the [golf]ing game

a couple of months ago, the city of wichita was looking at closing one of it's five municipal courses. if you read my blog, you know i try not to get political, so i wont go into how i think this is an absolutely idiotic idea. or how it sounded like a typical government solution of jump right to "closing" instead of looking at "improving". or how i think a bad decision they made a decade ago benefiting the wealthier side of town, now might hurt the less affluent side. or how i think it's incredibly obtuse of the local government to close something that helps provide outdoor recreation and entertainment, ultimately providing to the better health of the community.

but like i said, i don't like to get political, so you don't have to hear me talk about that. actually, i hate arguing any issue when i'm not entirely educated. hearing this news made me realize i hadn't golfed all the municipal courses in town. i'm not the best golfer, but what better way to learn more about the issue than golfing. so this past summer, i was on a quest to golf 18 holes at all the city courses to better educate myself.

i quickly learned each course had it's own unique character. it was almost like dating you might say. that being said, to make my research more entertaining, i thought i'd present my findings like it's the dating game.

here we go.


contestant number 1 hails from the south side of town, she's old and a little busted. she's the least popular contestant, and she's fallen into financial trouble the past few years, but that doesn't stop her from having her charms.

me - "number 1, if i were to golf you, what would a typical day be like?"

number 1 - "listen, i know i'm not the prettiest girl on the block, but i think we'd have a good time. if you're new to the game, i'll go easy on you. if you're able to ignore the rusted shopping carts in my creek beds, we should be just fine"


contest number 2 is a westsider. she's young and incredibly good looking. people think she's pretty, but with more expensive green fees, find her pretentious, and a little snooty.

me - "number 2, what advice could you give me if i wanted to play you?"

number 2 - "i'm out of your league, don't even try"


contestant number 3 also hails from the west side, but lives by the airport. she's not as pretty as contestant number 2, but has longer "legs". she's also more popular than number 2.

me - "number 3, what's the most difficult thing about golfing you?"

number 3 - "well, it's a bit of a drive to visit me, and some people complain about all the jets taking off in the background. i also don't have a lot of shade, so it's going to be hot, not a problem if you're into that sort of thing. also i'm the longest course in wichita, so you have to have a lot of energy, which scares some people off."


contestant number 4 is a downtowner. she's the most popular of all our contestants, as well as the most profitable. she's simple, but her location makes her extremely likable and fun.

me - "number 4, what can you tell me about yourself that would make me want to golf you?"

number 4 - "well, i'm right downtown, so i'm easy to play over a long lunch or right after work, but you'll have to call to set up a date well in advance, because i've got a lot of appointments."



finally contestant number 5. she's actually the most well rounded of all our contestants. she's mature, kept up well, and offers some challenges without being too difficult. her age has only brought on more beauty, and she recently had some major work done helping hide her age.

me - "number 5, what makes you unique?"

number 5 - "well, i actually use to be the old wichita country club, but they've moved on...don't worry, i'm not jaded or anything...it's not like i think about it all the time.... i've moved on...really...i've totally forgotten that part of my life. i'm very happy being a municipal course now. did i mention i use to be the wichita country club?"


after completing all the courses, news came the city of wichita won't be closing any of them. even though that's what spurred my quest, i'm glad i got out and golfed more this summer. truth is, they're all great courses, each with it's own unique quality, and it would be a shame to loose any of them.

deconstructing[coleman]

i have mixed feelings towards the demolition of old buildings. i can see how in certain cases, it's necessary. sometimes you just have to make room for something more beneficial to the community. however, in a lot of instances, demolition seems to be the easy answer, and easy answers aren't always the best.

now, since it's not the goal of this blog to be political, i'll stop with the above statements. rather, i'll stick to what i enjoy, which is finding beauty in the "everyday". and a spring time sunset creating an amber glow through the remaining windows of a nearly demolished building...seem to be just that.

