a whirlwind trip to chicago one weekend meant lots of good times with old friends and very few pictures. guess we'll just have mostly memories.... especially of the best breakfast i've ever had in my life.
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Showing posts with label chicago. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chicago. Show all posts
Friday, November 25, 2022
Sunday, July 23, 2017
rain[break]
sometimes taking a break can be a good thing.
for my bachelor party, the only thing i wanted to do was to see a game at wrigley field. i'm not a huge cubs fan but as i've stated earlier i do love baseball stadiums and i wanted to cross wrigley field off my list.
the game tickets were purchased, the airbnb reserved and flights were booked. all the planning was coming together beautifully, however one thing we couldn't plan for was the weather, and it ended up being incredibly nasty the day of the game. so nasty in fact that the game was canceled. i was pissed and disappointed. the only thing i had wanted to do to celebrate my "single-dom" was to touch the ivy and it wasn't going to happen. luckily for me my friends rallied and found several places for us to chill in chicago. one of the spots was the chicago athletic association, which had a floor filled with pool tables, shuffle board, classic board games and a boccie ball court. the afternoon was spent shooting pull, throwing boccie balls and drinking beer. in the same building we ventured to a roof deck featuring amazing views of millennium park. later that day we found a fantastic brewery and a phenomenal taco place. later on in the night the details get fuzzy but judging by the pictures on my phone, a good time was had by all.
slowly waking up the next morning with a slight hangover and the smell of stale beer in the apartment i realized something. the rain out the day before meant the cubs players could take a break in a busy schedule. i was taking a break from the craziness of wedding planning to hang with my friends and my friends were all taking a break in their lives to celebrate with me.
breaks can be a good thing.
breaks were the whole reason i got to spend a quality weekend hanging with some of the best guys i know.
and hell, it's kind of nice to still have that bucket list item unchecked. it just means i'll have to take a break some other time in the future and see wrigley.
heading back to maine at the end of that weekend i knew life was going to get hectic the next two months as the wedding date got closer.
game on.
for my bachelor party, the only thing i wanted to do was to see a game at wrigley field. i'm not a huge cubs fan but as i've stated earlier i do love baseball stadiums and i wanted to cross wrigley field off my list.
the game tickets were purchased, the airbnb reserved and flights were booked. all the planning was coming together beautifully, however one thing we couldn't plan for was the weather, and it ended up being incredibly nasty the day of the game. so nasty in fact that the game was canceled. i was pissed and disappointed. the only thing i had wanted to do to celebrate my "single-dom" was to touch the ivy and it wasn't going to happen. luckily for me my friends rallied and found several places for us to chill in chicago. one of the spots was the chicago athletic association, which had a floor filled with pool tables, shuffle board, classic board games and a boccie ball court. the afternoon was spent shooting pull, throwing boccie balls and drinking beer. in the same building we ventured to a roof deck featuring amazing views of millennium park. later that day we found a fantastic brewery and a phenomenal taco place. later on in the night the details get fuzzy but judging by the pictures on my phone, a good time was had by all.
slowly waking up the next morning with a slight hangover and the smell of stale beer in the apartment i realized something. the rain out the day before meant the cubs players could take a break in a busy schedule. i was taking a break from the craziness of wedding planning to hang with my friends and my friends were all taking a break in their lives to celebrate with me.
breaks can be a good thing.
breaks were the whole reason i got to spend a quality weekend hanging with some of the best guys i know.
and hell, it's kind of nice to still have that bucket list item unchecked. it just means i'll have to take a break some other time in the future and see wrigley.
heading back to maine at the end of that weekend i knew life was going to get hectic the next two months as the wedding date got closer.
game on.
