[work] days

even though iv'e been out of school for eight years, the school calendar is still ingrained in me.  late august always gives me the sense i should be starting something. the collage of "back to school" photos on my facebook feed only strengthens this feeling.  shorter days reminding me summer activities are coming to an end elude to the start of something new.  what? i don't know, but isn't that point of a new school year? you have no idea what to expect.  to capture this feeling, last week i took my own version of "the first days of school" pic and if my rusty math skills are correct, i'm entering the 28th grade.  so outside my classroom, my office, i posed in business casual attire along with the only school supply i seem to need these days, a hot cup of coffee.

ch ch ch [changes]

it seems there has been a lot of changes in my life the past couple weeks, and i have no idea how to feel about, or even handle them.

i know change isn't necessarily good or bad, but that does little to change the way i feel.

how is one suppose to act in the face of change? i feel those who wholeheartedly embrace it, don't ever fight for what they enjoy.  they're constantly looking for something new or different, and don't take the time to recognize the things in their life worth keeping. things worth protecting. things worth value.

j.d. salinger would say...

"certain things, they should stay the way they are. You ought to be able to stick them in one of those big glass cases and just leave them alone"


then you have those who never embrace change. they never look for anything new. they become static. they become stale. they devoid themselves the possibility of there being something else out there, something better.  something they can't even begin to imagine.

to that, mark twain would say...

"twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do, than by the ones you did do. so throw off the bowlines. sail away from the safe harbor. catch the trade winds in your sails. explore. dream. discover."

so tell me mark, j.d. which one is it?

couple this with the fact today is november 5, one of my favorite fictional historical dates in history.  the day doc brown invented time travel, so of course i've been watching the trilogy non-stop for the past couple of days. naturally my thoughts turn to looking at the future.  thirty years from now, what would my future self tell me? would he be happy with the decisions made, or would he advise me to take a different course.  will he be happy with where he is in life, or would he look at me, the 31 year old version of himself, and say now is your chance to do something different.

i know this isn't the movies, and the fact you never get questions like that answered from your future self is what makes this such a wonderful and unpredictable life.

i was told once, "if you follow your passion, you'll never make a bad decision".

it's great advice...i just have to figure out what my passion is.

living on the [wedge]

last week i joined my friends for dinner at one of our favorite local restaurants.  looking through the menu we noticed several new items many of us decided to try out.  along with the entrees i noticed a new side dish called a wedge salad.  not thinking much of it, i ordered one.  when my meal came out i was surprised to find a very symmetrical salad starring back at me.  i had no idea how to eat eat it, so i picked up my knife and fork and preceded to indulge into this intriguing iceberg item like a steak.  not only did it have an interesting shape, but it kept everything nice and neat and away from my cuban chicken sandwich. a feature a very much enjoyed.  needless to say, i was immediately smitten with this salad.

the next day, i made a joke referencing the salad on twitter saying,

"i like to pretend i'm a cultured, well traveled person, but its obvious i'm not, as last night i believe i ate my very first ever wedge salad"

little did i know of the can of worms i had just opened.  the responses and information that followed were not only entertaining, but extremely educational.


first i learned the wedge salad is nothing new.  it turns out this type of salad was actually extremely popular in the 50's and 60's in most restaurants.  naturally, this escalated my already high feelings for this food.  next i discovered the decline of the wedge salad came about during the 70's and 80's as people discovered more exotic types of lettuce such as romaine, leaf, boston and bibb, making iceberg look boring.  the lettuce for the "unrefined".  not surprisingly, the decline of iceberg lettuce seems to be inversely proportional with the rise of the "yuppie".  not only did the wedge salad loose popularity during this time, but i also discovered a large amount of "wedge" haters on the interwebs. several blogs are devoted to dishing on this dish, solely blaming it for the decline of american cuisine.  although i think they're being a bit dramatic, i can see how its modest ingredients might anger a few.  remember however, this was the 50's, a much different time than we live in now.  a time before trader joes or whole foods, when the availability of fresh produce to any location in america was a miracle in itself.  just like the classic meatloaf, its simplicity is what scares a lot of people, but simple is not a bad thing, so quite hating...hating is bad.

