Oh My Kiss Breath Turpentine*

I just read someone else’s blogpost this morning and now my brain is like sludge. Probably it has something to do with being up too early for my brain, but school is like, Hey, you should do lots of early meetings. Other people like early meetings and they need you to be at them too, even though you are a cranky-ass bitch in the morning and you don’t even like talking to people until maybe 10 AM but you have to be at work at 8 today and you have a headache and aren’t particularly recovered from your hellish cold, and sometimes you just get tired of being responsible and caring about shit regarding your job and you consider what it must be like to have a job where you come home and you don’t worry and plan and continue to work, even though you’re not getting paid. Really, all those words are in my head way too often, but as it gets later in the school week and the sleep deficit gets larger, your brain starts punctuating those thoughts with groans and sighs and requests for long lie-ins in bed.

Oh brain. You’d think you’d have figured me out by now. I’ve got plans. Some things I have to do (today’s morning meeting, tomorrow’s morning meeting)…some things are optional, but don’t necessarily feel that way because you do have obligations to people…you don’t really hate people…it’s just that being with people sometimes means having to do things you don’t really feel like doing, right? And I know people feel the same with me, so I try to minimize that shit and remember my duty to the human race and be a contributing part of the things in which I’m involved. That’s a lot of words explaining why I have to go to the grocery store again tonight. Somehow. In between a cat to the vet and potentially (hopefully?) finally getting my car back. My mechanic offered to come on our trip to Utah in two weeks if he couldn’t fix the car. Nice one. Awkward though.

Speaking of our trip, we start out in Zion National Park. I follow Zion on Instagram, which is where I found out that they’re closing part of the road through the park for three weeks, starting next week, to do a major repair after all their rain this winter…the same rain we got. Fuck. We have a reservation on the east side of the park. So that means a 3-hour, one-way trip to get to the west side of the park from there. And they have a shitty cancellation policy, although I’m calling this morning to try the manager, even though I’m sure they will say the same damn thing, and then I will come back on here and tell you their name so you can never stay there. I did already reserve some weird place on the west side, just to cover our butts. It was a frantic search for about 30 minutes or so, and that was after 20 minutes for me to realize holy fuck, this isn’t going to work. Don’t even ask me about Bryce right now. I think we’re going to freeze. We’ll be fine. FINE DAMMIT. Laughs hysterically. Next year, we go somewhere that has no bugs, caterpillars, or snow. Really. Maybe. I don’t know. There’s the excitement of a trip and then the holy crap what was I thinking this sounds awful and then the real life this is awesome part of it. I’m in the holy crap stage. I’ll get over it. No worries.

So I got home yesterday after school…and I dragged my mostly well ass out with the dogs…

OK. I’m not mostly well. I’m sort of well. We had a little rain yesterday night, but not a lot. It’s crazy how much the grasses are growing; it seems like a foot or two in just a week and a half.

The coyotes must be loving the hiding possibilities.

The flowers are still going crazy.

I spend most of my day trapped in a building with 140 12-year-olds. I need this. I need outside and air and plants and moving fast and dogs and water and green stuff or brown stuff, but moving and my knee complaining and all this crap.

I do want to know if there’s ever a time that this little puffball of a flower thing is covered with those little purple flowers, or if it just does a few at a time.

It’s important shit. Must know. I also meant to look up the caterpillars that are everywhere. Oops.

We went and looked below the bridge…lots of trash unfortunately. And the requisite graffiti…you dickheads.

But still pretty. And calmer than it has been. Calli likes water…

Simba does not. We traded dogs today. Simba was perturbed the entire time. Whatever, dog. So that felt good. I cooked veggies for dinner, because the main man is not a veggie person. I got him to cut some up once. I don’t count potatoes. He will cut them up because he eats them. But other veggies? Nah. We ate dinner, I graded something (!). I know you’re shocked. I was actually trying to grade videos all day…I got another 19 or so graded throughout the day while trying to manage kids making posters…some classes were totally on task and some were needy as hell. As always. I was going to come home and get through another 20 videos (because I still have a ton to do), but then Zion happened and I lost all that time.

I finally got in there and finished the stitch down. Two and a half hours total…

It was late, though, so my original plan of getting it pinbasted last night did not happen, unfortunately. Tonight…and start quilting. But also grade and car and cat to vet. Ha! Not sure how all that works. Not worrying about it now. But I am so happy with this quilt. It’s beautiful and I’m happy with it and I’m glad it exists. That’s the best part about the making is the finishing part when I see it all and I’m just staring at it and thinking, that’s so beautiful or powerful or just what was in my head and that right there might be my purpose on the planet outside of all this other stuff.

