First Figure Done

I was sure yesterday was Friday. Also Wednesday was Friday. Today is Friday. There are 6 school days until Spring Break. My house has reached that state where everything needs cleaning and reorganizing and pitching and I need a new bookcase. Don’t tell my kid…he’ll tell me to get rid of books, which is harder than getting a new bookcase. He’s probably right, but…all is not right with the world if there are no books.

All is not right with the world anyway, but that’s another story. Teaching stuff is going OK, because it’s Punnett squares and they’re not super hard and they’re kinda fun. I finally finished grading all the packets from the last unit and almost finished the last academic assignment, so work is only feeling slightly overwhelming (oh, give it time…I’m sure it’ll ramp back up) instead of overwhelmingly overwhelming. And I’ve made progress on the quilt! That has to be done in like three weeks and I’m gone one of those. Uh huh.

Tomorrow is ironing and taxes. Probably not in that order. The good ironing…not that crazy shit where you make your clothes look nice. Fuck that.

This kind of ironing…

Above was Wednesday night…below is last night…

I finished the first figure and made it through the first 200 pieces. 460 to go. Hoping to do about 100 tonight on the second figure, then finish tomorrow. Knock on wood. Taxes are gonna take a solid chunk of time. Unfortunately. I wish I could be more organized during the year so this wouldn’t be such a pain in the ass, but I’m not. I guess I choose to sacrifice four hours on a Saturday rather than bits and pieces all year. Not entirely logical.

I needed this last year around this time…

I still do.

OK, ceramics after school today too. I do need to set up for Monday, which has me filling a bunch of paper bags with pink and blue slips of paper. Like you do. I’m still doing some direct instruction on Punnett squares today, and then they have to finish digital things that help them understand, but some of them are total assholes about. So many will watch a video and refuse to put headphones on to hear the content, and then get an absolutely shitty grade on the assignment…yelling out “Is it academic?”…like why would you watching a video that has the answers in it and then giving me those answers be academic? I have officially reached the irritable stage of teaching. It’s fine. And I will hopefully get a chunk of the academic stuff graded next week. Hopefully. I’m not taking the rest with me. It’s tempting, because I like to get it over with. I’m more likely to do work at the beginning of break than at the end. Ah well. Whatever. Seriously whatever. I think I have to cook tonight too. Ugh. It’s fine. It’ll be fine. I’ll listen to my book. Or watch ceramics videos. Both are fine.

March. It’s almost over. Weird. Super fast for one of the longest months.

I Am Neither

There’s a very vocal crow up early this morning. I don’t usually hear them in the morning at all. It’s close to dark and I can even see one of the crows (there must be more than one) on an electrical line out my window. The other one, the loud one, is in one of my trees…cawing away. It’s usually super quiet here in the morning…the occasional trash truck or neighbor slamming a car door, but the lower neighbor doesn’t seem to go to a job anymore (on his motorcycle, which was fun at 4 AM). Quiet is nice.

There are 8 days of school before Spring Break. I’m trying to get everything copied and planned for next week and the week we come back, so I don’t have to worry about it. Grades are due right after we come back (of course they are), so I’m also trying to make that an easy thing too. Normally I’d collect packets before we go on break, because kids lose them or parents throw them out, and I’m not doing that. I’m not even done grading the last packet (it takes a while…I stayed late after school the last two days to get two classes done; I’ll probably do the same tomorrow and Friday). I know I’ll have two academic things next week that I won’t be able to finish before break…ah well. They will survive. Because you should always get your oxygen first before getting oxygen for the people around you. I need to take care of myself to take care of the kids around me.

With that, I’m trying to get this ceramics piece done…I think it actually is done. I’m trying to deal with some persistent cracks, but I think the underglazing is done.

Don’t worry about the inside. A quilt is going in there. I darkened the peach up a bit. Or brightened it. I’m probably going to use some oxides on it later. I think this one will go in a glaze fire as well as a bisque. We’ll see. I’m going to have to get through the other two parts first before I figure that out. Anyway, I covered it up and I shouldn’t have…it needs to fully dry so I can stick it in the kiln. So Friday, I’ll start working on the upper torso again…see how the arms are literally holding up. No head yet. Not sure how I’m gonna do that. I started this base on November 4.

