Imagine That...

Resume - I Have Conquered Thee

Everytime I ask an expert on the subject - how should my resume represent my experience to a potential employer? - I get a different answer.

If I was to follow every single person's advice on the matter that I've asked over the years, my resume would list my high school diploma and only my highest earned degree. It would boast my college GPA and it would also never do such a thing. It would be both printed on plain white paper and the fanciest executive paper sold at Office Max. My resume would list jobs only from the last five years and it would also list every job I have ever acquired. It would tout my skills. It would display a daytime phone number. It would list my references and it would most certainly state that references were only available by request.

The fact of the matter is that every employer varies in thought and process. And unless that future boss is also your resume guru, you're left to fight your way though the quicksand of the unfathomably vast hiring bog.

As my personal quest for employment took place over the last month, I learned in my case, that my resume - adapted over years since college - has finally proved to be an unbridled success. That's right! I have accepted an offer with Alamo Architects, another up-and-coming firm in town. And I'm rather excited about it. Of course it was not exactly an easy decision.

I first interviewed with Alamo toward the beginning of October, when the pressure was on to become gainfully employed to be actually capable of affording my new roof terrace on a monthly basis. The interview was lengthy and I presented myself and my work effectively. I elaborated on all the insights I've gained throughout the experience of working on a project at Lake|Flato from start to finish. The partner and I seemed to build a rapport. I was amused (as I always am) by how small San Antonio can be most of the time - the partner actually is good friends with Patrick's (my friend and former landlord) family, and even worked with his father to redesign their old house - the one Patrick grew up in. We realized the coincidence when I mentioned that my friend Patrick was developing a property across the street from where Alamo Architects have been renovating an old warehouse into their new offices.

At the end of the interview, I was made aware of his interest in pursuing my potential candidacy for employment. Very reassuring - however, I set up a few more interviews, following leads from uttering of my co-workers about openings around town.

My next interview was with a firm in town that happens to be Lake|Flato's rivals. The design aesthetic is similar, but their general mentality and office culture is antithetical to that of L|F's. One of their prominent local project's is the corporate headquarters for evil Clear Channel - a project I would hope out of principle that no one I worked for would contribute to in any way. Rumor has it that they also hold Monday morning prayer meetings. Why, you ask, would I want to even interview with folks who base their philosophy on the teachings of Christ? Well, I knew that, similarly to L|F, the work would be inspiring. And I also knew that it was unlikely that no matter where I went post-L|F, I would have to compromise either an awesome culture of like-minded co-workers, or a design philosophy that moved me. I just didn't want to give up both...

So I sent in the aforementioned resume and a few samplings of my work. Before I knew it, the principal of the firm asked me to call him to chat about possibilities. I had been warned in advance that he asks very peculiar questions - one of the most popular being, "Tell me about your best friend" - which I'm not even sure is legal. I suppose one can tell something about a person by their response to such a question, but I agreed that it's an unusual topic to bring up in an interview. Just for the record, I don't even consider myself to have a best friend at this point in my life. If I did, I would have dozens. I am the type of person that forms meaningful relationships with lots of people. I have maintained and collected these friendships since my early childhood (It's an admirable trait likely inherited from my dad). Therefore, I've lost track of their rankings and have done away with the whole system.

But I digress, I received a phone call last Tuesday from said local firm's principal and he wanted to talk about my background. The first thing he brought up was the fact that my only finite degree was in interior design - "Why in heaven's name would I be interested in working for an architecture firm?"

I explained that not only do I have such a degree, but also attended architecture school to receive a Master's at Taliesin, but due to a variety of extenuating circumstances that were beyond my control had to leave after a year. Then I reminded him that for the past over a year, have been working at an ARCHITECTURE FIRM. I further bolstered my candidacy by making an argument that there is no better professional marriage than between an architect and an interior designer and that my interdisciplinary background could serve them well.

