Monkey Trap

The original monkey trap involves a hollow coconut chained to a stake and baited with food. It has a hole large enough for the monkey to put its hand into, but too small to remove its hand while holding the bait. The monkey needs only to let go to escape, but gets caught because it refuses to let go in its panic to keep its precious find.

This sort of trap is allegorical and parallel to many things and situations.  When I think of the larger picture of my legal battle with Nesley (my X landlord), I realize that she is in a very similar type trap.  So grandiose, and arrogant she is, that she may not even realize that she has gotten herself into the trap.  Nesley, I hope you are one of the shadow followers to this blog and are reading this.  This blog is for you!  You thought you tricked me, and by now you must realize that in doing so, you tricked yourself.  You made a $40 mistake that is going to cost you hundreds of dollars.  Certainly by now you must realize that if you don't keep your promises, and if you don't pay your workers a fair wage, it will end up hurting you (costing you more) later.  I hope your other tenants are watching this whole thing closely.  You realize, that if all your frienemies decide to retaliate at once you will be in a pickle.  The only way out of the trap dumb ass is to let go of the fruit!  It has always been the only way out of the trap, and always will be.  Learn something, change something about yourself, and get on with it.  You won't ever get a penny from a judgement proof individual (like me).  You can whine, you can scream, you can even try to buy your way to garnishment, but unless you can get a federal judge to garnish my wages you are just throwing your money away and wasting your energy.  Worse yet Nesley, if I can demonstrate "retaliatory eviction" you just might have to pay me all the back rent I payed you, in addition to the money in my counterclaim.

Has there ever been a monkey smart enough to get his hand free of the trap?  I don't know the answer to that.  Looks like he might just make his hand swell up trying to get that fruit out, that even if he finally lets go, his hand will be too swollen to come out.

This legal process is not fun for me, but I am willing to make it my job.  I am willing to study the law every day, and contact the court every day in order to not let you have an automatic win.  I am willing to spend every available cent of money I have in filing motions, making copies of pictures, filing objections and appeals.  You are not going to just shit on me (take my money, my possessions, MY PRECIOUS TIME) and then just skip on your merry way.  You may win in the end.  I can not predict how a judge will interpret my evidence.  I can handle loss and disappointment.  What I can't do is just forfeit by default.  I have not ever done it, I won't do it, and if I were you I would find a way to drop that piece of fruit.  Because by the time you get your hand out of the jar it will be deformed or the fruit will be ruined.

I can make myself love this legal process Nesley.  I can do that.  I can stop doing art and just love doing legal things for the next month and a half.  Cause you know what, "you don't have to do anything for the rest of your life".  It is true.  Tomorrow you can do something else.  It is our greatest power as human beings is our capacity to change.  Change our minds.  Change our habits.  Change our ways. 

Don't forget your disgruntled worker two summers ago that put a shotgun to your head because you wouldn't pay him.  I tell you, I never forgot it.  I actually learned something from that experience.  Here you were busy learning the wrong thing...."oh my knight in shining armor came to my rescue".  What a dumb way to interpret that scenario.  What you could have learned is not to cheat somebody as they might just blow your head off for a few dollars.  Pay the man what you owe him, and you won't have to worry about your knight in shining armor being there to save you.  You were lucky that time Nesley.  You could have been killed, just because you were stingy and not in the mood to pay the piper.  One of these days you might not be so lucky.  I am thinking maybe not to far in the distant future....say November 15th.

Last Square

I finished the final six squares Sunday afternoon.  All I need to do to finish is to figure out my signature square that will go in the bottom right corner.  I ran out of nails (copper weatherstripping nails) so I am going to have to hold off riveting this down to the back board.  Still though, I will be able to play around with the final arrangement and draw out my boundary lines so they will all fit together and line up.  I will be trying to make hinges tomorrow for my friends glasses.  I may have to make those from scratch as I can't find any of my old pairs around here.  I will also be cutting out some copper bracelets that will be for sale at Werkhaven.  They asked me to make them quite a while ago, and now I am ready to do it.  It is thrilling to think of my work being for sale in the very place I buy my supplies from.  They have been so good to me over the years.  Last Thursday they even fronted me the copper to make these.  I may as well stay busy till I can get my hands on some more nails.  It is always so hard to make ends meet that last 7 days of the month.  So much to do, and so little time as they say!

