[pancakes] and [progress reports]

our office hours are "officially" nine to five. during these hours we are suppose to be available to take calls and schedule meetings. it's no surprise to anyone, i'm usually slipping through the door at the last allowable second.

last week i was informed a project i have been working on, was going to start holding regular progress meetings, and i was encouraged to attend. i was thrilled! not only does this give one the chance to leave the computer screen and office behind for a bit, but meetings like this are always a great time to learn real world issues, unteachable in school.

i was informed, however, the meeting was going to be held at 7:00 a.m. at the village inn. as the words seven o'clock echoed around the office like a bad song, it sunk in, this meeting was to be held in "construction" time, which is several hours ahead of "my" time, similar to eastern and pacific. now a 7 o'clock meeting means, at the latest, i'd have to set my alarm for 6:15. i can't remember the last time i saw the other 6:15! my mind was so busy calculating shower, dressing and driving times, i almost missed the second detail of the meeting. the village inn. i was relieved, because i know what they serve at the village inn, and that is hoddles of coffee, and i was going to need one, if i wanted to pretend to be awake for this event.

morning came... barley, i awoke, showered, tried to dress professionally, car-pooled to the restaurant, walked in, greeted the construction manager, supervisor and the client, poured a cup of coffee, and was informed that everything was running smoothly.

are you kidding? i got up for this?

the only thought running through my mind besides trying to remember if village inn was the place that served the grand slam breakfast, was the fact this meeting could have been held over the phone at a more appropriate hour, like 4:15 p.m. when people are awake.

all in all, the meeting was somewhat useful. it showed everything was going as planned, and gave us a chance to walk the construction site with the client and snap some pictures of the progress.

i'm sure one day seven o'clock meeting will be the norm, but for now i'd much rather have two extra hours of sleep instead of my choice of eggs.


[notes]
- i'm not sure "hoddle" is a real word, but supposedly it's a container of coffee that can serve up to 20
- denny's serves the "grand slam" breakfast.

[argyle] is a battlefield

so i have a little [situation] in my life. two conscious decisions, recently made, have led to my current predicament.

first of all, i hate wearing black socks to work. i tried it, i hate it. there's something about my bright, white calf with a black sock stretched around it, that reminds me a little too much of my grandfather. now i'm aware that on certain occasions black socks are fine and i need not worry, but i also believe socks can, and should have the ability to be more interesting then just black. therefore upon entering the workforce, i filled my dresser drawer with a variety of striped and argyle socks to wear.

part two. i've been frequenting the gym more often this month. call it a resolution, call it a phase, call it what you will, all i know is that "men's health" isn't going to be calling me anytime soon, wanting to write an article, discussing how i sit for nine hours a day, and have developed mad cad skills. either way, i'm trying to move my trips to the gym from a weekly event to a more daily routine. this increase in activity, however, has doubled my laundry load. i couldn't help but notice, i washed twenty pairs of socks last weekend! so i decided in order to keep my loads smaller.... i'd start wearing my work socks to the gym.


of course adding these two situations together, results in me, wearing stripped or argyle socks with my gym shoes. now some people might think this is cute, most, however, might just think i'm a fool. what worries me, however, is that i didn't think twice about this decision, and wasn't really concerned about it.

is this wrong? does this makes any sense? i'm i genius? will people raise me upon their shoulders and carry me through the streets for limiting my wash load? or am i one short fashion move away from wearing black socks to the beach? should i continue my laundry conservation efforts, or is it time to pack up, and move to del bocca vista, florida and take up bocce ball?

argyle aside, what is it about pat benatar that makes working out just a little easier?

the year in pictures [2006]

i heard someone say this past year, "in this day in age, everyone is a photographer," implying that it's turning into a lost art. to this, i say nay. in this day in age, everyone should be a photographer. everyone now has the ability to capture moments of their lives through a lens. if it follows the "rule of thirds" or has great "leading lines" isn't important, it's about capturing a moment, a feeling, a time in your life.

life, to me, is one, long, crazy, road trip. here are a few postcards...















the mandala_3.1.06

tibetan monks visited the kansas state student union early in 2006, and created a mandala. from my very meager understanding a mandala is symbolically, a representation of the orderly universe. after spending a week slowly adding sand to complete it, it was quickly swept together to symbolize the impermanence of all that exists. having been raised catholic and not buddist, i can't begin to understand all the meanings of the mandala, but it did give me a new perspective, on a year i knew was going to be full of changes.

back at 12:30_3.19.06

during spring break a few classmates and i ventured down to louisiana to help with post-katrina clean up. i discovered that new orleans has a very distinct flavor to it, and even with damage and decay visible from every corner, you could still find little signs of it's unique culture, that could not be swept away.















ninth ward beacon_3.20.06

this house, with it's water damaged belongings filling up the curb, was a sign of hope for the residents of tupelo street. the determination and spirit of the man that lived here was contagious, infecting people from all over the country. we only had a week, but in that time we gutted the house, and created a new palate for construction and hope to begin.
















different light_5.8.06

alright, lightning pictures are a little trite, but as i was sitting by the window that night, waiting to get a shot of the perfect streak across the sky, i was thinking to myself how much i was really going to miss this place i called home for the past seven years.






















moment to think_6.8.06

i went back to new orleans early this summer to help start the construction of the new [house of dance and feathers]. mr lewis was there every day. although years of hard work had taken it's toll, and he couldn't physically do much, he was there everyday providing us with ice cold water, memorable stories and unquestioned support. his attitude hid almost any hint of sadness or distress he may have had on his mind. there were moments, however, that made you remember exactly what he had been through, and why we were there.






















last mow_6.26.06

my parents moved away from my childhood home this year. one of my many chores growing up was mowing the grass. i loved it. it was my time to think, [suburban meditation] if you will. i still haven't found any activity to replace the piece of mind it gave me.
















sunday hobby_8.6.06

not an amazing photo. a little blurry. but it represents a number of things to me. a new job, a new apartment, a new life, and an enormous chuck of time out of my week.






















kansas landmark_10.15.06

this water tower is halfway between my home and manhattan. there was a lot to think about this fall, and road trips always allow your mind to wander. while driving and thinking on this particular fall day, i decided to make a quick stop and photograph this landmark. like all great landmarks it not only pin points a spot geographically, but also a moment in time.






















under the pier_12.18.06

timing is everything, even when it's by accident. i'd like to tell you that i waited hours for the light to be just right, but i didn't. i took the picture, and didn't notice the shadows until it was on the screen of my computer. a reminder that great things usually happen when you least expect it.






















a little fog_12.30.06

to me, this image captures the feelings of a new year. things should never be crystal clear but neither pitch black. outlooks, goals, hopes and dreams, all things we have on our mind entering a new year, should be visible, but never clearly defined.