2010-04-28 Wednesday - Golf, pottery, and old friends

The Wednesday sun rose on a gorgeous day which I spent most of on another golf course.  I played golf at Regent Park Golf Club with my Dad and my friend Tom.  The last time I picked up my clubs was 4-5 years ago when I played in Fort Mill, SC with Tom so to say I was a bit rusty would be an understatement.  Couple that with the fact that I only ever played once or twice a year before that and you get some good insight to my (lack of) game.

It was a glorious day to be on the links and with everyone at the Pro Am, there weren't many people to run into on the course.  We spent six and a half hours out there.  We took our time, but we also did a lot of hunting for lost balls.  Near the end we were just dropping new balls quickly and we need to remember that next time.

I hit a couple of 220 yard drives straight down the fairway and sunk a couple of nice putts.  It was enough to make me enthusiastic about returning despite the 273 other horrible strokes.  (I don't keep score since I can't count that high.)  I am no good at the game, but love it anyway.

If you get a chance to play Regent Park, do it.  It's a beautiful and challenging course.

Wednesday night I made a point to attend pottery class since I had a heads-up from my friend Rick that our old buddy and teacher, Doug was going to be there on a trip from his home in NYC.  I wasn't disappointed since he showed up and hadn't changed much at all in the twelve years since we last saw him.  He came in with a bunch of his pots and proceeded to sell a lot of them to a hungry crowd.  Doug is an amazing potter and he hasn't lost his touch at all.  It was great seeing him and I wish I could have spent more time with him but he had many other people to see during his visit.  We all hope he comes back soon and doesn't wait another twelve years to make an appearance.

Hole number one at Regent Park Golf Club.

Kim checking out some of Doug's pots.

Doug and Rick looking serious.

It only lasted a minute.

A new form I'm exploring in porcelain (helios).

(Thanks to Lulu and Kim.)

If I leave a pot on a wheel unattended

Ju-Ian can sometimes quietly add a frog

to it before I return.

I quite like the little guy.

Friday night slipping

Friday night I met Greg at Clayworks to get some of my earthenware pots into his bisque kiln. I slipped some of them and did some sgraffito on some of them. I don't have pictures of all of them since I rushed to get some of them into the kiln before Greg closed the lid. I also learned the hard way what Ron, Doug, and Hannah talk about when pouring slip --it can make the pot really soft and start eroding it away. Lesson learned.

When I got there Nick was furiously working on his wonderful planters and he stayed way too late as he left with me (and we all know how late that can be).

Some slipped and sgraffitoed pots.

This would be a syrup warmer.
Could you tell?


The fish pot.

Earthmovers Incorporated...

... just a couple of pounds at a time.

Friday Stir Fry

Whipped up a killer stir fry tonight. Extra firm tofu fried almost crispy, chicken for the kiddlies, mess o' vegetables, covered in plum duck sauce, garlic, and seasonings. Big ol' pot o' rice next to it.


All served in a Doug Blythe bowl (that I bought at the Foundry!).

I don't know about you, but I'm stuffed.