Playing to the gallery

[offcntr]

So I mentioned in the firing post that a good third of the kiln was work for my gallery in Olympia. It was an enormous order: 18 mugs, 12 soup bowls, a dozen serving bowls of various sizes, eight pasta bowls, three each colanders and honey pots. Way too much to pack and ship.

Time for a road trip!

Denise usually accompanies me on these expeditions. We trade off driving--I get us through Portland, she takes the boring stretches of central Washington, and we have a nice lunch at a restaurant near Childhood's End. This time, though, she's been having tendon pain in her left leg, so wasn't up for a long drive. I got to do the trip solo.

Well, except for my navigator. This is Brewer, the bear we found in a Milwaukee Goodwill. We braved the grey overcast, which, predictably, turned to torrential rains somewhere around central Washington. (It always rains in Centralia, for some reason.) Headed out early, got through Portland without slowing down, arrived at the gallery around 12:30. Unloaded the boxes, caught Chinese lunch in a little cafe next door--$15 for a small serving of Ginger Chicken, including tip. Quite tasty, though I could have done with less celery. Stopped at the Costco in Tumwater to gas up, and was back on the road by 1:00.

Stopped in at Georgies Ceramic Supply in Portland to buy a hole-cutter. I'd broken mine, couldn't seem to rig a replacement. I miss having their store in Eugene; I didn't use them a lot, but it was handy to have supplies available just across town. They've made a distribution deal with Wildling Studio Arts to carry their clay and a selection of tools, but it's by nature a limited supply.

3 pm meant afternoon rush hour traffic in Portland, things were stop-and-go until Wilsonville, but once past, the freeway was pretty clear all the way home. Arrived in Eugene a little after 6 pm, to a supper of leftover quiche, and spent an hour in the studio finishing or covering pots from Monday. And went to bed early.