for the love of pine!

Good afternoon. Once in a while I'm going to tell you about what lengths I went to to acquire my raw materials for art and things. 


Today I had to purchase some wood. A nice plank to plane down, cut up, wax, and turn into the covers of some killer hand bound books.  
The best specialty wood shop around is located on the north side of the city. In kinder climes, it would be a pleasant bike ride, one hour round trip with the wind in your hair and the sun on your limbs. No hills. In winter, it's an agonizing twenty minute bus ride and a miserable three block walk. 
Or an eight dollar cab ride.  



What I'm trying to get at is the transit system in this city is appalling. A new bus ever half hour (sometimes longer if you're itching to go anywhere after supper), circuitous routes, no bus rides after 11pm, half the buses don't run on Saturdays, and there's no bus on Sunday. 
"Who cares?" you say, "I can drive anywhere I please in my shitbox! And if it breaks down, I'll just bum a ride from a friend." Life's not that mobile, friend. When you're an art student, none of your friends have cars. The buses aren't reliable, and the cabbies smell like stale cigarettes and eczema creme.  

It took me two hours to get a four foot length of eastern white pine. 


photo cred: google search