Ah, so philosophical. Then I sat down on the couch and tried to meditate (oh so many interruptions, including this sweet one)…

And then sleep. Actually slept last night, so that’s good. It was exercise or later-in-the-week exhaustion or meditation or a combination of all three. I don’t really care, because it felt good for the 5 1/2 hours that it happened. More of that tonight, please. May today repeat the good and helpful things from yesterday and minimize the assholes (ha!) and the adding to my stress levels. I can move the cat appointment if my car is fixed (please let my car be fixed). And let’s get quilting dammit. I’ve got a deadline to meet.

*R.E.M., Crush with Eyeliner

Like Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, or Aphrodite*

It’s April 3rd and I finally remembered to change over the two calendars I stare at every morning. Really I stare at them for the pictures. OK, so I also need to know what day it is. Sometimes my brain is not on board for those details. Ironically, the calendar I have with actual dates I can read on it starts with Monday, which really confuzzles my brain. I guess that level of brain stretch is good for me, though…it will keep me from getting dementia.

Last night, I made it through 19 of the 66 videos I need to watch and grade before Friday. It was after tutoring, though, so it’s not like I had a full stretch of time after work to watch them. I even cooked while watching them, which is a multitasking challenge. I’m getting closer to done with grading these projects (way too many hours). I’m a little worried about how much work I’ll have to do over break, when I’ll be gone for most of it, plus I have to finish this quilt and then start the next one. Plus embroider 6 samples. And now I think I committed to trying to print photos of my quilts as posters. Whoa. No wonder I put meditation back in the mix. Although last night, I’m meditating, I’m trying to imagine sunlight pooling in my toes and filling me up, and my teacher brain is yelling about how I haven’t printed the rubric and I need to do that. I did it after meditating, but it was a real push to get it to just shut up for a bit.

If you’re interested in my embroidery designs, by the way, they are available online now…just the designs though. The kits will be available later this month. Meanwhile, I need to start stitching out the prototypes. Trying to decide how best to transfer onto the darker fabrics. Maybe I will start with the light one. Tonight…

Last night, I couldn’t grade after eating dinner, because I needed to listen to videos and we were trying to watch the end of a show…so I grabbed one of those projects I said I’d finish this year (ha! so little progress…I can’t even tell you)…

And I appliqued two and a half leaves. Bonus! That’s it. Moving on.

I wanted to start the stitch down on the quilt last night. I did a bunch of things first, but made it into the studio by 10 or so…then meditated…loudly (in my head). Then stitched.

And then stitched some more…I was listening to an education broadcast about something my co-teachers keep harping on that the principal wants us to do, and I’m thinking, is this different than what I think it is, because if it’s not, why the fuck aren’t people doing this already? It’s not like it’s new. You know what? It was what I thought it was. I feel better already. I do that shit all the time. I just don’t label it and say, HEY, did you know I was using this? Sigh. School drives me crazy sometimes.

I was totally on a roll with stitching and didn’t want to stop, but had to be up early today for a parent meeting.

So then I went to bed and barely slept all night. Seems pointless sometimes. I’d feel better if I’d stayed up and finished. I’m done with the entire ground and body, plus half the hair and the whole face. So all that’s left is half the hair and what’s in the sky, and then I’m done. Another hour? Maybe. This was about an hour and a half. Then I’ll pinbaste and start quilting…ahead of the game for once. Of course, I’m hoping to be healthy enough to walk the dogs after school today, plus get through at least 20 of the videos. Maybe more…I need to hand stuff back on Friday, ideally. Too many things in my head. (Hence meditation)

Also I need a way to print some of my quilt photos as posters. I have high resolution files…I’m just not sure what’s the best way to do this. I’d rather have people order them and then have some service print and ship them, but that may not be the best choice cost-wise. Then again, I don’t have the cash to print a bunch and then I will have to ship, which is a pain. Sigh. I need a business manager.

Anyway, first I need to go to school and get through all the stuff and things. And keep my cool, despite the lack of sleep. Hoping to get my car back. Hoping our trip is still cool…the main road through Zion National Park is closing next week for three weeks, right when we’ll be there. There’s still access…it’s just not through the park. I think it will be fine…and hopefully the temperatures in Bryce will warm up too (laughing hysterically!). Gotta find my long underwear. And start a packing list. Vacation! I need me some o’ that. Drawing and stitching and hiking and beautiful views and not thinking about grades and school and how to pay for shit.

