Other MSE kids going the metalsmithing route

Turns out I’m not the only metallurgist dabbling in jewelry-making: MSE students from the University of Wisconsin-Madison have been making aluminum earrings and tie tacks for years to raise money for student programs. This year they brought their wares to the TMS conference (and I’m totally bummed that I missed their booth). A brief article about EnginEarrings can be found in March 2009’s issue of JOM.

So what if I’m a treehugger?

Caitlin goes kickboxing – the interview

The curiosity of my buddy Tim was piqued the other day when I mentioned that my entire back was sore from kickboxing. This happened as a result. Enjoy my short, confused responses to his questions!

Book-reading weather

It’s pretty chilly here in Columbus tonight: temps below zero and wind chill WAY below zero. It’s a perfect night for settling in with a good book and a mug of hot rooibos tea. My desk is situated next to a big, drafty, cold window, so right now it feels as though I’m parked outside in my jammies, typing away. Which means that this is going to be a quick one.

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Books I’m currently reading (currently, as in within the last week):

The Oxford Project: I happened to catch a segment on CBS Sunday Morning about this a month or so ago. The photos remind me of Richard Avedon’s work, which I love. And stories about regular ol’ people just going about their lives in small-town America – yes, I happen to have a thing for that as well. It doesn’t hurt that the town profiled is just down the road from my birthplace.

The Middle of Everything: Memoirs of Motherhood: This one was written by Ohio State’s own Michelle Herman. The portion I’ve read so far strikes me as more of a meditation on friendship than motherhood, and there have been a number of points in the book where I’ve found myself reflecting on my own experiences. I love writing that does that.

A somewhat gripey aside: I’m still slightly miffed that fall quarter’s non-ferrous class prevented me from taking a writing class with Professor Herman (after waiting seven years for the opportunity – and yes, I realize that this is pathetic). This is one downfall to being in a small department like MSE – classes are offered only once a year, and scheduling conflicts with classes outside the department happen with depressing frequency.

Just After Sunset: Short stories by Stephen King, to get me back into shape so I can resume reading The Stand. And the Dark Tower series. I’m not going to hold it against King that I knew where the first story was going from the start. I enjoy stories that surprise me, and his typically do.

Watchmen: Graphic novel! Superheroes! Fun!

The War of Art: I don’t recall how this book found its way into my pile of library materials, but so far, it doesn’t reek too badly of self-help. I may have called Steven Pressfield a Scientologist at one point while reading it, and then developed this theory about how Will Smith got to star in “The Legend of Bagger Vance,” but I’ve kept reading anyway.

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I’m going to excuse myself from all responsibility regarding the quality of my book quasi-recommendations here, especially after I’d admitted to reading Twilight not too long ago. My apologies to anyone who loves Twilight, but UGH. I didn’t make it very far before the risk of tossing my cookies skyrocketed.

What do you need to know about metal?

Answer: Everything.

I’m not a terribly crafty person. I’d probably give myself an “A” for effort (well, at least for the first ten minutes that I try something new), but my art projects never turn out quite as planned. My latest undertaking has been knitting, and more recently, crocheting…though I suppose it would be more accurate to say that my latest undertaking has been knitting, and frequently saying that I’m going to learn to crochet. In the upper portion of the photograph, you can see some skeins of yarn which are neither knitting nor crocheting themselves. Does anyone need a scarf?

I was first introduced to the idea of metalsmithing by Carole, one of my knitting group friends. She’s an extremely talented artist: knitting, drawing, beadwork, jewelry-making – you name it, she’s amazing at it. Often, when we both manage to make it to our knitting group, she’s wearing some of the jewelry she’s made, and it always looks better than store-bought. I usually compliment her on whatever pieces she’s wearing, and sometimes that leads into a discussion about some of the latest materials she’s been working with. And then that leads me to think grandiose thoughts about becoming a Carole-apprentice and learning to make jewelry.

And then I remember that I’m a good cook and you just can’t beat being able to eat what you create. Unless you can wear what you create…which technically, I do a bit of as well when I cook.

