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November 17th, 2009
08:42 am - Back to work and back to basics
So, I've had two good solid days of work so far. Production still isn't where I'd like to to be, and none of what I've been doing is what you'd call complex or heavily constructed. In fact, it's all very spare, almost zen in its simplicity.
The break has been good for clearing my mind as far as design goes; I'm very happy with the proportions of these pieces. My work has been developing a certain sparsity for a while now, with the aesthetic relying much more on form and subtle shape than on applied decoration. Even as average weight goes down, the average size goes up. The end result is thin walls, light weight forms that function as way of defining a space. At the same time, I've been experiementing with plastic decoration, especially manipulated rims, stamps, embossing, and other form-based alterations.
I'm happy with the direction that my work has taken. I can see a significant improvement over the last 12 months in basic skills; I'm getting better performance out of the clay. Since at the same time I've been working with less-ideal materials (spectacularly non-plastic recycle, for instance) the end result isn't neccessarily visible to the consumer.
Artistic development is tough when working within the confines of someone else's aesthetic - there are only so many techniques appropriate to medieval European pottery - most of them are very different than the Asian-centric skillset taught by modern craft potters. I'm still deeply in awe of the work of the Leach-Hamada school of mingei, and the American potters like Warren McKenzie that took the style and made it their own. For the first time, though, I derive as much satisfaction for my own totally different work. I feel like my abilities have progressed to the point that there is as much validity to my interpretation of 14thC English pots as there is to Michael Cardew's interpetations of Yi dynasty Korean pieces.
Maybe I'm developing a unique artistic point of view. I dunno - it's hard to be objective about it from the inside.
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November 15th, 2009
08:58 pm - Calligraphy help needed
Any calligraphers out there who would be able to turn a project around in about a week; to wit, a docuement, unilluminated and without particular embullishment, about half a typed page? In english, in a bookhand appropriate to 14thC legal documents? If I can get it done, I need it for Holiday Faire.
It's worth a fair chunk of barter to me, or possibly (some) cash.
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November 11th, 2009
08:20 am - What the cluck?
I made an interesting discovery this morning. Chickens reproduce by osmosis.
When I went out to feed and water, I found in the far enclosure two new chickens. Not chicks, but pullets. Bantam pullets. One looks like a Rhode Island Red, and the other looks like a Sebright or a Wyandotte. Definitely NOT there yesterday.
So, either someone I know decided to get rid of a couple of chickens (they look like hens - if they are banties, then they're just about mature, and neither has the pronounced crest and tail that accompanies roos), or the rest of the girls managed to conjure up a couple of new companions from mud and chicken exhaust.
Given the state of distress on all parts, I doubt that's the case. MY flock are all "downstairs" on the ground, squawking like a dive alarm, which is what they do when they feel threatened (by a hawk, or a dog, or something else). It's pretty tooth-rattling, since they are all in a slightly different key, and if it weren't raining HARD, you'd be able to hear it clearly in the house. The newcomers are "upstairs" in the coop, whimpering in a truly pathetic fashion. It's like they are trying to say "they were MEAN to us...!", which they probably were. This is the more easy-going and less heirarchical of my two flocks, but they are still nasty little dinosaur descendants.
I'm a little annoyed - I mean, they'll figure it out soon enough, since there's no clear alpha heirarchy (unlike the other flock, which is ruled by the iron fist of Maggie Hatcher), and they are a pretty mellow bunch (for the equivalent of chicken teenagers), but in the mean time, it's going to result in some minor injuries, a lot of pulled feathers, and a disruption in the egg-laying schedule.
Anyway, that's the major trouble in my life right now. In a few minutes, I'll be off to drop Aaron at school and go to PT, then the chiro this afternoon. Tomorrow, I get the day off, which means maybe I can try and do some throwing - no point in the rain, the moisture in the air makes the clay just dissolve. Maybe I'll invest in one of those Heat Dish space heaters from Costco for the winter. It looks like it may be a while before the wood stove gets hooked up - the chimney needs lots of work.
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November 4th, 2009
09:12 pm - Wisdom from th mouths of babes.
When your four-year-old starts a conversation with "Daddy! I've got a REALLY GREAT idea!" it is without a doubt a VERY BAD idea. Horrifyingly bad, even.
Also, he wants us to know that he is "malarious". We're not sure what that means, but he thinks it's very funny.
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November 2nd, 2009
10:53 am - It's gonna be a Monday
The doctor still hasn't cleared me for starting work again. That's OK, I'm REALLY not feelking up to sitting at the wheel and trying to get work done.