*Tal Bachman, She’s So High (that’s not what I thought this song was about…never really listened to the lyrics)

From My Head Down to My Snakeskin Boots*

(I would never wear snakeskin boots. I think snakes should keep their skins. It just happens to be what I was listening to as I finished writing.) Debating how to get to school today. I could walk, but I should have already started. Plus I’m still sick and physical exertion is not a great plan. I could take the car that’s here, but that causes logistical issues later. Well. Or I just leave tutoring early if necessary. Not responsible teacher behavior, but maybe the easiest choice. I call Lyft. It’s not a long way and is reasonably priced, but my house is hard to find. Not sure I want to deal with that. Make the boychild wake up and take me. I could. But I probably should have told him last night then. And my brain was in fuzz mode. So I didn’t. Too many decisions. I have 20 minutes to figure it out. Easiest is to just take the car and deal with the consequences later. The car guy has had it since Thursday, trying to diagnose what’s causing the random stalls. I just want it working before we go to Utah in two weeks. I also want Utah to warm up slightly, especially at night, but that might not happen. Someday I’ll have enough money to vacation in a real bed. With walls. But still in cool places. Maybe just a trailer or something.

I didn’t get anything done last night for grades. Instead I applied for something that I think is important, but suspect I won’t be picked for…which is fine. I applied. I can let it go if it doesn’t happen. I’ll figure grading out during class this week. Hopefully. There’s only like 56 videos to watch. I should take my headphones to school with me maybe. Not today, because today is virtual reality day, and that requires me to manage, but tomorrow, when they start their posters…I don’t have to be as present for those. One ear in, one ear out, listening for whatever crazy. Not sure I can concentrate enough in class to do that.

We got a beehive removed from one of the composters yesterday. They built it in like 4 days. Resourceful beasts. Someday I’ll consider a beehive on the property, once I figure out how to take care of it. And away from the back door. I use a guy who takes the bees to his hives and installs them there. He’s a nice guy. Plus he sends me pictures of what he does when I’m not home, so my students can see the bees and the hive.

Normally I walk the dogs every Monday after school. Don’t let anyone tell you dogs don’t know the days of the week, because this was me when I got home.

Why aren’t you taking us out? Why aren’t you putting your boots on? Why? Needy at all guys? Wednesday. I’m aiming to be better by Wednesday. At least enough to hike 3 miles. Calli was physically pushing me with her nose, lifting up my arm, get up get up! Sorry guys. Don’t feel well.

I started the ironing late, probably 10:30…but all I had left were these four tiny bugs…

Awww, they’re cute. And then I ironed the whole thing to a background…

Yup. She’s about 30″ w x 50″ h. Tonight I should start the stitch down. I don’t expect it to take long. There’s detail, but it’s not a huge piece. I’m hoping to get it done in a couple of nights. Maybe 3-4 hours? Thursday night, pinbaste. Start quilting…not Friday, because I have a meeting. This weekend, it needs to get quilted. With everything else. Aack. No, I can do this. I can. I emailed the photographer. I’m committed now.

*The Hiss, Brass Tacks

It’s Not in the Paper, It’s on the Wall*

So I’m still sick and I had some very dizzy exhausting moments on Saturday and Sunday, but some of that may have been exertion or food-related (have to remember to eat even when I’m sick), so there’s that. I was apparently functional enough to iron almost an entire quilt together, but not to remember to actually buy the pasta for dinner tonight. Even though I had a list for everything we needed for the week, it wasn’t written on there, because why? Because foggy sick brain, that’s why. Like don’t put me in charge of anything today…besides the 140 kids I’m normally in charge of, plus teaching another teacher’s class, because it’s April Fool’s Day, so I’m gonna teach history (but just for a period, it’s OK).

Seriously, though, I put in 8 hours and 40 minutes into the ironing and I’m almost done. I’ll be done tonight, assuming I don’t collapse from exhaustion after school.

Here’s both sides of the hair complete.

I thought I was totally off on placement, but somehow made it all fit right…

Once I got the neck in, it made more sense to do the torso next…

Although that’s minus a butterfly. And then I attached the dirt, just to make sure it worked.

