GSb Pot Bust

This post is in response to the previous one regarding the story by Josh Pierce, and particular the following part:

###

...La Vecchia answers the door wearing jeans covered in sawdust, a dust mask hanging from his neck....[he] leads me down the narrow stairs into the low-ceilinged basement of their rented house, where Blundell is checking on a hand-fashioned wood boiler—a 10-foot long, 4-inch diameter capped PVC pipe being filled with steam from a boiling pot sitting under one end of the pipe. Mike’s brother Nick pops his head down into the basement to warn Mike and Rich that his girlfriend will kill them if she finds out they are using her good pots to steam their wood.

“It’s just a prototype. If it works, we’ll get our own pots.”

Read the full article here: The Wire Magazine "Cold Swells."

###

Well Josh you've done a great job with this article - a great job getting us in trouble. We were in the clear until you just HAD to have your journalistic "integrity."

Allow me to explain. You see, the day you came to visit, yes it's true, we were experimenting with a home made steambox, and yes, I had carelessly grabbed one of Jess's VERY expensive pots to serve as the boiler. And Yes Nick did specifically warn us of her potential for displeasure if she found out, and that she was coming home to collect her pots that afternoon (she's a personal chef who cooks on-site).

But here's something you didn't know...

Because Jess was out all day, I had procrastinated in putting the beloved pot back in the kitchen cupboard. Then as I was sitting in the den, SHE CAME HOME. Knowing that the beloved pot was in the basement, still hooked up the the steam apparatus, I was overcome with a wave of dread.

I quickly devised a desperate plan.

I knew she would pass though the kitchen and go upstairs just for a moment to talk with Nick. So if I could time it just perfectly, and move like a NAVY Seal, it might just work. This moment would be my only window of opportunity to return the pot without her ever knowing.

I sprang into action.

I ran downstairs, extricated the beloved pot, and with it stuffed under my shirt, made a fast break for the kitchen. I could hear her at the top of the stairs (which land in the kitchen). So in absolute silence, I swiftly returned the beloved pot back to it's home shelf. As I was making my escape into the den, I glanced over my shoulder only to see her feet descending the stairs. I was sure she had busted me. With an undeniable look of guilt I, waited in the den for a much deserved scolding.

But instead, I heard her head straight for the cupboard, open it, collect her beloved pots, bring them out to her car, and leave.

By the skin of my teeth, I had made it... that is of course...until you printed your story. Nice going Josh!

Sincerely,

Rich (guilty as charged - sorry Jess - Really)

GSb featured in "The Wire"

Grain Surfboards was just featured in "The Wire Magazine." Here's an excerpt;

From: The Wire Magazine
Date: 02/22/2006
By: Josh Pierce

###

...Everything in the basement seems to be a working prototype. Handmade wooden stands hold up the skeletons of several boards in various phases of construction. A layer of sawdust coats the floor. Low-slung ductwork blocks head space. Plastic sheeting hangs from the ceiling, separating the shop from the rest of the basement. Every few minutes a motor whirs to life for a few seconds. “That’s the sump pump,” LaVecchia explains. An 8-foot-long frame, the backbone of a board-to-be, sits on a stand, circular holes drilled out of its keel and frames. Laying on top of another board is a full-sized computer printout of its shape...

###

Read the full article here: The Wire Magazine "Cold Swells."

bad news - good news

Thanks for all of your guesses. I know, that was pretty easy (especially considering the hint I gave you - maybe the question should have been - What was the hint?).

Anyway, the bad news is, my first attempt at parenting cedars has not gone well :(.

I planted the first batch of 100 unstratified Northern White Cedar (thuja Occidentalis) seeds on 12/09/06 and they have not germinated (and I don't think they will). No matter how much I talk to them and play the ukulele for them, they just sit there - nary a peep nor tendril. On some of the cups, a mold has begun to grow. I fear this mold and so do the seeds.

Here you can see no seedlings.

The good news - on the same day, I also put 100 seeds in a cold water "stratification" bath. This is one method used to encourage germination by softening the hard seed coat (similar to scarification by birds). This week I'll try again with a fresh greenhouse (and different ukulele songs). Wish us luck!




PS - You may be wondering why we've not been posting news about new boards, designs, DVD's and kits. Rest assured, we are hard at work developing these things and are getting ready for a new launch. We just want to do things the right way and the right way takes time. Thanks for your patience...

What are dees?

Post your guesses in the comments.

More in a few days...