[graphic]weekend

i don't know if it's entirely true, but i would be willing to bet, almost every architect out there believes they can also be a graphic artist. i mean, design is design, right?

well, wheter it's true or not, i'm no exception. i've always enjoyed graphic design, and love the fact my profession allows me to dabble in it occasionally. even through this blog, i've meet some amazingly talented people who deal with graphic design, mostly the people at aqua-velvet and secret door projects.

now...not all of my weekends have themes, but graphic design seemed to be in the air last week. starting things off, i was fortunate enough to get invited to the "aiga no-love social", by one of my graphic oriented friends at running doves press. basically it was a chance for local graphic artists to present work which had been changed or trashed by the clients. logos, designs, marks, and decals, were given a chance to escape the recycle bin and be appreciated again, an idea i think the local aia should pick up on. not only did i enjoy looking at the forgotten designs, the local aiga also provided custom coasters and drink tickets.



since the next day was wichita's final friday art gallery crawl, the night was filled with touring local galleries. although art was enjoyed, the highlight of the night was receiving a pamphlet informing me of a local ordinance which had just been passed. it comically stated, to crack down on graffiti, it was now illegal to carry spray paint and or markers anywhere near public buildings. now, reading over the pamphlet, i agree, this is an incredibly lame and pointless law, which basically gives local authorities power to convict on circumstantial evidence. however what i enjoyed most was the larger picture. this pamphlet was evidence the art community in wichita is starting to show it's presence, get political, and still keep an artistic sense of humor about it.



so what will next weekend bring? who knows, i might feel rebellious and decide to live life on the edge of the law...and by that i mean grab a sharpie, sit on a bench downtown, and sketch.

[evolution]

there are several instances in my life i'd like to go back and drop the knowledge i've gained onto a younger version of myself. for example, i'd tell a very youthful "me" not to play with slingshots near the family car. or perhaps i'd go back to a when i first learned to drive and inform myself, car wash hoses should be aimed only at cars, and not at any part of the human body. just a few months ago, i would have gone up to a seventeen year old "me", and said,

"hey buddy, maybe it's not such a good idea to run for class president. i know your main reason for running is so you can be pictured first in the class photo and not fourth from last like you have been the past 13 years, but that's not really a great reason. it's also going to require a lot of work in the future, and you're probably not the best guy for the job. why don't you get your unorganized, geeky, camera toting self back to the yearbook room where you belong."

however, that's an impossibility, and for some reason my classmates voted me in. honestly, besides helping pick the class motto, and the graduation speaker, i don't remember doing much. i vaguely remember someone stating the fact that i would be responsible to coordinate all reunions for the rest of my given life, but i wasn't really paying attention. my feeble little adolescent mind found that fact to be unimportant.

then somehow, in a hazy mix of moving to college, late nights in studio and finding a job, 2009 found it's way to the calender page. this past january, i started receiving messages asking when and where our reunion was taking place. [my seventeen year old self was laughing hysterically at me]. realizing the time had finally come to fulfill my elected duties, i decided to surprise my seventeen year old counterpart and actually accomplish what he had signed me up to do. i came up with a few ideas, discussed them with a few classmates, and figured out a plan. being in the middle of a recession, it was decided to stay away from any event that might involve dj's and centerpieces, but rather, have a low-key, informal event. places were reserved, people were contacted, e-mails were sent out, and replies came in. to be honest, the whole process hasn't been that bad. luckily for me, my organization skills have improved over that last decade. also, a little thing called the internet really took off since high school, and with all it's social media magic it's been fairly easy to locate and inform the majority of people.

looking back, maybe i wouldn't have told myself not to run. in fact, i might even encourage it. and maybe i wouldn't have told myself about the possible dangers of a car wash hose, because that's just too funny of a story. i would, however, still warn myself about the slingshot. ain't nothing funny about a twelve year old having to shell out his savings to replace the back window of a station wagon.

the year in pictures [2008]

year four for [the year in pictures] post.

once again, another year has ended, and it's time to pick ten photos that in some way represented the year. looking back, i'm disappointed in myself. i didn't take nearly as many photos as i should have. as i searched through various folders looking for photos to use. it occurred to me, this year was a very [internal] year for me. i didn't take many long trips, and i rarely had my camera with me. maybe it was just my way of trying to live "in the moment" and not behind a lens, or maybe i was just lazy. this year seemed less about the "big trip" and more about the continuation of discovering new friends and experiences in and around wichita.