Wednesday, June 03, 2015
my three favorite [hardest] words
[chairs][stairs] and [squares]
years ago, during my college internship, i was sitting at my desk very frustrated. i was trying to get a set of stairs to beautifully fit into a space as well as reach the second level. my principle came over and laughed. as i looked up he said,
"chairs, stairs and squares..."
confused i said,
"what?"
to which he responded,
"the hardest things to design, chairs, stairs and public squares."
he left me pondering as he walked away laughing.
i'm not sure if this is an original quote of his, but over the years i haven't been able to find the person who may have coined this phrase. it's been 10 years since he told me the phrase and over that time i've realized how true it is. they may be the hardest thing to design but they are also some of the most beautiful objects to view when done right. to this day i find myself admiring chairs, stairs and squares.
why exactly are they so hard to design? i've come to decide they each have their own individual frustrations, but the main reason is because they are so experiential to the user. all three interact with you on a very personal level, so personal in fact that when done wrong, they become almost unbearable to be in, on or use it.
chairs are incredibly personal. they must be ergonomic. they need to "feel" right. you can have the most beautiful chair in the world, but if no one is comfortable sitting in it, it fails. reversing that, you can have the most comfortable couch in the world, but if it's ugly as sin, no one, or at least no architect would ever place it in their house. however, when beauty and ergonomics come together you'll find yourself with a celebrated chair. so much in fact your name will become synonymous with it, see eames, le corbusier, nelson, mies or jacobsen.
stairs are also incredibly experiential. your whole body is engaged when using stairs. while stairs must also "feel" right, the hardest thing in my opinion is creating beauty along with following all the codes associated with stairs. codes are not to be dismissed, they are their to keep us safe. i feel the beauty in stairs is when you see a flight gracefully and thoughtfully ascending down, detail after detail, all the while following the necessary codes. stairs are incredibly sculptural, and become more intriguing when you see all constraints surrounding them.
public squares or plaza's are a whole other beast entirely. whole classes in college are devoted to understanding them. professionals have spent entire careers trying to figure them out. it still comes down though to does it "feel" right. does it make you feel safe? is there a focal point? is it too wide? is it to long? is it elevated or sunken? is it landscaped? is there a variety of seating options? are there public and private realms? is there activity nearby? is there circulation? thousands of tiny little questions and answers come together to make or break an open public area. if done wrong, plazas can be empty spaces that breed crime and other harmful activities. however when done well, they can be a thriving node of a city; a place where the city feels alive.
although they can be difficult to design [chairs][stairs] and [squares] are three of my favorite words in design. they also happen to be three of my favorite things to photograph. i get extra giddy when two or more appear in a photo!
please follow the links to other architects talking about their three favorite words in this months architalks.
Enoch Sears - Business of Architecture
@businessofarch
3 Words To Get Started
Bob Borson - Life of An Architect
@bobborson
3 Words: Are. Blogs. Important.
Matthew Stanfield - FiELD9: architecture
@FiELD9arch
3 Words
Marica McKeel - Studio MM
@ArchitectMM
Never Give Up
Jeff Echols - Architect Of The Internet
@Jeff_Echols
What's Your Story - My Three (or Four) Favorite Words
Lee Calisti, AIA - Think Architect
@LeeCalisti
i make art
Lora Teagarden - L² Design, LLC
@L2DesignLLC
#ArchiTalks: I love it!
Andrew Hawkins, AIA - Hawkins Architecture, Inc.
@hawkinsarch
Three Favorite Architectural Words
Jes Stafford - Modus Operandi Design
@modarchitect
I Am Listening
Cindy Black - Rick & Cindy Black Architects
Spirit of Optimism (my three favorite words)
Michele Grace Hottel - Michele Grace Hottel, Architect
@mghottel
architalk#9: my three favorite words
Meghana Joshi - IRA Consultants, LLC
@MeghanaIRA
My Three Favorite Words
Amy Kalar - ArchiMom
@AmyKalar
My Three Favorite Words (Architalks #9)
-->Michael Riscica - Young Architect
@YoungArchitxPDX
How’s it going… Finishing The Architect Exam?!??