Doomer Glasses

I see today that I have another follower to this blog.  Welcome Shawn Anthony, pull up a chair and stay awhile.  It would be real interesting to find out how everyone got to Concha's Cauldron.  I may contact each of you one of these days and try to find out more about you all.  Thank you Gail for your help with my court case.  It has been so good to be able to share this process with someone who has been through it.
  Sometime this weekend I am going to finish this pair of glasses I am remaking for my friend who is being garnished by the IRS.  He can't afford to replace his glasses and I think I can make him a pair that is nicer than the pair he broke.  Originally, he brought them to me to solder them together and I had to tell him that I can't solder plastic.  I can't even glue plastic in most cases!  I am going to use part of a lid that I have left over from the quilt.  I will take what parts I can from his old glasses and make new parts when I need to.  This is going to be an interesting project.  This guy has helped me out so many times over the years that there is no way that I could just leave him hanging with no money in his pocket, and no way to replace these glasses.  The IRS could give a damn about his eyesight, or that they are leaving him without any money.  I stopped to see him on my way to court Thursday and took him some food from the food pantry.  If the power grid goes down in the future, it may be hard to get things like a pair of glasses.  This is why I call them doomer glasses.  My projection is that they will be a lot nicer than the plastic piece of crap from China that he broke in the first place.  I bet he paid a hundred dollars or more for these.  They are junk, he is a mechanic and deserves a durable pair of glasses.  OK...back to my studio.

Butterfly Bow Tie

Yesterday, I spent a delightful day in my studio and afternoon with two friends who stopped in to see me.  Jeanne brought me some more tins and trays; and I believe I will be able to finish all the pieces by Monday morning and begin attaching them to the back plate.  The Hopewell symbol is being well received and I expect I need to make another one so that I can send the one I sold in Columbus Thursday to it's new owner.  As you can see, she also brought me a color that is darn near turquoise (left).  I am sure there will be lots of leftover material for my next metal quilt.

