PastelPoetry.com

Out of the Hospital

Ricky — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 19:44:17 +0000

I am out of the hospital and I am happy to say that I am doing well. I am still in a lot of pain and eating painkillers like they are from a Pez Dispenser but that is besides the point. However, I am fully cured and looking forward to my new lease on life )

Why?

Ricky — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 23:04:19 +0000

Where are his health records?

Ricky — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 20:00:45 +0000

John McCain has not yet released his medical records to the public.
McCain is 72 years old, and has been diagnosed with invasive melanoma.
In May of this year, a small group of selected reporters were allowed
to review 1,173 pages of McCain’s medical records and were allowed only
three hours to do so. John McCain’s health is an issue of profound
importance. We call on John McCain to issue a full, public disclosure
of all of his medical records, available for the media and members of
the general public to review.

Signed,
Ricky

The Rule of 3

Ricky — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 01:47:20 +0000

As long as I can remember, I have always been told that bad things come in 3’s. I seriously never took much stock in that until I started to live on my own at the ripe age of 17. Yes, I know that is young and why I am the person I am today. It was much much better than living on “the family” farm in which I was an indentured servant. honest to your god.

So in the last week, literally a week, the following three things have happened:

I have had to have an impromptu surgery, and that is still yet to be over as I have to go back for part 2 of it next week /
The car blew a hose and I had to drive to meet Daniel after Hockey practice nearly 60 miles away. Luckily he was able to MacGyver with duct tape in order to meet me half way and then was still able to drive it home. Stupid $12 hose was fixed the next day! Grrr.
The power went out at Daniel’s work and he has been working on all the problems associated with it ALL day! He is still there trying to get 2 servers back up and running so they have website and programs running before Monday. Luckily he knows that I am here for him to listen and provide some sort of recommendations to him.

I know this isn’t the end of the world but I am very happy that the 3 things are done and almost over with. I hope this isn’t like a pay it forward kind of thing because I would feel awful if someone else had 3 things go wrong with them.

Peace, Love, and Happy Thoughts,

Ricky

Thumbmaster Drinking Game

Ricky — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 02:29:28 +0000

The other night Daniel and I went over to Hilary and Derrick’s house. I was there for a short time before Hilary and her friend informed us they wanted us all to go to a bar and dance and drink. I was still recovering from my wrist and neither of us felt like going out. Derrick didn’t want to go either so the 3 of us stayed in and played the drinking game thumbmaster. We ended up killing a 30 pack of Coors Light and had a crazy good time.

Durring Derrick’s smoking breaks I snapped a few photo’s of the various pots I made and had given them as presents over the years. Although the plants in them have died, apparently neither one of them has a green thumb, the love that came with the pots are still strong.

Blue Faced Leicester Roving

Ricky — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 00:40:14 +0000

The other day I decided to get creative. I had 8oz of superwash Blue Faced Leicester roving just laying around the house and I was in the mood to hand dye so I would could spin out some yarn. Note to self: get a lighter drop spindle!

I tried taking some pictures of the roving hanging up to dry and the sample yarn I spun to see what the roving would look like post-drafting.

The colors remind me of a pomegranate. What do you think?

Labor Day Weekend Part 1

Ricky — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 06:01:52 +0000

Woah, holy shitload of fun batman! This weekend was a whirlwind of fun, as any holiday weekend should be. Talk about hangovers, sunburns, and full bellies

What an amzing picture of my wonderful husband!

I am posting right now about Saturday, out of order but I have friends waiting for the pictures from this day specifically. Hi Mike and Melissa!! *waves* Let me know which pics you want copies of so I can send you the full size version for your plethora of photo albums. I wish I was as diligent as you, instead I rely on my site to keep my records.

On Saturday, Daniel and I were invited to go on Lake Perris to go wakeboarding with his hockey teammates Mike and Melissa. Daniel LOVES wakeboarding and I love to be on the water, in the water, etc. We met them at 6am to get on the water before the lice of the water, AKA jet ski’s, made the lake too choppy. They are not so much lice because of the water conditions but because they, most of the time, have NO clue as to what the water rules are and pose a danger to people who enjoy water sports. I believe this stems from people renting the jetski’s for just a couple hours with no training on water safety. Sit those bitches down and teach them something before handing over the keys!

Anyway, Saturday was A LOT of fun! I am not a morning person in the slightest. Luckily Melissa isn’t either and that allowed for sufficient warming up time on my part.