my disappointment in the lack of photos didn't last long, because i realized i still had a lot of wonderful memories of 2008, just not very many pictures of those memories. are those [un-captured] experiences any less important, of course not...but in the end, i find myself wishing i had some photographs to look at, and not just digital images on a screen, actual, tangible, photographs! i'm a little digital-ed out. that being said, this year, i'd like to take more photos, as well start developing them and placing them in actual albums.

barn_door_1.11.2008

the first project i managed broke ground january of 2008. the site consisted of an old farm house with several barns near by. with everything needing to be cleared, all the buildings were slated for demolishing. the week before work began, i took my camera out to capture as much as i could before it was lost. walking through the old structures, i fond old mason jars, dated wallpaper, and letters from the 1960's. there was a lot of beauty on that farm site, and i felt incredibly guilty for being apart of it's destruction, but i was also thankful for the pictures it provided before it disappeared.



we_the_people_in_the_back_row_1.29.08

whether you were interested or not, it was hard to escape politics this year. even here in central kansas, we were visited by several candidates. i attended campaign speeches by barrack obama and mike huckabee. this photo was taken while listening to barrack obama speak in el dorado.



guitar_lessons_3.22.08

i enjoy playing the guitar, although i hardly play in front of people, and have never played in front of a group. it's strictly a hobby and stress reliever. in march, a friend visited me for a whole day of guitar playing, and beer drinking. although my fingertips were sore to the touch by the end, it was a great day.



project_graduation_4.6.08

two of my friends graduated from college this year. knowing my love of photography, they asked if i would take some "senior" photos of them. all day, i tried different poses and stances, but nothing seemed to look natural. finally, near the end of the day, i simply had them jump in the air, and sure enough it turned out to be their, and my, favorite picture.



famous_cafe_4.26.08

my love of coffee grows stronger every year. the past few months i've even ventured into enjoying the pure-ist taste of straight black coffee. one weekend, while in kansas city, i had to stop and visit the famous "broadway cafe", the westport coffee shop that put the starbucks next door out of business. this picture seem to capture and exude the warmth of a coffee shop, and the coffee was fabulous as well.



giant_van_gogh_5.12.08

in may, we took a family trip to colorado to attend a graduation. the whole tribe loaded up into the family truckster just like the old days. wanting to make the most of this small vacation from work, i told everyone we would try and find a few roadside oddities. as it turns out goodland kansas has the worlds largest easel holding up a replication of vincent van gogh's sunflower's. it was nothing short of amazing.



miranda_7.20.08

i purchased another vintage bike this year, a little older, and a lot nicer. this bike really lets you know what it is to ride a "coaster". it's a joy to ride. not only does this bike now give me options on what to ride, it also flung me deeper into a new hobby. keeping with using names mentioned in "decemberists" songs, this one received the name "miranda".



festival_sunset_9.27.08my one, planned and organized, extended vacation this year was to the austin city limits music festival. there's nothing like sitting in the hot sun, getting sweaty and dusty, while listening to amazing music, to make you forget about work for a while.



neko_9.28.08

getting the chance to meet neko case, and watching her perform was the highlight of the acl festival for me. i'm not sure what it is about her music, maybe it's the lyrics, or the tone of her voice, but it never gets old.



project_completion_11.6.08

the first project i managed finished construction in the summer, however this photo was taken after all the landscaping had a few months to settle. i was very pleased with the way it turned out, but better yet, the client was extremely happy. the whole process reassured my desire to become an architect. now, is this building as beautiful as an old abandoned barn nestled amongst long forgotten farmland? maybe not. but i'm learning fast that destruction is just as important as creation in this field. hopefully we always replace beauty with beauty.

bloggin' bout my [generation]

one thing i don't want to do on this blog, is get political. mainly because i've learned certain subjects, when brought up, automatically create divisions between people, making any chance for a meaningful conversation hopeless. in my own life, i've learned these topics include, but are not limited to, politics, religion, kansas colleges and sports, and contemporary vs. traditional architecture. i feel however this election deserves some commentary.

i'd like to talk a little less about the candidates and a little more about the people voting for them. more specifically those people between the ages of 18 and 30. although it's not an exact date, most of these voters find themselves in "generation y" or the "millennial" generation. i feel that people my age have finally "woken" up and are ready for action. we care. we have ideas. we want to be heard! we want that defining moment that every generation has! our grandparents fought in a world war! our parents rebelled, listened to rock music and brought civil rights to the forefront. what have we done? nothing...yet.