Physical therapy seems to be helping - it's managed to loosen some of the knots in my neck and shoulders, allowing me a greater range of motion, allowing further loosening, allowing greater range of motions, etc etc. Recovery seems slow, but I know it's actually going pretty quickly. At least today was less exercise and more massage, heat, and e-stim. I'm tired and sore, but not as exhausted as I was on Saturday.
But, to add insult to injury, I was stung by a yellowjacket on the way out of the PT office. Fontunately, my doctor's office is RIGHT NEXT DOOR, so I was able to go in and get a shot of ephedrine within 5 minutes or so. My right hand is pretty swollen, but that's as far as the reaction really got. Feel like crap from the ephedrine, though. And I'll be crunching Benadryl for the next 24 hours to make sure it doesn't come back and bite me in the ass.
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October 27th, 2009
08:17 am - Musings under the influence
If you drive long enough, you'll eventually be in an accident. A moment's inattention, a missed signal, some minor mistake that sends your car careening away from a collision. For some reason, I seem to be Ground Zero for these types of errors...
For example, the lady who ran into me at the stoplight wasn't an idiot. She's a normal person who has gone years and years with a pefect driving record. She misread the signals and ran the red, something I can completely understand after looking at the way the signals are laid out. It was an entirely understandable error.
I feel bad for her. I feel worse for her that her insurance company is going to punish her for this mistake. Yes, she was at fault, and she admits it. More fundamentally at fault, however, is Baltimore County, which designed the traffic pattern at the intersection in the first place. According to the guys in the garage at the corner, who were the first people on the scene, there's accident like this every couple of weeks. That should be a clue to someone that th intersection needs to be redesigned.
Like I said, I feel bad for her. That's not going to stop me from jumping on her insurance company with both feet. They're doing thier level best to screw me out of fair value for my (totalled) car. I'm gonna screw right back.
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October 24th, 2009
01:38 pm - More Bad Automotive Karma
Guess I won't be going to TTnT this year. My car just got hit about 10 miles from site. It's probably totalled. Nobody badly hurt.
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October 12th, 2009
03:30 pm - To my friends in Pennsylvania
I'm going to be in Media, PA this weekend for an event, and I have a question; does Pennsylvania still ban the importation of firewood? It looks like the weather on Friday is going to SUCK, and I'm going to need to get a fire going first thing on Saturday, so I'll need dry wood. I could bring some with, but don't want to break any kind of laws or anything. If neccessary, I guess I can just gets LOTS of charcoal.
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October 10th, 2009
08:55 pm - Updateyness
So, much was accomplished. The ale was brewed, the wort is resting, and I'll probably pitch the yeast before bed. I'm a little nervous - it's a long time for it to cool before I seal it up, but I can't reall sanitize my counter-flow wort chiller right now, so I've gotta do it the slow way.
Compote was also made. It's not too bad, although it's a kind of dreary brown color - last time, I used red wine, and it was nicer-looking.
I cooked a batch of noucato - I found several references to it in French sources, although the only recipe I had was from a 14thC Tuscan manuscript that appears to a be a partial translation of an early edition of Tallaivent. Basically, it's a nut brittle made with honey and spices. I used walnuts, almonds, and pine nuts. I made about 3 lbs, and I'm not sure any of it is going to make it to CP. It's pretty good.
Mustard has been started - I make my hypocras with whole spices (much easier to filter), so those were ground, the mustard seeds and the spices were set to steep in vinegar and wine, and in a few days I'll re-grind the whole thing.
White hypocras is brewing right now. This time of year, I use mostly as a cooking ingredient - it makes the most amazing apple moile, for instance. Also, it adds a lot of subtle flavor to pottage. Mostly, I serve the red (warmed up) for drinking. During the summer, I chill the white and serve that - it's actually quite refreshing.
Tomorrow, I'll drive to the co-op and stock up on things like bulk grains for cooking next weekend. Fruits and veg will wait until later in the week, and I've already got most of the meat. I'll also spend much of tomorrow making stock, so that will be out of the way. We went through about 3 gallons of stock last year, so I'll make some extra this time. It's annoying to run out.
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09:54 am - On todays' punchlist
*White hypocras (different than white hypocrites - I'll be boiling some of those later in the week, natch)
*Mustard (using the hypocras spices. I loves me my food proccessor)
*Compote (also using hypocras spices, and some fresh ones, and some of the 50 lbs!! of walnuts I've harvested from the yard)
*Noucat, also making use of the walnuts, and the honey that is crystallizing on the back of the pantry shelf.
Then may, if there's time, a batch of Clare ale. Although if the weather continues to look crappy, that'll wait until tomorrow.
