Newness

Hi,
Sorry.... but here is some new schtuff. A lot has been going on and I've had a falling out with the interweb. I'm not sure what I'm doing with this blog.

I posted lots of random pictures on Facebook:

Album

Why I've been so busy

http://www.michaelalm.com/coopedup.html

Uhhhhhhh......Creepy

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn2307

I'M BACK!

Sorry about the month of nothingness. Plenty to talk about though.

I took a trip to Wichita for the big C. I worked it out so that I could go through KC and see the fam. Keith flew back for the same weekend, and so we had a few good old fashion family bonding time. Very nice to be home again.

On that Monday my parents and made the three our drive to southern Kansas. It was actually fairly scenic. We got there at around 7 and met up with my fellow installer Rosa. We had an amazing Italian dinner that night. The owner was from St. Louis and started out on the hill.

The next morning the four of us had breakfast together and I saw my parents off.

The job in Wichita was two pieces. One, an End-of-the- Day Chandelier, and two, a Persian wall. The home was owned by a doctor and his wife. They were having a post opera party on Friday and wanted to show off the Chihulys, so that was our deadline. The house itself is what I consider catalogue chic. The individual elements were nifty looking, but they didn't look right all together. It was purchased, but not designed. It was just odd looking, and not comfortable feeling in any way. All the rooms were painted true titanium white, and were textured in various ways. Once again not cohesive at all. Check out their door:

Yep, it's a glass door, and yes it looks into their family room. Hmmmmmm....... It might be hard to avoid those door to door salesmen. But that's really the only problem I foresee. (Suckers)

The only kida cool thing about the place was their dog Shelby:

How can you resist that?....

As for Wichita, imagine a medium sized city, flat as a pancake, and full of strip malls and chain restaurants. It was pretty lame, but I did get a hulking steak, and loved the hotel.

Here are the pieces completed... The Persian Wall:

The End-of-the-Day Chandelier:

I'll post about Kiani's visit and the studio warming party tomorrow... (no more typing)

I don't know if this thing works, but no matter what it's hysterical:

http://www.instructables.com/id/EQARE4I72GEPUCHTHU/

So my Dad just bought this:

It's a 1950 Ford Coupe (I'm looking forward to driving it)

The Studio Chair, and The Newest Chandelier

Here is that chair that I was bosting about before:

And here is a chandelier that Karen and I built last week:

Youtube Music Videos

Lite-Brite-amation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxZJYbVd1hE

and

How can you not love The Darkness?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-eslNwGXrI

Studio Update, Upholstery, and the Seattle Underground

The studio:

(I know it doesn't look like much from the picture, but I promise it's cool. Where's a wide angle lens when you need one?)

Progress on the art studio is slow, but steady. I've gotten the walls all painted and looking spiffy, and I'm in the process of building a work table. I have plans for a shelving unit, and a light table later.

Yesterday I went down the this vintage furniture store in Ballard called Space Oddity. I wanted to see if the owner knew of any place I could get the seat of my Eames chair reupholstered. The vinyl on the seat is tearing around the buttons and it needs some fixing.

The owner (Todd) said he doesn't get much of anything redone these days, so not much help. I did however find a sweet chrome and blue vinyl chair for the studio. (I will post a picture later.) It's one of those chair that sits on a big threaded rod which raises and lowers the seat as it spins.

When I swung by to pick up the chair Todd was talking to this sketchy looking guy dressed in all plaid. When I walked up Todd asked the guy if he knew of anyone who did cheap upholstery. His response was, "Yeah, me." My response was "uhhhhhh." I asked if he was any good. He said "you want cheap or you want good?"

We talked for a bit longer and it turns out he might be legitimate. He claims to have gone to school as a tailor and has covered bar stools and stuff before. He wants me to e-mail him some pictures. I'm still pretty apprehensive about it, but the actual upholstery shops want around $200 to do the job. (That's for just one cushion) I can't rationalize that when the chair only cost $300. I'm going to e-mail this guy some photos and see what happens.

Today I joined Kristin and one of her friends from camp for a tour of underground Seattle. After the great Seattle fire in the early 1900's the city decided to raise the street level of the city 7ft at the shore line, and 32ft at the center of town. When the local business found out it was going to take 7 years, they refused to wait to reconstruct, so they built on the pre-fire level while the city built the streets on the new raised level. The end result was an underground city. A large amount of this stuff remains underneath the sidewalks of Pioneer Square. The tour was honestly a lot of fun, and I would highly recommend trying it when you come to visit me. (Because I know everyone is planning their trip out here to visit me.... right?)

If you haven't seen it you should:

http://www.wherethehellismatt.com/