lastly, i learned the wedge salad was making a comeback, even to the point of being considered "trendy". however just like it's decline, its sudden rise in popularity makes sense.  we're still coming out of a terrible recession, a time finding people rediscovering talents and simpler practices our grandparents knew by heart. ideas our baby-boomer parents kicked to the curb with the promise of mass consumerism. activities such as home gardening, canning, couponing, thrift store shopping, cooking from scratch, knitting, up-cycling, and "do-it-yourself" projects.  things considered by many to be "lowbrow" just a few decades ago, now are popular.  the classic iceberg wedge salad, once considered unrefined, now is the leafy mascot of the recession.

just like everything else in this world, that which is old becomes new again.  if you wait long enough everything comes back into fashion.  well....maybe not my "mc hammer" pants, but who knows.

some like it hot [and outside]

is it just me, or does summertime remind anyone else of the 1930's?

i can't remember exactly when, but for the better part of my life, the summertime has evoked a feeling of that decade for me. now, i'm very aware the 30's were not the best decade in recent history, and my only experience of that time comes from books and film. however, from what i've read and seen, it makes perfect sense why this decade coincides with summer for me. it seems people in the 30's found pleasure in the simple things in life. with the depression effecting most of the country, people rarely went to far, exotic places for vacations. entertainment, rather, was found locally and with a community. also, with technology like the tv yet to be in every single home, people seemed more apt to spend time outside with friends.

all of last week, might as well have taken place in the 1930's for me. i was practically living in a "country time lemonade" commercial. within the course of a week, i was able to enjoy 18 holes of golf, watch a live musical, enjoy a film played outside and under the stars, and even took in a minor league baseball game. with the musical being, "annie" and the movie being "some like it hot", the 30's theme was only magnified.

so if you get a chance in the near future, i recommend having a 1930's week for yourself. slow things down, sit on a porch, grab some lemonade, and enjoy the last fading weeks of summer.

have some benny goodman or glenn miller playing softly in the background for an added effect.

lost art of the c[hat]

i've always wanted a fedora...it just seems like one of those things every man should own. however the price of buying such an accessory brand new had deterred a purchase for some time. a recent spotting on craiglist last week changed all this.

for sometime my friend beth, has been telling me to try speed dating, if only to get a story out of it. well, i feel the same way about craiglist. there's something about that online abyss that's actually a story gold mine. the recent fedora purchase was no exception.

the post was simple. fedora, good shape, in original box, $20. i called the number, and got a hold of mike, who informed me he still had it. i told him if the hat fit, i would take it. plotting down the directions, i told him i'd be there in a few minutes. with directions in hand, i headed to an unfamiliar part of town. finding the location, i took my pre-craiglist meeting precautions. taking a 20 out, i hid my wallet under the car seat. i really have no idea what this does, but it's seems like a good idea. next i pre-loaded a friend's number on my cell phone, just in case i had to make a quick call. as i walked up the driveway, a man who looked extremely similar to tommy chong came out with a hat box. i met him in the drive way, he opened the box, i tried it on, it fit, so i said i'd take it. naturally this is where i assumed the transaction would end....however. before the goods could be exchanged he asked if i was a collector. i replied i wasn't, i was just a fan of 50's and 60's items.

i had know idea the can of worms i had just opened.

from hats, the discussion evolved to antique furniture, which led to vinyl records, which led to vintage bikes, which led to bars in wichita during the 1970's, which led to childhood stories, which led to jobs, which led to colleges, which led to discussions of the big 12, and finally the basketball play-offs.