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October 9th, 2009
09:02 pm - Hypocras
The house is filled with the aroma of hypocras. This time, I'm going to save the spices and use them to make mustard, or possibly compote.
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October 8th, 2009
09:59 pm - To quote Edmund Blackadder
"The path of my life is strew with cowpats from The Devil's own satanic herd!"
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October 5th, 2009
09:04 pm - Fredo, Fredo, Fredo...
Brett Farve is dead to me. He has betrayed the team that made him great. He has debased himself. He has defecated upon his legacy. He is as nothing.
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September 27th, 2009
06:47 pm - Busy Weekend
Today I picked up 4 new hens. Two of them are wheaten bantams, about the size of pigeons. They shall henceforth be known as Tikka and Masala. The other two are barred rocks pullets of uncertain age; they are definitely not old enough to lay, but judging by size, they're probably pretty close.
I have a new tractor as well, with considerably more room, so I've also moved Omlette in with the new girls. She's less than thrilled right now, but since she was very much the low bird in the pecking order in the other tractor, I'm hoping that she does a little better in the new flock.
Saturday was Lochmere Baronial Birthday, which was entertaining, but sales were sucktastic. This is the sencond Lochmere event I've come up dry on; time to step up, folks...
I had lots of fun sitting and gossiping, though. THe weather started fine, but ended badly, and the tent is spread out in the backyard drying.
It's been a busy week, getting the new enclosure built, getting another couple kilnsloads fired through, and doing some work in the yard. The next thing I'm planning is Colonial Plantation, so I've got a fair bit of prep for that, but it's three weeks out, so I've got time.
It's time to turn on the moron box and try to get caught up on shows that I've recorded on the DVR. Since I'm suffering from total loss of focus, I'm going to stop typing now.
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September 18th, 2009
09:43 pm - High VOLTage
Lunch was truly excelent. I went with Mom, who had the afternoon off. Apparently it's still Restaurant Week, which meant that it was VERY busy. The advantage was that RW pricing was in effect, meaning a 3-course lunch for 20.09. Given the quality of the food, it was one of the better deals I've encountered.
For starters, I had the beet salad and Mom had the ravioli. I really enjoyed the beets, and the three different dressings and whipped chevre complimented the sweetness of the beets BEAUTIFULLY. Once I finished, I found myself using a scrap of bread to mop up the last drips of sauce. The flavors were balanced, nuanced, and perfectly showcased the ingredients. Mom had the ravioli, which was (if possible)even better. The cheese filling was salty and delicious, and the corn and chantrelle butter sauce was one of the best things I've ever eaten.
Mom's entree was the Angus cheeseburger, which was, well, a cheeseburger. Admittedly, it was The Cadillac Of Cheeseburgers, but it really wouldn't have been my choice. OTOH, Mom isn't all that adventurous a diner, and she was very happy with the cheeseburger. She also brought half of it home - it's h-yooge. I had the Whitmore Farms lamb, which turns out to be a lamb cutlet wrapped in lamb sausage, servd over lentils and pine nuts, with a "mint jelly" essence that looks disturbingly green but tastes heavenly. The lamb was cooked with care and precision, the sausage was superbly seasoned, and the dish was truly excellent. If you like lamb (and I do), I highly recommend it. Also, it was nice to see careful attention paid to something as prosaic as the lentils the lamb rested on.
We both had the "textures of chocolate" for dessert. It's five different ways to have chocolate, just a taste of each, and if you consider yourself a serious chocoholic, this is the dessert for you. The coffee is all roasted by Dublin Coffee Roasters, who were formerly the roasters at Frederick Coffee Company. I had the Kona, but if I had wanted decaf, they offer a Kenya AA that you'll never know is unleaded. It was nice to taste the handiwork of old freinds, and I sent a complimentary email to Serena and her crew there.
Anyway, while it's definitely a fine dining destination, and therefore not cheap, the value is good for the quality of food. If you are looking for a special occasion dinner, I'd strongly recommend a visit. If you are willing to spend a fair chunk of change, I suggest that the chef's table tasting menu is probably a very safe gamble.
After watching his work on Top Chef, and trying his food at his restuarant, I can say I am deeply impressed with chef Bryan Voltaggio. His ability to compose a dish is unquestioned, and his mastery of flavor is amazing. His food is nuanced and subtle, but makes a strong statement and showcases the best of local produce and meats.
I am SO going back.
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September 14th, 2009
09:31 pm - Batmobile!
I'm afraid that sometime on Saturday night, I drove right up some poor bat's backside...
Um, sorry 'bout that.
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September 11th, 2009
08:14 pm - Regrets, yeah, I've had a few...