When we arrived at the lake, after loading the boat up with drinkage and food, we enjoyed rounds of wakeboarding. I wasn’t able to particpate for various reasons that include me having a still recovering writst from a tragic and dangerous frisbee event (haha) and that I have never ever been able to get up on the wakeboard. Perhaps it is due to Daniel and his family as Mike and Melissa say they can get anybody up! Perhaps next time I shall try this forsaken sport of mine! I did agree to try wake surfing, I think it is called that, where you use an actual long board to surf on the wake of the boat. I am so stoked because I have only been able to bodysurf on “special” wave situations. Even that results in damage to some part of my body. As Melissa puts it, in regards to Mike, I AM delicate.

Once the water was too choppy for wakeboarding, M&M took us to this amazing, secluded, fantasy lagoon they were generous enough to share with Daniel and I. What an amazing place! Only one other boat, a kayaker, and a plethora of these weird Loch Ness Monster birds visited this spot the entire 5+ hours we stayed anchored to the same spot. We talked. We drank. We ate. We laughed. We played. It was awesome!

I am, however, extemely sunburned. Although, the burn has now darkened into an extreme “base tan.” I love that word ever since Daniel has decieded to use it over this summer to describe our wonderful golden color we have developed. It’s cute, so very cute to me and I love telling people about how adorable my Daniel is.

Below I have posted the pics from this weekend. I will also be posting pics from Friday, Sunday, and Monday in the next few days.

I have class tomorrow and when I get to ceramics I hope to find my recently posted vessels out of the kiln. I was the only one with items on the kiln cart so I doubt it. I really want to have my yarn bells, yarn bowls, etc out in time for my friday night knitting club at my LYS, Daily Fiber. I have people who would really like to see my work there. I look forward to my first friday of the month I am an old lady in a rocking chair at heart, holla!

Without further ado…

To The Kiln They Go

Ricky — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:06:19 +0000

I really hurt my hand the other day at the beach. I was trying to be macho and show off for Daniel by diving for the frisbee and I landed wrong. It hurts pretty bad but I am one tough cookie!

I made it to class and was able to glaze a few of my pieces. When I say “I glazed them” I am really saying “Steff glazed them for me.” I am thankful for her help but I am wishing I would have waited until I could dip them myself. I guess what my vision was for the glaze application wasn’t translated well into words on my part. Oh well! Maybe I will be very pleasantly surprised. It always seems to work out that way.

I also need to get over how I do not want any fingerprints or blemishes. I do know that this is what makes handmade pottery “handmade” but I want it to be exactly how I want it to be. I think that is why I enjoy hand drawing my design with slip trailers. Even though I do not use slip, underglaze has won my heart, I enjoy the trailers because I can be very precise and then just dip it in a translucent glaze. No guess work involved

Here are some pics I took after I put them on the glaze cart.

Don’t ask me to remember the glazes I applied until after they are fired! I didn’t write the glaze down and I was cloudy from the pain killers. I can see some things I am worried about like too clumpy, too drippy, too this or too that.

Time to pray to the kiln gods and hope that they treat me kindly!

New Greenware

Ricky — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 04:14:06 +0000

I posted the other day about some new pieces i threw on my pottery wheel here at my apartment. Since then I have turned and trimmed them to get rid of the excess clay as well as carving the holes out for the yarn bells and yarn bowls.

The funny thing is that I have already turned in 11 things to be bisque fired! Not bad for only the first week of the new semester! I can’t wait until I am able to have my own kiln once we buy our house. Although that means I will switch clay and glazes from Cone 10 down to Cone 6. I have never used anything other than Cone 10, except for when I Raku fire my stoneware. I have no idea if the clay feels different on the wheel but I know the glazes will have a learning curve for sure! What glaze doesn’t?! Regardless, I am very much looking forward to all of it

I have already started to draw my Meraki design on to some of the pieces, 2 are finished and 1 is sort of a test piece. I am trying my design out in some new colors to see if they convey the same feeling. I tried a green out but underglaze looks so different once out of the kiln and even more different with a glaze over top it. I love how pottery is always a learning experience!

Without further ado, please please please take a look and comment! Comments make me happy

Sorry a pic or two is blurry! I didn’t realize it when I took them and I want to show off all sides to give a view of how my design flows over the whole piece.

I also included some pics of Daniel getting ready to leave for ice hockey tonight. My little jock is adorable! His league starts up again soon and I am gladly awaiting to be his biggest fan in the bleachers. That’s how I roll!

Online Tip Jar

Ricky — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 22:34:55 +0000

Today a blogger, Seth Godin, wrote this article about the concept of an online tip jar by clicking on the ads appearing on blogs these days. I get the concept of helping out by clicking on the sponsors to provide a couple cents to the blogger who in turn will continue to write. He then wrote a follow up to his original post which you can read here.