In quilting, I was really feeling behind, like I was never gonna finish, and then all of a sudden, staying up 20 minutes late, I was done trimming pieces…

That’s 7 hours and 55 minutes. Last night, I sorted them…

Luna watched…

Tonight I’ll start ironing them together. I need this thing fully ironed together by the end of the weekend. Then stitchdown early next week, and sandwich it before I go on Spring Break. When I come back, quilt and bind it. Start the next one. I know, I packed some deadlines…and hopefully I can pull both of them off. We’ll see. I also need to get my taxes done in the same time frame. That’s harder. I spent another hour last night going through charges on the credit card and Amazon invoices for art, copyediting, and school stuff. Collecting the info takes longer than putting it in. Pro: this year, I seem to be on the refund side instead of the payment side. Con: that’s because I didn’t sell as many quilts last year. Ah well. It happens. I feel like I’m barely making anything lately (I know, the last one was big and took a long time). Sigh. School. There are less than 50 days left of school. It’s still a lot, but that’s usually when I start counting. Honestly, I’m counting less these days…not because it’s easier…because I can’t look that far ahead without panicking.

We are going camping over break…although honestly, mostly we’re NOT camping…

And that story is way too true. A whole family of them.

Because of when we’re leaving, I can’t march in this…

And I would. In case you’re wondering. I haven’t been using Amazon (except to print last-year’s invoices and to buy one video I showed my students). I’ve been trying to shop independent stores. I’ve watched the dismantling of everything with a sense of dystopian horror. My retirement funds have crashed (ah well, that happens). The next four years of school will probably be problematic. My partner is depending on social security for his retirement and is currently dependent on federal and state funds for his healthcare. I can’t afford to take care of him AND me. I may not be able to retire in four years, or I may get fired before that. Eggs are still expensive. Avian flu is out there and we’re hearing nothing from the people who are supposed to inform us. The idiots are trying to start wars with some of the most peaceful countries out there while allying us with one of the most dictatorial countries. I’ve signed up with a few groups that protest, although I haven’t gotten to one yet (that whole day job thing). I’ve sent money to funds that will hopefully protect the people who need it most. I’ve watched some people spew some of the most idiotic stuff; I guess they don’t realize it will affect them in the long run. It’s not going well. It’s stressful to read about it and watch it, and it’s hard to know what to do. So I’m buying some postcards and writing some letters. I have an app that helps me call my representatives and let them know they need to be louder. I won’t be marching on the 5th because I’ll be driving, but I’m hoping to find a way to protest anyway.

A few of you might not agree. Some of you are probably even related to me. Ah well. I guess I’ve read too many dystopian novels to see this working out well for any of us except the supremely rich and arrogant. And I am neither.

Same As Always…

I know it’s not uncommon for teachers to not be able to sleep well on a Sunday night. It’s just annoying. I know it’s a busy week, probably a stressful week, based on the last few, and I need all the sleep I can get, but no, brain…no, you won’t let me sleep. Up three times in the night, awake well before the alarm. Not appreciated. I had to be up early for a parent meeting today anyway, so I think that’s a total of three meetings before and after school today. A few more hours of sleep would have been nice.

I did manage to get some things done this weekend…we figured out that our tent was moldy as hell (I suspected that) from the last trip, I got some of the bulbs planted, I dropped that last big quilt off with my photographer finally, and I got some ceramics time in. I was supposed to go Friday, but I was still fighting that halfassed cold that seems to have wandered mostly off now (knock on wood), plus I forgot to bring my glaze box, and the whole point was to get the base glazed so I could get it in the kiln fire before anything else cracked or broke. So I went yesterday instead, on the way back from the photographer…

Almost done. I want another layer on the flesh…I want it a bit darker. Then I can work on the upper torso for a bit. I started this in November…it’s taking forever. I did do some other stuff in the middle though.

I also cut things out for three nights, although I didn’t get as far as I wanted…never do.

Let’s see if we can see the progress…this is after Friday night…top left is cut out, top right is trash leftover trimmed pieces, bottom is what’s left to cut.

