I could use a drink tonight too. All I have in the house is a fancy bottle of wine being saved for something special!

WonderK, your whole first paragraph sounds exactly like what I've been thinking myself lately. Too bad we're not in the same city, I could sure use a dinner out with some girlfriends -- something I sorely miss in my life at the moment. Tuna, lb, and rationalist, you are all definitely invited to my imaginary dinner!

holz, i'm feeling you right now. Chin up, eventually you'll see something of your own built beautifully and it will remind you of what you love.

I'm feeling pretty bummed about work myself lately. A project that was all my very own -- a pretty spectacularly awesome one -- finally fell through, right at the permit stage. And then they were just gonna have us pare it WAY down ... and then today they decided just to have the contractor figure something out himself and get it fit for inhabitation. HUGE HUGE HUGE disappointment. Meanwhile I had declined another great opportunity because I thought I was going to have this thing going on... and now I'm stuck with nothing.

Time to take up a hobby. Two main contenders at the moment are: masters swimming, and sewing class. Another contender (if I can afford it) is adult ed. Portuguese class. We'll see.

Right now I'm bumming around on my couch looking ahead to another late Olympics night.

Men's all-around finals, here we come! Well, in an hour, at least. I guess that means I have no excuse not to do my laundry, or clean up my apartment, or make and consume dinner.

I really just feel like not leaving this couch for hours until I finally drag myself to bed after the medal ceremony.


Oh wait, that sounds like my Monday and Tuesday nights...

I keep thinking that the guys competing in the events that Phelps ISN'T swimming in must be thanking their lucky stars.

oh no, angst in TC? I'm shocked!

Wk, you know, I've been there and in the end i moved to Japan.

then we both moved to canada

then we started all over when i went to london in search of work on my own. the 2nd time apart was the last. 6 months of calling my wife and daughter while i saved enough money to bring them to the UK was not fun at all (and anyway i went back to japan).

But i know some people who have done the long distance thing for years and seem happy too. so it is possible. i don't however now any particularly young people who do that. i think it requires a certain perspective that most people don't get til a bit older...

about the archi-angst...
i used to worry about ever making good architecture when i first started in this biz. it drove me nuts that no one in my office seemed to care how it was to be in the buildings we were making (i still don't care too much about the shiny magazine ready work). it took a year or two before i became senior enough to have a say in that. still, i never was able to convince my boss or his clients that hospitals should be places to heal body AND soul and not just places to make money. so i quit doing them. which is arrogant, but i didn't want any part of it. luckily i wasn't fired and spent most of my time on schools and housing from then on.

eventually i quit the office entirely. i am still good friends with the boss, though, who somehow respected the fact that i have an opinion and wasn't scared to walk away. that is not very common in japan. especially for married men with kids.

i expect there is a point in there somewhere....something about not getting too down by the profession cuz there are always opportunities out there...or something like that.

Awwwww thanks mantaray. Back at ya babe :o)

YES!!! Swimming is on again!!!!!! Time to go drool.

aww :( now i feel embarrassed. sorry everyone.
i usually try to end my angst on a good, productive note!

WK, I know what you're going through. Maybe it will help to say that in my experience, long-distance relationships bring positive benefits as well as difficulties? If he IS the right guy, and you do stick it out, I can assure you that your relationship will be MUCH, MUCH stronger for having gone through what you're going through now.

I'm sure you already know all this. I don't mean to be preachin' to the choir, and I really hope that didn't come off as arrogant. Just trying to help without being able to give a hug.

& Wonder K - in your pain I am inclined to share with you all the details of my shitty life since my seizure (including the loss of not one but two jobs). It would pain me to recall of it, and well I doubt there is enough wine in the house. I jokingly say keep your chin up, but with sincerity advise you to do so - sometimes when you cannot understand the things occuring in your life, it is best to think that is happening for a reason...my reason: is, that my palette is being cleansed for greater things, so this pain/purgatory/shame/struggle is so that when it happens I can appreciate and truly truly make the best of it.

I think I may still have to take that drink. And keep your chin up

a smile for everybody!!!

i wont even tell ya how sucking bad my sucking day sucked...

is that teeth I see in that acorn?

TK,
That picture certainly cheered up my day and i don't even have any angst at the moment.
Beautiful kid...

