I release you to greater good……… Academia!

As of two weeks ago tomorrow I officially quit my job as a ceramic lab at the local community college. Should I rant now or hold off …… I still can't believe I'm not working there anymore, it's an adjustment, well honestly the "no paycheck" is the adjustment.  All that said: Wow, am I happy to be back in my studio and working for that all around taskmaster, speed demon, I'll sleep when I'm dead and all around bitch; Me! 

I did love the job and my eldest kid said to me when I got the job: "Mom, you have an academic brain, you'll be great!"  Well I might have an academic brain but I sure don't have the political fortitude to play nice with lazy dept. heads.  And so we know how this ends…… the guy with tenure stays and lab tech gets to drive home and vent on her blog.  (and I have not even started yet!) 

Seems with working, the gallery, shows and other stuff that seems to hit the fan weekly there has not been one minute to blog!  But then I found other social media outlets like Instagram and Periscope!  I cannot lie, I am hooked!  No words, just pictures and live streaming from my studio, with no filter or delay on my mouth!  Whoa!  But I miss blogging and in two weeks I have realized how much of my soul I traded for $15 an hour.  Granted, I miss the audit students a bunch!  They were totally great and a reason to go to work.  

I was ready to quit at Christmas but thought I'd hang on a bit longer so I returned from the mountains of Colorado and returned to work.  Then in March I attended my first wood fire workshop, ever.  If you're gonna go big, go to the NCECA pre conference workshop.  Thank you Marcia Selsor for inviting me and putting up with me for a week!  Lori Leary too!  We survived too much testosterone, too much reduction, too much bull shit and as I look back I think this was an excellent warm up for the good times to come.  Older woman who come to participate, are pretty much invisible and ignored and it was frustrating and kind of shocking but alas we survived and are stronger for this experience……. and you gals from Homer, Alaska just rock!  I'd fire with you girls anywhere, anytime!  And that goes double for Marci and Lori! 

Pots from the wood fire and mugs purchased.

Mug#1: Josh DeWeese,  Mug#2 Lorna Meaden, Mug #3 Matt Hylack, 

Shotglass, Lori Leary.  The rest are all mine from the wood fire. 

The universe tests those of the us who question what the hell we are doing.  Turn in keys on Tuesday.  Wednesday, belts break on second wheel.  Thursday, walked out to the kiln, flashing error code 8. Your bottom elements are fried but I guess that is too hard to put into computer code.  Friday get an email; company is coming.  And so it goes……. I'm still fixing the kiln but everything else is fixed.  The house was napalmed for company and the pantry stocked.  

and then I blew the gallery apart because it was time for big changes….. the paint is still flying but the place will look great for Third Fridays! 

and then a jewelry store called and asked if I would do a pop up gallery on a Saturday and I said; Sure! 

and on the family front…..

the one in overalls is driving to Alaska to start her new job as an Asso. Professor at Alaska Pacific University but will be guiding for Alaskan Wilderness Adventures all summer…… Wow, her life just sucks.  LOL! 

Her partner in crime for the last two years is staying in Gunnison to finish her degree at Western Colorado and moving into a new apartment with Neil the cat……. who was last seen under the bed clutching his catnip stuffed mouse and lamenting; not again….. 

and they killed it for Mothers Day ….. 

and that is all I will bore the blog-o-sphere with tonight…… well one other thing.  It's so great to be back at home and in the studio I went for my nightly walk in the cemetery and played hide and seek with a pair of deer!  How cool is that?  Yes, I'm back!  Alert the deer!  Oh yeah and I kayaked two Sundays back!  Sublimely awesome to be paddling again! 

The next blog will have my rant on the dark ages of academia and my opinion on how to fix every damn thing….. and ya it's an election year since I'm on a roll :)  and I am the Dalimama!