Here’s Saturday night…

All those flesh pieces ready to be cut out now…and after Sunday night…

Definite progress. I’m still in the fleshy bits, but the grays of the other figure are showing up and the box is noticeably emptier. Still got two to three nights though, unless I get some extra time in. Unlikely, because I’m really trying to grade all the things now. I don’t want to grade over break. I’ll have to, but I’m trying to keep it minimal. Best I can. Even rewriting one academic thing to make it more obvious…easier on my end.

Hoping to get to the ironing together part before the weekend. We’ll see how that goes. I’m behind on my original plan. No shocker there. I do have two Zoom meetings this week; I’ll be cutting things out then. I also have a book I’m about 85% done with, and I’d really like to finish it too. I didn’t get to hike this weekend, but I did a bunch of yardwork. Still trying to clean out the outside entryway from the flooding last year. I have a broken sprinkler that I don’t know how to fix. There’s about 3000 weeds in the yard that need pulling. I did some of the entryway…it’s mostly filling up a bucket with dead leaves and/or dirt and walking it down the stairs about 4 thousand times, maybe more. The dirt gets to go in the wheelbarrow and get dumped in the front yard. The leaves go in the greenery trashcan. Fun times. Then I need some gravel and a new replanting plan. I started some of that. I also started my taxes, which is a lot of work and time and needs to be done before we leave on Spring Break. I’m looking forward to getting the fuck out of here though, because I didn’t do it last year and I paid for it later. It’s a mental break that’s necessary to get through the rest of the school year. Looking forward to it. Need a plan for somewhere cool to stop between here and Humboldt though…we have hotel rooms for the drive up. Just want somewhere to go see, walk around, that might be cool. I know there’s some flower fields north of LA that I want to try to find. We’ll see. Anything better than Dateland (on the way to Phoenix).

Here’s Nova the other night…cuddling with me as I cut shit out.

And here’s some owls…

At some point, one of the owls has an animal on top of the box and then almost drops it.

Pretty sure they get it into the box later. We don’t hear babies yet…but this is a pretty good sign that mom is sitting on at least one egg. Fascinating stuff.

OK. School. Parent meeting in the morning. Teaching DNA and chromosomes. Two staff meetings after. Book club tonight (yes, I read the book). Lots of cutting things out. Finish that damn book. Grade some stuff. Same as always.

Fly By…

Some weeks just fly by and you realize you didn’t get anything done. Some flow sticky like molasses, and guess what, you still realize you didn’t get anything done. This was a fast week, but I’m trying to get real progress on this quilt and I feel like I’m behind. I wanted to finish ironing to fabric over the weekend, and I didn’t get there until last night (4 nights beyond the prediction). That said, I know why…it’s got a lot of complicated details that take longer to pick fabrics for…I have to think harder about a smaller set of fabrics than normal.

Wednesday night’s ironing…

So close, yet not there yet. I got most of the 500s done. The 600s were fast…that was last night.

There’s not actually a lot of color variety in this piece compared to some. This doesn’t really show what it will look like though. It might have a lot of the colors on the right and just a few of each of the others. Here’s just the fabrics, which I will count eventually because it’s one of the weird things I keep track of…

I do like to put them in order colorwise. And then here’s the box I’ll start cutting out tonight…

It took 12 1/2 hours to pick fabrics for about 700 pieces. That’s a lot. I don’t know how long they will take to cut out, but usually less than an hour per 100 pieces. So 7 hours…early next week, if I can pull it off. Then start ironing together. That’ll take a while. I want a solid chunk of this done before I go on Spring Break. I’ve got some tight deadlines coming up. Trying to stay on task. Ha! Day job plus being minorly ill is not helping. Field trip today to the Midway Museum (big aircraft carrier). Lots of walking and stairs. My knees are thrilled.

I haven’t been buying stuff lately…probably a good thing.

I owe kids food though and I keep flailing on buying more. The Ramadan kids don’t want food, which complicates things. I’ve got a reward thing I ordered over a week ago, but it’s not Amazon, because I’m trying to stay off Amazon, and it’s taking forever to get here. Need to find another option locally. Harder to do.

