Farewell to 40

As tomorrow looms ever closer, I feel it's best to acknowledge what everyone seems to view as a landmark year in every life.

40 wasn't exactly what I expected it would be when I was 10, 20 or even 30.

It was indeed, quite different: lots of dreams unrealized, yet so many accomplishments I never thought would come to fruition. In the midst of some unruly turmoil was woven several incredible highlights. You can visit the year in review here.

Reflecting on the last year, I realized that even though the last couple of years have been heavy and full of all sorts of things that threw me off my intended path, this was the year in which many of the things I lost, I've regained. My life really looks much like it did before the "crash of '08", and in true yogic fashion, things have simply unfolded this way.

Am I uncertain about the future? Of course - and admittedly, a little scared. But perhaps my fear is really more a sense of realization: realization that I know now where I need to be. The path there remains uncharted and although this has been something of a cryptic post, it's simply because I'm not quite ready to share my plan with the rest of the world.

On a lighter note,

"Let me tell you something, Johnny: The first 90 years or so... they go by pretty fast...then one day you wake up and you realize that you're not 81 anymore..." -Burgess Meredith

That makes me chuckle!

Artistic Fun

I first learned to mix on this, a Yamaha EM 200 series mixer. It was the heartbeat of the sound system for the Bowness Boys Choir.

I was 12.

On two separate occasions this, along with the matching speakers, came home to our basement for safe keeping... and the odd ego-driven show-off session. After all, I had the biggest, not to mention the coolest stereo on the block!

The mixer pictured here is the same make and model, however I had to go to Kijiji to find it. It now sits at home in my office; on display as part of my vintage audio collection. It serves as the office amplifier, driving a pair of home stereo speakers I picked up back in the summer of 1992.

Vintage meets Modern Day as my beloved iMac is tied into it with plenty of playlists to spare, thanks to iTunes.

With exactly two weeks left until my 41st. birthday, I was feeling nostalgic. I posed with this piece of history, using the technology of the Mac to snap the photo.

...and of course to write and post this blog.


Today's Horoscope for Aquarius

Now is a great time for a family reunion or
any event at which you can reminisce.
Today is perfect for comparing the present to the past --
and maybe figuring out what you want to do in the future.

Time warp

I must be losing my mind.

Friday night I popped in at the pottery studio after yoga to ready the, what I thought were, one-year-old pieces. As I sanded away rough edges, I began to think...

"Y'know, it's been more than a year... it's been two!"

When I did the math, it fit: We moved the studio on January 1, 2009. All the pieces I have from that time were dated 01/09.

That shelf of mine sat for TWO years, not ONE!

...just thought I'd point that out.

Home Sweet Home

I returned to the pottery studio tonight for the first time in just over a year. I sent an email to Dave, my instructor, only to get the response that not five minutes before he got the email, he had decided to clear off my shelf at the studio!

Here I thought my stuff would have been long gone.

Nope.

I walked in today to not only find my tools, but several pottery pieces I had thrown but not fired over a year ago. In fact, one piece had been bisque-fired (the first firing before glazing) and dated... well, I'll let you see the date in the photo below.

It was like old-home week. I was amazed that everyone at the studio tonight knew me, even though I needed a refresher on some names! They all said they'd missed me too, and "Where've you been? Why did you leave?"

Explaining that it had been a matter of economics and a few other personal details, I simply went about my regular routine. It was kinda like hooking up with an age-old friend; you know, the kind who can go away seemingly forever and when you meet up you simply continue from where you left off and it's like you'd never parted. That's the feeling I had tonight.

It felt good to be home.


MY SHELF - 160 - LEFT UNDISTURBED FOR OVER A YEAR!




LEFT IN TACT WAS MY FULL BOX OF POTTERY TOOLS, GIFTED TO ME: "Dave, using the studio's tools is like... using the rental mats at the yoga studio. Ewww..."




I TOLD LINDA, A LIFER AT THE STUDIO: "I Was in a hurry last class and forgot to clean my tools - I'll be right back." WE HAD A LAUGH.




I WEDGED UP THREE BALLS OF CLAY FOR TONIGHT. YOU'LL NOTICE BRICKS PLACED UNDER THE FEET OF MY WHEEL. IT KEEPS ME FROM HAVING TO LEAN OVER SO FAR.




ALL THE PIECES ON THE LEFT ARE ONES THAT, TO MY SURPRISE, WERE STILL RIGHT WHERE I'D LEFT THEM SO VERY LONG AGO.





THESE ARE THE TWO PIECES I THREW TONIGHT. I MESSED UP THE SECOND BALL OF CLAY, AS IS THE POTTERY WAY. YOU WIN SOME, YOU LOSE SOME.




THE ONE PIECE I WAS ABSOLUTELY THRILLED HAD SURVIVED MY HIATUS.




REMEMBER THE PIECE I MENTIONED HAD BEEN BISQUE-FIRED WAY, WAY BACK?




WE DATE POTS BY WHEN THEY WERE THROWN, NOT NECESSARILY BY WHEN THEY WERE FIRED. THIS BOWL HAS SAT ON MY SHELF SINCE NOVEMBER 2008. THAT MEANS, IT CAME FROM THE OLD STUDIO LOCATION! AMAZING.

So life is slowly returning to normal only two-and-some years after what I call the "Crash of '08" I'm not yet back to University, however that may require a more extensive plan than simply setting aside nickels and dimes.

Two really big steps this week: Back to both yoga and pottery.

Slow and steady wins the race.