Tuesday December 8
The rain has stopped, the sky is clear, and the rooftops are frosty. The grass is also frosty, the dog isn’t going to want to walk on it to pee. He’ll definitely want back in after his morning constitutional. I’ll let him.
It’s Synthroid Day 1. Today the gloves come off – and the masks and plastic and all that. I have this first-day-of-the-rest-of-my-life type feeling.
One thing about a long trip like this, which is booked a long time in advance is that for months and months our departure date seems far away. And now the day has finally arrived. While waiting at the gate I downloaded some knitting apps for my iPhone. I have two different free row counters, a free needle inventory, and a 99 cent needle sizer. I’m going to be knitting swatches for a beginning knitting workshop I want to give.
Time to board. Time to turn off 3G, and go to airplane mode. Once we get to France, I’ll be accessing the web via wifi.
Man, my tush hurts, and I officially do not like Panera Bread. I need a new chair for my desk. In the past year, I’ve been spending many long hours sitting at the computer, and the seat of my chair seems to have lost all of it’s cushyness. I think the pain in my tush really started last fall when I was working on the Four Seasons Crown of Colors, and sitting for many long hours at a time. Which probably means I need a new work stool also. These days I’m on the computer 2-3 full days a week, and now my tush hurts.
I had a doctor’s appointment at UCLA, actually, I had an ultrasound of my thyroid. At my check-up in July my doctor thought my thyroid was enlarged, so she sent me for the ultrasound.
Afterwards I went into Santa Monica to the Relax the Back Store to look at the really expensive ergonomically designed chairs. I was over in Santa Monica on Saturday, also looking at Herman Miller chairs at Design Withih Reach. At RtB I looked at a Humanscale chair and several Lifeform models.
So far the best one is the Lifeform with the tempurpedic foam seat. I sat in it and my tush did not hurt as it does even now, sitting on an old bench at Panera Bread (which I tried for the first time today and officially do not like) at 5th and Wilshire in Santa Monica. It’s in the former Polly’s Pies, across from the former Zucky’s, and it looks – and feels- like they kept the old carpet and benches, and put some pictures of bread on the walls. I’m sitting on a long booth type bench that runs along one wall with small tables and chairs in front of it. The cushion has died and it feels like I’m sitting in a hole.
Why I’m thumbs down on Panera Bread is this: all they’re sandwiches are pre-made, and all of them have some version of secret sauce. If you want a sandwich with no mayo, they get kinda flustered and anxiously warn you it will take 15 minutes to make a new one. I don’t like pre-made sandwiches.
Well, my meter is about to run out. It’s time to head down the California incline, up the PCH, and over Topanga to home. I may stop at Crate & Barrel to look at chairs.
Clancy helping me and Michael hang my large piece in the living room
The things I do rather than working every day.
Today was Clancy’s recheck at the vet. This meant I had to give him his sedatives at 6:30 am so he would be ready for his 9:30 am appointment.
We have to sedate him to take him to the vet. This has been going on For years, ever since the first time he bit one of the techs who was trying to give him a shot. That was when we got the muzzle. I’ve been sedating and muzzling this 80 lb dog for 11 years now. Don’t get the wrong idea, I don’t have to carry a drugged 80 lb dog. Within the first few hours of sedation, he’ll still walk to the car. In fact, he’ll still growl, bark, and bite someone if he gets the chance.
Sunday two weeks ago, the day after the Forth of July, Clancy got a hot spot on his hind leg. Michael had to go to the pet store to get a cone to keep him from biting himself. We were out of sedatives when I took him to the vet Monday, and I didn’t put the muzzle on him at home because he gets rather agitated when it’s on. The past few years he’s been much calmer, so I thought we’d be ok. I was so wrong.
We couldn’t get the muzzel on him in the exam room, he kept biting it. So we decided to bring him back the next day. We went back to the waiting room to check out and get our medication. When we had gone in it was empty, but now there were other people with other pets there. One of the techs brought a pug out of the back and Clancy freaked out. Michael and I were holding him, trying not to get bit, and the receptionist came over to help us, but I had to warn her off with a loud, “don’t he bites!” Have I mentioned how much I hate this dog.
The next day we drugged him, dropped him off, and picked him up after he was treated. They had to shave his whole leg from the base of his tail to his ankle. He was passed out on the floor the rest of the day, as he is today. It was cleaning day and I explained to the cleaning crew about the vet and all. Today is cleaning day again, so I explained he had to go to the vet again. But still I’m afraid they’re going to think we always drug our dog.