This is absolutely me…

Yesterday, I was putting stuff in the composter and heard a bird song I’d never heard before; turns out it’s a bird that is considered rare in my area, according to the Merlin app. Intriguing.

Kitten is still here. Scrawny and squawky, has to be carried to the food bowl and litter tray.

Still happy to be around though. And I’m happy to have her.

Simba got stuck with me last night instead of his preferred bed partner, the boychild.

I had my meditation wind down running and I forgot that this one has yipping foxes in it and he lost his mind. Then there was something on the roof (probably raccoon) and he lost his mind for that. There was something else at 5:30 this morning. I did not sleep well. He looks traumatized.

OK. Today is gonna be different, interesting, possibly painful. Behaviors at school are nuts at the moment. Plus the field trip, then coming back and having two periods of kids to deal with. I’m hoping to put on a movie and grade through it while they behave appropriately. We’ll see how that goes. Then I’m hoping to have the energy to go to ceramics and maybe finish underglazing that beast. The Man is trying to get me to do a long early hike tomorrow and I’m thinking I don’t have that in me, but we’ll see. This low-level cold thing is not great. I feel like rest is kind of important. Anyway, it’s all up in the air for now…

Coloring…

Some days are nice and easy at school…and home; some aren’t. It’s the same for all of us, I’m sure. Monday was difficult because I needed them to turn stuff in; yesterday was easy peasy because we colored and listened to music (it was slightly more complicated than that, but not much). There are times when I wonder why we can’t just color and listen to music every day, but I know I’m supposed to be a teacher and not just an SEL monitor, so we go on to science and reading and writing. That’ll be today. But I can hear (and feel) their need to just sit there and zone out while filling stuff in. It’s hard. Harder because the other big local school district is going on Spring Break next week and we still have 2 1/2 weeks to go. There’s so much I need to get done before then too, both in school and at home. I just want to go to the studio and make things and not think about school too, but that’s not an option right now. That said, I did a lot of art yesterday, which makes up for how little I did on Monday.

Yes, I’m still ironing. Yes, I wanted to be done. Yes, I’m frustrated because I’m not…

I did the lungs and a heart. Might have done something else. Can’t really tell. Also, this is kinda like coloring, so that’s why I like it.

Then last night, I made it through the complicated butterfly etc…

So I finished all of the stuff on the flesh through the 400s except for one flower, so I have about 15 pieces in the 400s, another 10 in the 500s, and then most of the 600s. I think it’s probably less than 150 pieces, which is an hour or two. Hopefully tonight? Maybe. I’m at almost 10 hours for just under 700 pieces. It’s a complicated quilt, though, with lots of discrete details, so that takes longer. Anyway. I’m almost done. However you look at it.

I made it to ceramics last night and worked on underglazing the waves and the bones…took me over an hour just to do that.

I’m getting there. Probably another hour or two before it can go in the glaze fire. Then I can keep going on the second level. Hope they fit together. Which they might not. Fun times.

So I am finding time for art. Demanding it. School pays. The house is a mess. What’s new? It’s always like this in March.

The girlchild tried to FaceTime me when I was at the ceramics studio…there were other people there, so I didn’t pick up.

It’s OK; I called her back later. I have a friend who is always adamant that her kids don’t talk to her like that, but this actually made me laugh, especially because the video had no sound and she was bitching me out for not answering. If no one else had been in the studio, I would have, but it’s rude otherwise. Some people need to be told that.

I love that last line. From the book I’m reading.

OK. Today is genetic traits. Kids get to look at each other and figure out their traits. Fun times. They love it when it’s all about themselves. Pilates after school. Still rocking a low-level almost cold. Not sure what it going on with that, but I don’t have the time or energy for a full-blown cold, so it’s fine. Then I get to iron stuff after all that. Probably need to make dinner too. Ugh. OK. Fine.

Ride It Out…

Ah yes, finally typing this on a computer. Not everything is fixed and back to normal, but I am no longer fighting a 10-year-old computer that is slowly (very slowly, because it’s the only speed it had) dying. Yes, it’s taken like three weeks to get functional again. There are some things that I just can’t easily do on a phone or an aging iPad (also needs replacing this year). The boychild was a massive help, although in the end, we didn’t use the backup service I’ve been paying for for years…so fun that.