His next question was, "How do I rate myself at Auto-CAD - 1 being a novice and 5 being an expert." I explained that "though I'd been using L|F opposite from Auto-CAD drafting program in every way imaginable for the past year, I am quite familiar with it and it's so intuitive that I could easily pick it back up. 3.5, sure."

Then he took a rather jarring turn in our conversation with his next question, which I always thought would get asked at my very first job interview but never had because its totally a silly question, "Who are your top 3 living architects?"

"Top three living? "Gee, well," I really struggled to remember three that are alive... I talked about Shigaru Ban and the spiritual experience I had wandering about the Nomadic Museum he designed that I encountered in Santa Monica. I totally forgot about Calatrava and instead mentioned recently deceased Samuel Mockbee. And of course, noted what influence Mr. Wright has had on my approach to architecture even though he's been dead for 47 years. Does that mean I failed the question? It's such a stupid one, it hardly matters.

Then he asked me, "So why do you want to be an architect?" I desperately restrained myself from blurting out, "What is this - second grade report hour?" but bit my tongue and fluidly answered the question...blah blah blah, re-evaluating the way people exist through thoughtful design - most effective way to make a difference in the world, blah blah blah.

Then he explained that as far as he knew, I couldn't get licensed as an architect because I don't have a professional degree. I confirmed, but reminded him that I could easily get licensed as an interior designer and also receive my LEED accreditation, among others.

Then he thanked me and stated affirmatively that his firm was in the practice of hiring architects. I thanked him in returned and expressed how unfortunate it was that his firm had such a limited perception of the design profession. I hung up the phone and though feeling deflated by my educational limitations, arranged another interview for the following day.

I arrived at yet another firm the next morning, and was immediately expected to take an Auto-CAD test. I hadn't used the program in some time, but under pressure did the best I could, especially considering they gave me a computer outfitted with a crazy, rolling ball mouse which they profusely apologized for during my interview. "I hate that mouse," my interviewer exclaimed, "I can't believe you did so well considering."

They were noticeably effusive about my work. They were, ironically enough, really excited about my interior design background. As an architecture firm, they had a nice office, though a bit more formal than I'm used to. When I inquired about it, they mentioned that I'd probably have to wear my hair up as per their strictly business attire dress code. Their work was predominantly public schools, which I felt would likely get monotonous with little opportunity to work on other project types with th exception of the occasional correctional facility.

At the end of my visit, she insisted that they would be making an offer within the next day.

Wow. And they did. And it was quite an offer. And they're benefits were amazing. Totally outrageous.

It was at this point that I contacted Alamo and let them know that I had other offers on the table and was feeling pressure to make a decision. They had me in for a second interview on Monday evening, which went as well as before. I particularly liked that one of the gentlemen sitting in on my interview was graced with luxurious curly locks like someone else at the table. It was obvious where I fit in and was definitely more excited by the firm's work. It was clear to me where I belonged. Plus, they're name is Alamo like everything else in San Antonio and it's hilarious! I as happy when they made me an offer the next day, but negotiated a better deal considering I had little to lose. Whew - was that a nail-biter! But a successful one.

I accepted the new offer and am poised to begin there on Monday. Though I have alot of expectations to live up to, I am confident and feel prepared after my tenure with Lake|Flato to commit to a new journey, another learning experience, and one more bullet for the resume.

One Really CAN Make a Difference

Every once and a while something comes along that despite however much time and energy it may immedeately signify to drain, you just feel compelled to participate not only because of the undeniably good will of the activity, but because of the amazing story it is certain to one day generate. Well, this is one of those stories. It all started several months back...

Sometime in late February/early March, one of my co-workers received notice that for the first time in San Antonio, the city's architecture firms would be participating in a national competition called "CANstruction".

What pretell is CANstruction, you ask? Well, for those of you who have never heard of such a thing - CANstruction is a unique blend of a spirited design/build competition with a way to raise money, food, and awareness for the homeless. Teams of architects and engineers unleash their combined talents and ingenuity by designing sculptures entirely out of canned goods.

