long time

well, it's been awhile. i just haven't been much in the mood. but here i am, reporting on a few things that have occurred since we last spoke.

jamie and i went to san francisco a few weeks ago. it was fab. i taught a stone setting class for 2 days and had a day and a half in addition to hang out with jamie. the class was great, i think the students learned a lot, and i liked them very much. it was super fun to be around people of different cultures, as that doesn't happen much in asheville. this is suzanne pugh, the head of the metalsmithing program at city college of san fran, my friend who set this class up. suzanne rocks!
we stayed at a great hotel, the baldwin, right near china town. it cost $80 a night and was totally worth it. clean and basic, but centrally located and comfortable. you could even sneak up to the roof for a glass of wine and some views! we loved having dim sum on our 1st day there.


we went down to fisherman's wharf and did some touristy stuff. fun to see the water right there, including a view of alcatraz. there were some huge barges going by as well. they have such a presence...large ships are very odd, it is weird to think of them being out at sea in a huge storm where they might seem small.


we went to an old fashioned arcade down there at fisherman's wharf. it was free, and pretty neat-o. i liked the freakiness of the games and the oddness of them as well. we played a few, including the kissing game. please note where ours landed. you had to kiss in front of the machine and it would judge your kiss for you!





we also hung out with an old friend from warren wilson, jonathan riggs. it was good to see him, and good to see him doing well at his IT job in the video game industry.


the sea lions like to hang out down by the water. they were really fun to watch, and funny too! one old grandpa got real grumpy and loud and caused quite a commotion as he re-settled his large self in a new sleeping spot. they looked so sleek when wet, and so scruffy when dry!


i saw this cool sculpture atop a building downtown. i also noted that the top of the building looks a lot like the marriage of metal i used to make. pretty nifty!


these weird guys (1st photo) in the game arcade reminded me of this weird guy(2nd photo) i photographed in india in an old palace, the prag mahal, in bhuj. do you guys see the similarity as well? creepy! they were both encased in glass boxes, and seemed so out of place and strange.

jamie went to see the new rolling stones movie at the IMAX which he enjoyed, and he hung out with his friend and went to the haight ashbury area and did some shopping. we also ate french food, mexican food, a vietnamese sandwich, greek food...delicious!! it was a great trip!

in jewelry news, i have been featured in a magazine in taiwan, DFUN. i am not sure when it comes out, but it sure is exciting, as the layout looks so great! i am thrilled! my 1st magazine feature!
dammit, i cannot figure out how to save the color correctly since this came in pdf format. actually, there is no blue in the picture, it is a red stripe in the background and it looks killer! maybe later i can get it right but for now, here is the sample.

also, in the july issue of jewelry artist magazine, i will be featured in the up and coming jewelers article. i had an interview for this article way back when i was on my way to SNAG. i also have done a how-to project for this issue, which i turned in on friday. i am psyched about it! here is a pic of my project.


i also ordered my new lapidary tools tonight, so i can start carving and slicing stones. man, o man, am i excited about this puppy! i cannot wait to start some carving.! yee haw!
well, last but not least, i want to send out a happy birthday to my grandma, who turn 90 years old this week. can you believe it? we had a very nice party for her today, and a fun weekend with relatives in from NYC (my uncle victor) and ohio (uncle bob and aunt donna). also delightful to lay eyes on my sister in from knoxville with her brood as well. love all ya!

fermelenge!