My Hand Is Being An A-hole

You guys have heard me brag before, about my pit bull-like Kung-fu grip. Normally if you were to find yourself dangling off the side of a cliff, I'm who you'd want to show up-- at least until someone stronger came along who could perhaps actually lift you to safety-- but I could hang onto you forever. This morning I could hardly open a Ziploc bag though. Boo.

Meanwhile, my hand is all stoked about it's new physique. See this muscle? I think it's called the hand-pec or something. Yeah, it's really ripped now.

Check out this monster. As you can see the cat is terrified. Now my hand's ego is totally out of control. It's always flexing in the mirror and puffing itself up around other less "cut" hands. I'm worried it's going to start wearing Oakley's and muscle shirts, or even, good lord, start driving a Hummer.

Fortunately this joint is keeping it in check. It's hard to feel like too much of a superstar when you creak and crack and are in pain.

Tibia is being kind of a jerk today too. Yesterday the trail got slick and I had to do a lot of unplanned hopping around to stay up on a few downhill sections. The outside of the fracture is calcified, but the crack still shows up on x-rays. The x-ray looks like something from the Flintstones-- a leg bone with a zigzaggy crack right across the middle. It still hurts if I abuse it too much. They wanted to put a rod in but I veto'd it. Stuff can usually heal itself if you let it. It's a bone. It should eventually knit back together.

A couple of summers ago I had back and leg issues big time. For a while I rode my bike mostly one legged, upright with a hand on my hip like, "Hey, how ya doin'?" because my back couldn't support the weight of my torso bending forward it was so messed up. Eventually I was reduced to wearing a walking cast on the leg, and spending about three months laying on my stomach all day on the picnic table, writing between bout's of physical therapy. It sucked.

So much better now, but it takes maintenance. I have to strike a balance between staying active enough to keep my weight right and all the machinery in working order (and me from going nuts) and not re injuring stuff. So today I will run again, because it's bone building and good for me in lots of ways (back, head), but will take it easy. No land speed records.

Wow, welcome to oldie-ville. What a boring post. Sorry. Promise to be more entertaining and less whiny tomorrow.

Production Fail -- Art Win?

Slag. The bane of my existence. OK, famine and a few other things suck too, but slag is right up there. That little pile of stuff on the corner of my bench-- that's what it looks like after I knock it off with my what?--- That's right people, my slag hammer.

That's what it looks like-- so suck it pervs who keep hitting my blog by searching "slags doing this and that". (You know who you are London, Ireland, Norway... Norway, really, kind of surprised/disappointed in you.)

My goal of finishing all 8 herons by lunch today was a total joke. I really was working hard and fast all day, but only finished 3 & 1/2. Even with all the major components prep'd they're just taking a while. They keep getting more and more elaborate, and all have to be individuals of course.

They're becoming super-heroic. I keep imagining them harboring secret fantasies of daring do. Could be projecting. Hmmm...

In other SueNews: yeah right, like there is any. Running is going awesome. Tibia cooperating.

Not A Psycho Killer-- Yay!

Not only is BikeStoreGuy Brian not a psycho killer, he's actually a really cool guy and came through for me BIG TIME. Check out the haul!

Not only did he give me all these goodies and then some, when I told him I was thinking about making some kind of cart to wheel one end of my kayak (because I'm too wimpy to just hoist it over my head and carry it around) he goes, "Hmm, come back to my shed with me." My pal Jamie whispers, "This is the part where he's going to kill us..." (Yes, I brought a buddy, just in case.) -- But no! No killing involved! He rummages around and pulls out this awesome cart he once made exactly for that purpose and he just GAVE it to me.

This guy is so cool. He's got a whole garage full of bikes: one really weird extra long one he made to carry a whole bunch of stuff, even his kayak, a pug, numerous fixed gears (?) (single speeds), -- seriously, like a dozen bikes. He also had a pretty bad-ass looking little speedy boat and a motorcycle, but he has no car, and no computer. Since there is 0% chance he'll see this I'll tell you-- he's cute too yo, and single. If you think you can keep up with him, throw your bike in front of a car and bring it to the Coon Rapids Eric's and ask for Brian. ;D

So anyway, it was nice to have my "most-people-are-actually-pretty-cool-if-you-give-them-half-a-chance" theory play out once again. He seemed to really like the bike gear necklace I made for him as a thank you, but I might owe him some more art for that kayak cart...

Speaking of art, here's a heron. I want to make 8 for the show. I have a commission waiting for an order of 5, so I'll either sell them all (that would be just fine) or be that much ahead on my commission.

I have got to spank the hell out of it for the next 9 days. I'm not sure how many of you are old enough to have had stuff start breaking on you yet, but take it from me-- it's a total frickin' outrage! My back is starting to not like all the hours in the shop, and the joint that connects my thumb to my hand isn't too happy either.

I need to get some more runs in for my back. Major extension = Goood. The thumb, well, I need to start using my Vicegrips instead of my vice-like grip. Tomorrow I'm running no matter if it's raining or what-- this weather is incurring my wrath, and trying to make me fat, and giving me Russell Brand hair, which is not as cool on a chick. That is all.

Tick Tick TOCK

Hey People. The clock is ticking big time now. Less than 2 weeks until the show and-- gasp!-- there is no friggin' way I'll get everything done I want to. But I never ever do, and if the deadline was in two months the same exact sitch would develop because I always keep tacking on a bunch of other things i want to try to get done right up until loading time. I have never loaded a show with completely cooled welds yet. Oh wells.

Meanwhile-- Dude Hand pwn'd. As you can see by these pretend hands, dudes just have more meat on their palms and their hands are a little bigger. All better now.

So here she is. I have to say I'm super into her.
(You can click for better view.)

Thinking about making some individual oak leaves for an inexpensive take away.
(?)

