Mattapalooza 2009

Well, Mattapalooza was a complete success.

I clapped. I teared up. I met Matt's girlfriend. I snapped pictures like my life depended on it. I won a $20 bet. I went to a wine tasting. I had world-famous creamery ice cream. There was pie at midnight and waffles for breakfast. There was shopping. There was excellent conversation.

But quote of the weekend (and that's saying something):
Uncle Bob: Matt, we need to go out lookin' for cold beer and hot women.
Matt: Well, uh... I'm taken but I'll be your wing-man. How about that?

Oh yes, score.

Current Theme Song

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Say (all I need) by OneRepublic

All I need
is the air I breathe
and a place to rest my head

Current Theme Song

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Love Will Keep Us Alive by The Eagles

I was standing
All alone against the world outside
You were searching
For a place to hide

Lost and lonely
Now you've given me the will to survive
When we're hungry...love will keep us alive

Don't you worry
Sometimes you've just gotta let it ride
The world is changing
Right before your eyes

Now I've found you
There's no more emptiness inside
When we're hungry...love will keep us alive

Current Theme Song

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New Soul by Yaem Naim


I'm a new soul
I came to this strange world
Hoping I could learn a bit 'bout how to give and take
But since I came here, felt the joy and the fear
Finding myself making every possible mistake

See I'm a young soul in this very strange world
Hoping I could learn a bit 'bout what is true and fake
But why all this hate? try to communicate
Finding trust and love is not always easy to make

Enameling Debacle De-mystified

Okay, so here's what I think happened: I chose the wrong color as a counter-enamel.

I've been creating cloisonnes, and in this instance, you need a base enamel (on the front) in which to sink the cloisonne wires and you also need a counter enamel (on the back) to prevent cracking.

Cracking occurs because the glass enamel and the metal cool at different rates, making the metal warp as it cools. Now, if you have too much enamel on one side and not enough counter weight on the other side, the metal will warp too much in one direction, cracking the glass and, in some cases, popping the glass right off the metal.

Now, second point of interest, warm colored enamels are unstable and red enamels are down right temperamental. "Unstable," in enamel-speak, means that a color could fade over several kiln-firings or that it will oxidize when applied to certain metals; for instance transparent red and purple enamels turn brown on silver and transparent oranges and browns will go cloudy on copper.

So, of course I chose an opaque red as my counter enamel. I mean, ouch. You live and you learn... and I had to learn this one the hard way. Over several firings, it must have oxidized under the surface and just de-fused. Not pretty. Not fun. Don't ever use Thompson Enamel 1860, "Orient Red" as a counter enamel... you're just asking for a world of hurt.

WTF Enamel?

I just spend 6 hours in the studio... and I only have one half-finished cloisonne!

I would have two almost finished except my counter enamel keeps falling off! What the hell? I glass brushed, I decreased.

I have no idea why the enamel is throwing up the hate, but I really wish it would stop. I don't have the time for this.

Current Theme Song

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Level by The Raconteurs

I swear, when I heard this I thought that Raconteurs had written it about me. Self-centered, yes, but still my first thought:

My Baby's on the level
I try to read her mind
She's on the straight and narrow
I'm guessin' all the time

But I can't see the road
If I'm lookin' at the signs
I'm carryin' a load
and steppin' out of line

A New Word for Your Vocabulary

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Paramnesia: noun [par-am-nee-zhuh]

1. Psychiatry: a disorder of memory where fact and fantasy are confused

2. the inability to remember the meanings of common words

Where I found this word: Joseph Heller's Catch-22, page 204. According to Heller there are three types of paramnesia: deja vu (seen before), jamais vu (never seen), and presque vu (almost seen).

Usage: "The subtle, recurring confusion between illusion and reality that was characteristic of paramnesia fascinated the chaplain, and he knew a number of things about it."


I really enjoy this word, but I have to admit that my favorite word I've found in my reading still has to be "poleaxed:" see post from October 3, 2006. Or not, I'm just sayin', poleaxed is still my fav.

Current Theme Song

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Stop and Stare by OneRepublic

I know I've heard this song before, but I actually noticed it for the first time last night... and now it's playing in my head like it's always been there.

Stop and stare
Feel like I'm movin' but I go nowhere
Yeah, I know that everyone gets scared
But I've become what I can't be

Stop and stare
You start to wonder why you're here not there
And you'd give anything to get what's fair
But fair ain't what you really need
Oh, can you see what I see?