believe me when i say the above list is extremely paraphrased. each topic was discussed at length and in depth. somewhere around david bowie's "diamond dogs" album i looked at my phone and realized i had been there an hour. i was feeling antsy, and kept trying to steer the conversation to an end. however, as we discussed our lives, and i found out a little more about mike, i began to feel he didn't just sell items on craiglist to make a few bucks, i think mike simply enjoyed meeting and chatting with new people. realizing this, i stopped trying to find an end to the conversation, and decided to just let it run it's course, like all real, natural, honest discussions should. the fedora in my fingertips seemed the perfect prop for this scene, and it gave me a sense of nostalgia, back to a time where people actually talked with one another. a time before "texts", "likes", or 140 character limits.

three hours later, our conversation, as well as the daylight started to fade. i handed mike the 20, said goodbye, and got back in the car. placing my newly acquired hat on my head, i got a glimpse of myself in the rear view mirror and was reminded of my grandpa, and how he had the ability to talk all day to anyone about anything. maybe there's just something about a felt fedora that makes it easier to chew the fat with someone.

they obviously don't help memory, as i forget about my wallet, under my seat, until the next morning.

[frosted]

this past weekend we received a not-so-subtle reminder that kansas doens't care what the calender says, it was still winter. having already told myself saturday morning was going to be spent photographing a park i've always passed by, but never enjoyed, i figured the snow would just have to be dealt with. walking around, however, i found it to make an excellent addition to the days subjects. enhancing the color of a group of benches, showing off the minimalism of the parks mid-century structures, and adding to the feeling of a pool closed for the season. walking around, the snow also reminded me i had not dressed nearly warm enough, as the walk only lasted an hour before needing to warm up with some coffee.

was it a coincidence that i also found my first gray hair last weekend? probably not...just another not-so-subtle reminder of passing time. i didn't however pluck it, like the snow, i considered it an enhancement. the first small step into my (hopefully) george clooney-esque looking middle age.

thank you [ladies]

it's no secret that i love a good story. decades from now, if the years are kind to me, i hope to be the type of grandfather that annoys his grandchildren with stories from the "good ol days", forcing them to listen to me babble on by tempting them with a bag of werthers original's stashed away in the pantry. their grandmother will eventually come in, chastise me for telling stories, and give them all the candy anyway, but that's beside the point.

i owe a very sincere "thank you" to two ladies whom i've never met. minnie "alberta" leeper, and verna o. turner. even though, i've never meet these ladies, i know a little piece of "their stories". I know that minnie helped her husband, william, run "leeper hardware" in holton kansas until she had to close it in 1984. at some point in the 1950's verna o. turner made a purchase from minnie in leeper hardware. through the proceeding years that purchase served her and her family in the best way any object can, by bringing people together. fifty years later, and passing through the hands of other wonderful people, it's now landed in my possession.

there are a few more details to the story, but it's best told over a cup of coffee...

road[less]

tonight is a sad night...

first of all...i finished a book...a book that took me six years to read.

secondly...i finished a book...a book that i've had with me for the past six years.

i finally finished "on the road", a process that's taken me an embarrassingly long amount of time. i bought the book in 2003, the summer i stayed in manhattan to work construction. with all my friends out of town, i thought reading this classic would help pass the time. i started reading, and made it a few chapters. however school started back up, and it soon found it's way to the shelf. months would pass, i'd find it, decide to start over, and begin the journey again. however, things would happen, school would happen, life would happen, and it remained unread.

during these past six years, i've taken several trips. the last item i'd always find myself packing would be my copy of "on the road", always thinking i'd have time to read it while on the trip. deep down though, i think i just packed it for the irony. it followed me to the beaches of san diego, where it's pages got filled with sunlight and sand, only to be brought back to the midwest, unread. it then followed me to the west coast during my internship. eight months later, when i moved back, it was still unread. it's been to the ninth ward of new orleans, the bars of austin, the sidewalks of chicago, the coffee shops of portland and the foothills of denver. always with me, always waiting to be concluded.

a few months ago, i felt it was time to give the images of sal and dean, that have been wandering the road in my mind for the past six years, some rest. two individuals struggling with the conventions of how society told them they had to live, and their own ideas of what it means to be free. i sat down and decided i was going to make it all the way through this time. not only did i take the time to comprehend every sentence, but i found a wonderful online study guide to aid my reading. after every few chapters i would go on-line to review the analysis and study the major themes.

