Very Tempting...

Took a nice, long break from blogging over the holiday (as is pretty obvious), but now I'm back and ready to post! Easing in, though, with just a simple link:

How much do I want to apply for this job?

Christmas is the Season...

...for MOVIES!

First off, Yes Man. I love Jim Carrey. He can do no wrong. Even when he does weird roles, like the Grinch. He is a comedy GOD! So, naturally, I'm excited about his most recent movie:



I'm also a die hard fan of disaster movies. I'd call it a guilty pleasure, because I don't think I've ever seen a truly fantastic disaster movie. But this trailer for 2012 gives me goosebumps. Could this be the one? (It doesn't come out until July 2009, but I'm including it anyway.)



It stars John Cusack, of which I am also a big fan. I just watched Martian Child and War, Inc. and he did both very well, even though the movies themselves weren't all that spectacular, so at least we'll be looking at a well acted movie? Maybe? I don't know. I pretty much only go to these movies to see the death and destruction via special effects. Good lord, what does that say about me?

Also on the disaster movies front, Knowing comes out in March of 09. It stars Nicholas Cage, of which I'm not the biggest fan. But it doesn't matter because I'll see it anyway. Just like I'll see The Day the Earth Stood Still, with Keanu Reeves, who is my absolute least favorite actor. I have no choice. Here's the trailer for Knowing.



I must admit, the story is pretty cool. And finally, one of the most anticipated movies of the Christmas season, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I am so excited for it because I know it's probably going to be one of the last original movie ideas for a while, considering that the economic crisis is foretelling horrible sequels and feel-good movies.



Get excited!

Big Wheels!

Who's up for this when I get back to St. Louis?

Shoots and Boots

So the petina didn't come until this morning, which wouldn't have been enough time to apply it, so I got pictures taken without. But it's alright because our facilities for pictures are severely lacking. But it was fun to see all the shop professors taking picture after picture of every single detail of the desk. And Troyer was really interested in the recipe and process for the soap finish I used on the birch. So many people kept asking me what I was doing as I was applying the soap, and I was surprised to realize that barely anyone, not even most of my professors, had heard of the soap finish before. So I felt all knowledgeable and such. It was nice.



In other news, I need boots! These chucks aren't cutting it. 5 inches of snow magically fell in the three hours between when I fell asleep and when I was jolted awake by my alarm clock. One question: when did it become winter?

More Final Projects

I gave my final presentation on the IMPACT coaster last Friday. I'm sad to see the project go, especially since I know there's a lot more that can be done with it, but I'm afraid it would be too much for me to continue on with for the competition. It's more important that I focus on my concentration for next semester. But it was definitely a fun project. Here's the final rendered floor plan:

Patina

I've been working non-stop the last three days on shop, since it's due Tuesday. Yesterday, I completed the soap finish on the wood piece. Then I spent a nervous few minutes putting the bronze pieces back on, hoping the wood hadn't warped:



A detail where the wood meets the bronze.



Today, I put the black patina finish on the bronze. And then pictures on Tuesday.

So Weet.

The cast pieces arrived today around 3pm. I'm cutting it severely close, but I think I'm probably closer to finished than about half my class, so it's all relative. Plus, it's just about as far beyond my control as I can get.

I add insult to injury, I made quite the booboo that I didn't realize I'd made until today: I planed my big, pretty birch board about 1/4 inch too far. Luckily, there were some spare birch and maple pieces laying around, so I spent this whole afternoon and part of the evening planing them down to 1/4 inch and getting them ready to glue on the bottom of my desk top. Also luckily, you won't really be able to tell I made the booboo unless you're looking at the underside of my desk, which will never really happen. Anyway, on with the photos!

How they arrived:



And a sort of side view:



And a nice little close-up at the top, where the wood slots in:



I moved them away from the sharp metal saw blade pretty quickly, out to the hallway. They looked so much more golden out there, in the sunlight.



And they weigh about 50 pounds! Each! And I'd say my birchle (hybrid of birch and maple) piece weighs nearly that much, so this is going to be one mother of a desk. So much for "easy disassembly."