However, J.D. Roth of Get Rich Slowly wrote a blog post today to counter argue Seth’s position. He says that people that click just to say thanks only hurt the blogger in the long run. If there are people just clicking to say thanks with no real interest in the actual advertiser than that advertiser will not renew the contract to advertise.

No matter how you look at it, both views are valid. If I had to choose a side I might have to go with the one who provided more points to back themselves up.

The winner, so far, would have to be Seth. He has listed a number of counterpoints to his own points to show how his view is valid. I do enjoy reading Get Rich Slowly but this time it might be a little too slow for my taste.

Remember, to every coin there are two sides.

The Wheel Was Turning

Ricky — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:36:30 +0000

School started yesterday and I put 3 of the pieces I made last week on the kiln cart to get fired (hopefully) later this week. I love having a plethora amount of projects working at any given time so I decided to go out on my wheel again today.

I spent close to two hours on my wheel today resulting in 8 new vessels. 7 yarn bowls or yarn bells, i haven’t decieded yet, and 1 small vase.

Please take a look at what I made and let me know your thoughts! )

The Times On McCain and His Horribleness

Ricky — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 07:51:03 +0000

On August 15, 2008 The Times wrote an article about something, in the article, about something I found disgusting and vile about John McCain.

I was reading my usual news website feeds that are very diverse, so that I can get the whole picture about the news. I read national and international news. How else can someone know what the real story is if they solely rely on their own country to report the truth? Hell, even going to one media source isn’t going to be accurate. That is like going to The Onion for your only news outlet! An exaggeration maybe, but the truth nonetheless.

Regardless, The Times wrote an article on the worst of McCain’s Bad Jokes which as a politician jokes, good or bad, should not be something you should even comment on. The people you represent should be respected and it should be your priority. Jokes are something you save for your family and friends and should not be made in front of the camera. Representative of the people who elected you first, person and humility second and private. I don’t care if people LOVE Obama and think he is hilarious, is that a reason to elect him president? No, absolutely not! You like his teeth, is that a reason? No! You elect him because you like his position and direction for this county.

McCain has made the following Bad Jokes and they are so so soooo horrible I feel everyone should have a read.

1. The rape joke. During his 1986 Senate campaign, he told the following joke in front of a number of journalists: “Did you hear the one about the woman who is attacked on the street by a gorilla, beaten senseless, raped repeatedly and left to die? When she finally regains consciousness and tries to speak, her doctor leans over to hear her sigh contently and to feebly ask, ‘Where is that marvelous ape?’”

2. The “Bomb Iran” song. Earlier in his presidential campaign, McCain was asked by a participant at a town hall meeting when the US “should send an air mail message to Tehran”. He replied: “Do you know that old Beach Boys song, Bomb Iran?” before proceeding to sing “Bomb bomb bomb” to the tune of the hit Barbara-Ann

3. The one about killing Iranians. In July, McCain was asked by reporters on the campaign trail about data showing a ten-fold increase in US exports to Iran during Bush’s presidency, with a particular rise in tobacco exports. “Maybe that’s a way of killing them,” he replied, chuckling awhile before adding: “I meant that as a joke.” Iran, understandably, was not so amused.

4. The Chelsea Clinton joke. At a Senate Republican fundraiser in 1998, when Chelsea was just 18, he took aim at both her appearance and that of the then attorney-general . “Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly?” he asked guests. “Because her father is Janet Reno.”

5. The one about waterboarding. Despite previously condemning primary rival Rudy Giuliani for comparing the race to torture, McCain made a similar reference at a press conference with Florida governor Charlie Crist in January this year. When Christ was asked by reporters whether McCain had pressured him for his endorsement, McCain, a torture victim himself, interjected: “It was just waterboarding.”

6. The other ones about waterboarding. About a month later, McCain made a very similar joke reported in the New York Times. With his presidential hopes apparently fading, a number of his staff had deserted the campaign, only to return when McCain resurrected his bid with a New Hampshire victory. There was, he jibed “a short period of waterboarding to find out what they did in their absence.”

7. The Fidel joke. In February amid reports of Castro’s failing health, McCain told a town hall in Indiana, “I hope he has the opportunity to meet Karl Marx very soon.”

8. The Alzheimers jibe. Shortly after President Reagan had been diagnosed with the degenerative illness, McCain made the following joke at a Republican fundraiser. “ Do you know the best thing about having Alzheimer’s?” he asked. “You get to hide your own Easter eggs.”

9. The IED joke. When appearing on the admittedly satirical (and liberal-leaning) programme The Daily Show earlier this year, McCain joked that he’d brought host John Stewart an improvised explosive device as a gift from Iraq. The jibe drew criticism from relatives of US soldiers, over 1,700 of whom have been killed by IEDs.