Such as - these remarkable CANstructures (I stole these pictures off the National CANstruction website):

 

At the close of the event, all the food is donated to food banks serving the area. These charitable organizations deliver the much needed sustenance to shelters, day cares, elderly centers, and soup kitchens across the city.

There was no doubt - Lake|Flato was to compete! But what in the world would we CANstruct?

Thus began the aforementioned suckage of time and energy... What the hell anyway, it was all for a good cause!  We assembled our team and held a design charrette to discuss options and devise a fundraising strategy. (And then we met every two weeks or so to discuss how we hadn't made any progress on either topic again).

Eventually, it became evident that in order to proceed, we needed to decide on our theme. There were alot of ideas floating about - most of them architecture-related - like "The CANtheon", "Le CAN-Busier", and the "CANhattan Skyline". But when push came to shove we went with the most clever theme of them all!

PIRATES OF THE CANS-O-BE'AN

Aaaarrrrrr! We were to CANstruct a pirate ship made out of cans of beans! And make Hungerrrr walk thee plank!

With the theme decided, we could get the design process underway which was important so that we could get a good sense of exactly how many cans would be needed (and therefore how much money we would need to raise). But first we thought we should look over the rules and regulations one time more.

Awards would be given in the following categories: Best Meal - Best Use of Labels - Structural Ingenuity - Juror's Favorite - and two Honorable Mentions.

CANstructures should not exceed the maximum dimensions of 10' x 10' x 8' high.

Official Teams of 5 members should be designated, as only five individuals would be allowed in the building area at a time. Members can switch out - tag-team style, but no coaching or helping would be allowed.

Aluminum food cans of all sizes may be used but must be full, unopened, and with labels intact and legible. Labels may not be covered, stripped off or altered in any way. No glass containers or pet food. Absolutely no alcoholic beverages.

Canstructures must be "structurally self-supporting". No 2x4's or plywood over 1/4" think will be allowed. Foam-core, cardboard, Plexiglas sheets, thin plywood can be used sparingly as leveling devices ONLY. Clear tape, velcro, double-faced tape, rubber bands, nylon string, and wire are permissible. No permanent adhesives can be used on cans.

And of course, the rules were keen on reminding teams that they were solely responsible for obtaining their own cans and delivering them to the San Antonio Central Library on for the build out in late June.

Yikes - there sure was alot of details to figure out.

 

It was decided that we would attempt to build the prow of a pirate ship with a masthead sticking out and perhaps a few CANnons as well. It would be ominously tall and we wanted it to appear very menacing as pirate ships should. Within the next few weeks we initiated the design process. We met up at Kim's house one fine Saturday afternoon in early April to discuss options and to quickly rule out what would and would NOT work.

I swiftly determined that wire was not a particularly useful tool to adhere cans together.

And then distracted myself with Kim's new and adorable puppy and climbed trees in her backyard. IT WAS SATURDAY!

One item that became pretty important was the decision to go with a particular can-o-bean. Everyone agreed that Bush's Baked Beans had the bast label, being a gradient of several shades of brown and all just like the wood of a ship hull. Additionally, these cans were somewhat larger than normal size cans which would mean less cans to purchase overall and they actually stacked well which is clearly essential for this competition. Bush's also made a pinto variety with a blue label that we thought might make convincing waves. Everyone really liked the Bush's beans. I, however, was unsure about the political statement it would make.

Regardless, Vicki (seen on the right) volunteered to produce a 3/D model of our Pirate ship prow so that we might better estimate how many cans we would need.

