Midnight again

And we're just finishing up. Ro just finished loading the glaze kiln and got it started. It was quite a day. We started with packing 4 boxes to ship out, then went to the bank to deal with my phished account, then to the USPS.

BTW things are looking good with the accounts, only problem is they say it can take up to 10 days for the money to be returned to me. 10 DAYS WTF that's a serious amount of time to be without access to your bank account.

Home to finish the trimming and handles. Mixed a glaze. Took a break for a dinner, a beer and a board meeting for TCO then back home to glaze and load. Phew.

I had planned to also start wedging for more round mugs and then start throwing the butter keepers and goblets I already had prepared but I guess that will have to wait till tomorrow morning. Sometimes there is just too much stuff to fit into a day.

I have to admit though that I won't mind putting off the throwing for another day if I have a pile of Etsy orders to pack in the morning. That would be OK with me :)

Tired

I don't know why I have the urge to try to clarify my thoughts after a long day, but I do. It doesn't make any sense as I am usually so tired I can't put thoughts together in an orderly way. I suppose it might have something to do with feeling as if I have left things unfinished, which is almost always the case for potters. There's always something left to do unless you work in a stop date or a stop time and just be done.

So the unfinished things rattling around in my head: I have to pack 2 orders to ship out in the morning, then ship them out. While I am out I should go to the bank and make sure the issues with my phished account are being promptly dealt with. Then in the basement studio I have 10 more tankards to add handles to. I have a bucket full of 1 1/4lb balls of clay to make butter keepers and goblets out of. I also need to wedge up a box of clay to do more round mugs. I always need round mugs. In general there has been a run on mugs lately. The online sales of all things muggy has been excellent. I also have to mix a glaze, glaze some pots and load a kiln tomorrow. In the evening there's a board meeting for the Oasis, then I suspect we'll come home to finish up whatever I didn't do earlier.

Quite a Weekend Following Quite a Week

This has been quite a week and I had a lot of thoughts floating around inside my head, I tried to make sense of them here. Hopefully you won't find them too boring.

• Snow:We got a lot more than we were supposed to here in central PA, about 14". I haven't been out in it yet, but I understand my son came home from his pizza making and delivery job at 5AM, got stuck in the snow so badly our neighbor had to to tow him out. I'm glad he was awake to help! Morgan spent most of the afternoon shoveling. He said Catherine was probably going to get stuck coming home because it wasn't a wide opening and moments ago his prediction came true. She did get in, but apparently there were a couple attempts and some pushing before she made it.
• Gainesville: We're set up at The Hoggetowne Medieval Faire, There was a huge thunderstorm and our tent roof was damaged. Fortunately Jessa and Elliot found a solution and after the faire ends it will be replaced for next weeks opening at The Bay Area Renaissance Fair.
  
• Etsy: I have been amazed at the sudden activity on Etsy, It started while we were in New Hampshire for Birka, we came home to 2 orders and since then there has been at least one a day. I thought the streak was ending today, but someone just ordered 2 mugs. I wonder if this will continue. I hope so because it's been tough to get along without the money from my phished bank account.
  
• Phished Accounts: I found out on Wednesday that my ATM card number has been compromised and that someone in India purchased two plane tickets and a rail ticket with the money I don't have to spare. I have filed the paperwork and the bank says I'll get it all back and I won't have any overdraft charges because of it, but it may take a few days. The charges finally cleared today. Almost $600 wrapped up in this. Glad we had a snowstorm since I couldn't afford to go out :)
  
• Pizza: Ro and I just shared a marvelous homemade pizza, we had a lot of toppings so we split it up into sections. Plain Cheese, Fresh and frozen spinach, green, yellow and red peppers and onions and a garlic crust. I wish I had taken a picture, it was beautiful and delicious!
  
• Production: Today was a great day for production, so far I have made Tankards, soup mugs, medallions for magnets and I have wedged the clay for more butter keepers..feeling pretty good about it.
  
• Our beloved Zoo: We played with Marley today, he's Catherine's Hampster..a cute little rodent who is apparently frightening to the cats and dog..only one who seemed interested in him at all was Sammy..you can see her intently staring in the photo :) Pitty on the other hand didn't really care except she seemed to want to get him off of her. No picture of Pepper the dog checking him out, but Pepper seemed almost afraid of him.

OK.. I think I got it all out..I think I'll go turn that bucket of clay balls into butter keepers.