Stephen Ramos - BUILDINGS ARE COOL
@sramos_BAC
My Three Favorite Words
Brian Paletz - The Emerging Architect
@bpaletz
I am in
Jonathan Brown - Proto-Architecture
@mondo_tiki_man
The Big Idea
-->Jeremiah Russell, AIA - ROGUE Architecture
@rogue_architect
three little words: #architalks
years ago, during my college internship, i was sitting at my desk very frustrated. i was trying to get a set of stairs to beautifully fit into a space as well as reach the second level. my principle came over and laughed. as i looked up he said,
"chairs, stairs and squares..."
confused i said,
"what?"
to which he responded,
"the hardest things to design, chairs, stairs and public squares."
he left me pondering as he walked away laughing.
i'm not sure if this is an original quote of his, but over the years i haven't been able to find the person who may have coined this phrase. it's been 10 years since he told me the phrase and over that time i've realized how true it is. they may be the hardest thing to design but they are also some of the most beautiful objects to view when done right. to this day i find myself admiring chairs, stairs and squares.
why exactly are they so hard to design? i've come to decide they each have their own individual frustrations, but the main reason is because they are so experiential to the user. all three interact with you on a very personal level, so personal in fact that when done wrong, they become almost unbearable to be in, on or use it.
chairs are incredibly personal. they must be ergonomic. they need to "feel" right. you can have the most beautiful chair in the world, but if no one is comfortable sitting in it, it fails. reversing that, you can have the most comfortable couch in the world, but if it's ugly as sin, no one, or at least no architect would ever place it in their house. however, when beauty and ergonomics come together you'll find yourself with a celebrated chair. so much in fact your name will become synonymous with it, see eames, le corbusier, nelson, mies or jacobsen.
stairs are also incredibly experiential. your whole body is engaged when using stairs. while stairs must also "feel" right, the hardest thing in my opinion is creating beauty along with following all the codes associated with stairs. codes are not to be dismissed, they are their to keep us safe. i feel the beauty in stairs is when you see a flight gracefully and thoughtfully ascending down, detail after detail, all the while following the necessary codes. stairs are incredibly sculptural, and become more intriguing when you see all constraints surrounding them.
public squares or plaza's are a whole other beast entirely. whole classes in college are devoted to understanding them. professionals have spent entire careers trying to figure them out. it still comes down though to does it "feel" right. does it make you feel safe? is there a focal point? is it too wide? is it to long? is it elevated or sunken? is it landscaped? is there a variety of seating options? are there public and private realms? is there activity nearby? is there circulation? thousands of tiny little questions and answers come together to make or break an open public area. if done wrong, plazas can be empty spaces that breed crime and other harmful activities. however when done well, they can be a thriving node of a city; a place where the city feels alive.
although they can be difficult to design [chairs][stairs] and [squares] are three of my favorite words in design. they also happen to be three of my favorite things to photograph. i get extra giddy when two or more appear in a photo!
please follow the links to other architects talking about their three favorite words in this months architalks.
Enoch Sears - Business of Architecture
@businessofarch
3 Words To Get Started
Bob Borson - Life of An Architect
@bobborson
3 Words: Are. Blogs. Important.
Matthew Stanfield - FiELD9: architecture
@FiELD9arch
3 Words
Marica McKeel - Studio MM
@ArchitectMM
Never Give Up
Jeff Echols - Architect Of The Internet
@Jeff_Echols
What's Your Story - My Three (or Four) Favorite Words
Lee Calisti, AIA - Think Architect
@LeeCalisti
i make art
Lora Teagarden - L² Design, LLC
@L2DesignLLC
#ArchiTalks: I love it!
Andrew Hawkins, AIA - Hawkins Architecture, Inc.
@hawkinsarch
Three Favorite Architectural Words
Jes Stafford - Modus Operandi Design
@modarchitect
I Am Listening
Cindy Black - Rick & Cindy Black Architects
Spirit of Optimism (my three favorite words)
Michele Grace Hottel - Michele Grace Hottel, Architect
@mghottel
architalk#9: my three favorite words
Meghana Joshi - IRA Consultants, LLC
@MeghanaIRA
My Three Favorite Words
Amy Kalar - ArchiMom
@AmyKalar
My Three Favorite Words (Architalks #9)
-->Michael Riscica - Young Architect
@YoungArchitxPDX
How’s it going… Finishing The Architect Exam?!??