Hopewell Bead Necklace

I have been working on a new design to go with my Native American theme.  Above my array of feathers is the newly created Hopewell symbol that was excavated near Cincinnati several thousand years ago and is used each year in some form as part of the Comfest logo.  The beaded necklace contains the 4 colors for the 4 races represented in the symbol.  This may be another item that I can put in our local gift shops as both the Adena and the Hopewell are part of local lore.
Post Script
Yesterday I went to court and wore my feathers and the new Hopewell symbol as well as my Thunderbird.  I had carefully prepared for trial and in anticipation of setting off the electronic metal detectors I removed the change from my pocket and made sure I would not have anything on my person that would delay me from my day in court.  This was the very first time in my life that I had walked through the electronic door without setting off alarms.  But even though I was metal free, I got halted by a police officer that pointed to my chest and said "what about that"?  I thought I was going to be searched and detained and began removing my jewelry.  I misinterpreted his question.  What he wanted to know was what the Hopewell symbol meant.  I was relieved and delighted to explain what I knew about the symbol and I felt empowered as I continued on my journey to the courtroom.
I do not know all the details about why my trial was delayed.  I was there, the plaintiff and her attorney was there but there was a problem with another jury trial and we were whisked into a backroom where the Judge made an apology to us, and that the trial would need to be rescheduled to a later date.  Once again the plaintiff's attorney tried to get the judge to do a summary judgement.  If you recall this tactic was tried somewhat successfully in May when the plaintiffs attorney requested a continuance and summary judgement.  I had called the court and the attorney to find out about the continuance the day before the scheduled trial.  The continuance had been granted so I was very surprised to find out a month later that they had went ahead and circumvented the trial by summary judgement.  Summary Judgement is not defined in any of the 4 law books in Licking County.  I found out what it was by looking it up on Wikipedia.  It is a process of avoiding a trial altogether and usually requested by a defendant.  So dear readers...I smell blood in the water.  The Judge told Mr. Blankenship that indeed he could request a summary judgement but that he was not likely to grant it as my counterclaim had enough teeth that my evidence would be heard.  Like my buddy Eve said "they don't have a case" they know they don't have a case.  The only way they can win at this point is if I don't show up in court, and if my evidence is not entered.  I don't think at this point they can even withdraw from having a trial as I filed a counterclaim!  Even though I don't like to think about legal matters I am going to have to continue thinking about them at least until November 15th, the day we are scheduled to go to trial.  I was prepared yesterday to go to trial and even was ready to submit my evidence.  Mr. Blankenship has yet to ask me for my discovery materials.  It is not hard to guess why at this point.  His client acted unlawfully before, during, and after eviction.  He doesn't want the judge to know that, and it would be unethical for him to withold that evidence.  So his tactic is to get this shoved under the rug so that the plaintiff doesn't have to be accountable for her actions.  I expect more trickery and treachery in the next couple months as we prepare for trial.  I am thinking about making a T-shirt that says I'd rather be doing art.  That is certainly how I feel and have felt.  I will not let somebody shit on me and then just walk away.  I had to do that growing up and be damned if I will let someone get away with it when I am an adult.  I am going to take the next few days and finish my metal quilt and make another Hopewell symbol as I have sold the first one, even before I wore it to court.  That is a pretty nice return...make something on Monday and sell it by Tuesday afternoon.  The whole day yesterday was pretty spectacular.  It was a beautiful sunny day.  The temperature was perfect.  On my way to retrieve the money for the symbol, I stopped by Werkhaven and scrapped some silver and picked up some findings  for ear rings, and necklaces.  Werkhaven is a wonderful place and the folks there have always treated me with the respect that I deserve.  Yesterday, they fronted me an 18 gauge piece of copper that I am going to use to make bracelets and more Hopewell symbols.  In effect they are loaning me the copper for 10 days till I get my social security check.  I drove home on cloud nine, and this afternoon you can find me happily creating things in my studio.  It has been costly...the process of getting my studio to safety and set up the way it needs to be set up.  I feel like I am in a church when I am in there.  So if I had to get away from some bad guys and girls in order to get where I am...it has been worth it.  Thank you dear readers for all your support.  It has been my lifeblood!

The Pour House

I met a wonderful woman named Judy Fowler who owns and operates the local ceramic shop.  The Pour House is a delightful place and space that in the future will fire my pottery.  After Nesley busted my kiln last June, I had to make other arrangements.  I didn't get to donate 20 bowls to the empty bowls project last year and have had to keep all clay projects on the back burner.  It is hard to keep a good woman down though, or so the saying goes.  Judy Fowler followed her dream after retirement and possesses that very same spirit that I try to cultivate every day.  Do it now!  The future is made up of all the nows!  By the time this blog is posted, I should be finished with Nesley Thomas once and for all.  She was able to slow me down some, but she was not able to prevent me from creating.  Other projects suffered for my lack of participation...such as the empty bowls project which is a good cause that helps to raise money to feed the homeless each year.  Way to go Nesley.  How many bowls have you ever made and donated to the cause?  I look forward to donating a few bowls this year with designs inspired by my newly discovered genetic links.  I have a project in the works that should be an ongoing money maker that I look forward to blogging about in the future.

Happy Diversion

I got sidetracked from everything by an absolute need to construct and wear a Hopewell symbol when I go to court on Thursday.  I never know when this sort of thing is going to happen, but I have learned to just go with it and see where it takes me.  I know I will be walking into that courtroom as prepared as I can be and will deliver my counterclaim in spite of all opposition.  I have toyed with going to Columbus a day early and staying in a motel within walking distance of the court because I am not going to let anything or anyone stop me from delivering my version of pagan whopass!

Byproducts

The recycle signs are a byproduct of the tin project.  Nothing goes to waste in my studio.  Rusty old files can be cut and shaped into shiny new knives.  Leftover tin can be cut into letters.  This one is already sold and I need to cut a piece of wood for my next one so that I always have one for sale.  I love the recycle signs because they are pure profit.  The pile of wood was laying out by the dumpster.  The leftover metal lids and tin from the quilt project are ideal for lettering.  These make excellent Christmas presents for people who recycle.  So don't throw those Smucker's jar lids away.  Even ravioli cans make great letter E's.  I can't remember when I have ever had this much fun doing what I love to do best, and recycling the recycling!  I may just try to get a grant to do more of this, and to teach others how to do this.  And to think, it all started two winters ago with a hubcap.

