What? It's Waddle!?!

Do you remember that character Waddle from Ally McBeal? The character's name was actually Judge Whipper Cone, but I only knew her as "Waddle." She was the judge that was the object of Fish's waddle fetish. (There I go again with another one of those words that's going to get me crazy search engine hits: "fetish, fetish, fetish..." There I said it.) Anyway, the name of the actress is Dyan Cannon. And she's moonlighting as the manager of a bead store in Arvada, Colorado. I wandered into this bead store today to find a jewelry making class. Who should I see sorting agate and hematite but Waddle's twin. It was uncanny and a bit unsettling. I'm talking to this woman about french hooks and sterling silver clasps and it's all I can do to keep myself from jumping up and down and screaming "Waddle!"

Okay, so it wasn't really her twin because Dyan Cannon has to be at least 60 and this woman was barely 45. But the hair, the smile, the waddle. I felt like I was in a Twilight Zone episode. Cue Rod Serling: Sara thinks she's spending a normal day in search of semi-precious gemstones. But instead she finds herself strangely riveted by the waddle of Dyan Cannon's long lost twin. She has in fact entered the Twilight Zone...

So speaking of jewelry. I know this is a tangential connection, but we had to break free from the vision of me reaching out to flick another person's waddle. Whew! Okay, jewelry! I've been searching for a particular bracelet that I've never seen in person (but can envision) for three or four years. This bracelet would be various piece of seaglass (you know the pieces of tumbled glass that you pick up off the beach -- they have that ethereal smoky glow to them -- sort of like albaster from the sea.) It's too cumbersome to describe, so here's a picture.


It wouldn't have that ugly brown piece. Maybe a pretty white one...

I've searched online. I've searched in seaside shops. I've asked jewelers. And I've never been able to find anything like what I can see in my mind. Today, I was online and learned that seaglass is also called beachglass. If you search for beachglass you can find three or four websites that have exactly what I want. Well, turns out (no surprise to my husband who's been telling me this for 12 years), I have expensive taste. How much for this bracelet? $499.oo. I just about choked. I could understand $150, even $175, but I can't stomach paying over $200 for any piece of jewelry. The second website that I found had a similar bracelet for $380. I especially can't stomach paying that much for a bunch of Vaseline and 7-up bottles that have been beat up on the shores of Lake Eerie.

But at least I know if I want to make a replica with synthetic tumbled glass, I can visit Waddle for all the supplies I need.