This weekend was another in a series where I don’t get 1/10th of the stuff done that I wanted or needed to. It’s just my life, maybe? Hard to say. I did some grading and some school stuff but mostly didn’t. I spent time in Home Depot (must be spring) and digging a hole that probably isn’t big enough. I finished one book (actually two) and started another. I made some art and went for a hike. I don’t feel ready for the week. I’m fighting a cold…I’m hoping I can hold the worst of it off, because we have a field trip this week. I’ve drunk a lot of Vitamin C this weekend in hopes it would boost things enough to kick this thing that’s trying to sneak in. Who knows.

OK, art…I ironed a lot this weekend…

I did like three sessions on Saturday…there’s the setup with one computer backing up, one being set up, and the one I was actually watching stuff on…

Too many computers…there’s the beginning of the flesh fabrics, which I spent most of Saturday ironing.

Got through the whole pile…they were interspersed between the 200s all the way to the 600s, so I officially have no clue how far I am in the ironing. But I got the actual flesh done and then still need to do all the eyeballs and the heart and lungs and all those fussy bits that aren’t flesh colored.

I really wanted to be done Sunday, but that didn’t happen. It took too long to do everything on Sunday. I don’t even think I got an hour in, unfortunately.

More of the bits and pieces though. I suspect I’ve got another three nights before I’m done. We’ll see. I have a ton of schoolwork to do as well. As always.

I’m underglazing the base in clay…with Bart’s help (not really…he was wet from outdoors and tried to headbutt the part of this that keeps breaking off).

It just takes forever to do this stuff.

Coral is done, some other bits and pieces in that color range. I’ll be back at it tonight.

We hiked Saturday…got the full 3 miles in this time.

With two coyote sightings…

Broad daylight…

Went out for dinner…

I did draw…just totally forgot to photograph it.

Ah, falcon payments. This lasagna thing was from the book for The Electric State, which was very different than what the movie seems to be.

But lasagna…

The next puppy I get…

This is maybe too real and also applies to my quilts…

Lastly, in cleaning up hard drives all over my office, found this from around 2001 (not 1994 like the time stamp says)…

One of the best pictures I’ve ever taken of the kids.

OK. School today…with an impending incipient cold. And still tired. But hopefully a chill day. Turn the things in, y’all. Then staff meeting (ugh but short) and ceramics (yay). Then home, grading, and ironing (more yay!). Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all who celebrate (most of whom aren’t Irish in the slightest). And may the government fall into a deep hole it can’t get out of (we’re close, but not quite). I checked my retirement funds over the weekend. Thanks to the billionaires in charge, I’m now down a significant amount…well, we’re gonna ride it out y’all…just let me retire when I need to.

No Power

Power’s out. Some car crashed into something. The road sounds closed; I don’t hear cars down there. It’s cold…and I need tea, so I’ll be leaving for school soon.

I did finally get the studio cleaned up…

It took two nights…it was a lot. And I started ironing last night.

School was a little rough, but it’s been like that for days. Kids are fighting; not sure why. Hard to get them to work. I’m feeling underwater on getting stuff done. I guess that’s nothing new.

Dumbassery abounds. Ok I think it might be bright enough in the bathroom for me to take my meds and get out of here to school, where it will be warmer and I can make tea. I’m making a lot of art this weekend…yes, I need to grade too, but art is large on the agenda. That and getting my computer to work. Sigh.

How to Get There

Yo ho yo ho a pirate’s life…wait. No. I’m teaching gravity today…not going to Disneyland. Seems like a questionable life decision. Computer is still not restored. The internet is intermittent. So frustrating. I just need it to finish ffs. I’m tired of trying to do things on the phone or this ancient iPad. Ah well…at least I have that option.

Artwise…I finished trimming Wonder Under…

And last night, I sorted them…

Ready to iron to fabric. Unfortunately, my studio is not ready for that. I’d like to be ironing tonight, but realistically, I will probably be cleaning and putting fabric away after a long long day, so wish me luck on actually ironing. Definitely tomorrow night though.