As for everyone who is feeling overwhelmed or just generally in a funk.
I have been there, as recently as monday. However, as Archi said...
Chin Up, we are all being prepped/developing for bigger and better things.
I know for myself, i have been trying to stay cheerful by focusing on the small things/goals that i am accomplishing...

The bigger things will come. They always do. Sometimes when we least expect them.

tut tut things are looking up!


thanks for the words of encouragement. seems lately these days the archi-drive has been in the gutter.

do they make a viagra for archi-funk?

manta, I do appreciate it. I know you have gone through it as well and it does help to have someone else's perspective. I will take that hug and that dinner!!!

jump's comment made me laugh because I hesitated to post that but then I thought, "well, everyone else comes here for group therapy, so I might as well too". Honestly though I don't think TC would be TC without the personal reflection and angst. And occasional links, lol.

I have decided there is absolutely nothing wrong with sitting on the couch for hours at a time and watching the Olympics, because it's how I intend to spend my evening as well. Anybody else noticing the Obama ads during the Olympics? Props to him for using a catchy song and positive imagery (I reserve the right to take back those props if he selects Bayh for VP)....

I don't really see how synchronized diving qualifies as an Olympic sport, but since they're also broadcasting so much Women's Sand Volleyball (another head scratcher wtf?), I'll happily enjoy looking at Alexandre Despatie in a Speedo all evening. While, yes, sitting on my couch.

G'night, DubK.

Also: futurist is cracking me up over here.

hello tc, long time no see.

also in a funk today. just in from my last jury... leaving next week for the phd. semesters are reversed here [summer is like fall, academic wise] and i had to cut this one short by one week in order to get a bit of time here and there before and after the big move, to close shop here and settle down in the us before classes start in september. which means... i'm done teaching for a while, and done teaching design for an even longer time, yikes! starting to freak out a little bit at all the changes coming up... i know changes are good, but they are also sometimes painful to go through.

ok, no more whining from me, seems lately it's all i do in archinect [see olympics thread].

aml, you're moving to the US? welcome!!

Good morning all,
It is a half day for me as i have some stauff to take care of in the later half of the day.
Holz... I love that particular stout.

Dubk I absolutely agree that TC wouldn't be TC without all the personal issues and discussions.
We are all friends and that is what friends are for.

Wow, aml, I had somehow missed that the move was on too! Welcome!

It's a transitional time - apparently for most of TC - and change is stressful. Often good, but *always* stressful.

TC is where you can bitch and moan and no one will judge, maybe gently prod, but not judge.

vado I'll call you as soon as I leave the house. I just got a new Bluetooth for my phone and figuring out how to push the buttons correctly is driving me nuts. It's far worse than having to trim your own fingernails ;-)

thanks, manta and lb! hopefully the move is on, if the us consulate returns my passport with the big fancy student visa sticker on it. actually this describes the process very well.

Tk! He made me laugh. He's really cute. Glad he's a happy baby.

Good news. Abe will only need the helmet another 4 weeks, if things continue as they are. Fingers crossed.

Jump, Husband and I did the long distance thing for 5 years while I was in college - so some young people do it. It sucked, a bunch, but is possible. You just have to constantly remember that your actions affect someone else. Besides, DubK, Absense makes the heart grow fonder.

oh yeah it can work when young, Sarah. totally. i think it takes something special though. not exactly maturity but maybe something like certainty about what you want and what its worth...not so many young people get that frame of mind, i think...then again i am old man (-ish) and grown cynical by harsh world and personal experience.

lovely baby picture treekiller.

very kool with the trip to USA for phd aml! i am sure i read about that somewhere but it escaped my memory cell brain-bits....anyway, congrats! hope you enjoy the process of being re-educated as much as i have. its all very Kafka-like really.

Forgot to mention, theres another Abram H at the helmet place. Crazy. I wonder what he looks like.

aml, I so feel you pain. Loved the comic strip. I remember you saying you got in, but I forgot where. Could you remind me?

I did forget to say that I hate long distance relationships. During my time in Montsy all except one were like that...6 years of long distance relationships are painful and when you are finished it feels like high school romance <- interpret that as you will.