Stephen Ramos - BUILDINGS ARE COOL
@sramos_BAC
My Three Favorite Words
Brian Paletz - The Emerging Architect
@bpaletz
I am in
Jonathan Brown - Proto-Architecture
@mondo_tiki_man
The Big Idea
-->Jeremiah Russell, AIA - ROGUE Architecture
@rogue_architect
three little words: #architalks
Sunday, May 10, 2009
sisterhood of the traveling [buisness casual polo shirt]
years ago, i lost a shirt....well...not so much lost as misplaced.
a few years back i took a trip to chicago. while i was there, i stayed with some friends. somewhere, somehow during the trip, the shirt was misplaced and i traveled back home without it safety in my bag. unpacking at home, i realized what had happened. i panicked a bit, ok, so i panicked a lot. let me explain.
this wasn't just your average, "run of the mill shirt", this was my black-polo-casual-short-sleeve-dress-shirt! it was what you'd call a varsity player, and it wasn't just at that level on one team, but two of the teams found in my closet!
it was one of the team captains on the "work shirt" varsity team. meaning it was one of three shirts i could constantly count on to always look good whilst working. from a day of drafting, or meeting with clients, it was the perfect shirt. comfortable and cozy! it could do no wrong! i loved it. making it even more irreplaceable, it was also a "starter" in my "going-out-on-the-weekends-hanging-out-with-friends" team! at the bar, drinking coffee, taking pictures, visiting the library, or eating out at a restaurant! this shirt could do it all! he could also work with anyone i might pair him up with! dress pants, khaki's, jeans or cargo shorts! this shirt would make it work!
this wasn't just your average, "run of the mill shirt", this was my black-polo-casual-short-sleeve-dress-shirt! it was what you'd call a varsity player, and it wasn't just at that level on one team, but two of the teams found in my closet!
it was one of the team captains on the "work shirt" varsity team. meaning it was one of three shirts i could constantly count on to always look good whilst working. from a day of drafting, or meeting with clients, it was the perfect shirt. comfortable and cozy! it could do no wrong! i loved it. making it even more irreplaceable, it was also a "starter" in my "going-out-on-the-weekends-hanging-out-with-friends" team! at the bar, drinking coffee, taking pictures, visiting the library, or eating out at a restaurant! this shirt could do it all! he could also work with anyone i might pair him up with! dress pants, khaki's, jeans or cargo shorts! this shirt would make it work!
not all was lost though, a few days later, my chicago friend emailed me, letting me know that my stare player had been found .giving him my address, he'd have it back to me just as fast as the mail could deliver it....or so i thought.
weeks went by, and still no shirt. my friend had it packaged and ready to go, he just hadn't been able to get to the post office. eventually he decided just to wait until christmas when he would be traveling back to kansas city to bring it with him. christmas came, he forgot it.
skipping ahead a one year, he remembered to bring in down the next christmas, what he did forget however, was to take it out of the car which was eventually driven to the great city of denver by his parents. after this, the details get fuzzy, but i believe that while in denver it was handed off to his brother, who brought it back to kansas city, where it's been the past five months. now that i've been enjoying a little extended working vacation in kansas city, last week, my all-star and i were finally reunited. putting it on, it was like we had never parted.
unfortunately for him, the "work clothes" league has been on hold for the last month, so he hasn't been able to take the field yet, but as soon as the season opens again, i'm sure he'll be back to the top of the roster.
Monday, January 07, 2008
the year in pictures [2007]
year three for [the year in pictures] post.
looking back, i don't believe there is anything more i can say about my feelings on photography, that i haven't already said, instead, my thoughts tonight are more on creating this post.
this process, i've generated for myself, of going back through labeled folders, and finding ten photos representing the year, is very therapeutic. what events sculpted 2007? what lessons this year, became structure, helping support new ideas? what teachings have allowed me to continue to grow as a person? what feelings and emotions, became immersed on digital film? what memories are now held only in my mind?
looking back at this [pictorial cliff note] version of my life, i think this was a year of finding niches. it's almost like, life is a huge peg board, and your goal is to find where your individual shape fits in. now, i'm not sure if i've found the perfect fit yet, but trying out different niches, tends to lead to a few stories, and couple interesting photos.
in_the_details_3.29.07
not artistic at all, but this is the first project i helped complete since starting my job. this was taken during a site inspection. i noticed the stucco joints didn't line up at the corner! after pointing this out, i went back and looked at the drawings. sure enough they had built it exactly the way i had drawn it.
