T minus 18 months

The last work week has been super stressful, as Google job offers were scheduled to go out on Tuesday. Some of us would be offered full-time positions, some would be given a few months to find another job. Some of us would receive retention bonuses; most would not. I swear time on Tuesday afternoon passed like half-frozen molasses.

But we did finally get our offers, and fortunately mine was all good news. I immediately sat down and did the only important calculation, and it appears that I am now T minus eighteen months to a jacquard loom. Viva Google!

Now, of course, we have the challenge of where to put the loom. This is no small matter, considering that we live in an 1100 square foot house and already have a massive 40-shaft loom occupying most of the garage. Bay Area construction costs are so high, and building permits so convoluted, that building an addition to the house is simply not an option. Nor can we expand the garage. So we are thinking of building a ten-foot by twelve-foot shed in the back yard, moving the items that are stored in the garage to the shed, and housing both looms in the garage.

Of course, that means building a large shed. We don’t want a cheap prefab shed – Mike is thinking of putting his woodworking shop in the shed as well, which means comfort is important. So Mike is thinking of ways to build passive heating and cooling systems into the shed. We may well build most (or all) of it ourselves. That will take a significant amount of time, so I’m planning to start the design process now. The first step is seeing whether both looms will actually fit inside the garage, so I’ll be taking measurements this weekend.

Meanwhile, I have set up the loom for threading and started in on the (very long) task of threading. There are 2800 ends in this warp, and I have threaded 56 of them. That means I am exactly 2% done. I’ve been humming a weaver’s variant of the summer camp perennial, “Ninety-Nine Bottles of Beer on the Wall” as I go:

2800 ends of warp to thread, 2800 threads to go,
Pick up two, pull them through,
2798 ends of warp to go.”

Over time I’m sure that will drive me crazy, but as I’m still making up verses, it’s keeping me entertained right now.

I have also been working on my book proposal. I got feedback from my editor and a few other people, and have been busily incorporating it. I still need to revise the query letter and re-shoot the photos in the Creative Cycle chapter, and then send it for copy editing. After that it will be done, polished, and ready to send out to agents and publishers. I’m very pleased with it; it’s a strong proposal, much stronger than the previous rendition.

And what of the cats? They have been sadly absent the last few posts, as I’ve been preoccupied with other things and forgot (gasp! how could I?) to fill you in on their adventures. So I will try to play catch-up:

First, our beautiful Tigress is up to her usual mischievous tricks. I came home for lunch one day, and saw these ominous tracks on the kitchen counter:

Apparently someone has now learned there are paper towels on the kitchen counter. If it happens again, we may be reduced to hiding the paper towels as well as the toilet paper. Tigress scores again!

On the other hand, the humans may have some hope. Here is Tigress trying (and failing) to get into the cabinet where the cat treats are stored:

Alas, as you can see, she is just a little too short. Drat those dastardly (and tall!) humans!

Of course, if we actually open the cabinet, she comes running down the hall and takes a flying leap into the cabinet, scattering everything in it into a giant mess. But she’s so adorable while she’s doing it that it’s hard to get mad at her. She is an extraordinarily clever and exuberant kitty, admirable in so many ways.

And Fritz? He has grown into a giant kitty, over eleven pounds and quite tall. He has also been studying diligently at cat school. Here he is, demonstrating the quintessential kitty skill of Taking Up The Entire Bed:

Mike is actually in the photo, but has been shoved over from his usual sleeping-space to my side of the bed. Bravo Fritz! You are learning to assert yourself while sleeping and push your humans out of your rightful space. (Which is, of course, the entire bed – he is a cat, after all.)

And that’s it for today! Tomorrow is (very minor) arm surgery, so I may be quiet for a few days.