The Lurking Illness

It's loopy time again! I seem to be going through another of my periods of very mild illness - enough to impair daily function, but not enough to qualify as really sick. This is irritating, as I must get on a plane tomorrow, and have things to do before then. Being able to stand and do other things in a non-wobbly manner would, for instance, be of great help in my quest to get this well-overdue print matted and mailed. Plus, there is writing to be done before I head airportward.

We recently received a truly amazing Chinese menu here, in other news. A great deal of it is in Chinese, and the portions that are in English promise excursions into the culinary unknown. Just what is "Color To Fu" or "Boiling Radish?" If I am functional for driving tonight, we may go investigate. Thrills, terror, soy sauce!

And, since I haven't anything new to report on the project front, we'll delve into some of that old random research, and bring you ( A short treatise on the many kinds of soy sauce )

Today's Usefull (less?) Fact

Patent leather is shiny because it has a plasticy surface, applied to inferior "splits" of leather. Splits are what comes off the back of a piece of leather when a thinner grade is made. If the splits are nice, they can be used for suede. If they are not so nice, they can be sanded down and made "patent." Originally, this was done with japanning (black lacquer.)

In other news, it has never before taken me this long to mat something. Curse you illness. Double curse you, disorganization!