Some things in life tend to slow you down, de-activate you, make you sink into a slightly vegetative state. Like, say, Facebook. Other things speed you up, give you a push, kick your bottom and make you get out and do stuff. Like the evening course at Stockholm University I recently started following.
It’s about sloyd. Yes, there is such a word. No, I couldn’t believe it either. Yes, it’s fantastic. We carve and saw and talk and think and even eat homemade cake brought by one of the course-mates every time.
When I walked out of the sloyd hall a mere three hours ago, I was on fire. I knew what I wanted to make, all I needed were some boards.
And I just happened to know where to find some. Six years in Amsterdam definitely taught me how to spot a good street find.
So I took old bikey for a ride to the cheapest bar in the area – outside of which there was a huge bag of trash waiting to be picked up. A bag containing all the particle boards a silly girl could wish for on a dark and starless Tuesday night. I just felt a little bit sketchy going through them…
Oh, bikey. What would I do without you? Not carry these mtherfckers home, that’s for sure. (Seriously, a bike is such an enabler. With a bit of rope and a voordrager you can take anything home.)
To not scare the living daylight out of pub visitors or evening motorists, I walked with it at first. But when I was alone on the road, I couldn’t resist biking.
Once home, I got out my carpenter’s rule and Sean’s hiking saw and got to work. Lucky I’ve got a light out on the porch! A smoking neighbour was much amused, but didn’t actually comment on the late hour. Instead, he explained he’d been thinking about making exactly the same thing to solve the same household problem. What it is? You’ll see…
An hour and a lot of arm work later I had my two boards.
To be continued.
Tot ziens
This blog is taking a little break. Maybe see you later. <3