Some people who know me don’t understand why I don’t like dogs, and why I don’t get all gushy over their cute little dogs. I may seem hard hearted, harsh. I used to like dogs, I used to like big dogs, but living with Clancy has taken all of the romance out of the canine species for me. its not just the aggressiveness toward other dogs, which renders him impossible to take out in public; nor the ticks, nor the dog hair all over the house, and its not just the stealing paper and eating it. The digging in the trash and eating tampons, that alone could turn me off from ever having another dog.
But when you have the whole package, when you add to it the biting, the whole ‘man’s best friend’ image is just blown. I can’t put Fontline on him, or remove a tick from him without having to be careful not to get bit. You can’t hold his collar, even gently, to keep him still – he’ll whip his head around and bite your hand. We’ve been ready to put him down several times over the years, and we couldn’t do it. I’ve had conversations with the vet, and when it came down to it, it means killing a healthy dog. She warned me that if I ever bring him in and tell her to put him down (because he bites), it can’t be retracted. She also warned me the biting will not get better as he gets older.
Our decision a few years ago was to let him live out his life, because I couldn’t bring myself to tell the vet to destroy the dog. I fear the day is coming soon when we’re going to have to do it. His back legs both have arthritis. He already can’t jump up into my minivan. We had to get the redwood steps that came with the spa and put them up to the side door of the van for him to get in and out. He doesn’t go into the garage anymore because the two steps up to the house are too hard for him to climb.
When the day comes Clancy can’t get up by himself, we won’t be able to help him. He most likely won’t let us put our arms and hands around his ribcage or under his hips to help him up, its exactly the kind of situation where he bites. He’s 12 now. He’s on pain meds all the time, and the pain seems to be getting worse. He hobbles sometimes. I don’t think he’ll see 13. And I know the decision will fall to me, ultimately the final word will be mine. (My husband and I have been married for 21 1/2 years now, these things I know). I hate this dog, he’s been nothing but trouble; and it’s still going to break my heart when I have to make the final decision.
I am never, ever having another dog.
the view from our hotel room looking south toward Country Club Plaza
On Thursday there were concurrent sessions, a featured speaker, the Keynote address; and the vendor fair opened.
In the evening we had dinner under the big tent on the lawn. It had been cloudy all morning, the sun came out but the temperature stayed nice and cool. There was no meeting agenda, it was open seating, and the wine was free. We sat with old friends and met new people. It was a great set up for the vendors fair. The vendors fair is in the 2nd floor conference rooms across the hall from the grand ballroom. The featured speakers, member meeting and trunk show are in the grand ballroom. This has been a great set up. It is like the village market place with people going from booth to booth, oohing and ahhing over the beautiful textiles and other things. At one point, Smadar found me in line for the dessert crepes and pulled me out to look at a piece of shibori that had just come from Japan. We ended up buying the whole nine yard piece together.
Chetna, holding a piece of shibori she bought, and Smadar
Crossroads Arts District
Friday was gallery day in the Crossroads art district. Six of us from California headed down there after the membership meeting. We had lunch at the phenomenal Lidia’s, and went gallery crawling. There are four galleries with SDA related exhibitions on the street leading away from Lidia’s. at Leedy Voulkos Art Center we ran into and met Jerry Bleem, one of my favorite artists. I first saw his work at Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art gallery on that same street, at another conference.
Jerry Bleem’s work
At the membership meeting on Friday Morning we learned for sure that the conference won’t be in Kansas City next time. The folks at KCAI have done a wonderful job hosting it five times in the last 10 years. They’re tired, its time for a change. We found out the conference will be in Minneapolis in 2011. They’re excited, and it sounds like it will be a great setting.
So I’ve decided part of my puropse here is to document some of my favorite things about how great Kansas City was for the SDA conference.
Cafe Sebastienne at the Kemper Museum
I got up early and my husband took me to the Flyaway bus, which goes from Van Nuys to LAX. If I’m traveling alone, its become my favorite way to get to the airport. I decided to fly out of LAX because Southwest has a direct flight to Kansas City from there, and no direct flights from Burbank. I’ve gotten tired of changing planes in the middle of what would otherwise be a three hour flight. I’ve gotten tired of changing planes in Phoenix.
Bee had a ticket on the same flight, so I expected to see her at the gate. After I got through the obstacle course that is the security screening in LAX’s Terminal 1, I went to Starbucks to get my first coffee of the day. Coming out of Starbucks, I ran into Bee. The flight was smooth and uneventful. We took off under cloudy skies in LA and landed under cloudy skies in Kansas City.