This piece is about being connected to nature. So yeah, that’s a volcano there. Attached to her nipple. Like you do.

Then I started on the face. I did the butterfly in there somewhere too…it’s peeking out on the bottom left.

Her face is covered in stuff. Um. I just coughed up my lung. Bad plan. Can’t remember when I got up in the middle of the night and took medicine. Let’s assume it was at least 4-6 hours ago and take some more.

Always iron the eyes separately. That way they won’t be too kittywampus.

Although she’s got a droopy eyelid. So at midnight, this is all I had left to do…4 tiny bugs.

It was tempting to just do them, but I was tired and I knew I would still have to iron it to a background, so it’s OK to leave it until tonight.

Here she is so far…

Looking good! I love this. And getting her all ironed this weekend was a good thing. I was seriously worried about being able to finish, but now I think I’m fine. Maybe. This weekend might be an issue.

Her face minus 4 bugs…

Anyway. I’ve already started drawing the next one, but I won’t be able to show any of it. That ought to be interesting. I will need to draw and embroider more to entertain you maybe. Or sing songs. For the next two months. Except I keep coughing, so singing might be an issue. So iron down tonight and hopefully start stitch down. I think I can be pinbasted by Thursday? Hoping? Then quilted by the end of the weekend, then binding. Photographer next week. I should email him, because the deadline is tight.

But first, off to school to pretend to know about the Reformation. Or the Illumination. Or some Tion. (Notes to self that art history is really the ONLY history she’s had since high school.)

*Sublime, April 26, 1992 (Miami)

Blame the Virus

Hi. I’m sick again. Twice in a month! Sheesh. The cesspool I work in…or live in. This one feels and sounds like it came from my bedmate. Not the cat. So there’s that. So I’m coughing up a lung. Or a planet. Hard to say. Plus no energy. So I didn’t feel well enough Friday night to do anything artistic. I graded and then I went to bed. First I fell asleep on the couch. I thought if I rested, I’d be able to finish the cutting out of pieces, and that didn’t happen.

But this is awesome. Spring has sprung!

I’m not sure I feel better today than yesterday, which is a little disturbing. Oh well. Life.

Another one released…

I finally got around to buying fabrics to stitch these up. I don’t know when I’m going to have TIME to do that, but that’s a whole ‘nother problem.

Yesterday I did no work. Sorry, job. Not sorry. I did finish cutting everything out…it took another hour and a half or so. So that’s 9 1/2 hours total cutting…and then I sorted yesterday. I had to take a short nap after sorting…

Standing was an issue. But then I mostly rallied. I started ironing…

I drank a lot of tea, I think. I took some breaks. I ate a little. I read a little. I watched a movie with the man who got me sick. Yeah. I forgive him. Not his fault. Blame the virus.

Ironing the dirt…

It’s a lot of rocks…

That’s the whole base done…ready to link into the body.

Then I did the sky…

This quilt isn’t huge. It’s not small either. But not huge.

Added all the things in the sky…

I think this was after the movie. Not sure.

This definitely was. I lost a leaf ball. I was trying to find it at about 11:45 PM. I remember that.

And I ironed a piece of the stem to the wrong fabric, so I redid it. This was somewhere close to midnight. I said I rallied. This was when I got tired. I had done part of an arm before and realized the head needed to go behind it, so it would make sense to skip ahead in the numbers, pull from the 500s and then the 400s, leaving the 300s behind for now.

Do I feel guilty for not doing any grading yesterday? Well, yes…yes, I do. But I need this to be done too. Progress report grades are due next Tuesday…so the project needs to be graded, but really…anything else can fall by the wayside. Again. Sigh. I really do try to do my best at ALL the jobs and then my body says no, you can’t. So no, I didn’t hike yesterday, even though I really wanted to. We’re aiming for next week…Saturday or Sunday. Hopefully my lungs will be back by then.

I do have about 50 emails to get through with kids’ late work. I should do those today. Plus laundry and grocery shopping and getting ready for the week. But ugh. I just want to laze around and iron a lot. Sigh.

This guy…best use of the stationary bike ever…

I mean, really…all the things are cat beds, right?

Here I Am

It’s morning again and here I am.

I always appreciate it when nature makes it nice to get up early in the morning. I have a morning meeting and no car, so I’m hitching an early ride, but it’s pajama day! Oh yay! Yes, I showered and changed into clean pajamas. I am not a heathen. Besides, I don’t actually wear pajamas to bed…they’re too hot.

