Baby, it’s cold outside

Wednesday, November 30, 2022

But it’s hot in the hot shop! We were off to glass class – slowly going down the interstate on the leftover snowy roads from yesterday. We learned how to sandblast a matte finish on glass and how to write on glass using a dremel, then on to the main event – making a cup. Claire had a 15-point instruction sheet that I clutched while I watched her demonstrate. It was quite nice to have the hand-out, so I didn’t have to scribble any notes. I really enjoyed watching the molten glass come easily out of the furnace, then the initial bubble being blown, glass added, bigger bubble swung on the punty into a Christmas bulb shape that then got flattened on the bottom, followed by tapping it off and widening the small opening into a drinking glass shape. Easy as one, two, three….thirteen, fourteen, fifteen! I thought, “I don’t need to do this. I will just watch. Going from liquid glass to a cup is haaaaard. There are chairs. I will just sit in a chair and watch.”

Keith jumped in and made a cup. It was kinda weird, to be honest. He just made a cup out of glass. We were working with the assistant, Carla, and Myriam and Jeff were working with Claire. When we looked over one time, Claire had Myriam’s cup in the glory hole and Myriam was just waiting. Alexander whispered, “She’s already winning class and now she’s cheating. There’s no cheating in glass class.” Fair assessment. (But fact, I would totally have let Claire just make my cup.)

Alexander insisted I go next, because he was gone last week and was learning by watching. That is a very valid thing to do, so I didn’t have a leg to stand on when I tried to get him to go before me, but I tried anyway. Then I was making a cup and it was going okay. I need constant coaching and Carla is really good at repeating things over and over. Keep your eyes on the glass. Bring it to center. Keep rolling it. Not too much pressure. Heat it up. Flash. Heat. Don’t tip it up. Over and over and over. Thank you, Carla. I need every single one of those repetitions.

My cup is sort of wonky, but I will obviously buy a lighted display case for its home.

Alexander’s hand got a little burned and I wanted him to put it in water and he did NOT want his mother to mother him.

On our way home, Alexander said he thought he’d treat himself to a slushy on the way home, then realized he had no cash – and charging $1.25 is wrong (see hot dog from last week). Keith said we could all have slushies and it would be more than $1.25. As we took the exit to take Alexander back to where he leaves his car so we can carpool, we talked about there being a Speedway across the highway and Speedway gas stations have the best slushies. (Alexander has been on a slushy jag for the past couple months. It is pretty hilarious that it has not abated even though it is COLD OUTSIDE) Keith got in the right lane and I chastised, “What are you doing? I thought we were going for slushies.” He changed lanes, the traffic light changed, and as we turned, a little voice from the back seat whispered, “We’re turning left! I’m so happy.”