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Ok, I'm pretty tired right now, which means I probably shouldn't update.
I'd love to post David's errata from yesterday's entry, (which I have not
correted yet) as I think it's interesting to see how he proof-reads for
me, but I don't have permission to post his words (haven't asked yet), so
I won't. And, David, if tha's a run-on sentence I'm too tired tonotice or
care right now, but you're free to point them out to me anytime. Earlier today David and I wandered over to the CCAC (California College of Arts and Crafts) campus to peruse their holiday arts fair. We both found pieces we liked in the glass studios, but nothing quite in our price range. We did get to watch a demonstration of how they shape glass. Two guys in their early twenties were working on a piece that looked like a bong with orange-and-black tentacles. One guy was working on a small piece which eventually went onto the larger one. The glass was stuck on the end of a long metal pole, which they rested on a support when they stuck it into the furnace at the end of the room to twirl it around. We asked Michelle, a student and a patron of the cafe where David works, for some specifics. The furnace is 2300 degrees (Farenheit) at the back, and 2100 degrees in the front (if you leave it in the back too long the glass starts to drip). They twirl the pieces for symmetry, both in the frunace and at the works station outside where they'd rest the bar for support and use tongs and other metal tools to shape the pieces before they cool and have to be thrust into the furnace again. It seemed like a closely-timed skill, shaping the glass before it cools too much. While we were watching, the elaborate piece (which had been joined to the little piece just moments before and was now being held on that metal pole) went crashing to the floor, shattering in a dramitc spray of orange melty glass. I thought one of the guys was going to cry; he was trying very hard to keep a neutral face. Michelle told us that when pieces hit the ground they look ok at first, but soon they cool off too quickly, causing the glass to explode. To keep finished art pieces from cooling too fast, they have "reverse kilns" (my words) that lower the temperature down from 1000 degrees slowly, so the glass cools evenly and doesn't do that exploding thing. I don't know how well I did explaining that, so let me summerize: It was really cool. Tonight I went with Elle's friend Eloise (confusing, ain't it?) to see two Celtic guitar players at the Freight and Salvage in Berkeley. Both Steve Baughman and El McMeen (what's with all the El's?) have day jobs as attorneys, but are still quite well known in the folk music circuit. Very mellow stuff, rather pretty. Steve had more of a "plucky" take on it, which I liked. This was my first experience with folk music, and I have to say I think I was missing something. I was just achey (the chairs were terribly uncomfortable) by the end of the performance. I did buy a CD, however, as it will make nice mellow background music while my attention is focused on something I find more engaging. Oddly enough, I have an urge to start learning guitar again. I also think I should find out where to hear about community theatre auditions in this area; I've got an urge to perform; it's been almost three years since I've been in a play, and it's high time I did one again. I think a nice musical would work, a simple chorus/dance role would do, I'm not picky. (If you're wondering, I think that urge comes from watching "White Christmas" while wrapping Xmas gifts last night). Ai-yi-yi. I'm too tired to be writing this. Goodnight, sleep well! | ||
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