Day Fourteen

November 13

A Monday.

Well where to begin as today was a long one.
Did I mention when we shower, a shower consists of 3 shampooings.
The first loosens the talc and grit from the day.
The second washes away what was loosened and softens up the undercoat of
talc.
And the third allows you to feel human again.

My nights of sleep are quite restless.
Once I stop working my hands begin to swell.
Every 2 hours I am woken from the pain, and I then have to go to the fridge
and get ice.
I hold it in my hands till the swelling subsides and sleep till the next
bout.
Not sure why my hands are so much trouble, probably the years of accidents
and abuse, that I have put them through over the years.
I now have gotten smarter about the ice...
see at first I was putting cubes in a plastic bag and falling asleep with them
till they melt..
and leak all over....
Hey, it was the ice......

Now I have 3 or 4 bottles in the freezer and they tend not to leak when the
ice has melted.

But come morning it is 2 hours before I can firmly close my hands...
But we must endure, the suffering for our sins...
No I am not being punished, just disciplined and guided, and I never learn
the easy way.

Well it definitely was a Monday.
Sundays progress seemed so enlightening, but today every tool felt heavier,
as I begin the other side of "Armi" cuts seemed slower...
And My regular helper "Jair" never showed...
On the good side
His brother Victor, has been giving me some of his time.
Victor is amazing...
Weighing in at not much more than 130lbs
He has strength and energy to give.
He works at a text mill from 10 pm till 5 am.
Then shows up around 9 am, every week day.
On the weekends I hope he rests...

Well starting Friday, and continued today.
Small Victor, has a break from the regular sculptor he works with me for 1-2
hours after lunch.
He has been giving this time of his
engrata....
and what he does in that time is amazing...

He is able to look at what I did on the other side,
and follow the complicated sketch lines I left on the stone.
And cut with amazing speed and accuracy.
I stopped even checking on him, as I feel quite confident in his work..
I am not sure but if I am right he does some of this in his spare time.
He does not speak English and my Portuguese eludes me.
But all works well when he arrives.
I offered him some money today for his efforts, and had to really push for
him to take it.
In the end If all goes well I will see to it he is rewarded for his generosity.

Well today was flipping day...
As the crane showed up I think most needed to flip, turn or stand up their
sculptures today.

"Armi" how ever stays...

The first set of pictures Adrian Nervously watches as at last his work is
stood upright and they try to put it on solid and level ground.








Including my days progress which was well unnoticeable in the pics...
but I did work...



















Oh our horizons have broadened....

To everyone from home and away that has been following me so far,
Thank you.
The support spoken and unspoken is truly appreciated.
All the letters I receive are enjoyed and read.
I am sorry if my responses are small and slow, but please no one is
forgotten in my heart.

Today we learn how far reaching this diary can go...
or shall we say how close it comes to where I am.
Well wy web administrator has done some amazing work trying to keep up with my
progress, and helping this site to be easily found...
And today his efforts proved themselves.

As I was working today a gentleman approached me.
He said "Hi Stephen" in English, asking how I was doing, and asking questions
only an old friend would know...
How were my hands?
My toe?
and so much more.
It was like a visit from home....
His name "Eddie Valenzuela"
He is from the Philippines, but lives here in Brusque.
Actually he lives in a house high on one of the beautiful cliffs, and looks
down on our site.
Due to the talents of Alex, the site admin and Eddie's curiosity he was able to find my website.
And has been following my updates...
Seems his house was even included in one of my photo sprees...

It is always rewarding to hear feed back from my efforts, and my comments...

And even nicer that my sharing of this experience can find new friends.
I do believe we will be seeing more of Eddie, as he take great interest in
our works.

But alas Monday is Monday.
and "At the end of the day, we are but the sum total of our sins...."
And today no less.
Well before we go further.
I do thank the Lord no one was injured, and I know he does watch over me at
this time.

Well a few days ago I had to buy local tools to replace my dead Grinder 
R.I.P.
And one of my fears came true but went unnoticed for one whole weak
Shame on me...
Seems the arbor size, and threads of the grinders are different here.
I was worried of this, but in haste and stress, I forgot to even notice.
So on my 9 inch grinder, I installed the blade on a shaft that was too small.
It held some how, for 1 week of hard work.
At last today, it gave way...
Luckily, or due to safe Guidance of the Lord the blade did not go zinging off into my forehead, or someone else's, but lodged itself in the stone...

AND IT DOES NOT END THERE
The flange and blade are still needed.
Found another flange, and spent 1 hour fighting with seized screws, only to
find the blade and replacement flange do not fit each other by about 2
millimeters of diameter....
So now we are at a fulcrum, tomorrow I hope a solution comes quickly...
But let us be grateful.

Here are a few pictures of poor me amongst a scatter of tools trying desperately to make it work...
Alas the magician has no Magic for this.