Hob knobbing with the mucky-mucks

Tom: I thought I needed to dedicate a post on my blog to respond to your comment about hob knobbing with the mucky-mucks in case those that follow my blog don't go back to read the comments. I looked up mucky-mucks to get this definition-Mucky-muck
Your boss. Over paid, under worked. All perks, no work. The guy who wears flip-flops to work when you wear steel-toed boots.
Robin Hopper and I have been acquaintances for 3 decades and more recently since MISA I would say friends since we correspond almost daily.
Robin 30 years ago had a college professors job with tenure and all the perks which he traded in all to wear the steel toed boots. He is a fabulous teacher but decided he wanted to make pots for the rest of his life. Now at age 70 he still makes pots and lots of them- both domestic ware and one offs. As you well know everyone in the arts works hard to make a living. I have found that the mucky-mucks that I know in this business have worked even harder.
Robin has some 19 instructional videos, 5 or 6 books, awarded Branfman Award here in Canada( our highest honour for craft) RCA designation(another Canuck biggie) done countless workshops all over the world, and last year at Nceca was awarded the Life Time Achievement Award. His contribution to teaching outside the structure of a full time teaching job is very notable. All I can say from my acquaintance with Robin and my other long distance mucky-muck friend Ronnie the Rat Meyers age 75(Life Time Achievement Award the year before Robin) is that these guys are as ordinary and approachable as a drugged church mouse. The moniker Mucky-muck comes with lots of work and lots of sacrifice. I know how much Sheila and I have given to this life in craft and knowing these guys make me work harder.
P.S Our last wood firing was OK not great!!! Here is a jar from the firing.