but it's about to change. i feel this is the "millennials" election. it's the first time we have collectively had enough people to flex our political muscle. we have become a demographic. the tools and technology that are second nature to us, have helped us be more informed and more active in politics then past generations! we can debate and share ideas through a multitude of social networking sites, text messages and blogs. even facebook is telling us to vote and can be used to find polling locations! not only has this transfer of information been digital, but it fuels conversations in the real world. i've had more insightful, and spirited political discussions with my peers in the last few months, then guys six to eight years older then me. grown men who have straight out told me they just "don't care" about politics. this is not a democratic/republican issue, it's an attitude! whatever platform an individual in this generation decides to take, they educate themselves, and stand firm in their beliefs. i feel we have become more active than our "gen x" and "baby boomer" predecessors.

in a way this election feels to me like a generational "coming out" party, but it won't be what defines us. i believe that after the election, we face our first big test as a generation. a looming economical crisis. being incredibly stereotypical, our generation, since birth, has been told how wonderful it was. our parents and teachers took great strides to give us anything and everything we ever wanted as we made our way through school. everything was designed to be easier for us. however that all changes in the work place. all the praises, high accomplishments and participation trophies don't amount to much when you're the newest member of an office and someone needs to be cut.

our test has begun.

now as i get off my soapbox, i see that i have several different ideas interacting and intersecting with each other. one idea is the youth vote and how powerful in could be in this election. secondly, the ideas and beliefs that define the millennial generation. following are two sources that do a much better job explaining these two issues.

first, an article written about the youth vote in this election by jonathan darmn of newsweek, who happens to be my age. in the article he states this energy and excitement that has been produced, can't stop on november 4th, but needs to continue for the next four years.

secondly a video of william strauss explaining this new and emerging "millennial" generation. it's an overview of the ideals and beliefs of the millennial generation, and why they came to be. he also begins to discuss how this may change the political landscape in the future. very informative, but an hour long.

although i find myself pessimistic about the future, i'm also very optimistic about the potential our generation holds to solve the problems that will face us.

for now....just VOTE!

[barack] where i come from

i've never been real boisterous about my political views, and don't intend to now. when it comes down to it, i'm a proud kansan, and always get excited when politics from the federal level, travel a few back roads and find it's way to this state.

i also love seeing our elected officials speak live. two years ago, i had the chance to hear president bush at kansas state. i had friends say, "you couldn't pay me to listen to him!" i didn't care...i went. well today i had the chance to hear democratic presidential candidate, barack obama speak. once again i had friends that said, "you couldn't pay me to hear that man speak!". i still don't care, i went. i'd like to believe that if any candidate would have come to kansas to speak, i would have made time to attend.....well....almost any candidate.

i read that mr. obama would be speaking in el dorado, the birth place of his grandfather, which is just about 30 minutes from wichita. he would also be the first democratic candidate to visit the sunflower state since 1960! it's was also kansas day! how could i miss this?

i convinced a co-worker to attend the speech with me. he and i arrived in el dorado about an hour before the doors were suppose to open, and found ourselves, in a line, about 150 yards from the door in near zero degree wind chill! i kept reminding him how wonderfully old fashioned this was to stand in line, in the weather, to see a candidate speak! about 45 minutes into the wait, this wasn't entertaining to him anymore. during our wait we were told that considering our place in line, we'd probably end up in the overflow rooms and have to watch it on t.v.

i hoped not.

as we arrived closer to the door, we ended up being one of the last groups to be allowed entrance into the gym, this was also the time they opened up the floor seating. we found ourselves right behind the reserved seating, about 15 feet from the podium!

in the beginning, mr. obama's speech focused on his grandparents kansas upbringing, and how they fought and forged out a way of life in america that seems to be slipping. it then shifted into what actions and changes he would make, if elected president which at various points caused the whole crowd to stand and cheer. the highlight of the event was when our own governor, kathleen sebelius, came out and publicly gave her endorsement of mr obama.

just as before with president bush, i'm glad i went and have no regrets taking a few hours off work to attend the event. i do wish however that i would have been better prepared to stand in the blizzard for an hour, as i think i'm now sick.....

oh well.....


happy kansas day everyone!