oops, my bad.
my saving grace was the placement of the downspout. i'm also hoping the landscaping does rather well, and grows fast.
this is now a huge inside joke in our office....
friday_night_light_4.27.07
the last friday on every month, wichita hosts [final friday's]. a night where all the galleries open up for public viewing. by far one of the best things downtown wichita has going for it. this picture was taken as my friends and i cross-crossed around old town looking at art.
retro_toys_5.5.07
this was taken during a weekend trip to austin texas to visit a friend. the whole city had this amazing vibe. urban...hip...vintage...country.... very unique. this photo was taken while perusing the vintage thrift stores, and i thought it did a great job of capturing all of that, on just a few shelves.
reflection_on_graduation_5.11.07
i have no idea when my little sister will seem grown up to me...maybe never....
coffee_break_7.5.07
i took a few days off of work this summer, and traveled with some friends to chicago. it was a relaxing way to spend a few days off. what did i do from my break from work you may ask? drink coffee and look at architecture!
also, about a half an hour after this photo was taken i had a celebrity run in. i got to chat with mike jorgenson from the band wilco. and when i say "chat" i really mean, i said, "hey, i love the new album", to which he said, "thanks".
lights_camera_wait_8.10.07
i somehow squeaked into being an extra in a movie that was filming here in wichita. it was two ten hours days of shooting, to which i got in front of the camera for 15 seconds. my biggest claim to fame was being promoted to "cashier number 2". we'll see if i make the cut.
by far the best outcome of the whole event was meeting and staying in touch with a number of new people. the man in the lower right of the photo, new keeps me up-dated, via e-mail, on any local, "film-like" activity taking place in wichita, which is very enjoyable.
madeline_8.24.07
i spent most of this summer looking for a vintage bike to fix up and start riding. an ad in the local paper, was brought to my attention, and i went during my lunch break to check it out. i came back to the office wheeling in a 1963 schwinn. my coworkers thought i was crazy, but what's new. i bought a new pair of white walls and cleaned the chrome. at times, it's my most reliable ride.
wild_hogs_8.30.07
alright, so a big reason for the bike, was so that i could join a vintage bike club that cruises wichita on thursday nights. i had seen a couple guys riding around and asked what they were doing. after getting my ride....well....rideable, i cruised down and joined them one thursday. i wasn't sure if there would be some sort of initiation i had to go through, but apparently just a love of bikes gets you in. i rode with them the rest of summer and into the fall, getting tips, and even a few original parts to swap out my "non-factory" parts with.
leaf_red_leaf_11.2.07
i added this photo, because i believe autumn to be the most beautiful season in kansas. i'm also really happy with the colors and composition. i'm not going to mention that this was part of an on-line project assigned by the wichita flikr group that meets the first saturday of every month of which i attend....
completed_11.20.07
i added this photo, because this project consumed most of my working life in 2007. this was my first try at project managing, well, at least i think it was, they might have fixed my mistakes after i went home each night....
anyway, it's not going to win any awards by any means, but i'm very proud of it. some things came together very nicely on it, and if you happen to take a walk around it, you can rest assure all the stucco joints line up.
looking back, i don't believe there is anything more i can say about my feelings on photography, that i haven't already said, instead, my thoughts tonight are more on creating this post.
this process, i've generated for myself, of going back through labeled folders, and finding ten photos representing the year, is very therapeutic. what events sculpted 2007? what lessons this year, became structure, helping support new ideas? what teachings have allowed me to continue to grow as a person? what feelings and emotions, became immersed on digital film? what memories are now held only in my mind?
looking back at this [pictorial cliff note] version of my life, i think this was a year of finding niches. it's almost like, life is a huge peg board, and your goal is to find where your individual shape fits in. now, i'm not sure if i've found the perfect fit yet, but trying out different niches, tends to lead to a few stories, and couple interesting photos.
in_the_details_3.29.07
not artistic at all, but this is the first project i helped complete since starting my job. this was taken during a site inspection. i noticed the stucco joints didn't line up at the corner! after pointing this out, i went back and looked at the drawings. sure enough they had built it exactly the way i had drawn it.