Anyway, the photo above is taken from one of the books I’m currently reading in a quest to get different perspectives on metallurgy and art: Jewelry: Fundamentals of Metalsmithing. Also tempting me are the art class offerings at the Cultural Arts Center downtown.

More rambling about the books I’m reading will surely follow in the next few days.

Fun things to do in Columbus over winter break

On Monday, December 15, Capital University is hosting the Columbus-area TubaChristmas. This is a fun one to go to and enjoy your favorite holiday tunes performed by a slew of volunteer low brass players. Be sure to arrive with jingle bells and a desire to sing along.

A few years ago, my friend Christy (a longtime TubaChristmas participant) encouraged me to play in the TubaChristmas at the University of Akron, so I borrowed a baritone from my old high school, bedecked the thing with Christmas flair, and then honked a bunch of wrong notes. (In my defense, playing on a baritone mouthpiece with a French horn embouchure ensures many, many wrong notes. It was quite a surprise, halfway through our last performance, when I realized I’d been trying to play everything about two octaves too high.) Anyway, it was a sight to behold, some 250+ festively-decorated low brass packed onto the stage and into the first few rows of the audience at EJ Thomas Hall. And oh, the beauty of the brass. Sigh.

As long as you have some experience playing a valved brass instrument and you’re able to snag a baritone, euphonium, sousaphone, or tuba for the day, you’re welcome to perform at most TubaChristmas locations. (Visit the main TubaChristmas website for information about TubaChristmas locations throughout the U.S.)

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There’s still a little over a week to catch BalletMet’s performance of the Nutcracker. This year I opted to treat my mom to our local ballet company’s Nutcracker show. It’s been twenty years since I danced as one of Mother Ginger’s polichinelles at the Palace Theatre downtown, so it’ll be fun to marvel at the adorableness of those little kids scampering out from underneath Mother Ginger’s skirt during that scene. I’m also curious as to whether the choreography has changed much, because unfortunately, I will probably remember that routine until the day I die.

Currently motivated by idealism

So, I voted today. It was very painless – in and out in about five minutes. The biggest hassle was forking over fifty forms of identification.

I’d have to say that I miss the punchcards of my hometown’s voting precincts. I was a very enthusiastic puncher when it came time to vote. No hanging chads here! There’s something less satisfying about smearing your index finger around in other people’s germs on the touch screen.

Anyway, nothing out of the ordinary happened today when I voted, which was a little disappointing. Actually, I take that back. Once the results come in for the presidential race, if the guy I voted for wins, that’ll be the first time that’s ever happened. In the primary, when I collected some staphylococcus from the screen near Hillary’s name, I shook my head. “Sorry, chica,” I said silently. “You’re going to lose.” This is a pattern I’d like to see end.

This afternoon I had my last on-campus job interview (as far as I know). It didn’t go terribly, which was good considering the fact that HR moved my interview time up an hour just two hours before go-time and the fact that I was sporting a killer kowlick from outer space. I’d gone so long without a gravity-defying bad hair day – why today? Oh well. That’s one of the nice things about being in engineering: sometimes the stereotypes can be very forgiving.

Oddly enough, four years ago on Election Day I was looking for work as well, driving around town submitting job applications. I proudly wore my “I voted today!” sticker, because the seven-year-old in me has always been motivated by stickers. At one point, I was standing in the checkout line at the locally-owned grocery store when the haggard man in front of me turned, grinned, and said to me, “You look like you’re a Carrie girl.”

I made a mental inventory of what could indicate my slasher-queen tendencies. I was holding a box of Pop-Tarts and a gallon of skim milk. I was also wearing a button-down, khakis, running shoes, and an expression of confusion.

“I’m sorry, what?” I replied.

“I said, ‘You look like you’re a Kerry girl.’ Am I right?”

“Um…maybe?”

He laughed. “That’s okay if you don’t wanna tell me.” I gritted my teeth and hoped it would pass for a polite smile. He turned to pay for his groceries.