for the past six years, sal and dean have been companions of mine, fitting nicely into a cozy spot in my [man-satchel] next to my sketch book. tonight i feel as though i said good bye to some dear friends. it seems only fitting tonight that it's raining. kerouac used the symbol of rain throughout the novel to suggest the passing of time, as i finished the book, dreaming and wondering about my own life, rain is hitting my bedroom window. rain which will then fall to the sidewalk below. those drops will flow through man-made pipes and channels until it finds it's way to the arkansas river joining all the other drops from all the other windows of dreamers and wonderers. after traveling through oklahoma and arkansas, it will join the mississipi. a river thick and muddy with the hopes and dreams of the whole country. they'll all eventually make their way to the gulf and become part of the endless sea. they'll evaporate into the air and form into clouds, clouds that will one day rain on wichita again...

maybe by the time those drops hit my window again, i'll have things figured out....

thanks for a great story jack.

a wonderful clip of kerouac reading while steve allen plays piano

lost in [translation]

so, we had our first snow of the season today. bundling up to head off to work today, i was reminded of a story i thought would be appropriate for this weather.

it was my first year of college, and winter had set in. living on campus, i walked everywhere. it only took one long walk to history class and some incredibly frozen ears to realize my winter coat was not keeping every part of my body warm. i needed a "dootsy cap".

on my way back to the dorms i stopped at "the derb" to grab lunch. seeing one of my friends, carl, at a table, i sat down next to him. after discussing the food offering that day, we both remarked how terribly cold it was.

"speaking of that" i said, "do you know where in town i could find a 'dootsy cap'"?


[dumbfounded look on carl's face, followed by silence]


"a what?" he finally asked.

"a dootsy cap" i again stated

"i don't have a clue about what you're talking about!"

"you know...like a little knitted hat...you put on your head...to cover your ears!" i explained,

"do you mean, a stocking cap?"

"yeah, i guess you could call it that" i said

after finally getting on the same page, carl told me to check the mall for my "dootsy cap".

later that day, i made the trek to the mall, and eventually found what i was looking for, all the while wondering why i had thrown carl for such a loop.

trying to figure this all out, that night, i called my parents to clear up this little vernacular mishap. all my life, during the winter months, i was told to put on my "dootsie cap". it's what my parents had called it, so that's what i had called it. after laughing at me for just a bit, my parents explained it was a term passed down from my german heritage. my great grandparents and grandparents come from a very strong german community in kansas. after a few generations living in this area, the geman language had been modified, changed, shortened, and broken down, untill it had become it's own sort of german-american slang. one word that still found it's way into my own daily use was "dootsie kopf" which roughly translates as a stocking cap with a "poofy knit ball" on top, to wear on your head. hearing this as a kid, i myself changed it to "dootsy cap". i had no reason to ever question this word, as i had apparently had never used it in public before. i mean really, how often are stocking caps the center of conversation?

after some slight embarrassment, i was sort of proud that this "slang" word had made it down to my generation without question. a little bit of volga german pride came out that day. although in most conversations now, i'll refer to it as a "stocking cap", in my head, it'll always be a "dootsy cap".

so this winter, stay bundled up,...and don't forget your "dootsy caps".

[time]ing

i received a wonderful wall clock from family friends as a graduation gift. upon moving into my apartment, i placed a battery in the back and hung it on the wall. i was terribly pleased with where i located it, placed at the intersection of the only two circulation paths in my tiny apartment. this allowed it to be seen from any angle. after waking up in the morning and stepping out of my bedroom, i methodically look down the hallway to see the time. it has become my "main" clock.

not long after the time change, the battery died. i guess the adjustment was just too much for it's little hands to take. it stopped around 5:44 in the morning. it's been frozen at that time for several weeks now, as i have yet to pick up a double a battery for it. although i'm perfectly aware of this fact, i continually find myself checking the time, looking for it's guidance, maybe an answer to where i am in life, or at the very least, how much time i have to get there. habit's are funny that way.

i was planning on writing a long post trying to intertwine thoughts of change and habits, when it occurred to me, i have much larger timing issues in my life. this one, chronologically challenged clock was just the tip of my timing iceberg.

let me explain:

-my alarm clock is set 18 minutes fast, allowing me to hit the snooze button twice, and still wake up on time.

