Up To My Ass In Gators and Sawgrass

My student aide greeted me this morning with "Hello, loser".

That wasn't very nice. Inwardly though, I was quite pleased. It's always nice to take these timid little fragile baby birds and get them toughened up enough to leave the nest. When I get shit back from my students, I know I'm doing a good job. And that's just one of my jobs.

I got a twenty year plan. Not that I think I'm gonna die in 2036, just that I figure I've at least twenty years left of a semi-vigorous and productive old age. I'm assuming I've got probably at most 20 years to get shit done the way I want it done.

(I'm figuring 2038 is when I die, and that's sounds like a good year. Providing, of course the 2020s don't suck the way they sure look like they will, in which case there goes the twenty year plan).

Had this been one hundred years ago, the year 1916, I'd have been dead three years on. Death by "the stone". Kidneys all swolled up and failed in a months-long lingering horrible kind of death by internal poisoning and drowning. That puts a necessary perspective and focus on things, and thus the need for things like twenty year plans.

Not that I have a plan. I'm winging it as I go. It's more a realization that I need to quit dicking around and start to drill down on shit.  What is it I want to do? Because, here's the other thing, I don't have time for anything! I don't understand how people get the time to read all the books and articles, watch all the TV, movies, stage plays (like Hamilton) and such that they do.



I would love to do all stuff, but the next thing I know, it's the next day and I've accomplished only (n/2) - 1 of the n things I had to do.

I mean, part of the reason for having the plan is time management. And apparently, what I'm finding out is worrying about technique is not part of the plan.

I'm working on a semi-commission in cast glass. (Semi- because the client may choose to revoke the commission. He wanted a cast glass version of the Stockmen, and I said, no can do. I can make a bas relief of it, and then said, no I can't, but I can do separate glass panels that are kind of based upon the Stockmen theme. Which makes me think I should do a cast glass comic strip with cast glass panels... which I don't have the freaking time to explore. Or maybe I do).

The Stockmen

Now, there are techniques for casting glass. I've been told many times to wet pack an investment mold with glass. That's how it's done. I have neither the time nor the patience to do that, so I just dry pack 'em. As a result, I have trouble coloring within the lines. Well, actually, I am evolving techniques of dry packing for more precise borders, but the fact of the matter is the technique is not a real high priority.

So, have a look:

Kind of sloppy looking, but no one else seems to mind. I suppose other glass casters might shake their heads at this, but... I'm really more concerned with presentation. I like a certain amount of back lighting, but I think pieces work better without the back lighting.

An inconsistency, given that glass is supposed to be about color and light and translucency.

You know I'm just gonna keep on plugging at it.