I was listening to a brief blurb on the radio about collectibles that turn out to be worth a small fortune, and it reminded me...
When I was a kid, my dad knew a guy named Gordon who did special effects makeup. He did some of the creature stuff for Lucasfilms, and I was DEEPLY impressed to met someone who had done work on Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back.
One time when we were visiting, he gave me a magazine. A glossy trade pub, really - a press-release kinda thing. Thought I might enjoy it.
It was titled "The Making of _Revenge of the Jedi_" (the original working title). It was full of descriptions of how they accomplished certain effects, with loving detail lavished on the model-making shop (my particular interest). I devoured it like a 15-year-old boy looks at porn - with a single-minded intensity that worries observers.
In odd moments, I find myself wondering what it would be worth now...? I wish I'd kept close track of it. *sigh*
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August 12th, 2009
09:15 pm - Some observations on the behavior of small-brained flightless birds
Margaret Thatcher is definitely the boss. She bullies the little ones, who pretty much act like chicks around her. Now that they are properly submissive, she's not nearly so brutal towards them.
She also micromanages them. She keeps them stuck inside the coop until she thinks it's time to come out, then she goes inside and chases them down the ramp. If I approach the enclosure empty-handed, and they are outside, she'll chase them inside. If I am carrying a plate, then she will accept the tribute that is her due, then chase the little girls out of the coop and herd them over to the treat plate.
This is a picture of a two-legged garbage disposal. It loves overripe tomatoes, cheese rinds, salami that fell on the floor, soggy rice chex in milk, and pretty much anything else vaguely edible. It also knows that people carrying plates or bowls mean "Food!" Tomorrow we'll see how it feels about VERY stale angel food cake.
This one is Margaret Thatcher, BTW.
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01:45 pm - What to my wondering eyes should appear...
I really didn't expect eggs for a couple of weeks; I've been told (repeatedly) that any significant stress (like moving to a new place, smaller coop, etc.) will cause hens to go into a molt, and stop laying for many days.
Um, it looks like that isn't much of a problem. While they weren't there first thing this morning, by lunchtime there were two brand-spanking-new eggs. Since the older girls have lived with a rooster until yesterday, they're probably fertilized, and could be hatched and *presto* we have more chickens...but that wasn't really the point, and neither hen shows signs of going broody, so I'd be stuck incubating them and hand-raising them. Not impossible, but not something I'm interested in experimenting with at this point.
Still...wow. Let's see if they continue to lay.
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August 11th, 2009
03:25 pm
I am now a small-scale livestock owner...5 chickens. Two black Australorps and three Ameraucana Easter-Eggers.
Total cost on the chickens themselves is zero. I tried to make the ark for less than 100 dollars (FAIL), but it would up costing more like $150. OTOH, it's pretty much bullet-proof, or, more to the point, raccoon-proof. Outdoor hardware isn't all that cheap. A month's supply of feed is about 8 dollars. Less during the summer, since we can supplement with garden waste. The Austalorps should keep bearing well for a year or so, and the AEEs for about two years (they're not quite mature enough to start alying yet - about another month or so). Theoretically, they can lay occasionally for 10-12 years, but once they are past peak production (about 2 to 2 1/2 years), they get to take a long bath in hot broth.
Medium eggs were about $2.29 a dozen at Giant Eagle yesterday. A typical layer can produce 18 eggs per month without too much trouble. While it'll take several years for the cost of the ark to amortize, the feed-to-egg cost is a bit less than 1 dollar a dozen. At that rate, with five chickens, the ark pays for itself in roughly a year.
Of course, if I add more chickens, the costs amortize out quicker. If I add enough to get enough eggs to bother selling, then the amortization happens even quicker - organic, free-range eggs are running about $4 a dozen locally. I'm already feeding organic, unmedicated feed, and if I were to acfquire enough to make an enterprise out of it, I'd enclose part of the yard and free-range them.
The ark (or tractor, if you prefer) moves about once a week, so they are effectively free-ranging already. In addition to feed from the local co-op, they get all the bugs and weed-seeds they can reach, all the veggie and fruit waste we generate, other kitchen and table scraps, and once they are better-acclimated to the area, I'll open the ark and really free-range them for a couple hours each day. Once the garden starts to go fallow in the fall, I'll also turn them loose in it for a couple weeks to help elimiate weeds, turn over the soil, and fertilize.
Yes, I have thought this through. A lot. I've done math, even.
And, I've gotta say, coming home from Pennsic and immediately shifting gears into finishing the ark and getting ready for 5 mental midgets living in the backyard has put me in a vastly better mood. I'm even ready to contemplate getting back to work for coronation.
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