The View From Kalamazoo

You know it’s amazing how little it can take to drag me out of desperately stressed and foul mood-fueled disgruntlement…yesterday I was having One Of Those Afternoons, and one of the grad students brought me chocolate (and better than that – he brought me dark chocolate, and is utterly and completely Full Of Win for it, too!)…granted this is a student who always makes me smile, anyway, but it totally saved the afternoon. I especially appreciate those students who always manage to make me smile, or laugh (or chuckle evilly, I’m very thankful for those!)…they contribute significantly to my sanity, moreso than they realize.
(My full-time minion goaded him into it, I suspect – but I think he’s the bees knees anyway…an extremely nice, potential-full, and uncynical young man. Since my memory of myself as either young or uncynical is rather hazy, I observe my favorite students with glee and cheer them on from the sidelines. Gratuitous, mayhaps, but I am a mere clerical schlub, after all.)

Other bits:

My (and Shana’s) blogging session for Congress is looking very interesting and I’m dutifully putting together my organizer paperwork. I have managed to dodge the panel bullet for the second year in a row, but I’ll be presiding this time. I expect to see y’all there!

Projects in progress at the studio right now include tossed-slab platters and faceted bowls (thrown and modified, in other words). And I have glazing to do – three pieces that were bisqued during the late-summer studio break at the art institute, one of which is a very rough and organic (even for me) slab-built fairly tall vase-form. It’s destined for the salt kiln.

And it’s Colin’s 5th birthday. Am I feelin’ my age? Hellsyeah. I’ll be feelin’ the headache not long after we arrive at the dreaded Chuck E Cheese tonight. I think I need to bring a book..and ibuprofen.