Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery
A Chicago potter’s somewhat slanted view of clay & play
Categories: computer

So somewhere along the way while I was in Dover… my computer CRASHED!
Okay, maybe “crashed” is the wrong word… let’s say it went black!!!

So a little background… I’ve been getting this error message for awhile.
And like most people, I ignored it thinking & hoping that it might not be too bad?!
Ignoring a problem hoping for the best. And it seemed to work. Kinda.
As I was working on my computer, the screen would suddenly go black. No warning.
About once a week when it started. More frequently as I continued to ignore it.

When the computer would restart, I would get this error-message screen…

But while I was in Dover, the screen stayed black after restarting. No message.

I could tell that my MacBook Pro Laptop was turning on because the keys would light up. But the screen was black. Bummer. And because of this, my blogging has been “on hold” for quite some time.

I took my computer to Lapin Systems in Lincoln Park to see what they would say. Fix it or time to buy a new one? Of course, he suggested fixing it… he is the Fix-It Guy after all. But everything he said sounded logical and he seemed very trust-worthy.

He explained that the white screen error message is a “Kernel Panic” alert.
Thus my question that is now the title of this blog post. It’s an indicator of a hardware issue somewhere inside that is triggering this alert.

Turns out I had a dead Graphics Card. And unfortunately, In my laptop, the Graphics Card is embedded in the Logic Board. So I had to get a whole new Logic Board. Which was still a LOT less money than buying a new laptop. Which I was dreading as a new laptop means new Operating Systens, which means a lot of conflicts with my antiquated software. New Logic Board, no changes, no problem.

So I just got my laptop back – all good to go. Thanks to Lapin Systems.
But now I’m WAY behind on all my blogging… so I’m going to be dropping in a lot of out-dated, back-dated, old posts to fill in the void.

My apologies ahead of time. Bear with me.

Categories: mugs, process, production

Got some stamped cylinders… stamped ’em… and now they need handles.
So I pulled these handles and let them set-up a bit before starting to attach them to the cylinders…. and it’s MUGS here we come!!!

Categories: sunrise

A great way to kick off the weekend. The heatwave seems to have ended & there way less humidity this morning. By comparison, almost a bit chilly this morning. I’ll take it.

Categories: family, Taylor

A wonderful day at Six Flags Great America on Thursday. A great way to “keep the holiday going”… especially as there were surprisingly short lines for every ride?!!! Some rides we rode four or five times in a row with no wait!!!

Fun as always with my sister Jen, niece Taylor and Cousin Kim who is always ready to “show her true colors” after some blue cotton candy!!!

And sure, this may just look like a circle…
but it’s actually the newest rollercoaster at Six Flags!!! THE MARDI GRAS HANGOVER.
You sit down in the car, rock back & forth a bit… and then they speed you all the way around inside the circle in both directions. But the crazy part is when they stop you upside-down at the top… and let you dangle!!! Brilliant!!!!

Categories: holiday

What better way to celebrate the Fourth Of July than along the Main Street of America?! Annual fun down in Chenoa, Illinois with great friends, kids, corn dogs, cotton candy, and some of the best fireworks ever! In fact, apparently NBC5 chose Chenoa this year as one of their top places to see fireworks in Illinois!!! And they’re right!!!

Categories: color, flowers, holiday

Celebrating the Fourth of July with some festive florals.
Putting them together for a little red, white & blue!!! A bit of Mother Nature’s palette
with geraniums, Queen Anne’s lace and chickory!

Categories: classes, food, holiday, mugs

Last night in pottery class on July 3rd, we celebrated the Fourth a day early with FIREWORK OREOs… and in between the cookies, my students also managed to trim cylinders and make a few mugs as well.