I Guess I Didn't Need to Pack...

Yesterday morning, I decided to take a quick detour on the way to work, to hit Starbucks. Iced white chocolate mocha, breakfast sammich, and a Puppaccino for Grace! Yum!When I got back to the car I saw I had missed a message and decided to play it while I gave Grace her treat.

It was a message from Laguna Clay: You kiln arrived and is on a truck to deliver by noon today!

Wow! Nothing like a little notice, huh? But hey, why complain when your hard work and sacrifice is getting delivered?

I was dancing like a little kid on an epic sugar high on Christmas morning!

And after the combined efforts of myself, my dad, and the kindest delivery man on the planet (which made the trials of Sisyphus look like a walk in the park), the kiln was in its place!

But there was a small wrinkle...

The socket for the kiln was upside down. I texted my electrician (also a standup guy who I would recommend to anyone who needed work done) and asked if I could just unscrew and flip the socket around. He said I could, and offered to come out and do it, which he did. For free. He also trimmed the bottom of the box, itself, to accommodate the giant square plug.

And then there was the glorious moment when the touch screen lit up! YAAAS! And the touch screen is made to tilt so you don't have to squat down to program it!

And there's a lid lifter! It helps lift the lid so it's not too heavy for me to lift!

And I got the rolling stand with an adaptor for the downdraft exhaust vent system.

So today I get to finish prepping it for the first test firing. Vacuuming out the inside and especially the kiln elements, finishing the exhaust vent setup, putting kiln wash on the new shelves... It's going to be a busy day!

But man, what a triumph!

Finally Friday

It's been a busy week here at the nest. West Coast Haunters Convention started yesterday, and I donated a jack-o'-lantern to the auction they're doing for the charity for which the convention is held: The Oregon School for the Deaf.

Of course, since I couldn't make it because of my foot, a heavy production schedule and a heavy travel schedule, Chris Ape had to go, too! His friends at Davis Graveyard had invited him and offered to host him, so he went along with the jack-o'-lantern.

I have to admit to being wicked jealous of Ape. He got to go to the Rocky Horror Picture Show with the crew from the Davis Graveyard, and I didn't!

Ape being protected from the rain during the show...

Afterward, he hit Bar 13 with the gang, and apparently was doing a little bartending for them. If I were them, I'd be a bit concerned about the Rufalin factor...

Meanwhile, back at the home front, our friends at Oak Park Brewing Company are working hard at the construction of the interior space! They got an inspection out of the way this week, and are ready  to pour concrete where the brewing tanks are going to go. 

 I was busy at work at the Most Expensive Craft Table in the World, underglazing greenware to go into a bisque firing.

 I started a kiln load of decals to test them out and see how they'd look. I get to open the kiln tomorrow and find out!

 And the bittersweet moment of my dreams realized, then crushed, again, happened yesterday.

 The new kiln arrived! Hooray!

New kiln base with my little workhorse next to it.

Being assembled, piece by piece!

 The fully assembled kiln! Yay!

Then we turned it on. It worked... and then my breaker flipped. And I discovered one not-so-small fly in the ointment.

I don't have enough juice to run the thing. 

Totally my bad. I thought I heard we had a 60 amp breaker and the right wiring from the box to the garage, which are on opposite sides of the house from each other. That was not the case. So now, in order to use it, I have to get the wiring into the garage, which may cost another several thousand dollars I really don't have right now, since I got laid off in January and I'm still not able to work, yet.

Phooey.

All the stuff I had planned to get done for Scare LA and for Halloween and Vine? Distinct possibility I won't get it done. To say that I was "in a mood" yesterday is to make a massive understatement.

Oh, well. I'll figure out how to get this done. It's certainly not the end of the world!

A Little Help, Please

As you're all aware, my attempt at a new kiln was thwarted, and I was forced to re-sell it. The problem, of course, is that I'm still in need of a new kiln. The one I have is too small to do larger pieces, and I don't have a digital control, which would broaden my range of glazes and effects exponentially!

Well, I am nothing if not persistent (some call it stubborn, but I call it persistence!), and recently discovered that Intuit is having a $5000 giveaway for fifteen small businesses like mine. $5000 will not only cover a new kiln (helloooo, warranty!), but will cover the cost to install the new electrical for it, as well. 

I've submitted my wish here: http://bit.ly/Zpo8gp, so please, click on the link and vote for my wish. It means larger jacks at Hallowe'en for you, you know! :) 

If you can, please post about my wish everywhere you can think of to give me a boost in the votes. The "wish granting" begins on May 6th, so please, vote early! I'm not sure yet if it's a situation where you can vote more than once, but I'll get back to you on that. Update: Yes, you can vote once a day! So please do! :)

Thanks, you guys! I really appreciate your help!