oops, my bad.
my saving grace was the placement of the downspout. i'm also hoping the landscaping does rather well, and grows fast.
this is now a huge inside joke in our office....
friday_night_light_4.27.07
the last friday on every month, wichita hosts [final friday's]. a night where all the galleries open up for public viewing. by far one of the best things downtown wichita has going for it. this picture was taken as my friends and i cross-crossed around old town looking at art.
retro_toys_5.5.07
this was taken during a weekend trip to austin texas to visit a friend. the whole city had this amazing vibe. urban...hip...vintage...country.... very unique. this photo was taken while perusing the vintage thrift stores, and i thought it did a great job of capturing all of that, on just a few shelves.
reflection_on_graduation_5.11.07
i have no idea when my little sister will seem grown up to me...maybe never....
coffee_break_7.5.07
i took a few days off of work this summer, and traveled with some friends to chicago. it was a relaxing way to spend a few days off. what did i do from my break from work you may ask? drink coffee and look at architecture!
also, about a half an hour after this photo was taken i had a celebrity run in. i got to chat with mike jorgenson from the band wilco. and when i say "chat" i really mean, i said, "hey, i love the new album", to which he said, "thanks".
lights_camera_wait_8.10.07
i somehow squeaked into being an extra in a movie that was filming here in wichita. it was two ten hours days of shooting, to which i got in front of the camera for 15 seconds. my biggest claim to fame was being promoted to "cashier number 2". we'll see if i make the cut.
by far the best outcome of the whole event was meeting and staying in touch with a number of new people. the man in the lower right of the photo, new keeps me up-dated, via e-mail, on any local, "film-like" activity taking place in wichita, which is very enjoyable.
madeline_8.24.07
i spent most of this summer looking for a vintage bike to fix up and start riding. an ad in the local paper, was brought to my attention, and i went during my lunch break to check it out. i came back to the office wheeling in a 1963 schwinn. my coworkers thought i was crazy, but what's new. i bought a new pair of white walls and cleaned the chrome. at times, it's my most reliable ride.
wild_hogs_8.30.07
alright, so a big reason for the bike, was so that i could join a vintage bike club that cruises wichita on thursday nights. i had seen a couple guys riding around and asked what they were doing. after getting my ride....well....rideable, i cruised down and joined them one thursday. i wasn't sure if there would be some sort of initiation i had to go through, but apparently just a love of bikes gets you in. i rode with them the rest of summer and into the fall, getting tips, and even a few original parts to swap out my "non-factory" parts with.
leaf_red_leaf_11.2.07
i added this photo, because i believe autumn to be the most beautiful season in kansas. i'm also really happy with the colors and composition. i'm not going to mention that this was part of an on-line project assigned by the wichita flikr group that meets the first saturday of every month of which i attend....
completed_11.20.07
i added this photo, because this project consumed most of my working life in 2007. this was my first try at project managing, well, at least i think it was, they might have fixed my mistakes after i went home each night....anyway, it's not going to win any awards by any means, but i'm very proud of it. some things came together very nicely on it, and if you happen to take a walk around it, you can rest assure all the stucco joints line up.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
a second [city] to think...
i never needed a break from work, more then i did last week, thankfully, i had already planned a few days off. i used the placement of the fourth of july, on a wednesday, as an excuse to take an extended holiday weekend and travel to chicago.there were a number of events during the trip, that could be lengthened and elaborated on, to the point of becoming mildly interesting "blog-worthy" anecdote's, however, in keeping with the idea of a"break-from-work" i'll keep this post short, and just mention a few of the events, i'm thankful for, that made this vacation...a vacation.
-the generosity and hospitality of old friends
-millennium park
-fireworks on montrose beach
-meeting new and incredibly fascinating people
-thrift store shopping in wicker park
-coffee in wicker park
-wicker park
-meeting mikael jorgensen, the keyboardist from wilco, on the train, and telling him how much i love the new album (well.....hopefully it was him)
-the food and conversation at bistro campagne
-traversing an entire city without car
-shedd aquarium
-driving through the flint hills at midnight, with oldies playing through my truck speakers
-coming home, and highlighting the new roads taken, in my atlas.
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