This weekend was a recovering from double shifts weekend. The cats were like-- "She's in the house and there's no computer on her lap-- swarm!" And Dan was happy to get some attention too. He'd kind of become an occasional murmuring Charlie Brown's teacher's voice in the background. I'd be typing away furiously and suddenly realize-- "Oh, crap-- he's been talking to me." So there was much hang-y out-y time to make up for.

I thought I was over my giant stoner vision from my double shift phase, but going out into the world amid the general population today cured me of that notion. I dropped my bike off at the shop to have them check out my 'puter, didn't leave them the actual puter though, missed turns (not like me), forgot tons of shit I was supposed to bring, do, etc, and seriously-- like four times today I was like, "Oh shit-- this is the exit-- oh well." The last time I just went with it and was like, "I'm going out the in (in that ha ha-ha-ha ha sing song voice), then "right in front of a co-o-op...". (And I'm usually aces on the driving thing, srsly.)

Welding mojo is back I'm happy to report. Maybe some heron pics tomorrow.
I also successfully tracked down a BSG (BikeStoreGuy) from one of the Eric's I hit today who has a bunch of junked gear assemblies he's going to give me tomorrow. I have to go get them at his place so hopefully he's not a bike fixer and psycho killer. You'll just have to stay tuned to see what I do with those goodies. Later.

Dude Hand

Hey people. Welcome to Fav Music Friday. Today's pic is totally unrepentant pop. Check out Beyonce` in "Single Ladies", a fun super produced number and object lesson in how people are constructed btw. Lot's of movement. One thing I've always really like about Beyonce` is how comfortable she is in her skin. She's always been considered beautiful, but girl has some drummies on her. She's not as emaciated as we tend to like our girl icons. She's strong, healthy, and gorgeously owning it. Enjoy-- but then scroll down.





OK-- This is the real reason I veered off my usual rock road today. This is a little long, but watch the first minute-and-a-half if you can. These girls crack me up. I'd dork-out with them anytime. When mah seestah was here after Christmas the only things that prevented a gold pants version of this happening was little kids hanging off of us and me getting sick. In retrospect-- Thank you Jaden and Megan-- from the general public.




In other SueNews-- Today I'm more coherent, but yesterday was a total friggin' waste. Everything took forever because I had giant StonerVision all day and kept staring off into space and forgetting what I was doing, plus, all my bendy-weldy mojo was diminished. It took practically all damn day to make one hand. Hands can be really expressive and the raven has now taken on some heavy symbolism to me so I want to get that hand just right. Jez is kind of half welcoming it half protecting it. I got the gesture down, but she has dude hand-- too big, not acceptable. Eff. Eff. Eff.

Oh Wells. Today is hand pwnation day, and I have to go to the steel yard. Later peeps.

I'm Getting In My Flying Car & Getting Out Of Here!

Me + Wall = Splat. I'm seriously impaired yo. I know all over the world there are moms of babies and med school residents keeping all kinds of crazy hours, but mama needs her 8 hours. Yesterday I seriously contemplated taking a short nap on the floor of my shop. Then that seemed kind of carbon monoxidey of me so I went out side and walked around a minute and thought about lying in the snow for a few minutes. Last night I went out with some art/writey buds and everything seemed a little surreal, and on my way home I was like-- crap! I'm totally driving like a waste-o!

So, could i actually sleep all night last night? The second night in weeks I could conceivably get my 8? No. No I could not. I woke up after only 5 hours. It took me almost 3 hours to fall back asleep, and when I did I had this freaky dream that I kept face planting all over my house and had to race to the doctor in my flying car to get treated for mono. Weirdly it was my same old subaru, but now it could fly. My treatment involved getting into a super gross hot tub (shudder), and running up and down stairs. Yeah.

Thank goodness the double shifts are over, but I might need a couple of days to return to "normal".

Otherwise yesterday was productive. The gloves are just to show where her hands will be. Hers will hopefully be a lot less Mickey Mouse.

You feeling her yet? I am.

Wow-- you should have seen how many typos this post had. Now there's a giant taco driving a convertible on my t.v. Maybe this is all still some weird dream...

Fash-on.

Today was interrupted by a dentist appointment. I hate going to the dentist. Hate. Hate. But my hygienist is really nice, so I at least show up now. I have this weird thing where complete strangers-- or brand new friends-- will tell me their deepest most personal stuff. It's always been that way. Maybe I was a therapist in another life. The first time I went to this gal for a cleaning I hadn't been in there more than ten minutes before she was balling her eyes out telling me all her troubles with her hands stuffed inside my mouth. Anyway, my appointment kind of messed with my flow today but otherwise I was pretty productive.

Here's the raven and where I'm planning on putting him.

And Jez's outfit got a bit more couture today. I decided to go with oak leaves for the ruffly skirt under her topcoat. (you can click pic for a better look) These took a while to cut, but I like it.

I thought I was two days out, but it might be two as of today. Hands are hard and will probably take a whole day, and I want to make her headdress more elaborate, and I still have parts of the coat to finish off. I can totally see the finished product in my head now though. I think she'll be really pretty awesome when done. A-game!

As for writery stuff-- Betas have all weighed in and have given their stamps of approval. I can't believe how helpful these people were. Two are more writing centric, and are both SO SMART. What one wouldn't catch the other would and both had absolutely amazing suggestions. The other isn't into writing at all-- which is great to get that perspective, but is kind of an unofficial expert in paranormal stuff. Since my story revolves around ghosts getting her input and validation was really awesome.

Now I'm proof reading my revision so there might be another couple of double shifts yet, but then I resubmit to AgentCoolAssChicka. Presumably I'll be too busy totally freaking out about the show to go into obsessive email checking mode at that point which is probably good.