Okay I'm soooooooooooooooooooo lazy today. I'm still in bed, its nearly noon. I've at least brushed my teeth, but I'm hungry and feeling for fried fish or something locally exotic like that. But far too melon collie to do anything (melon...can't help think of smashing pumpkins)

thanks guys. turns out i spoke too soon, and just after posting the last bit, i checked again with the dhl guys and now i have my fancy visa sticker. so i'm all set, woohoo! well, as soon as i finish packing. ugh. archi, it's mit.

LB, How did Angus' first day of 'real' school go? They do full days here, and I think thats crazy. Why can't kindergarten be like it was when I went?

hi aml :) see you in beantown...

lb i guess you havent figured that out yet? or did u call my crib?

hi vado! that is fake cambridge to you...

Woo-hoo!!!! Congrats aml on finally receiving your fancy visa stamp. When do classes begin?

150 stories!!!!! do I dare get excited?

What's 150 stories? Are we talking about a building or a book?

Congrats on moving north, aml! A couple of the coolest women I know went to MIT, and you'll join those ranks soon enough :o)

So, I guess we're doing school blogs again this year after all. I think I'll apply but my own blog won't be going anywhere.

thank you NCARB for putting me up in this 14 desert oasis...now, can you fucking get my Certification done with already?!

thanks guys! i'm very excited but it feel like i have tons of things i need to get done between now and september [when classes start].
today was my first 'free' day after final jury yesterday and i've been having small nervous episodes of "yikes, i'm really leaving in a week, i should get moving."

WWTCD
I've been working with a certain lighting rep for my project for months now. They have been really helpful throughout the whole process, throwing choice after choice after choice until we got the correct ones, answering all my many questions, consulting on-site three times to go over all the intricacies of the project. They've been a god send, helping cut my teeth on my first real project.
Today I get a call from electric sub, and while we were going over some of the issues and questions he had, he throws me a curve ball, asking if he can use an alternate general light fixture. In order (as always) to be more cost efficient. I said "NO" at first but told him if he sent me a cut sheet I'd think about it. I have no doubt that this comparable light fixture is not a fixture my lighting rep carries, otherwise she would have presented me the option. I guess it's not really question, but an affirmation (not sure that's the correct word usage) that telling him we're using the exact light I spec'd out and that's final, is okay to do. After all he's the one who underbid the project, right? He's a contractorand well, when it somes down to it I haven't developed any sort of relationship with him, even had some minor issues, but I have with my rep. I don't want to break that tie.

I'm also worried especially now that I said I'd look at the cut-sheet that he'll take it upon himself to go ahead and order the lighting of his choice and screw my lighting rep. I never confirmed anything, and never submitted anything in writing either. It was all by phone. I didn't screw up did I? Like I said, I'm really worried. This project has been my baby for the past 8 months and I'd like to try to keep things running as smooth as they can this late in the stage. Thanks everyone in advance.

Hi tuna! No worries.

A) you did not screw up at all; your spec is what stands; saying you'll LOOK at an alternate spec is not anywhere near grounds for proceeding with that spec, and if he ordered the lights based on that, he would have to eat the cost of them. Your signature ON THE SUBMITTED CUT SHEET is the only thing that counts, along with (of course) your own original specification. So unless you signed a paper, you're fine.

B) 93% of the time the submitted "alternate" that supposedly "looks EXACTLY LIKE this fixture YOU picked, but is wayyyyy less expensive!!!" in actual reality looks nothing like what you spec'ed. Your tough decision w.r.t. your relationship with your lighting rep will probably be a complete moot point once you see what he's proposing.* So, don't worry on either point. :)

C) Know that you probably WILL make a mistake somewhere in this project, and also know that it's gonna be ok when you do. That's life. Humans make mistakes, everyone knows it, everyone knows how to deal with it when they do, and when it does happen, you will learn from it and move on.



*That's not to say that the proposed alternate is NEVER a good option -- just that 9 times out of 10 in my experience it doesn't look aesthetically like it is supposed to. And also often doesn't accomplish the same functional goals either. But evvvvery so often I get surprised with a good alternate submittal.

Thanks manta - you've put my mind at ease. I know that mistakes will happen and a few things have already, but this one would be a BIG one and I'd like to try to keep it from happening.

manta is right on all of it. One way to show the contractor you are interested in hearing their concerns is to get at why they *really* want to change a fixture. If they are proposing something that totally doesn't look like what you want, ask if it installs more easily or has different requirements (like distance from installation, for example) that will make it easier for him to work with. If it is a legitimate concern, you can take that info back to your lighting rep and get her suggestion. That way you're not just saying "it doesn't look right", you're hearing your contractor's concerns and addressing them.

