Wednesday at NCECA

Whew, what a day. The time flew by! This morning started at 6am. I took a scary-ish shower. I am so glad I brought my flip flops! There are way too many strangers taking showers before me. Bkfst was peanut butter on toast with coffee and powdered creamer. It was fine, tomorrow I will cook some eggies so I have something good in my belly before my Thursday adventure.
I walked the 5 blocks uphill to the convention center. Got my registration packet and dropped off my cups for the Scholarship sale. They decided that my yunomi cups had to be separated, which I am not so sure was good for them(they were partners to me). I went to the Clayart room later in the morning to drop off my cup for the exchange on Friday. There are soooo many beautiful cups, part of me wishes I had brought a thrown cup instead of my two-fisted-handleless slab 'o clay.
Early on I started running into cool Tucson people. Elaine Dow, Catherine Orrantia, Gayle Bair, Betty(?), Hiro Tashima. I also had sightings of many people I admire from afar. I do wish I was better with names.
I spent most of the day trying to get through the trade show. WOWIE, there are some cool tools out there. I got some new batgrabbers/levelers, metal texturizing tools with big metal handles, some two sided leaf makers, 2 new kinds of snot suckers that have different tips, an telescoping sponge on a stick and ??? I had a great time there, but I had ALOT of stuff. Luckily Sherrie from Sierra Nevada College (Tahoe) let me stow some stuff behind her booth. My neck is killing me, I think lugging and the weather are just taking their tole. Mid-afternoon I decided it was time to go mail my stuff.. I went to the post office, bought a very expensive roll of tape and packed it all in one of those one price boxes. I thought I would need three boxes with all that stuff, but I stuffed it all into one!!! It was probably 10+ lbs.
After the post office I ended up being very close to the hostel. I decided to rest and plan my Thursday. My room is right above a coffee shop, the smell of hot chocolate wafted into my room every 5 minutes.
After my little break I headed back up the 5 blocks to the convention center to meet up with Leila and Catherine to go to a party at Sherrie's Room.. Let's just say that that many people should not ALL be in a hotel room. It was nice to chat for a bit, but toooooo many people for me. I thought I might head home after that, but I was a bit hungry. So I walked UP about 5 more blocks just exploring, so many places were just jam packed. I finally found a place called Sun Distillery and had a "Hemmingway" cocktail. rum, grapefruit juice, marishino cherry liquor all served straight up (no rocks) in a champagne glass. I thought that was all I would have.. but it was raining so I decided to have dinner there.. The only things on the menu were a burger, veggie burger or blt. I went with the burger. THere is something about dining by yourself that makes you want to order anything you want and I ordered a real burger and it was delish!!! The alaskan beer with it didn't hurt either.
I headed back down the hill and caught up with Catherine and a bunch of gals and one guy.. Conrad Snider?? who owns the company that sells the Soldner Clay Mixers. What a nice guy. After and interesting 6 people $6 taxi van drive to a too full bar. Catherine, Conrad and I headed back down the hill to Sullivan's where they had dinner with really bad service and I had a drink. Their dinner was free in the end. It was cool to talk to Conrad about Paul Soldner and his influences on me, he told us a few stories that brought tears to my eyes. I felt a bit sad for Catherine in that she didn't realize how much of an influence Paul was to studio potters and that she doesn't realize the magnitude of his influence is to her and her career.
It was funny as we shared where we were staying, Catherine at the Marriott, Conrad at the Sheraton and me.. well, me at the hostel. I was embarrassed to say it to Conrad and Catherine rolled her eyes as I looked at her before I said it.. it was cute... but Conrad handled it well.. and I wasn't so embarrassed after all.
I look forward to seeing them tomorrow.
LOVE, Love, Love,
Jada

Morning in Seattle

I actually slept last nite.. earplugs are great.

I went exploring yesterday and last nite. The market is very cool. Lots of pretty flowers everywhere. I walked all over the place. I also went to two irish bars and got my irish on.. with beer only. Some people were drinking Irish Car Bombs.. I like them,but didn't think I could drink it fast enough before it curdled. This city is huge. I have never seen a port with so many shipping crates and cranes. It is probably time for me to get moving, gonna make the hike up the hill to the convention center. I will get my conference catalog and them make my plan for the next few days.
Not homesick yet..
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE,
Jada

Hostel

Hostel is fine so far. Nice gal(Lauren) in one of the bunks, also here for NCECA, and doing a presentation. The gal with dreadlocks at the front desk also said there are several people here for NCECA. My bed(the head of it) is right next to the door to our room which is also next to the main door into the sleeping areas and bathrooms of the hostel. Yea! for earplugs and lunesta. The bathrooms are small but private, the one I just used smelled like men's pee.. and yes men's pee does smell different than women's. A yoga class (everyday at 2:30) is just starting in the common area. Seems like there are lots of women staying here. I am going to check out the kitchen and then downstairs to Pike's Place Mkt. to explore. LOVE, love, Love, Jada

Just Landed in Seattle

As I approach Seattle I wonder what the next week has in store for me. I so enjoy NCECA everytime I go. I get overloaded and overstimlated on all things clay. I look forward to the brainstretching lofty lectures that I see most people either nap through or exit in the first 5 min. because there are not enough visuals for their totally sight driven souls. I also look forward to the visually driven demos of three specially selected artists up on stage and on the big screens in the very dark auditorium (this where I usually take my naps). I also look forward to seeing some of my pottery pals from Tucson. I feel sad for the loss of a couple of my NCECA icons that have passed since my last NCECA in Phx. (Maurice Grossman, Paul Soldner and Malcolm Davis, et. al.). Will I see some of the other Artists I have been enamored of? The galleries will be full of clay work with way too many pieces to look at in such a short period of time. The Clayart cup exchange and the Regina Brown scholarship mug sale will also be a source of inspiration, both of which I will be participating in. This time I also look forward to seeing the city itself, which doesn't happen much when I go to NCECA. This time I am going out on a limb and staying in a Hostel. Hopefully it won't be too hostel. ;). Perhaps the hostel is my biggest source of worry... Sharing bathrooms(EEK!!!germs) locking up all of my belongings everytime I leave, and my ever present concern that the person in the top bunk will be testing out the free condoms they have at the front desk. Before I left home, Keith looked up pictures of the bunkrooms and common rooms which aleviated some, but not all of my worries. I am excited about staying across from Pikes Place Mkt, I think that will be an adventure in itself for this small town desert rat. Plane is landing, here we go!!

Currently standing in a very long security check point line. I got up early for this? Nooo I got up at 3:30 am for NCECA!!!!

Test

It's time for SEATTLE

It's time for SEATTLE

I leave in the very early morning tomorrow! I am just about packed. I had a nice family dinner tonite with my family. We all went for a little walk out to "the Bench" at sunset it was beautiful. I am currently testing to see if I can mobile blog from my phone, as I have decided not to take my computer. I am traveling VERY light, the lightest ever in my whole life. I take more when I go for a little day hike. I have the rolling/backpack suitcase which has 3 days of clothes and my bathroom stuff. Then I have a regular backpack to carry on which has my sketchbook, raincoat and umbrella in it. I know I won't have enough clothes, but I will do laundry on Saturday. I hope I can make this all work. My last week of work was not too good, so I am glad to be getting away. I think I have figured out how to deal with one of my biggest problems, but it will be good to mull it over for the week.(so I don't do anything rash)
I hope my next post is from Seattle...
See ya in Clay Disnyland.
Love, love, love,
Jada