After we checked in to the hotel and got settled in our room, we walked over to KCAI to check in to the conference. From our room we called Smadar and Chetna, and got a hold of them at the rental car agency, ready to pick up their car. By the time We found the on-campus coffee house and sat down to go over the schedule, Smadar and Chetna called from their hotel room. We all went out for dinner at Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbeque in Country Club plaza. I had one of my favorite foods in the world, baby back ribs. Bee had some lamb ribs – a dish none of us had ever heard of before -and they were amazingly wonderful. I had french fries and baked beans as my sides and they were both excellent also.
After dinner there we just went back to the room. There were some talks in the campus auditorium by the workshop instructors, but we skepped those. We were all very tired from a long travel day, and just tried to stay up past 8:00 pm Pacific time before going to sleep.
Its Memorial Day weekend. I’m getting ready to go to the biannual conference of the Surface Design Association in Kansas City. I’ll be staying for a post-conference workshop, then going to Alguquerque for the opening of Times of Taransfomation at ArtHaus66 Gallery. The image above is the piece I did for the SDA Member Show, which will be on exhibit there.
I’m really getting excited about this trip. First off, I love the SDA conference; and because of it, I’ve come to really enjoy Kansas City. Second, I’m participating in this wonderful show in Albuquerque.
I first went to the SDA conference in 2000 with Bee Colman and Chetna Mehta. The conference has been held in KC for almost 10 years now; where it is hosted by Kansas City Art Institute. KCAI sits in between the magnificant WPA-era Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, and the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art.
This is Vanderslice Hall at sundown in 2007. Its the oldest building on the campus, and I think at one time, it housed the entire Art Istitute.
Here is the Marriott where we’re staying, along with some public art sculptures; again from 2007. 
This fountain is near Country Club Plaza – a shopping & dining area at the south end of a park who’s name I can’t remember. Its walking distance from the Marriott. It was a beautiful Saturday evening when I arrived for my pre-conference workshop in 2007. Among the people gathered to enjoy the evening were a wedding party taking pictures: a woman in her graduation cap and gown taking pictures with her kids, sister and mom; and people from six continents.
Look in the background, and look in the foreground.
Anyway, I really have come to like Kansas City. The SDA conference is my favorite conference to attend. I’m rooming With Bee, and several other fiber friends will be there. I’ll see people I’ve met at conferences, and only see at conferences, some of whom I ran into at Convergence in Tampa last year. Its a good fiber art time. I can’t wait.
2:00 pm
Today I am exiled from the house. I spent some time in Starbucks yesterday, (free WiFi!) and the head of the plumbing crew told me the water would be off most of the day today. I’m back at Starbucks and I’m freezing.
It was 102 degrees on Monday and Tuesday, yesterday it was in the 80’s, and today its cloudy and cool. I could’ve used a sweater, but I didn’t get one before the plumbers moved in and covered my bedroom with plastic. And of course the AC is on inside Starbucks.
I had breakfast out, ran some errands. My feet were cold, so I bought some socks at Target. I was thinking of going to Chico’s to buy a sweater – life is so tough, I know. I’ve been nursing a cappuccino for a couple of hours now.
I guess its time to go home and see how big the holes in the walls are. The one above the couch in the family room is much bigger than I imagined. I now have the motivation to finally remove the wallpaper in the family room and kitchen, and get it repainted. It is the only room we still haven’t repainted after 15 years in the house. . .
4:00 pm
the answer is: the holes are quite large. They cut a rectangle out of the drywall large enough to give them access to the shower heads in the bathrooms, then they screw the cut piece back into the wall with drywall screws. One bathroom backs on the family room, above the couch, and the other one backs on the corner of our bedroom. What needs to be done now is to patch the seam, sand it, and repaint the wall. I don’t think we still have the paint from our bedroom, and, as I said, the family room is probably 30 year old wallpaper.
I can’t think about repainting our bedroom, or the kid’s bathroom; although I now see I’ve been in denial about the need to do these things after a re-piping. I think I’ll stay there – denial – for another couple hours until Irv gets home.
Here’s what I have to tell myself: with the sewer line and the re-piping done, we shouldn’t need any major plumbing work for the rest of our lives, provided we stay in this house till they cart us away. Once we get these rooms repainted, we won’t have to paint for another several years.
“But then,” a little voice says in my head, “it will soon be time to paint the outside again, and we’re still planning to re-do the front yard this year; and the carpets are ALL getting old. . .” What’s that screaming I hear?
