So we came back down to the waterfront Saturday morning for athlete check-in, mandatory athlete briefing and the IRONMAN Expo. It’s a little overwhelming to see those bridges looming out there off in the distance. Knowing that I was going to have to swim a LONG ways around an island and then under those two, yes count them two, bridges before getting out of the water.

We parked the car and then started off towards IRONMAN VILLAGE. There were already athletes in the water for the official open water swim practice. Sure, I probably should be practicing with them… but then again, why start now?!

So we finally made it to IRONMAN VILLAGE. Exciting!!!
There’s the official IRONMAN Expo Tent, assorted vendors and other things in the Village. We did a little shopping and hung around for the first official Athlete Briefing of the morning. They cover all of the basic rules & information for tomorrow’s triathlon. After the briefing, you’re good to go and get ready for the Big Race!!!

After getting my bags and checking in, we went back to the hotel to pack up my gear for each leg of the race. For most triathlons you generally keep all of your stuff at one place. You continue to return to that same Transition Area in between each leg of the race. But for the IRONMAN, because it’s so much longer, they split it up a bit… and they provide you with a Special Needs Bag for both the run and the bike. Those special needs bags will be out on the route at the half-way point. So it’s important to think about what you might need at each leg of the race ahead of time.

It was great to have Chris there as my longtime friend, eager supporter and Sherpa for the weekend. She was the perfect choice to keep me on task and help keep everything running smoothly. Trying to plan, organize and prepare for every step of the way. I don’t want any surprises along the way tomorrow.

Once we were packed up, and had my numbers attached to bike, helmet and everywhere else… it was time to go back to the Transition Area. I had to get my bike and all of my Gear Bags checked into Transition ahead of time. So my Sherpa Chris and I headed out of the hotel towards the Transition Area again.

When you get there, you suddenly see a LOT of bikes!!! There are nearly three thousand people signed up for the race. And the Transition Area was filling up fast. Right on the waterfront. In the “shadow” of the bridges. Thousands of bikes waiting for their big day tomorrow!

Once bikes are in place, then you take your Gear Bags to the other side of the Transition Area. It’s a big system of numbers & rows. Everything is planned & organized. Everything in its place. Every place with its thing. Thousands of bags all lined up in the field.

After setting up in Transition, we went to find my friend Pam who was working… and sitting down… in the Volunteer’s Information Tent. So glad that she made it down to cheer me on… even if she couldn’t do much walking…

Earlier the day before, as we were leaving Chicago,  I got this text from Pam…

Turns out Pam actually broke her foot. And yet she still pulled it together and came down to Louisville to cheer me on, as well as volunteer at the race. She’s a trooper. So much fun to have Pammy there to be part of my Support Crew, along with her husband Jeff. Too bad she’s going to miss her marathon next weekend through the Redwood Forest in California!!! Mwah, mwah, mwah…

After playing with Pam, Chris and I decided to walk up a mile or so to the location for the the Swim Start. It’s a cozy little marina of docks located between the shoreline and a small island. So the swim plan is that all athletes will jump off one of the closest two docks. Swim north, turn around the island, and then swim south back to Joe’s Crab Shack.

So then it was back to “reality”… dinner, hotel, early to bed.
Chris and I discussed our morning plan. It was going to be a VERY early morning start down at the Pier. The race officially starts at 7:30am. But my personal start time is whenever I cross the timing mat on my way into the water. But the sooner I start, the longer I have to make it across the Finish Line. So we’re starting VERY early tomorrow!!!

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So I must admit that I didn’t really know that much about Louisville before going there.
I knew there was a river. I knew there were bridges. Only because I knew I would be swimming in it and under them. But I didn’t expect for the Ohio River and their multiple bridges to be so beautiful… or wide?! The Ohio River was almost as wide as the Mississippi River at this point. A little daunting for my upcoming open-water swim!!!

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After a long & wandering road trip, we finally arrived in Louisville, Kentucky.
We tried to avoid the construction traffic everyone was complaining about. And somehow we wound up in the middle of nowhere relying on Siri and Google to send us in the right direction. Along the way we had a ton of fun, saw some wonderful landscapes, and even a wonderful Amish community. Sometimes it’s fun to get “lost” along the way!

After we checked into our hotel and lugged all of our luggage and gear up to the room, we took a little walking tour to see the town and grab some food. It was fun to see the excitement at Fourth Street Live… Louisville’s center attraction. Lots of neon. Lots of music. Lots of food. LOTS OF EXCITEMENT!!!

It’s a little nerve-racking knowing that in just two days this will all transform into
The Finish Line!!!

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This week was the week where I teach my students to make a bowl on purpose instead of a cylinder gone bad. But since I only have returning “advanced” beginners this session, it was a bit more of a refresher course. A basic bowl thrown with intention from the very beginning. No flat bottom. Nice even curve on the inside. A real bowl with a real curve.

