Hynde from The Pretenders. She's from Ohio, too. (In case you haven't picked up on it, Ohio produces a lot of cool people.)

Back to the restaurant - OMG the food was delicious. Cassie and I had "The True Rockin' Burger" ('Corky's' famous Veggie Burger served with Italian seasonings, Beefsteak Tomato, Greens and Red Onion with Soy Mozzarella and Balsamic Ketchup ) and Tuscan Fries with Rosemary Soy Butter and Tofu Ricotta, and it was one of the tastiest burgers I've ever had. It was amazing (see photo of half eaten burger). You all know I'm a red meat kind of girl, but this burger showed that even veggie burgers can be scrumptious. (Katie - you're coming with me next time, okay?)

Jordyn tried a pickle - which I think she actually liked after a few tastes, but I got this great photo of her first reaction. Isn't it funny?

What's weird about hanging out with these two is that they are IDENTICAL. Cassie has a son, Conner, who looks just like his dad. And then Cassie has Jordyn, and Jordyn looks just like her mom. It's so amazing how much they look alike.

After yummy food, we all went to Summit Mall which in undergoing some cool renovations. It still seems super small compared to malls in Baltimore, but it's the same fancy-schmancy mall it has always been. I shopped a little for a shirt for tonight, and it felt sooooo gooood. I haven't been clothes shopping since December. I'm glad I had Cassie with me and somewhere to be, because it could have gotten really bad very fast. I heart shopping.

Well, I'm off the glam up for Calista's big night. Love you, Cassie. I had so much fun.

I am...

...the worst packer ever. I didn't plan ahead for this. I did 80% of it this morning. The laundry basket is clothes, shoes, etc. and the box is stuff for other people (and dog food). The bag is electronics, hairdryer, straightener, charging cables. Pathetic.

...still with belly ache. What the heck is wrong with me? I'm nauseous and crampy and unhappy about it. It can't be a virus. I know I did something to myself. I have no idea what is is, but I'm sure it's my fault. (Maggie - oh, resident nurse blogger - I have nausea, headache, dizzy, fatigue, and stomach cramps. My mom thinks it could be an ulcer. Thoughts?)

...listening to the New Kids on the Block while packing. And yes, I downloaded Bel Biv DeVoe's discography last night for the ride. I am also planning on listening to Neil Diamond and Mariah Carey. There's nothing like reminiscing.

...not bringing a laptop. I know. But my parents have a few of 'em, and now i won't be tempted to work on work stuff. I need a break. And since I'm not good at taking them, I'll force it. (I have the Blackberry. Not to worry.)

...wearing a tank top, but Ohio will be chilly all weekend.

...not looking forward to leaving the cat. I hate leaving him. I asked the landlord to check on him, and I have a pre-made treat in the fridge with medicine already mixed in for him.

...leaving. Here I come, Ohio! B-more... see you Monday. Try to keep the murders down while I'm gone, alright?

May Day Blogger Happy Hour

Thanks, all, for coming out tonight to our first Happy Hour in Bolton Hill. Parking was challenging - and we lost a few of you in the process (Jamaila) - but for those who had the patience to circle the neighborhood a few times (or walk), it was worth the effort.

Luckily my highly questionable stomach limited me to just barely two beers for the whole night and probably not even two chicken tenders. Sigh. But I was happy to co-host, happy to be there with y'all, and happy to be the proud owner of MY NEW 'NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK' T-SHIRT courtesy of one NPR Junky. Yes, I put it on at the bar. Yes, I wore it all night. Yes, I'll sleep in it tonight. (Thanks, lady.)

I've come to the conclusion once again that we're a pretty cool bunch. I'm looking forward to our next outing already... :)