Oh, it’s me.
Wednesday
Today is one of those days when the title of this blog is a misnomer. I’m not weaving daily, or at all for the past few days. We are having the house re-piped with copper. We had the sewer line replaced earlier this year. The house is 50 years old, these things must be done.
And its also Earth Day, so as an ecoartist, I’m supposed to be celebrating the life giving diversity in all nature. But there has been entirely too much natural diversity in our house recently. By my way of thinking, there are only three species allowed to live here: human, fish, and canine (and the canine we have is going to be the last of his kind in my house).
First there are the ants. They are repeat visitors, they come in a couple times a year and I have to try to make them go away. This week it got hot, and that’s one of the times they like to come inside looking for water. Yesterday I was wrangling ants. This means moving everything on the counter behind the sink, cleaning the tile, and spraying raid as sparingly as I can get away with. We have a wide swath of counter under the window behind the kitchen sink, and we have an elephant cookie jar, a ceramic dog water pitcher, a beaded giraffe, various dishes and bowls, and a jade plant. The ants like to come in through cracks in the grout at the corner of the counter and the back splash. I also have some little pellets I sprinkle outside along their trails that are supposed to be carried back and destroy the nest. I don’t really like all this poisoning, but I don’t know any effective, eco-friendly ways to get rid of them.
Second, we’ve been having little visitors in the night. And they’re invisible, you can not see them. Only their droppings are visible. One night I heard an awful ruckus in the kitchen. I got up and tip-toed out to the kitchen. Tip-toeing did not render my movements silent. The floor creaks, even under the carpet. I didn’t find the intruders, only a box of cookies with a hole chewed in the side. A friend lent us some traps, and we caught four of the little devils. Last week I went looking for how they’re getting in. I found some holes above the suspended light panels and covered them up with hardware cloth. I looked behind the couch in the family room, and I can’t even describe the horror I found there among a very thick carpet of dust.
Now the plumbers are under the house, and they’re going to make sure all the foundation vents are covered with hardware cloth by the time they’re done. Then if the furry mammalian squatters aren’t gone, I’m calling an exterminator.
The third species I had to evict are little moths. They’ve been flying around for a couple months, and I didn’t know where they were coming from. That’s actually why I moved the couch in the first place. I thought the moths were laying their eggs behind the couch. But after I had vacuumed under all the furniture in the family room, moths were still flying about. At this point I should explain that the family room is next to the kitchen, and the couch is within a few feet of the stove and some cupboards.
Last Sunday evening, I went to make rice and discovered we didn’t have enough of the white left. I dug to the bottom of the cabinet and got out the brown. It had been in there for a long time, and I found little moth cocoons in the creases on the outside of the plastic bag. So the next day I went back to look deep into the cabinet, and what I found is even more indescribable than what was behind the couch.
But I’ll try. It was explained to me many years ago that sometimes these little moths get into flour and other dry food products and lay eggs. After the eggs hatch, the larvae have a food source. My friend and neighbor who told me this then went on to say that’s why sometimes you open the flour and a moth flies out. That had never happened to me, but after this I always kept my flour in an airtight container. Supposedly, if you keep your flour and grain products in an airtight container, the eggs can’t hatch, they’re so tiny you’ll never know they were in there – lovely.
I had this conversation over 25 years ago, and it all came back to me on Monday as I began pulling out the boxes of nuts, rice and pasta I keep in that cabinet. I found a few bug parts in some old risotto and threw it away. There wasn’t any evidence of them in the open box of matzoh ball mix, or the matzoh meal. These are apparently goyish moths. I found a few more cocoons on some more plastic bags, and threw them away. Then I found the thing you should never have to find in your cabinet. It was a plastic container of pepitas, apparently not so air tight. I opened it and a moth flew out. I didn’t take a long look at what was in there and I closed it right away. I threw the whole container away – it was Tupperware, and I threw it away. I don’t throw plastic in the trash, and I threw it away.
Then I finished cleaning out the cabinet. I discovered something interesting about little grain-eating moths: they don’t poop where they eat. How very civilized, they choose a corner and all use it. It’s totally gross, I’m sorry.
On Tuesday I started to move things so the plumbers can work (read: put holes in the walls). What I discovered shocked me once again. Really, our clothes hamper could be moved to vacuum under once every two weeks. The dressers that stand on 6″ high legs could be vacuumed under, really.
Ok, so there’s a pattern here. I have clearly not been vigilant about the cleaning. Changes will have to be made.
