Not Blowing Glass

 

Three of filed into the glass blowing class on Canal Park feeling nervous and fumbling for our masks. We had just come from a quick taco or burrito lunch and were being dropped off at the front door like movie stars. We filed in past the crowd of folks gathered around the open window. One guy said, "That looks dangerous."

I said, "Wish me luck because I am going in for a class!" He wished me luck.

As we waited for Joe to get ready we wandered around the store looking at bright shiny objects. Wine glasses like the one I got from my neighbor were $46. I paid $4 for mine.

My neighbor doesn't teach our class. Joe called us into our class which was in a large room with a tall table covered in metal and torches mounted on every side. He was young and hyper and very kind. He gave us three rules and he quizzed us on them. I was with two very intelligent over achieving adults so I relied on them to get it right. We had to keep turning the rods of glass. Don't stop turning. Bring the cold rods into the propane flame (which is hotter than the flame welders use to melt metal). When it is time for one glass to let go of the other glass rod, turn your rods in opposite directions and at a 90 degree angle and slowly pull them apart. Wear glasses when staring into the flame. Some rods of glass were transparent, some were opaque, some changed color in LED light compared to fluorescent light. Some were startle colors. Did we want wine glasses or martini glasses? Martini glasses have a dip and a lip and I quit paying attention about martini glasses. I prefer wine. Joe would put on the glass tops and bottoms. We were making the stems. Joe said we couldn't make mistakes unless we got burned, we burned some one else, we stared into the flame without glasses or we let a long glass thread shoot across the table. We appreciated Joe's self-affirming manner and his choice of music which included the Spice Girls and That One Guy.

I chose peacock colors of purple, teal and blue and got to work. My plan was to mix enough glass to make two stems at the same time so my wine stems would be of the same color mixtures and an hourglass figure yet organic in shape (not smooth and perfect). Major fail on that. My first wine glass stem was going along fine until suddenly the shape of the lower half of a teddy bear appeared before my protected eyes.

"Help me Joe," I cried, "I have a teddy bear coming out of my stem feet first."

Joe verbally helped me get the teddy bear back into the stem and to break it off. Joe put it in the hot oven to wait. I took off my cotton long sleeved shirt and hung it on a hook. I was sweating from nerves and the flame. I started on my second wine glass and I did much better. I asked if I could have tendrils coming off my stem and Joe said that would be impossible. People in the store watched us enviously as we sweated wearing glasses and masks and working with hot flame and molten glass. Wonderful music from That One Guy played a song called The Moon is Disgusting. I loved the song. Joe loves the song too. Everybody loved the song. Joe served us wine in other glasses while he put the tops and bottoms on our glasses. 

Our driver appeared in the street window with his dog, Mack. We waved. Mack noticed us five minutes before our driver noticed us. We left feeling very satisfied and not thirsty.

Today Offspring #2 and I went back to collect our four wine glasses and two martini glasses. Next time we might make a pumpkin if they are still offering that option. Or we could make a pendant or a paperweight or a heart or whatever we want but we're going to make something. Also, if our wine glasses ever break, and they should last for at least one century, this store will repair our glass for only $15.