Monday Morning Sale

I was fortunate this week to sell one of my pieces and may sell some more tomorrow morning.  I am shining up my feathers for Thursday as I will be seeing a client after court in the afternoon.  I have two brass feathers on the bench right now that I will finish by Tuesday so that there will be several choices for my Thursday customer.  Life is grand.  All I needed was a functional studio and I have had to fight long and hard to get it.

The Tins That Got Away

This Godiva chocolate tin was in my hands on 3 separate occasions at the local thrift store.  I see it is very collectable.  I don't think I would have been able to cut it up though.  Some tins just need to stay tins!  I am at the library this evening finalizing my court papers and I think I am going to take a break from thinking about it till Wednesday.  I have a full day in Columbus after court and it is very likely we won't know anything until several days after anyway, so I am going to relax and work on my projects.  If I am lucky I will never have to see or hear from Nesley Thomas again!

Grant Writing Station

 Yesterday, while I was rewriting my summary for court next Thursday I discovered a whole area in the library designated and set up for grant writing.  I confess I have not had the heart to write a grant since the last one I wrote to move my studio to Nesley's flood zone.  I plan on getting back to that sort of thing as soon as I am finished exposing her in court next Thursday.

While I was circling around this area to get the best picture, I was approached by a very enthusiastic librarian who introduced me to another librarian who both specialize in grant writing, and I suspect responsible for the beautiful area just waiting for me after September 20th.  I am so lucky to have just the right people step up and introduce themselves at just the right time.  I can tell that this is going to be one of my office spaces in the near future and I have every confidence that I will get a grant in the near future with their help and resources.
Today I met a woman who is involved in The Heart Of Ohio Quilt Guild.  I am going to be a busy woman this winter you can be sure!

I Now Possess All The Law Books

That's right!  These 4 law books are the only books in Newark about small claims court and landlord tenant law!  Two of them I had to order through inter-library loan!  I am both happy to say and sad, that I have all 4 of them this week.  I pity the person in this county that might have a worse case to prepare for than I do.  I spent Monday night writing my summary, and Tuesday writing the summary of my summary, as my X landlord exceeded the maximum limits of violations of her own lease, and Ohio law.  2 pages of the heinous account is not a summary by my definition, so I am going to have to make it leaner.  None of these 4 books contain a definition of summary judgement which is the little trick her attorney tried to pull (unsuccessfully) on May 2nd to get the trial circumvented.  Our local law library is locked to the public and you have to have a key and permission to use it.  I have no idea what hoops one would have to go through to obtain that permission, but suspect it may have something to do with all the bars on the town square being closed down and only one allowed to be in operation.  I say this half jokingly...but there used to be 12 bars on the square and now there is only one (also a strip club) and it is purportedly owned by a judge!  I am grateful that my court case is in Columbus to say the very least.  I am saddened that I have to stop working on my metal quilt in order to prepare. 