On another front, there was the whole issue of financing our little high-seas adventure. We developed a sponsorship form that inspired individuals or companies to donate at four levels of patronage: Deck Swabbers (up to $50), Peg Legs (50 to 100 dollars), First Mates (100 to 150), and the esteemed Pirate Captain level (over 150 dabloons). We also left booty buckets on each floor of our office for our co-workers to contribute their spare booty. No one was safe from Jonathan's harassment's to donate. He even sent out periodic fundraising updates:

With pirate booty bountiful - we were able to purchase two pallets of Bush's Beans cans. And about two weeks ago these arrived at our office. It was our intention to practice erecting our Canstructure to ensure that our team was prepared for the big day.

Until then, we had a truck to unload and somehow duped most of our co-workers to form a conveyor belt - passing 12 packs of bean cans to the first floor from the rental barge.

One thing that was NOT anticipated with all our tedious planning was that the week before the competition, after we had strategically brought all our cans to the designated office practice arena, every single one of our team members became bogged down by immanent work deadlines. Though not uncommon for young architects have deadlines spring up on them, I have to express how unusual it was that EVERYONE had deadlines. We were all pretty stressed out, and trying to figure out how to build a pirate ship out of cans suddenly seemed the least of our problems.

It was then the unfortunate instance of a mutiny struck what had only been until then, an entirely amicable team of pirate canstructors. Realizing the difficulty of what we had originally envisioned, I did a quick google search for perhaps another pirate scene that we could employ easily. I found a mock-up of a pirate ship deck that looked more feasible. Half of our team thought this a good idea. Others were thoroughly unamused...

This instigated a quick little competition to attempt our conflicting schemes during lunch - a few days before the build out at the library.

Kim, Jodi, Denise, and I did a pathetic mock up in a few minutes of Scheme A as we had proposed. We had reached a severe state of apathy from our exhaustion - an unfortunate side-effect of having immanent architecture-related deadlines.

While Jonathan, Cameron, and Vicki erected a section of the prow - Scheme B to see if it could even support itself.

It wasn't very convincing.

 

In fact, neither of them were. We clearly had a problem on our hands.

Lucky for us - a new intern, Marc - with not a thing else to focus on had started on Monday. We quickly employed him to figure out our prow scheme. Thank the Canstruction gods for Marc (seen with Vicki below). Seriously.

He had figured out the prow design and even cut up some 1/4" plywood to use as leveling. He used the "table" (its not even on a table) saw in the basement. I admire his courage - as I wouldn't go near that thing. Even though we were all ridiculously busy, we all agreed to do a practice on Thursday so that on Saturday we could actually hop to rock the event. It was, after all, a competition. Lest we forget.

Jonathan directs our practice run while inhaling some pizza.

Our initial attempt that night was to corbel out each layer of cans for that it would grow wider, the higher it got. It looked really amazing!

Unfortunately - this only led to CANtastrophe and it collapsed.

We rebuilt it, without corbelling, and got up pretty high, but due to the weight of 3 cans thick each row - it collapsed again.

Just for the record, you can't even imagine what a cacophony 1000 cans of baked beans toppling down sounds like. It was a very bizarre sound to say the least.

At some point we figured out the recipe for a structurally sound ship. We knew this because we left it over night and it remained intact. However, Marc took it down that morning and repackaged it. We needed to bring all of our cans to the designated CanStorage area at the library that afternoon.

When we dropped off the cans at the library we noticed that all the other teams had the packaging on all their can boxes. This led us to believe that we were the only team to have practiced. We were confident enough the next morning to delay starting with the other teams  at 8am in order to have breakfast.

When Vicki picked me up, I was particularly amused by the bags and bags of canned pineapple that filled her trunk. She found the vast quantity of beans unsettling and even though the homeless are not known to be the most picky of folks, decided that we could do a better job of augmenting their diets. Sure the pineapple cans were blue and were going to make mighty fine waves, but their inclusion definitely eliminated our chances of winning the "Best Meal" award.

Jonathan and Cameron at Jim's for breakfast.

Oh, and look! Marc and Nina joined us too!

Marc is a former intern - not to be confused with the current intern of the same name who totally saved our CANstruction team from failure.