Yesterday was the first release of my embroidery patterns…here’s one of them…

They should be available as patterns only early next week, and as kits in late April some time. I still need to stitch my prototypes, which means I need to go find fabric, which is hard to do without a car. I guess there’s the internet. I like to patronize my local quilt store though. I want her to stay in business. The patterns and kits will be available through Global Artisans…this is an experiment for me…I don’t know if it’s a viable way to earn money, but it’s something.

I had quilt class last night, so I ended up getting about 2 3/4 hours of cutting in, and I’m almost done (I did grade too, of course, thus eating into my cutting time). Trash in the top right, the big box has what’s left, and the cut pieces on the bottom right.

I couldn’t stay up late. I need to be functional today. And it’s more than it looks…probably a couple hours there. So tonight, I’ll grade and I’ll finish cutting these, and if I have time, sort for ironing. We’re hiking tomorrow, so I won’t get much done tomorrow, except you know, health and stuff. But I should be ironing things together this weekend, which is good, because I’m running out of time. As always. What’s new? OK, I need to leave with my ride soon, so this is all I got. Good Friday people.

Not to Do What I Have Done*

UGH. Yes. UGH. Woke up with low blood sugar, makes me feel wonderful, holey moley IDK what I even did to deserve that. Love random blood sugar issues. Yesterday: taught all day, pretty chill, stuff I’ve done before, feels comfortable to be doing that sometimes, then a contentious 2-hour curriculum meeting. I love it when the people in charge of the asylum are crazier than those in it. Plus our views of curriculum are so different, even when we teach the same age of kids. And that one woman who basically said our kids were bored because WE weren’t passionate. Oh honey, we’re passionate, and right now, it’s about you and your stupid statements. It’s probably a good thing we weren’t allowed to comment on what she was saying. It would not have been nice.

It was a long day. I graded something. I exercised. I read. I ate my dinner. I entered an art show. Eventually I did art things.

This is not an art thing. This is a very sleepy puppy. I don’t know why he’s so sleepy.

But it was nice. Little furry beasts curled up next to me on the couch is a very nice and comforting thing. There are 12 days of school until Spring Break. I need nice and comforting things.

Honestly, Satch is not really nice and comforting. He’s all right as cats go, but bullies my cat, who won’t even come out here any more. Sigh. And he snores. I still pet him.

I think he needs a therapist though. See that big pile of stuff to be cut out? Yeah. So do I. After almost 2 hours, I managed to make it look smaller. Not a lot smaller, though.

Sigh. Well I have quilt class tonight. Let’s hope that after that, it looks significantly smaller. Some of the issue is that I’ve been cutting out all the tiny pieces, and the big pieces take up more room in the box but don’t necessarily take longer to cut out. So I do expect a change after tonight. Dammit. Really. I guess the pile of trash is bigger. I should know because I lost a piece in it last night. Sigh.

I’m stressed. I need to not be as stressed as I am. I constantly feel like I’ve forgotten to do something. And then I find out I did! I did! Oh good. Tonight I will be semi-social and I will make art things and I will try to relax a bit. Just a bit because SCHOOL TEACHING AHHH. I’m dropping my car off this morning to try to fix the intermittent stalling problem before I drive to Utah in 3 weeks…I can meditate in the boychild’s car as he (who is hopefully waking up soon) drives me to work. Or nap. I could nap. That also might help.

Tune in next time for progress. More progress with little tiny pieces of fabric that don’t cure cancer or save starving children. Yup. I’m in a mood. Need to get out of that before I have students in my presence. Definitely. Go back and look at pictures of the puppy. Who is not a puppy.

*Animals, House of the Rising Sun

The Pile Is Still There…

That moment when your daughter, who is less than 2 months away from graduating college, tells you she’s dropping out to become a boudoir photographer.

It’s OK. She’s joking. I’m good. I’m laughing even.

Long staff meeting yesterday. It was supposed to be fun, a photo scavenger hunt, but I wasn’t in the mood for it. I have too much work to do. I wanted to get home and walk the dogs. Which I did anyway…

There’s still water in the streambed…

This guy wasn’t scared of the dogs…

Everything is so pretty now…

Lots of flowers and greenery…

Enjoy it now…it’ll be dead in a couple of months…

Walks are good for dogs and humans…pretty interesting flowers on this bush.

I know this bush is always there, but I don’t remember the flowers…

I’m just so happy when I make it out there, even though we got back at like 6:30 and then I had to cook dinner and it was late and I was tired. It’s OK.

