Work and Fun

This weekend was quite a treat after two weeks of diligent work.

I haven't had much news to relate because I've been working in my glass studio every day. I've got some neat stuff done but I won't have any pictures until Marco comes back with the digital camera on tuesday.

If you're wondering, a typical day of work for me now is something like this:

I get to my studio around 9am. I open the big windows and the nice summer breeze comes in. I have some new plants that are big leafy plants that I picture near a lake in India. They seem faintly exotic and lotus-like. They need to be replanted however.

I cut glass and solder on the really solid work table that Marco and I built. I listen to NPR on the radio, or a book on tape. Lately I've been listening to a travel story about a guy going around the entire coast of England on foot and by train.

I have lunch at Golden's Deli which is conveniently in my building at street level. They have good hearty sandwiches with lots of vegetables. I like the BLT on marble rye with onions, jalapenos, sprouts. Their bread and ingredients are, I think, all locally grown and made by people who sell food at the farmer's market just across the street. The have a delicious home-made lemonade! The people who work there already call me by my name and are friendly. One lady who works there is around forty and very motherly which is an interesting blend with all the tattoos on her arms. It is definitely an artists' quarter and the people are intriguing.

Some days I get a ride to work from Mom or John and on those days I'm usually home by 7pm. They want to pick me up before dinnertime. If I have the car I work much later. That will probably change once Marco is back, but for these first three weeks I've been working until around 10pm because there is so much I want to do to get the studio off to a good start. I usually go take a break in the evening, often over at the Black Dog Coffeeshop. Their food is only mediocre and a bit expensive but it's a nice place with an outdoor patio, local art on the walls, cool people. I also get the potential opportunity to run into Lauren and Emily or Mike who often drift over to the Black Dog.

There are other artists and photographers on my floor, some good, others not so good. There are architects offices upstairs. There are some government services offices downstairs.

So that's my typical workday now. Not too bad. I like it, even if I am often sore and physically tired at the end of the day. It's a good tired and I have a LOT of energy to spend.

The other thing worth mentioning is how fun this weekend was. I hadn't been too social the past two weeks and I didn't have anything to do last night, which was saturday night. So I called up Lauren and he suggested that I come meet up with him and Nick and Molly. I was totally relieved because I didn't fancy sitting at home. We met in Minneapolis by the Mississippi on a nice patio and had had a quick dinner. Then we went to see The Devil Wears Prada because Molly really likes Meryl Streep as an actress (Molly herself is a playwright and occasional actress). It was a good fluffy summer movie. Nothing deep or taxing. Just fun and quick. Afterwards we went to a cafe called the Mill City Cafe for it's great outdoor patio and gardens. It was a perfect summer night out and we were in good spirits so we sat there until the wee hours of the morning just telling stories and laughing and shooting the breeze. A few early 4th of July fireworks went off over houses nearby from peoples' backyards and it just had that perfect relaxed summer feel.

As we were leaving we all said we should come back there in the morning at 10 am for brunch. It was a bit hard to get up but we all actually did make it back there at about 10:30. We had a really yummy brunch, especially my wild rice and berry pancakes with fried eggs. Then we hung out for a bit at Molly and Nick's new place then went home. Molly gave me two chairs and Lauren helped me haul them up to the studio. I got home and took a nap. Now I'm here writing this. Nice weekend. Back to work tomorrow.