April 9: Daily Reflection

I can't believe it's already Friday of the first week. I swear I just started, and I certainly have a lot more to do! For those of you who follow my blog with regularity, you'll notice that I added a "Layer Count" widget on my homepage so that you (and I) can track my progress up the mountain. Each layer is so relieving to finish and add to the growing mountain. However, I am slowly moving out of the flatter grasslands near the bottom of the reserve and moving into the steeper slopes, so precision is increasingly important.

My pace today has quickened from yesterday; which is a good thing. I was able to complete 4 new layers before lunchtime and get the 5th one sprayed down to the chipboard. Today was also the first day that I was able to fit two layers of the mountain onto one sheet of chipboard, which is a HUGE money saver. Lots of really good things going on up in my office in room 324! The one bad part of the day was that I drew first blood with the X-Acto knife, which has become marginally easier to use. I tried to hold the board still and I nicked my left thumb. A very small wound, and to treat it I simply sprayed it with spray tack (the same short-term adhesive I'm using to hold the map to the chipboard) and wiped it off with paper towels. Boom done ready to go. If Bear Grylls worked in architecture he would be highly entertained.

I'm really starting to find a good method for cutting each layer; a method that's pretty efficient and comfortable. First I spray the chipboard with spray tack, then I set the chipboard on top of it. I touch up the edges of the map with more spray tack and use rocks to hold it down. I let this sit for at least 5 minutes while I update my layer count and check the other senior's blogs. Then I take the rocks off, and I start cutting on the north side of the property along the Rio Toabunchi, where the elevation change is more shallow, and the intervals are easier to find. I put the most focus into the "exposed" part of the contour because that's the part that actually shows in the finished product. Then I go slightly quicker on the parts that are hidden underground, but in this project, quick is a relative term. I still have to be careful and deliberate to avoid cutting myself (whoops) and to get the property line accurately. It's just easier because I've cut the same curves nine times now.

I'm gonna try to finish 6 layers today. That's the minimum speed I need to go in order to finish the project on time. The layers will get easier as they get smaller, but I'm still shooting for 6 per day. I'm also breaking X-Acto blades way less often than I was yesterday. I usually make it all the way through an entire layer on one blade. I'm still gonna have to buy more blades eventually. Poop.



Here's my rock system of weighing down the map to keep it sticking to the chipboard.



I have slowly gathered more and more heavy objects to keep my model well-glued. As you can see here, I have kidnapped Bambi, the resident fetal deer in preserve, and Kermit, the resident bullfrog in preserve. Also featured is the 2000mL beaker that used to hold the Homer Simpson Chia pet, a disaster in botanical agriculture.

Back to work for me now. I'm keeping Masters coverage open in the background of the computer. As of me posting this, Lee Westwood is out to a blazing start on his second round, going -3 in the first 3 holes to be the outright leader at -8. Never count out Tiger though.

From the 19th green, thanks for stopping by.