Thunderbird Talisman

I am wearing my Thunderbird talisman this week to gather power and strength for my upcoming court case with Nesley Thomas next Thursday (September 20th).  I think I may have everything ready for court, but I am most concerned with just not liking to go through this process very much.  How easy it would be to just blow it off and let my X landlord continue deceiving her next tenants.  She can't garnish my Social Security check.  She can't take my truck.  Personal possessions are exempt.  She takes a big chance by going to court in that the judge just may not like what he is going to see and hear about her.  She jeopardizes future relations with Franklin County Court by pursuing round two of eviction court.  Most landlords don't risk it.  She also jeopardizes the future actions of her present tenants who may or may not have a problem with how she operates.  They may act totally different when they see she does not have a boot on my throat any longer.  She didn't have any power the minute she broke her word to me!  I wonder if she senses the trap yet?  We are going to court because I made her take me to court!  I told her last May that she would have to take me to court when she busted my kiln after breaking her word.  Hey Nesley it is costly to promise someone something and then not to follow through.  I hope you have learned something from all this.  A lease doesn't protect you once you break verbal agreements.  I hope that the hundreds of dollars you have spent on this is worth it to you.  You know if I lose, you still lose don't you?  You lost a good tenant.  You lost a loyal tenant.  For what?  You think you are impressing Lori Rayburn?  She made fun of you dumb ass.  She mocked you every time we came home from your mothers house when we were vending you mothers possessions.  Every Time.  She hated you for abusing your animals, and if you are thinking that somehow you are helping Lori by taking legal actions against me....you are deluding yourself.  I have seen you delude yourself before.  Remember Mount Vernon?  We had a great laugh over that money suck.  Were you the only one who didn't know that your little sex toy business wouldn't fly on the town square no matter what you called your shop or how much money you threw at the town?  You must have been the only one!  They are probably still laughing up there about how they took your money and you remodeled their building, and then they booted you out the day before your grand opening.  Didn't I tell you that would happen?  What is it Nesley, you can't stand it when somebody else is right?  Blankenship didn't win that one for you either did he?  Guess what, he got paid anyway, just like he is getting paid when he wins or loses in court to me next week.  Hows that self delusion working for you now Nesley?

1491

I am finishing up on a great book by Charles Mann called 1491.  Sometime this week I will put down the projects I love, and the books and movies I love, to study my case and case law.  Hopefully in 10 days this will be all over, and I won't ever have to delve into legal matters again.  Oh that's right...I still have to garnish Lori's wages for her unpaid telephone bill, court costs, filing fees.  And then there is the matter of the jeep in her back yard that has been signed over to me.  That could explode in my face at any time so I have to protect myself.  It seems that my people have always been at war, and in the process of being displaced.  It makes more sense that their descendents came from South America, than over the bearing strait as 1491 suggests.  Here is a review on the book.

The Back Burner

Last May (2011), my friend Brenda T. sent me a deposit for a pendant.  She wanted an old fashioned key pendant with her initials.  My idea was the drawing on the top left, and her idea was the one next to it on the right  (the pieces on the bottom are in silver and are not quite together yet).  Yesterday, her pendant started coming together, and I should have it done by this afternoon.  I am hoping to see her at Hot Times on Sunday and show it to her finished or unfinished.  Regretfully, I only see Brenda once or twice a year and I want her to know I have not forgotten about her or her project.  She had specifically requested that I not put any negative energy into the piece which has been more difficult than you might think given the circumstances since last spring.
I also started to make a pair of glasses for a friend who is being garnished by the IRS and can not replace his broken glasses.  I had always planned on writing a grant to take Deb Stoner's workshop called "Making A Spectacle", but given my legal circumstances for over a year and the displacement of my studio has delayed that till a future time.  In the meantime, my friend needs a pair of glasses, and I just may have the left over scrap metal to make him a pair to get him through the 18 months of wage garnishment ahead of him.  I am seeking out old pairs of glasses for the hinges and such, but if I can't get a hold of any then I am confident I can make the hinges from scratch.

 I will also be replacing the feathers that I have sold the last few months in anticipation of the upcoming holiday season.  The picture here shows the ones I cut out and soldered together yesterday in the order that I plan to put them on the beaded necklace.  If all goes as planned today, I should be able to wear them to Hot Times tomorrow.  The metal quilt is one square from being finished and I am looking for a solid color (turquoise) to finish.  A metal white drawing board was donated by Stephany S.  I will be using it in future metal quilt pieces with metal strips temporarily glued to the backs.  It is my hope to be able to sell some individual squares, and some groupings in the near future as I assemble my own metal quilt.  I have a lot of left over material that is just too good and too colorful to throw away which has led me to other future projects like the recycle signs made out of 100% recycled materials.  Keep me in mind dearest readers for the upcoming holiday season.  I love to make gifts for people to give as gifts.  You can be sure that everything I make is USA made in America!

