Just wanted to start this out. Really, I will motivate and get my ass in gear and include interesting pictures and whatnot. The lovely shot above features "sushi" gifted to the clay biz at the Bray in Helena, MT last summer- and it does have hamburger meat, american cheese, and vienna sausages in it.

So what am I getting myself into?

For those not up to date on what is up with me, here's the deal. After spending nearly my entire life living in California, I have done the unimaginable and left the state.

Really.

Why, you may ask? Well, an opportunity cam up that seemed a shame to turn down. I am beginning a long term artist residency in Missoula, Montana.

YES, I have heard IT GETS COLD HERE! And you wouldn't guess, but unlike the Bay Area, summers are generally WARM. And houses are INSULATED

It's funny what I heard before the move:

Statement: "It gets to like 30F below there!"

FACT: " The lowest recorded temperature was -30°F in 1983"

So it happened once- the average nighttime low in the dead of winter is actually 17F (that's ABOVE zero F). At least things are insulated here. The indoor temp at my studio in Oakland last winter was 38F...snap!

Statement: "So you're, like, moving to the midwest?"

FACT: Colorado is not considered the midwest, right?

Well, check a map and figure that one out. In addition, I am west of the continental divide.

The long and short of it is, if I had not taken this opportunity, risk, adventure...whatever you may call it...I'd always have "what if" lingering in my mind. Sure, the winter will at first be a novelty, then I will start getting cranky about it and do some stupid things like pour hot water on my windshield to defrost it...but that's when this blog will become interesting, right?

Sure...

Well, I will do my best to keep it updated with progress of work, my (mis)adventures in navigating around a new area. Missoula is actually a pretty hip, liberal college town, so the transition is not shocking...the place is filled with dirty hippies, so really no different than walking down Telegraph Ave. And there are couple of sushi places here...that actually don't prepare items like the fine dish pictured above- I think. I hope.

Good god, what have I done?