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Gertrude Gardener
Level 4: 413 points
Alltime Score: 953 points
Last Logged In: May 17th, 2012
TEAM: SFZero Animal Posse The University of Aesthematics Rank 1: Expert Biome Rank 2: Ecologist Society For Nihilistic Intent And Disruptive Efforts Rank 1: Anti

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Time Well Spent by Gertrude Gardener, rongo rongo, bunny dragon

May 20th, 2008 8:40 PM

INSTRUCTIONS: Display a mass of objects representing the number of days, hours, or minutes you've been alive. Alternate task: collect pennies equal to the number of days you've been alive. Do something useful with them.

Doing this task reminded me of the Three Fates, the mythological sisters who spun, measured, and cut the thread of one's days---or at least, the spinning and measuring parts. The bead spinning (to string enough beads to represent our days) was fun in an obsessive compulsive repetitive way. Or at least it was pretty fun for the first few days; then it was just hypnotic and non-ergonomic.

I'm hoping for many more days for the both of us, but I don't intend to represent them by stringing more beads. (Read the picture text for more details.)

- smaller

bead mixes

bead mixes

I started by looking for relatively inexpensive, small objects that were also pleasing when massed. Beads fit the criteria, so I got two different color mixes for me and bunny dragon.


bead spinner

bead spinner

As I contemplated how long it would take to string 16,586 beads to represent mine and bunny dragon's days, a friend suggested a handy device called a bead spinner. It still took a number of days, but not as many as it would have without a special tool.


starting to string

starting to string

Keeping over 131 feet of strung beads from irrevocably tangling into knots was pretty challenging.


measuring

measuring

Turns out that for these types of size 11 beads, you get on average 202 beads per linear foot.


wearing the days of our lives

wearing the days of our lives


bedecked with beads

bedecked with beads


marriage

marriage

Our strings are tied together 3202 beads from the ends with a bit of red ribbon marking the day we got married.


Gertrude wearing more beads

Gertrude wearing more beads



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6 comment(s)

Wow.
posted by Lincøln on May 20th, 2008 9:28 PM

Wow.
Wow.
Wow.


Wow.











Wow.

(no subject)
posted by help im a bear on May 20th, 2008 10:14 PM

man, do you worry that if you're off by one or two that you might die sooner or something?

representation is powerful stuff, be careful!

(no subject) +1
posted by rongo rongo on May 21st, 2008 2:46 PM

Yeah, I have to admit I threw in a few extra ones just in case.

(no subject)
posted by bunny dragon on May 21st, 2008 7:06 AM

oh, this was all rongo rongo's work. I did very little except listen to the spinnnnnnnn sound. :)

(no subject)
posted by Rachel's Reflection on July 8th, 2008 7:16 PM

I love the part where you tied the beads together at the point where you got married. That is beautiful.

(no subject)
posted by *la nerdrice* on August 31st, 2008 3:30 PM

I thought so too.. really beautiful.