I was laid off a short while ago. I have secured a new gig at Calhoun Design and Metalworks, starting Monday. Seems like a cool shop. I’ll definitely be doing more smithing and less fabrication, which is good. Educationally, this is a good move.

Tom has been working a side job for the Artist since at least before Labor Day. I know it has been that long because he didn’t go to the Decatur Book Fair with me and the Frids cause he was working it. And here it is the end of October. He has been getting up in the wee early hours of the morning to work on it before the start of his day job at 7am at PCM and then staying after PCM until 9:30 or 10:00 pm. I haven’t seen him on weekends. He is exhausted. The last two weeks he’s been having to work overtime at PCM and then work on the side job. Have I mentioned that he is exhausted? Last night he was working on it …he got in at 2:30 am, then got up at 5:00 am to remove the piece from PCM before his coworkers got there for their mandatory Saturday overtime which Tom is skipping…because he’s on site installing the side job. HOPEFULLY this is close to the end of this job. Monday there will probably be a puch list of things to be adjusted/fixed.

Oh yeah - and then he’s been doing the pastoral search committee and elder stuff too.

So - does anyone have the second season of Buffy and would be willing to let us borrow it? I was thinking that it would be a nice way to ease back into sanity with my husband.

I’m going to go see my parents tonight! I’m flying down tonight and driving back Sunday in a BRAND NEW CAR! A ‘94 Toyota something that has air-conditioning, whose left turn signal works, whose windows go up all the way, whose dome light doesn’t turn on randomly, whose speedometer works…I’ll be driving in luxury. I bet it’ll even pass the emissions inspection!

I’ll get to see Brett and Valerie and brood while I’m there, too.

Tom has been super crazy busy working on a railing for a side job that was supposed to install last Saturday. He is way stressed out. Hopefully he will be able to surface in a couple of weeks.

Weekend before last, Kathryn and I went to NC for an architectural trade show. We stayed at her folks’ place. The show was great. There were about thirty artists, six of them smiths. I made some good contacts. There was a talk on Understanding Organic Architecture by Eric Lloyd Wright, the grandson of the famous architect. The talk was long on slides (and the lighting stunk) and short on understanding. :(  But the show was great, and I’m glad I went. As a bonus, I got to miss the going-away party and last service for our pastor. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll miss the guy a lot, but I’ve known he was leaving since last October, I’m pretty well adjusted to the idea at this point, and the sentimentality looked like it would be just a little over the top. Wouldn’t have bailed if we were in town, but no regrets on the show.

No pics of the show, because bringing a camera to an art show when I’m a potential competitor to these folks felt like bad form.

There are two kinds of Loc-tite thread sealer, the red kind and the blue kind. The red kind holds better, but the blue kind tastes better.

I had my last day with the Artist yesterday. Monday I’ll be full time at the new job.

It went pretty well. I’ll probably be doing contract stuff for her in the future, but out of my own space, instead of working for her directly. I think that’ll suit us both better.

I start Monday at Precision Custom Metals in Tucker, GA. I don’t know why I was nervous; I totally crushed the interview.

Their website is weak and the gallery does not do their work justice. They do some really cool stuff.

Interview is today at 2:00. They said it’ll involve a welding test and take about an hour and a half. I’m nervous.

Friday is my last day with the artist on a regular schedule. She wanted me to either commit to a year, or hit the road. She said it a lot nicer than that, but that’s what made sense for what she’s trying to do. I think she was pretty surprised I took option number two.

I’ll be off next week, catching up on my own stuff. The following week I’m helping her on an installation in North GA. Then we’re done with all the projects in the queue.

I’m trying to reach a guy at a fab shop she recommended me to. Sounds like a good gig, lots of stainless and precision fabrication. Not just banging out pool railing by the 8-foot section. So I’m brushing up my TIG welding this week and lining up the interview.

Craft of a bygone era keeps the T rolling