Day 5

OK, so it seems to be every day & 1/2 rather than daily. Still that's not a bad start. I'm really hoping for every days, but wanted to start by doing it.

Yesterday I spent part of the morning working on a sub-standard entry for this photoshop contest: Woot! Contest 110: The Day The Music Went Bankrupt I won't admit which one is mine.


I also looked for a job, which I do pretty much daily. Then I had lunch & went to play with clay. I loaded one of the kilns (actually, loaded it a couple times so I could get everything in. It is always a big 3-dimensional puzzle and everything has to go in just so) Tomorrow when I go in I will have several finished pieces, yay! I haven't brought home anything for a while, when I started I would spend a lot of time on the volunteer projects & not have any time to work on my own work. I am trying to find a good balance right now. I still spend more time on volunteer work then my stuff, but at least I am creating my own things now. In addition to loading the kiln, I worked on some molds for another studio, then I sat my self down at the wheel again. I used the kick wheel, which I think is neat. I still find it difficult to center. I like the electric wheel going really fast when I center, the friction of my hands trying to center the clay slows the kick wheel down & makes it harder to center and open. I think as long as I stick with smaller projects, I'll be ok centering on the kick. Yesterday I made the cylinder for a coffee mug, a vase and a bowl. The mug will be for my daddy's birthday next month--if it turns out! I was going to make a pair of mugs, but the second one decided to be a vase. It didn't seem to care that I thought it was supposed to be another mug, it wanted to be a vase. Oh well, at least vases are useful. The bowl will probably be donated to a local "empty bowl" event to raise money for the local shelter/transitional housing. I am on the event committee and love the event. I hope that I get some good "product" to donate.

Now I feel that in the anonymity of this blog, I can confess something I did today. I put on my dark glasses and went to the other side of town. There, in a store I've never been in before, I bought boxed wine. Those who truly know me would be shocked. My husband picked up some a few weeks ago and, despite my misgivings, we drank it. I didn't get the super cheap crap. I got a mid-range box--$18 for what amounts to 4 regular bottles. I very often need a little for cooking and like a glass with dinner (or while cooking). I am quite broke right now so I have been skipping the wine, but some times a recipe is just not right without it. So, I broke down & bought a box. I've tried the "Black Box" Cab Sav and today bought the "Banrock Station" Shiraz, my husband bought someone's Pinot Grigio. I don't remember who made that, but DH was quite proud that it offered a $10 rebate which brought it to $10 for the box--$2.50 a bottle. These wines have proven to be inexpensive & inoffensive. Not great wines by any stretch, but they are thoroughly OK. I like that I can open the box and have a glass and not worry about it turning. the pourer doesn't allow any air in, so oxidation is not really a concern. Since it isn't sitting in the bottle right in front of me, I don't automatically pour another glass or decide to "finish it off" instead of pumping the air out and storing it. I like the convenience. So I will wear my dark sunglasses & drink a glass to your health!

Now it is time to run off & make tonight's delightful dinner. Penne in Vodka Sauce with turkey sausage. Served with cheap red wine!