-shuffling between bedroom and bathroom every morning, i watch my "main" clock which is set 9 minutes fast. this is to encourage me to hurry up as i try to get out the door.

-the stove clock, right by the front door, is set 3 minutes fast, allowing me walking and or driving time to the office.

-the car clock is set 36 minutes fast. this breaks down the pattern of "getting ever closer to the exact time as i get closer to the office", however this clock is set for long distance driving, hoping it'll allow me to be 30 minutes early to any distant appointment.

however, what i've learned is, none of this grand and complex timing scheme gets me to work any earlier. i sometimes wonder what chaos may or may not ensue, if they were all to be magically synchronized. in fact, this little rambling observation does me absolutely no good, except for the fact when i ask myself every night, "where did the evening go?"

i now know there's about eighteen minutes lost somewhere between the kitchen and bedroom.


it's probably in the laundry room, next to my missing sock.....time's funny that way.

blogging [old school]

i have no idea why this cracked me up so much tonight...

i was catching up on some news, when i came across this article stating that a diary found in england, mentions the game of baseball 50 years before it was ever referenced in the united states. now, when and where baseball was "first" mentioned, didn't' crack me up, what got me rolling was the actual diary entry!

here's the excerpt:

a mr. william bray writes:

“Easter Monday 31 March 1755"

“Went to Stoke Ch. This morning. After Dinner Went to Miss Jeale’s to play at Base Ball with her, the 3 Miss Whiteheads, Miss Billinghurst, Miss Molly Flutter, Mr. Chandler, Mr. Ford & H. Parsons & Jelly. Drank Tea and stayed till 8.”

now is it just me, or could that be a blog entry! i know that isn't much of a stretch, since blogs are basically on-line diary's, but for some reason, while reading it, i pictured a very well dressed man, in a wool suite, white wig, and buckle shoes, sitting in front of a macbook writing this entry out.

i think it's the "tea" and the "stayed till 8" that really get me! william and his friends had some crazy night! also the names are epic! "miss billinghurst", "miss molly flutter"! they sound like names right out of a jane austen novel! also, am i reading this right? does william have a friend name "jelly"?

if you haven't read it in an english accent yet, please do. it makes it so much better!

[off] the interstate

a few weeks ago, i took a weekend trip to the lake to meet up with some friends of mine. being that i had never traveled to this lake before, i was sent directions. google maps quickly and graphically showed me that i would not be taking the interstate there, instead it had me driving down ol' highway 54 the whole way there. i was less then thrilled. five hours of highway driving did not sound that relaxing to me, but alas, it did look to be the quickest way there. i packed some clothes, got in the car and headed out. immediately getting onto highway 54.

"well, five hours on this road and then turn right" i thought to myself.

it didn't take long before i had ventured farther on highway 54 then i ever had before. it was just about the time i stared thinking that to myself that i began noticing something i had over looked. i was now traveling down an old highway, a popular path during post war america, and what was used during that time to attract fun-loving fifties-era families out of their ford fair lanes and forgo faring any farther? non other then GOOGIE motel signs!

they were everywhere! every small town forcing me to slow down, greeted itself with some form on space aged sign directing me to a motel. towns that may have felt slighted not being graced by the interstate system, now little jewels of americana, uncluttered by the commercial development that seems to grow well at off-ramps. watching and waiting to see what the next town had in store made the trip very extremely enjoyable.

after spending a very relaxing couple of days at the lake, i headed home, camera in the passenger seat. stopping in a number of small towns, i photographed these road side relics.