Taking A Break

I will be taking a break from my metal quilt project this weekend to attend Hot Times (my second favorite Columbus festival).  I am so close to finishing up that I almost don't want to go. The pieces that are unfinished on the table in front of the quilt are 5 of the 7 that I need to rap this project up.  I am hoping for that Hershey's tin, but I may have to just use that in my next project.  And believe you me, there will be a next one, as I have already received much praise and interest in future quilt replicas!  Maybe I will find some turquoise metal this weekend while I am in Columbus.  I hope to see you there dear readers.  It is a great festival with some great local talent.  I am also 14 days away from what is hopefully my final court date with Nesley Thomas, and have already informed the court clerk that the plaintiff has harassed me through social media, and by following me at the pretrial to the parking lot, and blocking me in so that I couldn't leave.  When will people learn that intimidation will not ever work on me, and will only make me more resolute in winning.  I will be bringing friends to court with me, so I don't expect a repeat of the plaintiffs childish behavior after she loses her claim.  I may have to put off mounting the quilt till after September 20th as I prepare my case which is akin to preparing for battle.  My blogs for the next two weeks may be sporadic as I prepare to defeat my enemy in court. 

Reconfiguration

I started reconfiguring the metal quilt squares in order to figure out what the final pieces need to be.  It is sort of like working the rubic cube backwards.  Aunt Sue has a Hershey's tin for me that I hope to get in time to finish.  If it doesn't get here in time, there will be a place for it in the next one.
I have also nearly resolved my issue with the AEP.  They informed me that I use less than $20 of power a month, which is a relief.  I found a breaker on my electric box that is for another part of the building that I do not have access to.  I may have some money coming to me in the near future for 6 months of power to that part of the building.  My bill has to be reconfigured in order for me to know how much I need to pay.  When I lived with Lori, I turned a $90 power bill into $19, and the power company sent me several months of $0.00 bills.  I have every confidence that this will  be something like that.  It also turns out that the power company may owe my landlord hundreds of dollars for services that she has paid for and just trusted that she was getting.  I may get a few dollars, but she may get hundreds!  It's all good!  Up till now though, I have been punished for my power of observation.  Everybody just wants to trust that all these nickle and dime charges on all of our power bills are accurate and correct, and that their equipment is flawless.  We all know that equipment has to be maintained and serviced from time to time.  We all know that eventually even the best equipment needs maintenance and repair.  We all know that just because we paid for something and it was expensive, does not guarantee that it works properly.  All this is to be discovered and perhaps someone will give me a pat on the shoulder for being observant and watching their back.  I should mention that Nesley Thomas is harassing me through LinkedIn less than 15 days before we go to trial.  At the pretrial, she and Jean followed me from the courthouse and blocked my truck from leaving the parking lot.  Games, games, games girls...your day of reckoning approaches, and I for one look forward to exposing your unethical and unlawful practices.  Leave me alone, I will not connect with you on LinkedIn, Facebook, or any social media.  Keep it up and you just may find yourself the defendant in court with a leg bracelet connecting you to the police department...which is what you tried and failed to do to me last September.  I still have all that paperwork girls, and you just might find the tables turned on you if you keep it up.  Get out of my light!

Deadlines Coming Up

I am moving right along on the final pieces of the metal quilt replica.  Aunt Sue found a Hershey tin to add to the mix, and I picked up some forest green spray paint in case I can't acquire that color before finishing.  As you can see, I have added more orange, a brighter yellow, a deep purple, lavender, and gun metal grey.  At this point it is unclear as to how close I am to finishing the project.  I have court with my x slumlord in 20 days and I will certainly be concentrating on that as the date gets closer.  Imagine my disgust and surprise when I got a LinkedIn invitation from her in my email this morning!  I forwarded it to her, and her attorney and told them both NEVER to contact me again.  I can't imagine why she did in the first place.  She must have clicked a wrong button or something.   Unfortunately, there wasn't a button to refuse the invitation or I would have.  My blog posts may be sporadic in the next 20 days as I want to make sure I have gas in the car to get to my trial on the 20th, which means I will be walking whenever the weather permits me to do so.  Hopefully this will be the last time I ever have to see her or hear from her again.  I told her once to get out of my light, and maybe after September 20th she will get out of my life as well.