Lots of these little guys…

Anyway, after dinner, I did not grade anything. I figured an almost-2-hour staff meeting that was mostly a waste of time (sorry…I wasn’t in the mood for interacting with people. Introvert problems) meant I shouldn’t have to grade at night as well. Plus I wanted to finish ironing…which I did! So 8 hours total of ironing to fabric, with 142 fabrics…

That’s a lot for a quilt this size. But there’s all the pieces…

Now I need to cut them all out. Ha! OK. Easy peasy. I only worked for about 30 minutes, because it was late by then, but I did a little.

You’ll be seeing this pile for a few days. Hopefully not a lot…but who knows. Meanwhile, work calls. Loudly. Sigh. I always feel bad when I don’t grade at night. Silly really. I should be able to take a break. But then I get to school and the pile is still there.

Gonna drag my introverted self out of here now. To school. With a million people. Yeah.

A Box Full of Pieces

I wonder what Mondays felt like before we had civilization. I guess if you work on a farm, you work 7 days a week. When did the almighty weekend come into existence, to have so much power over our brain? Ah, the answer is 1908, and it was a religious reason…interesting. Certainly, we also used to make children work instead of educating them, and there are times during the school year when I think we should go back to that. But only for a bit…long enough for them to see the light maybe. This is after I spent a few hours reading all their reasons why they didn’t like the last unit. I take the negative comments more harshly than the positive, and they were mostly positive. I should remember that. Some kids just don’t like to work and anything that isn’t a video game or YouTube videos is work. So there’s that. I feel that way sometimes too. I put a hike on the calendar for next Saturday…to get us ready for Spring Break’s trip but also because I need it. And it’s not work.

Sunday was productive. I finished grading the assignment I started Saturday night and input some grades. I also finished grading all the makeup work. This week will include grading the project they just turned in, which won’t be easy…it’s made up of 5 different assignments and is a bit of a challenge to grade. Plus there’s still a bunch of stuff from earlier in the month that I haven’t gotten to. Stressful. As always. This job is. Two-hour staff meeting today…there’s so many things I’d rather be doing with that time.

One of the things I finally got done (mostly because of gentle harassment, which is fine) is picking the colors for the last three of these…

Now all I have to do is stitch them! Yeah. OK. I’ve had some offers of help, and I might take them up on that, but first I need the fabric and then I need to try one out myself and see how it rolls.

But then I will ask for help, I think.

They are going to market somewhere this week.

Personally I would use about 16 colors for each one, but I’m limited to 5. If you buy just the pattern, you can use whatever colors you want. Anyway…so I’ll be adding these to the to-do mix.

We had dinner with the parentals, came back, and I exercised and graded, and finally headed into the studio around 10:30 pm. Not bad. I knew the sun was coming up in the ironing…and I got it done…

Along with the rest of the hair and some neck stuff. Like plasma on the neck. And the flowers on the chin…I did those too. I stopped just before the bugs and all their little tiny pieces. It was almost midnight. So I have the bugs to do…the eyeballs, and the snake on her nose/brow. That’s it. I think it’s less than 100 pieces and I could finish tonight. Which is good, because I’m behind. Interestingly, last year, I was working on a quilt I needed to finish quickly at exactly the same time and I did finish it…but it was a little smaller and had fewer pieces, I think.

I just went and checked. I did most of it in 25 days (tracing Wonder Under to the binding), and it had 664 pieces. This one has 802 or so pieces and I started 3/3 on the Wonder Under. It needs to be done by April 10th or so. I might make it. It will be tight. So there’s that pressure on me.

The last two times I’ve been ironing fabric, Kitten has been in here, keeping me out of this box of greens.

Well, not entirely…I’ve been pulling them out from under her, but she whacks, so you have to be careful.

So here’s where I was at last night…with everything that’s been used so far and a box full of pieces that need trimming.

Tonight I hope to fill the box completely so I can start cutting tomorrow…hopefully ironing by Friday. Seriously. That’s the plan. While grading and going to 2-hour meetings (there are two this week) and eating and exercising and all that good shit. Yup. It’s just a Monday. No problem.