Later, when I went to pull out of the parking lot, I pulled up behind the Kerry guy’s car, a beat-up white pick-up truck with a Vietnam Veteran license plate and a Confederate flag window sticky. People in northeast Ohio, at least those who are right in their mind, don’t advertise their love of the Confederacy. Maybe their love of Lynyrd Skynyrd, but not the pro-slavery-motivated secession of the South.

The first time I voted was back in the primary of 2000. I obtained my paper ballot after proudly declaring that I was in desperate need of a liberal education. Oh, eighteen-year-old Caitlin, you were so cute. Sixteen years of living in a snooty suburb hadn’t exposed you to the idea that there was another party willing to receive your votes. McCain (version 1.0 – the moderate version) was about as liberal as people in my ‘burb were willing to get. And so McCain it was. Until W. won.

Anyway. Immediately after I’d declared myself a Republican, some older fellow hissed, “These young kids saying they’re Republican. Just wait till the Republicans take your house away from you!” Looking back, I think that man was the ghost of elections yet to come.

The future of green running shoes…

…and by “green” running shoes, I don’t mean shoes that have been worn to mow the lawn.

I know, I know – I’m the most boring person ever because I won’t stop with the tree hugging and the running shoes. But there’s a great article in November’s Runner’s World detailing the materials that go into the production of running shoes and the strides that some companies are making in developing more eco-friendly materials for athletic shoes.

I highly encourage you to check out the article at your local Barnes & Noble or library. Or, if you know me personally, I’d be happy to loan you my copy. Because it’s just that cool.

Labor of love

Over Labor Day weekend, I made a trip to one of my favorite shops, Half Price Books. This place is super-dangerous for me, especially when it has a store-wide 20%-off holiday special going on. I was able to control myself at the dollar CD bin and selected only one embarrassingly ‘90s album (early Gin Blossoms). My older sister, who was visiting for the weekend, made my heart skip a beat by flashing a Bill Cosby record at me. We’d been watching some of our favorite Cosby Show episodes earlier in the day, and I worried for a moment that, between her love of Bill Cosby and my love of vinyl records, Bill was going to be coming home with us.

Now, about this love for LPs. I find there’s something strangely soothing in the sounds of the pops and crackles as the needle finds its way to the first song. Much of my early childhood was spent standing on tip-toe, sliding any one of my favorite records at the time (such as Thriller, Huey Lewis and the News’ Sports, or Urban Chipmunk) onto the turntable, setting the needle in the correct groove, and somehow avoiding scratching the record. After spending the ‘90s under a thick layer of dust, our turntable was repaired. Since then, my visits to my parents’ house usually involve about an hour of poring over my dad’s record collection, selecting an album I haven’t listened to before, and giving it a spin. As a result, my dad recently bequeathed his record collection to me. I don’t know whether he fully comprehends the enormity of his gesture. Every time I catch sight of his hundreds of records, my heartbeat quickens and I’m unable to tear myself away from them. He’s what most people would call an electronics geek (which is totally cool), so he’s ripping all of his records to mp3 format. I’m what most people would call a history geek (which might be considered slightly less cool), so I’m treasuring all of his smelly thirty- and forty-year-old records with their crazy cover and sleeve artwork.

I’m going to briefly interrupt my goofy little trip down memory lane by drawing your attention to the materials facet of the vinyl to cassette tape to CD to mp3 evolution. I’m also going to break one of my rules of research, the rule that states “Wikipedia is not a valid resource,” and direct you to some articles of interest on Wikipedia.

Records through the ages — Cassette tape — CD materials — mp3

Anyway, I suppose what I’m trying to say is that without vinyl records, it wouldn’t have made sense for ELO to sing the vocoded words “please turn me over” at the end of 1977’s “Mr. Blue Sky” as a funny reminder for the listener to turn the record over. But without the updated materials technology, I’m sure I would have had to replace some of my favorite albums thanks to wearing out the record or cassette tape by playing it to death. Also, I’m very curious to see what engineers will think of next to improve upon current music technology. I can’t even begin to imagine it.