No, I'm not talking about Christmas, or Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, or even Festivus. I'm talking about the end of the academic semester. It's the time of year when all the good boys and girls finally go home after weeks and weeks of seemingly endless nights in the studio and, for the first time in days, take a shower and get cleaned up, only to turn around and head back to those hallowed halls of knowledge, to have all of their hard work and suffering critiqued by perfect strangers.

For some, this can be a stress-filled time. Many begin to tremble or studder, or exhibit other symptoms of nervousness when it's their time to present. Not yours truly. I was cool as a cucumber. I got up, did my thing, and when it was the professors turn to speak, all he said was "I don't disagree with that." Sure, everyone wants to hear "Wow, that's the most amazing design I have ever seen. Why don't you come work for me and I'll pay you six figures!" But I was realistic. My only goal was to go into this critique and get positive feedback as opposed to negative. Mission accomplished. So with the horrible situation of my computer and notebook being stolen, I managed to climb out of the hole and put a decent final presentation together in only two weeks. I have to pat myself on the back for that.

So now, my desk is cleaned up and my materials are all put away for a month or so, when I will return to a full load of classes, including IDS 4, Structures 4, and Environmental Systems 1. I'm not done just yet, though. Tuesday morning is my Structures 3 exam, but I have plenty of time to ready myself for that daunting task.

Chances are, I'll post some after my trip to Boston over New Years, and then much more when classes resume mid-January.

Until then,

Chili D


p.s. - If anyone will be in the Detroit area over the break, and wants to plan an archinectors meet up, drop me a line.