Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009 - 7:51 a.m.

I spent yesterday trying to solve a problem. A jewelry problem. It was like this: That part could be better. BUt how do I make it better? Can I buy something? [Go through catalogs for an hour looking for the right thing]. No. Well, is it so bad? What if I do this? Hey, I could make this! [make a few quickie samples, test to see if they'll work]. Well, that helps, but doesn't solve the problem completely. I still need something else. Maybe _this_ will work! [Go upstairs to see if I already have something that will work, come downstairs, try it] No. No, that won't work either. Well, what else can I find. [Goes through catalogs again]. Oh, hey, maybe _this_ would work! But I'd have to get items x, y, and z before I could even try it. And what if I got all that and I don't like it? Is what I'm already doing so bad?

Ugh, it was like that all day. Sort of like work, but not all that productive. Problem solving is frustrating. I eventually resolved that what I'm doing now isn't so bad, at least it's idiosyncratic (=unique! distinctive! "signature"!)and not pulled out of some catalog, even if not totally polished looking. It could be better. I found a tool to make it better, I think. And then if I got a tumbler, that would help too. Then things would be shiny.

Other things:
1. My mother keeps asking me what I want for my birthday, but she cannot order online (no computer, won't use credit card), and there's I think pretty close to NOTHING from stores local to her that I want. I don't know what to tell her.

2. Some person I don't really know-- someone who works for an arts organization that invited me to a show I can't do this year-- friended me on FB. I'm friends with a couple of gallery owners, but this is kinda weird. Also, she seems to have misspelled her own name (first name) on her profile, which is just funny. I guess I'll friend back-- you never know. But while I keep it clean (mother in law is there!), my FB is not exactly a professional face. I need to go ahead and get that fan page up and running.

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