And then, as we normally do every session, after the demo I continued to throw fifteen more bowls. A full bag of clay. The plan is typically that once I finish throwing all of the bowls we then re-convene to go through Part Two of the demo. My favorite part where we do some quick fun of altering & decorating each bowl. Showing my students how to “play” a bit more. To design their bowls a bit more. To alter. To re-shape. To add some pattern. Color. Texture. To make it their own!!!

So that’s just what we did.

When we re-convened, I sprung a little surprise on my students.
Since they are all returning “advanced” beginners, I knew that they’ve all seen my usual demo. Fluting. Flanging. Slipping, Altering. But since the whole goal is for them to “make it their own”… I decided to take it literally. So I did the first bowl with a flange bent outwards.

And then I sprung it on them… THEY were going to do the demo!!!

Yes, each of them had to step it up and show off some technique that I’ve done before to one of my bowls. And if they did it, I told them they could keep my bowl. Because now they’ve made it their own. Quite literally.

Unfortunately, I was quite prepared to catch them all on film… but I missed a few. But here are the most of them. Bowls that I threw but my students did a bang-up job of doing the demo, sharing with their skills and techniques with everyone else.

April added some angular flair to her bowl. She curved in the lower half from the outside, and then gave some definition to the change of angle.

Tony did his first split-rim EVER!!!
The first attempt didn’t quite work so well. So we had him re-compress the rim and try again. The second time was perfect. And then he did a couple finger pinches for detail.

Natalie took her round bowl and squared it off a bit… and then added some French Green slip to the interior.

Grace used two different colored slips blending them in a spiral pattern. Once the interior was covered, she dragged a tool through the slip while the bowl was spinning to create this wonderful ombre spiral effect.

Taylore did a flanged rim… and then added a layer of colored slip. She used white slip, so it is a subtle change from the color of the B-Clay. Hopefully it will show up even more when it’s glazed & fired.

Katie wanted to do a finger-fluted rim. A couple little flip & squish accents… whoops!!!…
okay, so maybe she squished and flipped just a little too much?!!!

And so she tried again… lucky we had an extra bowl already made…

And a layer of French Green slip along the fluted flanged rim.

Patty decided to go for a split rim. And then flute it both inwards & outwards to give her bowl a sort of lotus pattern.

Stacey coated the inside of her bowl with French Green slip. And then did a fun chattered pattern through the slip… her first attempt ever! It’s the combination of rhythmic tapping of a rib through the slip while the bowl is spinning. Stacey was quite pleased with her first attempt at chattering. I think she might be addicted now?!

Catherine took her bowl and divided it into five sections with a MKM Spacing Wheel. She then gently shaped the five sections outward for a gently undulating rim.

Melissa went all out and did the newspaper stencil trick. She cut a pattern out of newspaper, wet it, and then smoothed it gently onto the interior surface of the bowl. She then carefully covered the interior with French Green slip. After some good coverage, she gently pulled out the newspaper stencil to reveal the pattern.

My teaching assistant Susan took care of the last bowl. She pulled out four side points, and then shaped them into points.

So there it is for another session… the same old Bowl Demo with a wonderful twist. So much fun to see my students step it up… to show off a bit… to see what they’ve learned… to see them make some great bowls!!! A wonderful twist. And I think they might now have a little more appreciation for what I go through doing every demo every time. About time they tables were turned on them. And they did an incredible job!!!

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My teaching assistant Susan brought back some chocolate for us from her recent Scandinavian vacation! She said all of the OREO cookies were just like ours… but then she found these chocolate candy bars with actual OREO’s crushed up inside! Yum… and more yum!!!

Look what showed up in the mail today. Who would’ve thought
that I would ever get a real paycheck from 20th Century Fox???

Spent some time tonight glazing up the last batch of textured tiles for a commission piece I’ve been working on. Can’t wait to see them come together into another ClayQuilt wall piece.

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After several days of gray, gloomy morning skies, it was great to finally see the sun again. Sure it looked a little iffy at first… red sky and all… but the gusty headwinds took care of that!!! And we ended up with patchy clouds and a beautiful sunrise. Finally.

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And so the Battle Begins… and it sounds like my handmade vases
will make their brief appearance on “EMPIRE” Episode 8 before they get smashed!!!
Watch closely… it might be quick?!

My understanding is that Episode 3 airs this week. I’ll keep you posted.

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Well, look who’s the Featured Artist for October on the AFTOSA.com website… ME!!!

So excited to invited by the Aftosa Team to be featured this month.
I’ve been purchasing ceramic tools & supplies from them for years.
Check them out at aftosa.com.

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