To fiberglass tape or not?

I never thought that would be a question I'd be asking myself. This vat business is serious stuff! Here's Susan, the office manager, helping her husband Kevin (the hand with the ring on it), turn the vat around to re-right so he can make the drain hole. I did three tours today, one for a stranger and two for old friends and new friends. Gaelyn and Gustavo came up from Akron to visit the Morgan and catch up over dinner (we met in 2007 at our Guapa residency). Funny timing, since Treva had invited me to see GroundWorks DanceTheater tonight. The coincidence? Gustavo is their music director. Treva had been invited by Pam, who also turns out to be good friends w/my hosts here.

I made two books today from the paper I made yesterday, which is still quite stinky. I am keeping the cheesy starred one (that I sewed all wrong, but only realized after it was done) and gave the papyrus one to Susan. She's going to call it "Aimee's stinky book." It's so great to have the chance to teach the interns over time--I have to brush up on my own skills and jog my memory, as well as have fun coming up with good things to teach them given their skill sets and how much time we all have. The vat is looking good, but unfortunately I will have to come in one more time tomorrow myself and do another sand and polyurethane job. I didn't want to (I thought 2 coats would be enough) but even w/o help I'm hoping I can get it done in a few hours and get out of there. Unless the whole vat is still right side up. Then I can't do anything since it would be way too heavy for me to flip over by myself.

Tonight's show was gorgeous. Treva and I were sitting there missing dancing (her more so, since she actually was a professional dancer with Urban Bush Women). The first piece had music composed by a guy I went to Oberlin with. The second piece, about Virginia Woolf, totally made me cry. It was stunning. A group of eight of us ended up going out afterwards to eat and drink and it was great to chill out and talk to new and old friends. Yay.