Maura's Illuminated Manuscript

No, nothing illegal in any US state (yet) or even a little bit dangerous. I've started studying Esperanto on Duolingo, which I've been using for Spanish for over two years.

I must say, Esperanto is kind of addictive, even though the Esperanto course isn't nearly as slickly produced as the Spanish course. And it doesn't seem to be cutting into the time I spend on Spanish. I've even gone to the trouble of adding a third-party Esperanto keyboard to my iPhone – Apple doesn't offer one – because Esperanto does use some modified Latin that other languages don't.

So why is this questionable? Well, wish me luck in finding anyone in the US to talk to in Esperanto*. In a big, rich (ha ha) country that mostly speaks the global language of business, a constructed international language is going to be a tough sell. But it isn't inconceivable that some good could come of this. And in the meantime, it's fun.



*A quick google says there's a Seattle meetup group. I better get ready.

[Sex toys, but no sex or kink. I hope that isn't problematic for anybody. It's mainly technical.]

I've written a great deal about my frustration with the lack of sex toys that work for me, and the resulting hand injuries. So, after gfish graciously chatted with me about sex toy fabrication options, I settled on silicone, for which I hope I need no help.

What to make the mold out of? I'm trying plaster of Paris. I've made a bilateral mold of my glass dildo, with a two inch projection attached to the point of the dildo that's just outside me when the dildo is fully inserted. The dildo is shaped more or less like a lumpy crescent, and the projection points toward the center of that crescent, i.e. it should touch my clitoris. I made the projection out of 1" square balsa wood, with one end filed down to fit one of the lumps in the crescent.

You have two choices when you set an object in plaster to make a mold of it. You can either a) hold the object immersed partway into the plaster for ten or fifteen minutes until the plaster is hard enough to support it, or b) wait until the plaster is just hard enough to support it and then mash it into the plaster. I think the correct answer is (a) even though it's a pain, because when you do (b) the displaced plaster is too solid to flow elsewhere; it just piles up next to your object where you'll have to remove if you're making a bilateral mold as I am. For the record, I did (a) on one side and (b) on the other.

When I bought the plaster, I had the foresight to pick up some sculpting tools, which were handy from removing excess plaster that wasn't quite hard from mold (b) above and also from both joints between the impressions of the dildo and the projection. That joint is going to take a lot of stress, so I want it to be strong.

The fit of the mold is far from perfect, but I have and Xacto knife for removing artifacts. I care way less about esthetics than functionality here. My silicone should arrive in the mail this week.

Look at me, forgetting to update again. Luckily, there hasn't been too much going on over here.

When I wasn't working weird hours trying to get something with a firm deadline done, I was either at the dentist or not making it to the dentist because my son had the car. It isn't quite his fault, though, because he was helping Exstepmother get ready to vacate her place - she's been evicted. I just wish he'd told me earlier. Oh yeah, he also changed the car handoff plan at the last minute, so I ended up making a U-turn at Chinatown station and still beating him back to my place.

It's been a quiet Memorial Day weekend of circumflatulation in the sun for me. I even took Friday off, which was a much-needed break from work madness. From the Dept. of No Good Deed Going Unpunished: I busted my butt and paid $8.95 in bridge & road tolls to return some rented equipment on time, only to find that they'd knocked off early. I admit, it was a beautiful day after a long string of gross ones at the start of a long weekend, but they better not charge me extra. I'm not pleased about having to make that drive again Tuesday morning.

Went to the Merc Friday night, and met I nice young lady who then proceeded to hustle me: she sells clothes at the store that used to be Metro on Broadway. Either that or she was hitting on me, which seems less likely given the age gap. It was warm enough that night that I wore Burner gear - the sort that either is my underwear or shows my underwear if you look hard enough. And the new Fluevog Francescas? Diabolically comfy. I think I have a new favorite pair of Nice Boots.

Went to what turned out to be a super-hippy art show in Belltown early yesterday evening. Maaaaybe I wouldn't have minded one or two of the pieces in my place, but not for four figures. There was scantily-clad, yoga-toned eye candy walking around, but one piece of it was wearing patchouli, which smells to me like burning tires. I fled.

So I bopped up to the Hill, which I tend to do when I'm at loose ends. Saw a lovely, well-dressed redhead in Cal Anderson park with her fella on one side and an open jar of kim chi on the other; he's a lucky guy. Got in the long line for ice cream. bork joined me, and awesomeness ensued, including watching people in front of Cafe Vita as the twilight deepened. It's still the Hill.

Oh: m'boy lost the iPhone that he's only had for a few months. He's so paying for the replacement. Ex says he's terrified of what I'll say to him, but really, I'm just thinking, 'Again?' I worry that without his parents he'd be helpless, and our job is first and foremost to get him ready to take care of himself.

Gosh, this got long, didn't it? That's what happens when I forget to update.

