The 12oz Middle Life Thread - Let's do this.

[DETO]

SOCCER DAD. 

MY 10 YEAR OLD PLAYS WEEKLY WITH HIS LEAUGE TEAM AND PLAYS WITH A 14 YEAR OLD TRAVELING TEAM, AND MY DAUGHTER (3) IS ABOUT TO PLAY HER FIRST SEASON, SO WE ARE ALWAYS AT THE SOCCER FIELDS. SHE STARTED CAMPS THIS SUMMER AND MY BOY HAS PRACTICE AT LEAST 4 TIMES A WEEK. EVEN IN WINTER HE DOES INDOOR AFTER BASKETBALL. FUNNY THING IS IVE NEVER EVEN LIKED SOCCER BUT AFTER WATCHING THE WORLD CUP IN 2014 THATS ALL HES BEEN ABOUT. 

 

GOING TO THE MOUNTAINS IN MY BEATER JEEP, HIKING, FISHING WITH THE FAM. 

 

LOVE GOOD COFFEE. USUALLY COLD BREW.  ESPECIALLY NOW IN SUMMER. 

 

DON’T DRINK MUCH, BUT WHEN I DO IVE BEEN ON A GIN KICK. 

 

COOKING. I LOVE COOKING FOR THE FAM. 

 

KEEPING THE YARD IN SHAPE HAS BECOME A HUGE HOBBY LATELY. 

 

LIKE SOMEONE SAID EARLIER, READING WITH MT DAUGHTER. WE READ, DRAW, PAINT, DANCE EVERY SINGLE DAY. I TOOK THE SUMMER OFF FOR THE FIRST TIME IN AGES AND HAVE LOVED EVERY MINITE OF IT. 

 

NEVER BEEN MUCH OF A GAMER (MY SON IS) BUT I LOVE PLAYING THE SWITCH. 

[DETO]

OH AND FUCK, I TURN 36 TOMORROW AND MY SON TURNS 11. WE HAVE THE SAME BIRTHDAY. 25 YEARS APART. WILD...

[misteraven]

1 hour ago, -Rage- said:

Bumping this from the dead.

• Turning 38 soon.
• Joined 12oz in April 2001 soon after getting a copy of The Vapors.
• Moved five times.
• Had @El Mamerrocrash at my place on his cross country drive.
• Met up with @jbrshmonsterat a couple Tool shows.
• Got some more tattoos.
• Graduated with three art degrees. (Ask me about student debt!)
• Photos published in NY Times and Huffington Post.
• Was an adjunct professor for a few years (photography and graphic design).
• Senior designer now for work.
• Collect lots of vinyl (records).
• Starting to buy and (eventually) restore mid-century furniture.
• Still gay AF. Asked my dude to marry me in Paris (fucking cliche, I know).

Would love to hear more about your education and career if you're okay to share.

[-Rage-]

5 minutes ago, misteraven said:

Would love to hear more about your education and career if you're okay to share.

Prefer not to share too much on here (locations, dates, etc), but here's a basic rundown:

 

Spent most of my adult life working in movie theaters (projectionist), but knew I wanted to be an educator. After grad school (MFA Photography) I worked in a couple colleges as an adjunct professor. Did all the bullshit networking with other collegiate/academic folk, submitted endlessly to galleries and exhibitions (real and online) for "exposure," gave a few lectures around the country on my work, and applied to nearly 100 professor positions. All of this in an attempt to secure a tenure-track position. I was even looking in places like Iowa and Montana. Not ideal in the least, but work is work.

 

Around 2015 I got really fucking burnt out from spending what little time and money I had on what fell like very little in return and being under appreciated. I stopped all together. I no longer teach. I no longer photograph (well...very rarely). I fell back on my design skills honed since the late 90s and used it as a career. Am I happier now? Yes and no. I loved teaching. I do miss it, but I do not fucking miss trying to kiss collegiate ass nor do I miss spending $30 a pop to maybe get into a gallery exhibition with some pretentious guest judge.

[CILONE/SK]

57 minutes ago, -Rage- said:

I was even looking in places like Iowa and Montana.

Definitely don’t go to Montana. Undesirables are there.  @misteraven ? 

[Kults]

1 minute ago, CILONE/SK said:

Definitely don’t go to Montana. Undesirables are there.  @misteraven ? 

And killer bison 

[CILONE/SK]

2 hours ago, -Rage- said:

Haven't restored anything just yet. I've got some decent pieces like a coffee table, two lowboys, and a couple accent chairs.

Need to read up on the best methods of stripping or lightly sanding first, then which polish or stain to go with, depending on the veneer.

Don't want to fuck anything up. I've seen people grab some trashed pieces on Craigslist for $50, restoring it and getting 25x that on a resale in vintage furniture stores.

Not that I want to turn around and sell anything.

I know about things like this.  What is hard about really restoring mid century stuff, is usually, it is veneered wood on the outside layer. Which means you cant sand stuff away, and chips are hard to replace, because you have to closely match to repair.   There is a lot more to it, but you probably get the drift.  Before you know it, that $50 piece off of Craigslist, turns into $1000 to get it looking good enough to sell.  

 

If if you find solid wood stuff, it would be a lot easier to fix.  

 

Also, if you are not already educated in woodwork and finishing, there is a learning curve to overcome.  

 

I know now it sounds all negative, but everyone has to start somewhere.  So grab a cheap piece and start refinishing it.  Look at the first few pieces as learning, and not as profit. Just don’t throw money at it. 

[-Rage-]

1 hour ago, CILONE/SK said:

I know about things like this.  What is hard about really restoring mid century stuff, is usually, it is veneered wood on the outside layer. Which means you cant sand stuff away, and chips are hard to replace, because you have to closely match to repair.   There is a lot more to it, but you probably get the drift.  Before you know it, that $50 piece off of Craigslist, turns into $1000 to get it looking good enough to sell.  

 

If if you find solid wood stuff, it would be a lot easier to fix.  

 

Also, if you are not already educated in woodwork and finishing, there is a learning curve to overcome.  

 

I know now it sounds all negative, but everyone has to start somewhere.  So grab a cheap piece and start refinishing it.  Look at the first few pieces as learning, and not as profit. Just don’t throw money at it. 

Totally get it.

Like I said, I’m not in this to make money. I am doing this to restore items that will furnish my own home. Most of the stuff I find are American made mid-century with veneer for under $300. Any solid wood stuff is like imported and will not only be rare, but expensive.

I’m going to start with the coffee table since it’s a smaller piece. I may pick your brain at some point and send photos to get a better grasp on how to approach a decent restoration. 

[CILONE/SK]

15 minutes ago, -Rage- said:

Totally get it.

Like I said, I’m not in this to make money. I am doing this to restore items that will furnish my own home. Most of the stuff I find are American made mid-century with veneer for under $300. Any solid wood stuff is like imported and will not only be rare, but expensive.

I’m going to start with the coffee table since it’s a smaller piece. I may pick your brain at some point and send photos to get a better grasp on how to approach a decent restoration. 

No problem.