if it's 2:pm it must be break time

This is getting to be a habit. I remember when I used to WORK for a living (my mother's definition of work is leaving the house every day, going to an office, having a boss, and getting paid regularly). Been there/done that. I was the Director of Promotion for a computer trade magazine for 7 years and then (I'll leave out the good parts) fast forward...for the last 10 of my years as an employee, I marketed and delivered career transition counseling services to to corporations for their EX-employees .

I couldn't sit at a desk for more than 45 minutes when I was up, roaming around and taking a coffee break. Being an artist means always being up and around - and mostly, I need to sit down to take a coffee break. Today, in addition to the coffee, I did two experiments.

Experiment #1

Taste test. Two chunks of bittersweet from Whole Foods. One, Caro chocolate from Spain, the second is Valharona 70% cocoa. I tasted a teensy bit of each and couldn't tell which I liked better so I will force myself to have a little more. I think the Valharona is less sweet, which is good. It is also more expensive, which is bad. Whole Foods has several kinds of chocolate and I shall have to try them all. But not today. Nevertheless, the caffeine from both the coffee and chocolate has helped wake me up a bit.

Experiment #2

Chemistry test. If you've been reading my blog for a while you may remember this. http://studio78notes.blogspot.com/2006/12/thiox-and-stuff.html.

Redux. I made a gelatin plate about 2 wks ago and never had time to use it. Found this in the fridge today, but decided to try a "what if?" on it and see if it would reconstitute. Poured boiling water on it and then put it in the microwave and kept smushing that thing around as it got soft. Finally, most of it was melted and I put the pan back in the fridge. One hour later - smooth as glass, except for where the blob that didn't melt is sticking up through the surface and where the leaf from the asparagus fern I was watering at the time is embedded. But, aha! Success! Perhaps I shall do more gelatin printing over the weekend