Another turn around the sun.

69 dude! *deeedle eedle deet*

Be excellent to each other.

And

Party On.

Station.

I cleaned up my cast bronze, ground off the gates, sanded the rough spots, sand blasted the crap out of it, welded the two pieces together, put a brown patina on, and documented it.

And I didn't feel tired afterward. Pretty goddamn good birthday.

Retirement Anxiety

I got my last big paycheck from the college today. An old dread crept into my belly. How am I going to scrape by? This is a familiar fear ever since I quit real jobs. Oh, I'm so not better off than my Jurassic Boomer cohort. I worked and quit many times and so didn't earn a lot over my lifetime (or rather, built and spent some fortunes). I'm so much better off than Gen X folks, with nothing saved, or actually in debt. The thought of a limited income does not sit well with me, nor does spending what I've saved.

The future, always stating from grim and working up to optimistic, may work to my advantage if the world ends before my money does. That's a piss poor attitude, and contrary to my workadaddy nature. Or now workagramps. I got all my metal cast this past weekend.

I can't not stop making things. Especially metal things.

I need money I don't have for that. I need someone to pay me to make my things.

It is not enough to make just one thing, because I always have a postpartum depression after getting done. It is the process. The cycle from imagination to reality. 

Busy Little Creature

Bronze casting this Saturday. I got my wax pieces rigged up and dipped.

We use ceramic shell investment, which is a silica slurry you dip the wax piece in, cover it with sand to build up a stucco around the wax. We burn the wax out leaving thew thin shell, thus lost wax casting. I also made some spin castings of miniatures.

Last Tuesday I dropped off the art piece at Forum 301 on Ohio Street. 20 minute walk from my place to the suburban train station, then another 20 minutes walk from the train station to the gallery. I found out that everyone in downtown Chicago walks faster than me, even the wheelchair folks. And also found out that my winter inactivity made me woefully out of shape. I hobbled around for two days after that excursion.

I did it all again this past Friday night for the show. Hobbled a little less on Saturday, Friday night was a school night for me as I taught artistic welding Saturday morning. Second to the last class and everyone is at their task, I hardly get any questions or requests for help. I just patrol the studio bays to make sure everyone is safe. 

I'm going through angst because today was my last day teaching welding. I've always used the Irish exitr to a party, so I ghosted. I'll see people next week when I do my grades. I've gotten used to this routine, perhaps it is time for a change. The past two weeks I was always busy, and that's how I want my retirement to be. Here's to the future!