Played hooky today for my world domination project. Let's just say I underestimated the world's toppiness. Ah well, as rigel_p tells me in these situations, at least I learned something.

This is in response to theda, natch.

1. To the surprise of no one who knows me at all well, I must admit that finding (at least one) Ms. Right is way up there. I'm tired of being single, people. Even before I was single, I was lonely for a long time. And don't you dare tell me it isn't that bad if you've been all partnered up for a decade or more. Single women, even cisgender, in their forties agree: it sucks. We get more invisible by the day.
2. Getting my son on the way to taking care of himself. I'm pretty sure that'll happen regardless if I don't screw anything up seriously.
3. I have a zillion & one art or science projects in progress. I really want to bring them to a successful conclusion. Growing up m'boy and finishing the zappy - coming soon - will help.

W.r.t. my health and volunteering, I plan to keep doing what I'm doing, more or less. There are a few things, at least, that I've gotten right post-transition.

Interviewing. I don't like to do it much more than I like to have it done to me, but it's a fact of life if you're not self-employed or independently wealthy.

I am persistent in my circumflatulation, and cryptic in my reportage. Sue me.

Anticipating Thursday night with the Tall, Athletic, Outdoorsy lady. I have to confess that despite our friendly chats, I'm not too clueful about what she's looking for or where she is Kinsey-wise or experience-wise. I guess you could call this an informational date.

I was chatting about this very subject on the way home from with fellow volunqueer A. She expressed leeriness about the possibility of dating a woman who might just be exploring. Sure, I hear her, but I think she just got a whole lot pickier: she showed me the engagement ring that her girlfriend had given her. We squeed. I told her, truthfully, that I'm jelly, not least because her fiancée is really cool and they're adorable together.

And speaking of Lambert House, the financial reporting fun never stops. At least I didn't have to deal with another crisis last night. I'm hoping I can hand that stuff off early next year.

I just bought a ticket for Deltron 3030, playing the Showbox on November 5th. It was ionan who turned me on to them with one of 407 (!) songs on a DVD that he gave me for my birthday a few years back.

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Remember the house that I pay for but don't live in? The fridge therein needs replacing for the second time in four years. Morals:

1. Don't by models with the freezer in the bottom because they're more expensive to repair, and
2. Don't buy Samsung appliances.

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Attempting world domination. I'm being deliberately coy about the details because I'll be surprised if it works. Much frustration, some expense.

A few years ago I listed the following projects:

#1 - new job
#2 - new place to live in Seattle
#3 - girlfriend partner

Well, now that I'm done with those, it's time for a new list:

#4 - Splitsville! I promised Aspiring Ex I wouldn't file for divorce until my son turns 18. That's in less than 13 months.
#5 - Get m'boy into college. And yes, I definitely count community college here.
#6 - Circumflatulation or maybe world domination. So many possibilities, and completion of projects #4 and #5 should help.

I've been quiet lately, not because I've been in a funk but because I haven't had much to say. I've been:

• working, sometimes at ungodly hours of the morning.
• sewing my Halloween costume - The pattern seems larger than the package says it is. Hmph. I suppose that's better than smaller.
• picking up m'boy from driver's ed. He drove for the first time yesterday! Clear the streets of Kirkland!
• hearing crickets w.r.t. Project Girlfriend. Le sigh. Not to worry: I have four queer women's social occasions in the next five days.
• researching reduction of carbon dioxide using inorganic catalysts.

After getting back from Burning Man on Tuesday night and going back to work the next morning, my brain was still all over the playa. I couldn't shut up about it, natch, but luckily I found a few willing ears. Better yet, a notice of the weekly Burner Beer Friday came up. This time it included a call for volunteers for Seacompression, which is a huge, wonderful, Burn-flavored party which is in part a fundraiser for the local Burner organization, Ignition Northwest. (Ignition Northwest runs the regional Burning Man event, Critical Massive.) Even better, the host of this Beer Friday was Hazard Factory, which offers welding courses to people like me with grand dreams but as-yet-limited skills.

So, off to Hazard Factory I go, deep into the industrial area of the south end of Seattle. Beer, food, chats, and flaming tetherball, i.e. TP rolls dunked in white gas, attached to a tether wire & pole, and lit up. It was a little slice of the Burn, which was just what I needed.

I will most likely be tending bar at Seacompression as people with class 12 bartending licenses are in short supply, especially since Seacompression is October 15th and therefore leaves little time for the state-required class. Remember, I got my class 12 so I could tend bar at Space Virgin fund raisers back in '07, and they expire in five years. It's a pity mine has my old name on it, but I can always keep a copy of my name change on hand.

randomdreams and gfish, Hazard Factory is your idea of heaven. Those guys get paid to do the kinds of Burnery fabrication you do for fun. It's a huge and well-equipped machine shop. I've seen machine shops for Boeing contractors that looked less impressive. They offer introductory welding classes. I think I know what I'm getting for my birthday.