Join Our Insect Nation*

Struggling to function this morning. I really need a day off where I don’t have to do anything, whether it’s school or art or whatever. A relaxing day of just hanging out and drawing on the deck and listening to music and going for a walk. Maybe next weekend (don’t look at when grades are due)(don’t look at when this quilt needs to be done). Yeah well. That’s supposed to be how I do Spring Break, right? Or I should manage the week better? Or not. I did find art time yesterday…or as I should say, I made time for art yesterday. I needed that.

But back to Friday…it was a long day of trying to get kids to finish their projects, so lots of walking outside to check on kids who were supposed to be making videos, but the beautiful day and being able to be outside after a whole lot of rain this winter made their brains explode. Yeah well. So there’s that. After work, I headed out to the Music Box to see the man in two bands…he’s been practicing for another band since October or so (yeah two practices a week has been interesting and sometimes challenging for everyone involved).

It was a good show, though…even with standing for 3 hours. Sometimes it would be nice to sit at a show! Proof I’m old, I guess. Boychild drove me downtown, so I wouldn’t have to park…ice cream sky…

And I tried to draw, but one of the former band members decided to hang out with me (and spill beer on me, fun stuff)…the first band is a one-off. The singer likes to do a bunch of different music, so this was his idea…

And then Radio Thieves played afterwards…

Some new stuff, some old stuff. I had fun…

I came home and when I was putting the pup in his crate, I found the missing laundry ball…one of those wool balls for the laundry has been missing for probably a year. We’ve all checked our laundry, but it was in the crate, under his bed.

I only found it because Calli must have pulled his crate apart a bit when she was freaking out the other day about the rain, so I was trying to put everything back where it belonged, and the ball came out from under his bed. That little asshole.

Poor Calli…

Oh yeah, she has lots of toys. But she needs people when there’s weather.

Saturday morning, I graded…finally finished the big science unit. And then I ironed for an hour or so before the art meeting…

I’m making progress, although it still seems too slow.

The meeting was about membership and the website (that’s my shit to do)…this was around the corner…

Those flowers refused to stay put. Came home, grabbed the man, and drove back down to Barrio Logan for an opening, Chicana: Liberated & Empowered at La Bodega Gallery.

Fascinating masks by Soni López-Chávez…

There’s always a few really interesting pieces…

The top piece is by Jasmine Garcia and the bottom by Maria Nevarez.

This one was amazing…

Nice reflection, eh? By Yesenia M. Hulsey.

And I think I’ve posted work by this artist before…

I couldn’t get a straight view, because it was in front of the bar and buying beer was very important to some art patrons…this is by Joni Nunez and is only $200. Wishing I had a spare couple hundred I could use…I wish that a lot though.

From there, we headed to Hillcrest to the new location of the Studio Door Gallery for The Crow Show…this is by Leslie Shirah.

Sometimes I really have to search to find the artist’s names. The gallery had these number tags, which honestly are really hard to read, and then a paper list. Dudes…please just put labels up. I don’t want to search through a paper list. This of course was after the last show, with few prices, some names not even on the pieces, and the last one with a post-it note. Sheesh. All you need is a printer and some labels.

This is one of Denny Driver’s pieces…

Which is about free will…

And this is by Laurel Izard…

Always nice to see quilts hung in art shows.

We did make it to one more art show, but I was photo’d out by then. Too many people in the way. Then dinner, but it was loud…good, but loud. I was tired. Hell, I’m still tired. Sigh.

We watched a movie and I graded stuff, and then headed in to iron after 10:30 PM. When do I make art? When you’re asleep. These are cat parts.

Silly cat is like 4″ square and had about 20 fabrics in it. Here’s where I’m at so far…

I’m in the 500s…still so much to go! And so much school work needs to be done today. Fuuck. Seriously. Sometimes I feel like I will never get caught up. I guess I do every June. So I’m in the hair…still need to do all the stuff on her face, plus the sun…which is a ton of pieces. Maybe that’s my goal today…get the sun done! Seriously, it’s like 100 pieces just in this tiny sun. What was I thinking? No one knows. But it’s such an integral part of one’s life in Southern California. The sun comes out and we all go outside and do stuff. Spring!

Anyway, shower, laundry, groceries, parent email, write warmup, finish grading last night’s assignment, grade all the makeup work so kids don’t flip out, and I don’t even remember what else. Sigh. I spent all day yesterday in pain from the Liver Alien (or whatever it is)…and today, it has wandered off (so far, knock on wood). Fun stuff. Such a relief. Art…I will do art today. One of those things up there might lose out. Or sleep…that’s probably what will lose.

*Adam and the Ants, Stand and Deliver