On Radio Silence: Current Projects

So I, uh, kinda dropped off the map for a bit. In the middle of a super-awesome blog project. Oops.

The truth is, the New Year, New You project was a huge success in a lot of ways. Huge enough, at least, that on top of my PhD program, my blogging/twittering/IMing time has pretty consistently given way to more menial tasks. Like eating.

Since I *really* don't want to spend hours writing a gigantic post that nobody will bother reading, here's a quick recap of my successes since Valentines Day:

• Passed all of my first-year pharmacy courses with flying colors.
• Secured a position as a tutor of incoming first-year students for two classes (Drug Mechanics and Biological Sciences Integrated).
• Joined a crazy group of wizards to found an online Mastermind group. Great advice and kinship all around.
• Heavily beefed up my home apothecary in preparation for some of the super-awesome projects listed below.
• Landed a summer internship that will allow me to fund said projects.
• Fucked up a lot of craft-work and learned a lot of good crafting techniques that will make said projects spectacular instead of mediocre.
• Found a crazy sleep schedule that actually allows me to both dream and function normally.
• Lost a significant amount of weight in preparation for my summer exercise routine.
• Somehow actually got a bit of "fun" reading done.

In retrospect, that doesn't seem like a very "magical" list, but I assure you, there was plenty of tweaking of life circumstances to get there. And now that I've had a few days to recover from the rigor of school, I finally have the time and motivation to start of some of my back-burner, "heavy magic" projects:

• Creating a sprayable liquid wax solution that will evaporate to leave a hard, solid wax product behind, to be used to apply consecrated waxes to delicate surfaces.
• This project is actually already done, but the simple technique is so useful that it needs to be blogged so others can use it. I will not disappoint.

• Creating Bardon's "compound fluid condenser" true to the original text, complete with real gold solution and ingredients from the ass-end of the earth.
• I have 90% of the components I need ready to go, barring one or two seasonal items. Creation will be complex, and have my own pseudo-alchemical flair to it, but the entire process will be blogged with lots of pretty pictures. Small amounts of product may be for sale if and only if I manage to create a superior magical product.

• Creating a magic mirror by direct and careful flame-on-glass lampblacking.
• Both of the above projects are entirely devoted to making sure this one comes out spectacular. I've got the technique down pat, and am currently on the hunt for the perfect piece of glass to use. Again, pretty pictures.

This is only a small fraction of what I'm working on, but they're the biggest and most overdue projects. Now that I finally have time to blog again, I'm sure you'll be hearing all about these minor things as ADD inspires.

It's good to be back in the Lab again. Ora et labora.