their atomic forms, standing there, on the side of the the road, faded by decades of sunlight, as a reminder to a simpler time of life. a time where the journey meant just as much as the destination.

something i think we all say we'd like to do....but something very few of us achieve...

a night in [85]

alright, so looking back on the posts this year, it's obvious that i have several themes that i tend to repeat. well, this one's going to combine just about all of them. that's right, my love of bikes, enjoying movies at the orpheum theater, wichita's urban life, the movie "back to the future", and the topic of time travel in general. how could i possibly fit all of these together you may ask? lets see!

let the story begin....



about a month ago, it was decided that august 21st would be 20" bike night! i was thrilled! i had recently rediscovered my old bmx bike in my parents garage and wanted an excuse to fix it up! last week, i dragged it out the garage and with a little help, started getting it road worthy. i wasn't able to get it completely fixed, but i still brought it into town, giving myself a little project to tinker with after work.

i didn't however plan on last week being as busy as it ended up. i had to work late most of the week, giving myself only minimal time to work on the bike. however sitting at work on thursday the only thing getting me through the day was knowing that i would be tearing up the streets of "ta" town on my sweet bmx that night!

wait, what did i just say?

"thursday!"

how could i have been so careless! as it turns out that thusrday night the orpheum was planning on showing the absolute best movie ever. BACK TO THE FUTURE!

this was quite the dilemma.

thinking fast, i planned it all out. i figured i could make the 7 o'clock movie, watch it, jump on the bike, and make most of the ride!

as it would turn out, that plan would create one of the most enjoyable thursday nights of the summer. i was able to sit and watch my favorite movie on the largest screen these eyes had ever witnessed this epic film on. i was also able to enjoy it in the company of other fans who really got into the movie. i then jumped on my old bike and cruised downtown to meet up with the rest of the bikers, where we all got to enjoy everyone else's vintage childhood cruiser.

for all i knew it could have been a night right out of 1985. a time before i had entered school. a time where all i did was ride bikes, ate bologna sandwiches, and played with legos. a time before clients, deadlines , and stress had entered into my life. a time that was a lot simpler...

for a moment.... it was like being a kid again.

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.

[lapse] in time

a few days ago, some friends and i were enjoying dinner. the night was filled with the usual banter...nothing out of the ordinary. that was until a small mob of people rushed in, armed with banners, balloons, and cake! within moments the place was converted into a surprise party for our waitress! as they hung the banner, it became apparent the reason for the festivities was to celebrate our waitress's tenth year of working there.

the whole place celebrated, the manager gave a speech thanking her for all her hard work over the years, friends toasted, people applauded, the camera guy cried....it was all very cool.

as the place simmered back down, we personally congratulated our waitress, and went back to our socializing. naturally, our discussion found it's way to what we were all doing ten years ago. my initial thought was, "wow, ten years! that's such a long time!" however after doing some quick math, i realized ten years ago was only 1997! how could this be? where did the time go.

answer....college.

how did the time pass so quickly? did seaton hall somehow compress time? does it have the required critical mass to produce the gravitational pull necessary to warp the space time continuum? could it be the all nighters? the caffeine? the stress?

i have a theory. as hard working little architecture students, we all knew that on the average, the four days before a project felt like one day. some more, rarely less. therefore we can then say that four days to the average college student equals one day for us. being extremely generic and keeping simple math, four years becomes one.

any takers?
it's almost as if upon entering the college of architecture you entered a coma.....time passes...you graduate, you wake up, and suddenly it's five to seven years later!

now to the point. i don't know if it's because it's august and school's starting again, or if it's because four days, really do feel like four days. but looking back at this coma, i can't help but think, what a wonderful environment it was to be [stuck] in. i'm not just talking about manhattan, although i fully believe it's one of the most beautiful cities in kansas, but rather the college atmosphere. the energy, the life, the experiences, the wonder, the people........

now, i'm not saying that life isn't exciting now. there are new goals, aspirations, experiences, adventures... it just seems like it's on a different time....real time.

we may have all been in comas, but what a wonderful dream it was while we were in it.