Achy and itchy and achoo

I got up early today to go out to Brooklyn and help someone pack up and move. Well, particularly to disassemble a big Ikea loft bed, bringing along Wil’s hex wrench. Turned out we needed two hex wrenches — the bolts were capped with sleeves, and you had to immobilize one end while turning the other or the thing would just spin in place without unscrewing. The local hardware store was adequate to the task. And one of the professional movers hired to actually schlep the stuff away helped me out, because it really is a two-person task. I came away all dirty and itchy and sneezy from cat hair, but after I got home and showered I felt quite accomplished. Nothing like some physical labor after two days of sitting in front of the computer like a lump.

Stopped off in Chinatown on the way home. Got some paint at Pearl (Payne’s gray, in fluid form, for an upcoming project, and also some carbon black, because I liked the look of it), and a set of china mixing dishes (I’ve been having trouble cleaning the quinacridone red out of the plastic dishes). Then up to neutral Ground, where I picked up Steam Tunnel (another new Cheapass Hip Pocket game) and Uresia (a BESM campaign setting) and a copy of the store’s list of Magic cards that they’ll pay cash for. Time to turn some of my old unused stock into rent money.

Now I’m prepping a canvas. I’m trying mixing some color into the absorbent ground; the Golden website suggests mixing acrylic medium in, so actual acrylic paint ought to work. It’s a nice canvas, too. Thick stretcher bars, and the fabric wrapped around and stapled on the back. Imported from France, but reasonably priced. I find I’m grooving on it as a physical artifact.