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February 25, 2007
Week in review.
I have pictures to show from the studio today, and might even get around to uploading them tonight. But for now, I'm exhausted, and all I can muster is a list with bullet points. It's been a rough few weeks (but it's about to get much, much better).
~ I'm having trouble this semester with keeping motivated to teach my class. I've pretty much felt crappy about teaching this Drawing II class ever since learning that the budget for nude models was blown last fall and there is no money to hire models for Drawing II. I was excited to teach figure drawing, it's something I'm good at and passionate about and I feel I have a lot I can give to my students in that area, and my students are getting screwed by not having that in their curriculum at this level. I think they'll be at a disadvantage later on for not having the groundwork laid this early in working with the human form. Blech. I've been trying some things to make the class fun and exciting, and my students are doing okay and seem to be enjoying themselves and learning something, but I can't shake this dread, three days a week: I don't want to teach today. I don't want to teach today. I really need to find a way to turn this negative mantra into a positive one.
~ I took my navel piercing out this week, after six years of it never really healing properly (Mom: don't get too excited, I still have more piercings now, even without it, than I did when you got pissed at me for getting this one) (everyone else: yes, I'm thirty five years old and still catch hell from my mom every time I put ink or metal in or through my skin; so what?). I have to tell you, it feels really good to have this piercing out; I never switched up the original barbell to a smaller one, and it was constantly catching on everything, more than I realized. Since taking it out I notice it all the time, every time I don't catch it on my shirt or don't have to move it out of the way when I bend over. I just hope it doesn't heal up too funny-looking.
~ there is nothing on my laptop keyboard with which to make a proper bullet point.
~ I feel like I got off easy because I only had three critiques in two days this week; a few of my colleagues had four or five. My critiques all went well, but still, that's hard work.
~ I don't know how I'm going to be able to bear it when I have to give my loaner spinning wheel back to its owner. If anybody wants to help me finance one by buying six hundred dollars worth of art, give me a shout.
~ on Tuesday morning the printmaking grads had critiques with visiting artist Lesley Dill; she was brought in by the painting and drawing department but I requested that we be able to have a studio visit from her as well (because, ever since I came to UGA, every single faculty member and visiting artist who has come into my studio has mentioned her name in the first three minutes), and it was a really good experience. She said some things that really resonated with me, and was a calming and reassuring presence that I think may have had something to do with the sudden positive attitude around Green Street this week, as the atmosphere thus far in the semester has often been negative.
~ if I eat a whole pound of tofu for supper, will I gain a whole pound? Just wondering.
~ I don't know how a man gets to be thirty five years old without somewhere along the line learning that it's not very polite to leave the toilet unflushed, every night, when there are other people in the house*.
~ don't people in pharmacy school have to learn about chemicals and stuff? Because when I asked a pharmacist today, "what do you recommend for this chemical burn on my hands? It's caused by mineral spirits, and liquid asphaltum. Which also contains mineral spirits", I was met with a blank stare. Then she asked, "does that have any detrimental effects?" (um, isn't it her job to answer that?), to which I replied "well, it did give me this chemical burn, so I'd say yes, it does".
~ to be fair, the aloe gel she recommended feels very, very good. I'm probably using too much of it, but whatever. This is the first time in over a week that my hands haven't burned or stung or itched. I may just fill some rubber gloves with aloe gel and wear them all the time.
~ Peter will be here tomorrow! one more sleep! and just in time, I've developed this lovely chemical burn all over the backs of both my hands. Hubba hubba, I feel sexy.
*EDIT: on re-reading this, I realized that some of you might get the wrong idea here and think I was referring to my beloved: I wasn't. He is perfectly considerate and wonderful (and, did I mention, coming here tomorrow?!) and also, well over thirty five.
Posted by jodi at February 25, 2007 04:54 PM | categories: self-absorbtion
Comments
Chemical burns on your hands? Could be worse. Imagine if you had a bloody fat lip from being butt-ended... like I do.
Posted by: peter at February 25, 2007 07:52 PM
Love your spinning work--it's very exciting the way it's turning out. The pharmacist may have been temporarily stunned that you weren't asking about some drug whose ad was on t.v. (Uh...can I have some of that Cymbalta or whatever? I wanna be happy...) Also, after two years I finally figured out that the headaches I was having were due to an eyebrow ring combined with a tendency to sleep on my face. Took the ring out, have less "weird pains in my face." The scar is barely perceptible, but of course, belly skin is different from facial skin, but still, I suspect it will also be okay. You could always cover it up with a tatoo--your mother would love it :)
Solvieg
Posted by: solvi at February 25, 2007 08:41 PM
Have you tried rubbing barrier cream into your hands before you put the gloves on? I hear that helps keep the chemicals out.
Posted by: crumpet at February 26, 2007 05:53 AM
My brother subscribes to this theory: "If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down."
Yeah. He's the weird one in the family.
Posted by: NWJR at February 26, 2007 10:21 AM
At night if it's yellow we leave it too. So not to disturb sleepers with flushing. We just put the seat down. So he may just think he's being polite.
Posted by: Sherry W at February 26, 2007 10:46 AM
I had a hell of a time with the navel piercing! Never healed properly and then after 7 years got SEVERELY infected at which point it had to be removed by a doctor. Not pretty. The 2 above that, y'know, the reasonably symmetrical ones never healed properly either. I've gone from 11 piercings total down to just my ears in my boring mid-30s. Heh. The ink is doing just fine! ;)
Posted by: Anna at February 26, 2007 10:58 AM
I'm not sure if you're a PC or a Mac user, but the mac shortcut for a bullet • is option + 8 [hitting option and 8 together.] I'm sure that there's got to be a way to do it on a pc too but I don't have one anywhere near me right now to check it out. You could look at the character map, but I'm guessing that that's far more work than you want to do. [It would be for me!]
Posted by: TheBon at February 26, 2007 12:51 PM
I think that last yarn is pretty too! The green sets off the pretty light colours...
Remember that nasty burn that Rylla got on her hands when she made a lot of salsa and forgot to put gloves on while she was chopping the jalapenos? I always file away experiences like that so that I don't mess meself up the same way...
Hope you and your sweet P have a great visit!
Huggs.
Posted by: Mary at February 26, 2007 04:20 PM