Someone needs to change all the clocks in the house. I don’t know why I am in charge of clock changes. I have changed two…well three if you count my school clock. I’m sure the men would argue that I’m the only one who cares about the other two…possibly true.

I started underglazing (finally!) the base to the newest piece…someone bumped it (again) and broke two things off. Community shelves sometimes suck.

Super pale at the moment with 2 coats…got one more coat and then all the details. I’ll be here a while.

The current government just needs to die. I’m done with the stupidity. The illogical bullshit that puts Teslas on the White House lawn and claims we can’t speak our minds. At least some of us have minds…

Gonna end with that. Too much in my head right now between the Orange Dumbass pissing off Canada and the crazy demands of the day job…gonna demo some gravitational force today and get through a union meeting and go to Pilates and then clean the studio so I can make art. Sleep if I’m lucky (not last night). Dream of a better world and how to get there.

No Time Has Passed

I have a new computer. It’s still restoring all the stuff from before. It was at 12% when I went to bed last night and it’s still at 12% this morning, like no time has passed. Granted I feel the same way about the amount of sleep I had last night. I know I went to bed at the appropriate time for whatever time hell we’re in now, but I was still out of bed in the early dark feeling like I hadn’t slept. So maybe the computer feels the same way. It’s gonna be a rough week, for me and the kids.

This weekend was my 58th birthday, and I did my best not to work. There’s some level of having to pay for it during the week, but the week is already a shitshow, so I probably won’t notice much. What did I do? I read, I made art, I went on a short hike. All good.

Simba appreciated it. Maybe.

It was a little closer than I like to be to coyotes, but it reminds us that they are always there.

I did a little ceramics on Friday. I was tired though. There’s a bunch of stuff going on her arms.

Fun times. My glazes came in Friday as well, so that’s hopefully what I’m doing after a two-hour staff meeting after school. Ugh.

Friday night I finished tracing…

Four yards (just under) of Wonder Under. I spent almost 4 hours cutting stuff out this weekend…

And not a lot else honestly.

There are never enough hours in the day. I did a little yard work; I have bulbs to plant. but I quit when I accidentally trimmed a branch with a hummingbird nest and broke two eggs. Mom bird had lots to say about it and I felt (still feel) horrible, so I quit. It’s spring! Don’t kill baby animals. If you can. I was actually trying to avoid another thing that looked like a nest so it felt even worse that I fucked that up.

I had two dinners out, which was nice, and got a pile of books to read and my mom’s stash of silk ribbon, which is fun, so that didn’t make up for the hummingbird babies, but I also found out there’s a grove in Humboldt named after my Great Great Aunt Bertella who was an obstetrician, so we’re totally visiting that over Spring Break.

Government still sucks, if we can call it that. Our National Parks are at stake here. And people’s lives. Sigh.

I am coral. Ok, gotta teach and professionally develop and clay.

Paper Towels!!!

Yo Friday, I appreciate you. It’s been a long week. Eye issues, kid issues, but grades are done! So I’m not working this weekend…it’s my birthday. I’m gonna hike and read and make art and go out to dinner. And try not to think about school…although next week is not fully planned, nowhere close, so I’m freaking out a little bit. Ah well.

I’ve been tracing Wonder Under all week…I should be done tonight.

Crazy ass butterfly…did not number it well. Brain must have taken a break.

Last night, I had a stitching Zoom meeting, so I got two hours in…I’ve got about 150 pieces to go. Then trimming for a few days, ironing by next weekend? Hopefully.

Minus the pumpkin patch.

Agreed. So much stupidity going on right now. I’m having some panic moments about where to buy things I need due to The JoAnn closing down and avoiding Amazon. My free time is generally not free and online shopping is awesome. Working on a list. But with quilt stuff, the secondary issue is the politics of stores. Sigh. My local quilt store is owned by a trumper.

Working on all of it. Today is an assembly (ugh), but mostly making a little eclipse flipbook. And planning. Hopefully some ceramics, finish the tracing. There’s something I need to remember for today and it keeps flitting into my brain (paper towels!!!) and leaving again. Caught it. Good times.