10. The one about the French. In an interview with Fox News, McCain aimed at America’s allies in Afghanistan. “You know,” he began, “the French remind me a little bit of an aging actress of the 1940s who is still trying to dine out on her looks but doesn’t have the face for it.”

A Video of this horrendous jokes can be found below:

Really? I mean really?!?!?

New Etsy Item Listing

Ricky — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 23:31:33 +0000

Hello everyone!

I had over 1,000 unique visitors to my site last week and I had maybe 5 comments! Please don’t be shy! I would love to hear what you have to say )

In other news I posted another one of my ceramic pieces for sale on Etsy today. This is a piece I made in the fall but I wasn’t done with it in time for my Spring sale. What a better time to list it then today?

I first wrote about this vessel back in March and you can see the original post here! It looks completely different but it is the one in the middle and the only one with a hole in the bottom.

I put a hole in the bottom on purpose! I swear it wasn’t because I trimmed through the bottom. I wanted to try a new shape and I thought it would make a perfect planter. However, since I would be firing it to Cone10 I needed a way for the water to escape. A river rock would be a perfect cover for it too.

This would also make a wonderful “yarn bell” or “yarn bowl” depending on what you call it.

I am really happy with the way that the underglaze Meraki pattern came out on this guy. I found that if I quickly dip it into kawaii celadon then it creates this raised glittery effect on my underglaze. The inside I airbrushed with purple haze and pete’s red glaze. I think the results are amazing and very beautiful!

Let me know what you think! I’m serious, comments are a wonderful thing )

You can check out my listing on Etsy here and my Etsy Shop here.

New Etsy Listing- Genie Bottle

Ricky — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 06:24:55 +0000

I posted a new listing on Etsy today for one of my ceramic vessels handthrown and handpainted by yours truly. I didn’t much care for turnout of the glazing because one glaze was shiny and the other matte and, while it normally looks great in combination, didn’t work well on this shape.

To correct this I ended up lightly sanding the vessel and then using a high quality acrylic to cover the original glazing.I think this bright green is a much better fit for the whimsical nature of the genie bottle!

I then handdrew my Meraki design on to it with permanent marker. I allowed to form of the vessel to dictate my direction in the pattern and I am happy with the results.

As I have said before, Meraki (may-rah-kee) is a Greek word that means doing something with soul, creativity, or love. It’s when you put something of yourself into what you’re doing. I think everyone knows that I LOVE WHAT I DO!

Please go to my Etsy Shop and look at my items for sale! The sale for this item can be found here!

Time Well Spent

Ricky — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 23:23:37 +0000

School starts up again next week and I have taken a break off from throwing anything on my pottery wheel. I have a wheel at my place but I have don’t have a kiln. I use the kitty-litter in a box trick to transport my bone dry pieces to school to be fired. As a wonderful of an idea as it is, I still manage to break a couple each time

To save myself the trouble of recycling the broken pieces I have just taken a couple months off. It was too hot to throw in the dead of summer anyway.

However, today the pottery bug bit me and I decided to go and throw. I formed 6 balls about 1lb each and then had at it. The first ball started out nicely until I forgot how pliable fresh clay is! That resulted in a collapsed cylinder. I am happy I chose the smallest ball to start out with )

After the first attempt the following 5 balls decided to cooperate… kinda. The general idea of throwing on the wheel is like that of riding a bike but the finesse is something easily forgotten! At least for me. I ended up making an interesting ashtray that I will give to one of my smoking friends. Mistakes are wonderful presents because friends always love something hand-made no matter how misshapen it is!

I also attempted to make yarn bells that a LYS has asked me to put on consignment in their shop. I also have a goup of ladies from the FNK (Friday Night Knitting) meetings that I sometimes go to at the first Friday of each month, that want to buy some as well. I plan on doing some with simple glazes and others with my meraki design on them. This way there will be something for everyone.

I also attempted to recreate shapes that seem to sell well as they show my design off well. Not to mention that they are a lof of fun to throw!

Without further ado, here is my progress today!

I included a picture of my (messy) wheel set up! The best part of not using the wheels at school is that I don’t have to clean my wheel completely after each session. Perhaps it is time again for me to do another deep cleaning on my little friend.

The picture of the plumeria is the “Memorial Plant” I got for Daniel last year when his Grandma Betty passed on. I am happy to report that it is doing very well! I hope to have a flower or two by the end of it’s season but I’m not sure. At least I’ve kept it alive! It is one of the hardest plants I have ever had to try and take care of! So finicky those plants are.