downtown [do]nation

any idea what the greatest nation in this world is? 

it's do-nation.

last saturday the wichita downtown development corporation held their annual downtown cleanup day.  a morning filled with painting, landscaping and trash collecting. having missed the event previously, i made sure to mark it in my calendar this year.  all together 113 volunteers came out to help clean.  113 people gave up their time to help clean and "beautify" the city they love.  113 people.

i'm a big believer in the power of volunteering, because anyone with time has the ability to do it. there are several people in town who can make large scale projects happen in the downtown area.  there are also individuals who have the means to make sizable donations to downtown organizations.  most of us can't do that, we can however donate our time.  the older i get the more i believe time is money.  to see 113 people donate one of the most valuable assets they have, their time, was incredible to see.  

as i was painting, i was trying to figure out what value to place on this "time" donated.  figuring 113 volunteers worked 3 hours, you have 339 collective hours. about 8 and half weeks of work for one person.  trying to put a monetary value to those hours...an employer might pay between 10 and 15 dollars an hour for the work involved, meaning the total cost for labor is anywhere between $3,390 and $5,085.  averaging that out, the city received a $4,200 donation last saturday.

not a huge amount of money when it comes to city budgets, but it was absolutely free. $4,200 worth of value going towards downtown without having to cut budgets or increase taxes.  a nice deal for the city and it's citizens for sure, but i would arguer the sense of civic pride slowly growing in this town, really is priceless.

koozie [culture]

i'll admit it, i'm a little late coming into the koozie culture, therefore i'm not sure i fully understand all the social boundaries surrounding these beer blankets.

hanging out by backyard pools and college tailgates, i've known of koozies for some time, but in the last few years i've found these little thermal accessories in new places.  i have several friends who can be found using their koozies in public establishments. after receiving their pabst from the bartender, they'll reach into their back pocket or purse and pull out their personal koozie. sitting around our favorite patio, enjoying great weather, it's not uncommon to see a couple cans sitting in a collection of their own condensation, while others are neatly nestled in neoprene. apparently in the hot summer land of lagers, the one with koozie is king...or at least is kept cold the longest.

is this a wichita thing? a kansas thing? a midwest thing? does our local climate cause this culture or are the coasts covered with koozies as well?

so i ask you this, is it culturally acceptable to bring a koozie to a bar?

should this form of beer bedazzlement be banned, or is it cool to clothe your coors in comfort.

capitol[ized]

all cities fascinate me; washington dc amazed me.

walking in a city as well planned as washington dc, means every intersection is picturesque. having only a day to explore it's urban landscape meant every minute found me in [architectural sensory overload].  in school we studied kevin lynch's book "image of the city" which discusses "imageability" and "wayfinding," terms which identify what elements of a city make it more memorable in your mind.  walking through dc i discovered just how memorable well defined paths, edges, districts, nodes and landmarks make a city.  all these elements worked in perfect harmony and left me with a better appreciation for thoughtful urban planning.  i also enjoyed the sensitivity to the sense of scale. along the mall, buildings and monuments tower above you, but walkways, landscaping, patios, and seating make you feel comfortable at a more human scale.  little spots perfectly placed to interact with other people while enjoying the monumental backdrop. i could go on about how much this city surprised me; hopefully the pictures do a better job.

perfect [strangers]

i celebrated my birthday with 10 people i had never met...and it couldn't have been more memorable.

over the past several years, i've always seemed to be in a different location for my birthday.  this year found me in washington dc attending an architecture conference.  actually, the conference had ended that afternoon and a few people from the young associates committee were staying an extra night, and kindly invited me to join them for dinner.  through various helpings of pizza and drinks, one of them mentioned their birthday had been the other day. having been silent about my own birthday, i thought it too much of a coincidence not to mention it was in fact mine that day. 

somewhere between those two facts and a single cupcake with a candle on it, we all became friends. the evening continued past dessert right into a dive bar with pool tables and cheap drinks.  conversation topics ranged from the serious, like what type of projects everyone worked on, to the more entertaining, like what movie would you'd watch if you were on a desert island and only had one to watch. we drank, played pool, shuffle board, and darts. basically conversations and activities you'd have with life long friends.

although i missed the wonderful people i call my friends and family back at home, there was something very refreshing spending a birthday with 10 complete strangers...people who i may never see again...but who are now facebook friends.

group [shots]

in a world filled with oddly angled, out of focused, and badly cropped group "selfies", i'm still a fan of the well composed group shot.  one thing i've been trying to do more of, to the annoyance of my friends, is take more of them.  there's just something intriguing about them.  looking back over pictures i've taken the last couple of years, i always find myself enjoying the "group shots" a little more. 

trying to figure out exactly why i enjoy taking group shot, i've narrowed it down to two reasons. first, group shots tend to happen when you and your friends are enjoying an activity or event.  seeing multiple smiling faces in a picture always takes me back to that time and place.  next, they're extremely hard to organize and take.  the more people in them, the more people you have to ask to stop what they're doing, get up, move, and smile for a picture.  also, the timing for the photo, i learned you have about 10 to 15 seconds to get everyone moved and organized before people start to get annoyed.  assuming you can get everyone placed, the lighting is good and everyone fits in the frame, it really is worth it.

here are a couple of group shots of my friends, that will forever remind me of st. patricks day 2014.