expert expertise

A second opinion revealed that the head gasket was not blown on the truck. Instead, the problems were coming from the old cracked hoses that were just kind of... taped into place. With tape. Tape which the guys who were de-greasing my entire engine while fixing the oil pan just somehow failed to notice. I am going to assume that major hoses covered in cracks and tape are a thing that any seasoned mechanic might easily miss - perhaps due to their protective casings, camouflage patterns, or armored defense systems. And easy to mistake for a head gasket. I guess.

standard 2002 Nissan Frontier head gasket

Anyway, the truck is fixed. And the man has been using it for his commute because, I suspect, he does not want to admit that the motorcycle is buried under a ton of shredded roofing material and he can't actually find it.

It has been 3 weeks since I've been able to paint, and I am having some feelings about this. Decided to return to Whidbey Island this fall for another workshop because goddamn it all. Instead of art-ing, I have been keeping my strangling hands busy learning cup games. This falls under "professional development" because I will be forcing 120 middle-schoolers to do it with me.

Without the reindeer jammies and cat. Probably.

ready, set...

FWOOSH SO FAST 

VERY IMPRESSIVE

inevitable outcome

It is important to continue developing your professional skill set even after mastering melodious quacking and woof-woof noises.