mail system.

so now we're headed into day 7 of the canada post strike.  and while it hasn't affected my personal life so much (we get mostly direct mail advertising and the odd magazine) my little muffin top shop is quite devastated.  see the picture above?  that's the enormous pile of packages that are all waiting to be shipped.  plus, because of the success of my heartsy deal, i am now awaiting solder and wire because my supplies are quickly dwindling.  a couple of days of full lockout (on top of their rotating strikes) would have been okay.  but now we're talking daaaaayyyyysssss.

i, like millions of other canadians, are waiting to see what next week brings.  there are rumours that talks have broken off between the two sides at the bargaining table, that the government is pushing back to work legislation.  and i know everyone is trying their best.  while i am all for fair pay for hard work, i have to point out that the mail is still quite relevant in today's tech-savvy society.  i am lucky that i have a full-time job as well as my little jewelry business, but many of my crafting colleagues do not.  and this is killing them. 

please go back to work.  we need to work too.

(so please know that almost all of my orders are packed up and ready to ship just as soon as they start accepting packages at the post office again!)

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fusion.

no, i'm not talking about some weird new cuisine.  i'm talking about the fabulous technique of fusing.  fine silver, which is 99.9% silver (vs. sterling, which is 92.5% silver) can be fused - saving you time (and money) in regards to using flux and solder.  (flux and solder... i should have named my jewelry business that instead.  poop.)  i have been experimenting with fusing small fine silver links with my torch and really, in my opinion, it is seriously controlled MELTING.  i've been snipping fine silver wire with my flush cutters and making sure that the ends of the wire meet as completely as i can.  then i take my torch and heat the areas to be joined together.  we all know how i feel about melting stuff and i admit get a little bit of a thrill from watching the "flash" that occurs right at the precise moment that the silver becomes molten and then fuses at the join.  i've been also trying my hand at fusing sterling silver and even though they say it doesn't work... i've been somewhat successful at fusing some of the thicker wire pieces.  including these two rings.  i am not sure if the join will hold, but it seems pretty strong.  now if i could just fuse my attention to the pile of stuff waiting on my desk at the office...

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battle of the bands.

because slayer kicks judas priest's butt ANY DAY.

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messy.

needless to say, my home workstation is quite a mess.  i'm finally digging out from under all the orders from last week and i can see the light!  unfortunately, that light has also exposed me for the chaotic person that i am.  i am the type of person who needs to have a clean and organized workspace - but only to start.  once i get going, things go everywhere.  but someone once told me that a cluttered desk is really a sign of a very intelligent person... mhm.  i think that maybe they were just trying to make me feel better.  seriously, i am hoping to clean up - maybe sometime next week?  maybe?

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scared.

i realize that i am scared of many things.  starving.  drowning.  being fired.  losing my eyesight.  losing my hearing.  my parents' dying.  being homeless.  the mini being abducted.  living beyond my means.  makes me feel a little trapped at times.

so i try to do something that scares me - at least once every day.  helps keep that fear away.  even if it's something small like driving at 160 kms/hr, or having a boston cream doughnut.

this song is on repeat right now in my car.  just love it - that albert hammond jr. dude really knows how to write a good pop song... a little bit of a 50's throwback with the bittersweet spritely-ness of really great britpop.  and fantastic lyrics to boot.   (now if he'd just shave his head... yeah, i know, i have a thing for shaved heads.  so sue me.)

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