And when it comes right down to it, your specification is what has to be used unless you agree otherwise.

Sorry...like distance from insulation, I meant.

God my mind is not working right tonight, and this is the first night all week I haven't had a drink with dinner! I'm gonna be quiet now and go watch the Olympics.

PS tk the acorn's smile is absolutely beautiful.

whoops, disregard that previous ounce of hope.

holz just wasted a year. phenomenal.

changes in my life:

1) I completed IDP. Cheers.

2) I quit my job. Double cheers.

3) My parents are moving to São Paulo, Brasil.

4) I'll disappear from archinect.com for the next few months because

5) I'm leaving on Monday to travel to these places.

6) I'll be back in November to cast my ballot.

7) I love being unemployed.


Best wishes to all over the next few months.

wow!!!! congrats n_, on well, everything!!!

Wow n_ your itinerary looks amazing. Congrats on quitting your job . Have fun. We'll miss you.

Holz - You mean to say you haven't learned anythinng this year? Nothing? Nothing at at all. Even if you learned only one thing, your year has not been wasted. Please don't give up. Things WILL get better. It just takes time.

tuna, trying not to.

it's definitely been interesting. i have learned a bit, not as much as i'd planned.

i guess i just saw this project as a culmination and then i could move on, as i've pretty much had my fill. now i'm afraid to move on because i won't have jack to show for the last few years except a few permit sets and some small t.i.'s i wanted nothing to do with and definitely aren't gonna make it in the 'folio. i'd love to finish IDP but have almost zero CA...

hells yeah!

funny about the fake cambridge...I did notice some awful similarities, and then I read that architecture/uni buildings cartoon and nearly busted a rib with laughter.

Now is the time for me to really start to watch the Olympics. There will be a Jamaican running passed you any second now.

Holz, just raise that chin...just a little more. I'm sure as tuna said you learnt alot in the last year - its okay if you didn't have much to show for it that you can put in your portfolio. The last couple of years that I took healm of the office, I thought I'd have more chance to design and put my aesthetic mark on the office. I was sadly mistaken as I ran from meeting to meeting, seeking to either resolve things from my predessors or worse decisions staff took without consultation. The last project I designed that could go in my portfolio was 2005...and don't ask what i've done since.

Holz, It can't be that bad is it?

N_ your trip sounds amazing. Is it going to be a solo mission? Or will you have traveling companions?

If all goes well, especially regarding my recent personal problems i to will be traveling to India during Oct-Nov, for a couple of weeks. I will be going with my father on a part pilgrimage/vacation he does every couple of years..
Where exactly will you be going?
The railroad across Siberia sounds amazing.... I almost got posted to the Peace Corps in one of the Stans this year. It was going to be crazy and fun times. Unfortunately finances got in the way.

Oh well there is always next year.

Oh n_ that sounds wonderful. Good luck to you and safe travels. Do you know where you're going to end up when you come back?

I so want to go to India and China, but I don't want to go alone. Generally I always enjoy someone else's company though so this is no surprise.

I'm drunk, btw. Coherent drunk but intoxicated, nonetheless. I am going to go drink water and see what I missed on the Olympics....

sounds very koolio n. i hope you enjoy the trip(s)!

that's the # of floors for a building we might have won... we got a cryptic message from the boss - now we're working on a contract. if it's really us, there will be lots of press considering who we beat.

I'm taking the entire trip with one of my best friends. We've been friends since 3rd grade. He now works in film documenting refugees adjusting to life in America. He'll be filming the majority of our trip (especially as we travel Russia via train).

My sister and her boyfriend are meeting us on a farm in Sweden and will be traveling with us into Nepaln then they fly back to the real world. I think they'll be with us for a total of 5 or 6 weeks.

I'll be coming back and applying to graduate school. I don't know exactly what I'll do for the 8-10 months when I get back. I suppose I need to do some soul-searchin' on the trip and figure that out. Maybe I can get my signifcant other to hire me as her personal assistant?

My goal for the day - 'pack.' I use the word 'pack' generously because I have no idea how to pack for this trip and have no idea what I'll bring. It might be a long day...