2016-2017

[gfish]

From September 4, 2016 to September 4, 2017 I...
...bought a mill
...made a railbike
...started making deep dives into philosophy (consciousness and math/science)
...did a kinetic sculpture installation, landed a large public art contract, started to get responses to RFQ submissions
...found out I might not need cardiac surgery within the next decade after all
...saw a total solar eclipse
...started the adjustment to living in a post-democratic world

I dunno. It's been a year. Not a good one for getting a lot done, or for feeling hopeful about the future. Not a good one for dealing with an anxiety disorder, either. I feel like I'm coasting. I'm more scared than excited to see what my 40s are going to be like, and not from standard fear of mortality reasons. Though those are certainly there too.

Writing these annual review posts is usually a lot more fun.

Comments

[sistawendy]

started the adjustment to living in a post-democratic world

I refuse to believe this. I have a lot more to lose than you do.

[solarbird]

Not just you.

[gfish]

I didn't say accept. I said adjust.

[randomdreams]

"We shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our [democracy], whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender."

[randomdreams]

'sup with your heart? I mean, I'm glad, but still worried.

What was the public art contract?

[gfish]

Oh, I come from a long line of men who either had bypass in the later 40s or (slightly farther back) died from want of it. But I had a heart scan this year and there was 0 plaque build up. So maybe some lucky recessive gene kicked, or something? But it was a bit of an adjustment, after spending decades waiting for my turn.

The art project is for the Prairie Line Trail in Tacoma.

[randomdreams]

Any details on the Prairie Line Trail? I'd love to see what you're up to. Is this a rails-to-trails route? (Is it nice? I'm behind on my go-places-to-ride-long-distances goal.)

[gfish]

It's rails to trails, yeah. Just a short section through downtown Tacoma, on either side of the UW branch campus there. I'm etching some historical texts roughly related to the line into the rails that will be left in place, starting within the next few weeks hopefully. And then early next year I'll be building a large sculpture, representing the workings of a steam engine very abstractly.

[randomdreams]

Etching like you did for the steam engine nameplate, or some other process? (Did you do that through electrolytic etching after laminating on a resist?)