Run! It's a moose!

Today's chasing class was brought to you by the letters F and H--for the ridiculously big HOLE I managed to pound in my practice/exercise piece and my total FAIL in patching it. My instructor just handed it back to me and said, "Sometimes the hole wins". :-(

I am waiting on tenterhooks to find out if I get into the Blue Genie Christmas Bazaar. They claim they'll let everyone know on Friday. I also need to send in my application/photos to the Wheatsville holiday show; of course the deadline for application is the day before I hear from Blue Genie.

Spencer, the New Cat, continues to figure out his place. He's a very stubborn boy, but I think I've finally broken him of the habit of jumping up on the cabinets. At least he doesn't do it if I'm home. He makes up for a lot by sleeping on my feet when I'm stretched out on the couch; something I appreciate more now that we've had our first cool & dry front of the season. But I still have to fix the pretty shredded front blinds and block him every time the door opens, so we're still working on things. Ripley continues to be ambivalent about him.

Go me! It only took me about 2.5 hours using TurboTax, after I'd spent about 2 hours getting all my paperwork in line a couple of weeks ago. Now I wait for my refund (Smaller than it should be; I'm sorry, what $400 tax credit?).

Went to the coin show today and kind of spent more than I should have, but there were ones with rabbits on them! And orangutans! And crocodiles! And even one with a cat, which is pretty hard to find. Now I have a lot of coin cleaning to to, which I will try to get done tomorrow while I'm cleaning the apartment and catching up on White Collar and Dollhouse.

Regarding Project Runway? I am soooo glad she is gone. (Name not mentioned to keep spoilerage down.)

Stonesetting--the class--is indeed kicking my butt, just as I predicted. Being exact and precise is very very hard for me. I'm very loosey-goosey about a lot of things, but you really can't be in stonesetting. At least I don't have to buy anything for it.

Both the Muppet Show Season 2 and the Tick Season 2 DVDs are scheduled for release August 7, just a little too late to ask for them on my birthday. Guess I'll have to settle for asking for a jewelers bench or a soldering torch.  Hah!

OK, as anyone who actually knows me personally figured out a long time ago, I am not an early-morning type person. But to show you how much in love I am with the jewelry fabrication class I've been taking, I have managed to talk my boss into letting me come in at 7:30 in the morning two days a week, so I can leave early enough to make the 3:30 Jewelry Fabrication II  class, the latest it's offered in the summer. (Oh, yeah, it runs until 8:30 pm.) *facepalm* Well, it's only until the end of July. Now I need to order more saw blades and start sketching out my ideas for the 3 class projects I'll have to do, so I can buy my silver. (I'm really glad I have a business and a tax number, buying silver is much cheaper with a wholesale account.) Hmmm. Maybe I'll have time to run by the Gem & Mineral Society clubhouse and finish up a couple of cabochons for those projects. That would be cool.

The last class of this semester is tomorrow. I WILL finish and set my bezel by then. This has been kicking my ass and I don't know why.

Because of this class, my soldering skills are much much better than they were, I can set a rivet (though it isn't pretty yet), and my cold-forging skills are tons better than they were. I have managed to wow the instructor with my mad wire skillz, which is cool. Four years of practice will do that.

I really need to add a torch and accessories to my bench so I can get started on things for the fall/holiday buying season.

I have made a lovely silver ring, and should have one done for the Nephew not too long after the next class starts. (It's the first time he's actually ever asked me for a piece of jewelry. I'm going to get it finished for his birthday.) Also one for the Sister-in-law, who has been kind enough to help out with class costs. Everybody else? $50. :-)

And some people need to stop breeding.