I'm back home ...

... without any new pictures.

Eventful 10 days, that's for sure.

Monday I took Norman to the airport as he was still teaching, met with Caterina later and we had dinner together.
Tuesday I met with Michelle Courchaine (I hope I spelled that right). She showed me her studio and let me pick one of her beads (a gorgeous focal), and her cat let me pick her up and pet her, then we had a very nice lunch together, then went to Bullseye where I got some slump molds for fusing and an ashtray for Norman that is made with glass that contains ash from the 1980 Mount St. Helen's eruption (the price reflects the year: $19.80, LOL), then picked up her kids from school (like those kids!) and parted ways at her house. I called Caterina and we ate dinner together again and tried to do some shopping but were unsuccessful.
Wednesday I checked out of the hotel in Portland and drove to Seattle. The weather for the drive was mostly decent and I only got lost on a very small scale after getting to Seattle. I found Rachel's house (she said that that's a rare occurrence for people from out of town) where I stayed while I was in Seattle. Thank you soooo much again Rachel, that was fun. I got to go to class with Rachel on Thursday and played with Photoshop for the first time in my life (so maybe I could post a picture, but it isn't done. I meant to give that bead to Rachel, but Caterina had already snagged it). I (obviously) got to meet her son (another really nice kid, and we did some cooking together) and the cats, and Menace seems to like me, which is good because I was missing ours, I met some of her friends as well which I very much appreciate, we talked until all hours, and did in the end talk about the Hothead mount we'd been talking about for a while, but this time with pen and paper.
Saturday we had a small get together of lampwork people (Rachel, Gayle Himes, David Houpt and PJ whose last name I don't know) which had a bit of a crimp to it by me getting into a fender bender (a very nice lady who ended up with one of my sand beads). I would rather have spent more time with the lampwork people, but sometimes things don't work out quite as planned. David, thank you for the rose bead, and PJ, apologies for not asking whether you'd like some sand too, but as you're working with Boro and sculpting I thought you probably wouldn't (David still has the rest of the sand for all I know).
After getting through some paperwork with the rental company (I had problems understanding the people and they were always asking Rachel instead of me), returned it, Rachel had offered to take me to the airport and I much preferred that to having to get up an extra hour earlier in case I got lost.
Rachel, thank you again for everything (and the bead. I really like it. and the glass! And yes, it survived too), and for taking me to the airport this morning.
And I got to see Mount Rainier this morning - the weather in Seattle was great.

After a rather uneventful flights I got back home. All 3 cats already sat in my lap, Tsume caught another coqui frog already (he calls me like he calls the SKOD - savage kitty of death, aka Mikia'oluku III -, as if I was a cat too, but frogs are for me to deal with not for her, in spite of that I really don't mind if he teaches her to catch them too.

Everything I brought home with me survived the trip: Glass (rubino from 2 different batches!) from Rachel, the beads I got from Michelle, David and Rachel, my slump molds from Bullseye (the tools too, but I didn't doubt that), the bisque fired pottery I bought for slump molds from Georgie's, 2 big jars of Mrs. Neushin's pickles, the maple syrup and belated Christmas ornament (porcelain) from Nina, Normans old hat (he bought a new one in Portland) and I'm sure I'm forgetting something. The suitcase weighed 48 lbs (the good old "arm scale" still works rather well even outside lilikoi season) and I'm kinda glad I didn't buy glass because if I had I would have traveled with a cardboard box for my second checked baggage piece (Hawaiian style) rather than my soft bag.

I'm home, and as much fun as I had, I'm also glad to be home. My Etsy shop is back in operation, and I'm available for shipping items from my website(s) as well.