A little less than a happy high

Laurie’s been the driving motivation for Pablo and I getting to the iron pours. Friday was apparently her first time manning a kiln, and in the afters, we had been talking about getting her pics from the evening. The email I found from her this morning really surprised me. Even though I knew that Paul referred her here to get a first glimpse of the images, it hadn’t occurred to me that she might keep reading, or that she’d offer this:

Peter, if you'd like a tour of MassArt sometime I'd be happy to show you around. I used to do a lot of ceramics before I went to MassArt... now I'm am trying to focus my energy primarily on metal (you can't do EVERYTHING, even though I sure as hell try). I did take a tableware class with Ben Ryterband last semester so I am pretty familiar with MassArt's ceramics facilities, plus I know a lot of ceramics majors [...]

Hee.
(Yes, that’s otherwise inexpressible glee.)

Not to sound too mystical, but sometimes, it amazes me just how much help you get along the way when you are consciously pursuing something that is absolutely right for you.

It’s not that uncommon to see the bucket & refrigerator parts drummers in Boston. Once The Weather hits, they seem to sprout from the asphalt on street corners and park walkways. Like it or not, their rhythms affect us, guiding footfalls until whole crowds fall into time with the din. Our minds seek order, and it jjust makes sense to give in, to let go, of our control when something outside of us provides a beat to guide us.

This can’t be about all of them, though.

A couple of days ago, I was walking the rim of the parks and came across a rhythm whose sounds were peculiarly rich and well-defined, and it wasn’t long before I found out why. There were two drummers. The first was exactly what I expected – an inner-city teen with a kit made up entirely of discarded containers and appliances. The other was a young woman in dreadlocks straddling a djembe that was lying on its side. As they played, I realized that this pairing was not planned. I’m guessing she was an Emerson student who grabbed her drum and came out to see what could be made of a fortunate accident. Their play was complementary and competitive, and judging from the smiles on their faces, they were thrilled.

So were we. Anyone who walked by walked away just a little happier.

I'm thinking about brewing next weekend. Nothing fancy or well-planned... just getting another batch of beverage started for the next "Hat of Authority" event. (That will come shortly.) For now, I'm envisioning company for the boil along with a cheesy HKAT film.

Takers?