Like I mentioned, the competition was being held at the San Antonio Central Downtown Library.

It was designed by Ricardo Legoretta, an architect from Mexico. The building is controversial, but I have to say its rather photogenic.

When we arrived, many of the teams were already at work. Several of these were fortunate enough to have their Canstructure spots located on the first floor. Sadly the location Jonathan picked out, though perfect for our design, was on the third floor!

And so we made numerous huals up in the elevator.

I should also mention that our spot was on the children's floor, which although risky, was a definite high profile location. Our pirate ship prow was going to nestle well into the elevator nook.

And thus, our CANstruction began...

In previous attempts, we had been able to erect our ship prow in a relatively short period of time - one of which proved to be successful, others of which were nothing but disastrous.

We were extra-meticulous this time around!

Former intern Marc and I wondered about to scope out our competitors. Notice the enormous Dale Chihuly glass sculpture that some library employee had the forethought to move well out of the way of any potential CANtastrophe.

I was especially amused by this team with their matching T-shirts and the fact that they had actually produced a set of construction documents for the event.

Meanwhile, back on the children's floor...

Vicki adjusts the masthead.

Marc and Jonathan position the last layer of cans.

A view from the inside.

Then we made waves with the pineapple. No pun intended.

And Voila! We finished in four hours!

A view from the elevator - I think that it actually ended up looking more like a battleship than a pirate ship but still impressive.

We were certain to win! Especially after we walked around one final time to review our competition.

There was Shamu. Or something vaguely reminiscent of a killer whale-like form.

There was a light bulb. I think it was supposed to be an idea for stopping hunger or something to that effect. These guys totally cheated because they used illegal structural supports. I'm particularly bitter because these guys ended up winning the "structural Ingenuity" award.

This one was titled, "Bridging the gap to hunger."

And this is of course the Alamo an supposedly, a MexiCAN folkloric dancer... By the way, doing the Alamo is probably the most cliche thing you can do in San Antonio. Yet everyone - even another architecture firm - does it! This won "Best Use of Labels".

The Aztec Theater (here in The Tone) marquee sign. This should have won the structural award, but I think the light bulb looked more convincing.

This is a CANvoy of H.E.B. trucks. This blatant advertisement for the largest supermarket chain in Texas took home two awards - "Best Meal", and "Most Cans" - I believe they had well over 5,000. I think they had an unfair advantage.

I thought this one was a cute idea - its Audrey II from the movie Little Shop of Horrors.

The other obvious choice was of course - displaying you Texas pride. The giant white cans are 64 oz. vats of tapioca pudding.

This one was also kind of cute - A CANifornia Roll with a container of soy sauce. I would give them credit for using all the expensive Whole Foods brand cans, however they also used Coffee cans as their main can. I look forward to being confronted by all the well-caffinated homeless people on my way to work in the near future.

The Grand Prize winners of the contest ended up being from Herman Miller who built an entire Herman Miller workstation our of non perishables. They even had a little Aeron Chair. More blatant advertising I think.

So at the gala we all awaited anxiously on Legorreta's Library West Terrace to receive our awards from the celebrity panel of judges. While we were hoping for Catherine Zeta Jones, it ended up being a few neutral architects and the executive director of the food bank.

Everyone is having a good time. At least they are faking it for the picture - it was really hot on the West Terrace that afternoon.

Greg Papay - partner at Lake|Flato and AIA president makes his opening remarks before introducing the winners.

Jonathan accepts our HONORABLE MENTION award.

We were quite disappointed, as we had expected to win BIG.

Although you might think that we let the disappointment get to us, we realized that we really did win BIG. After all, we had raised over two thousand dollars and spent it on cans to donate to the homeless. We exhibited great feats of human ingenuity to construct a megalith sculpture out of 1929 cans. I know because it was my job to count them. Collectively, the entire event donated over 20,000 cans!

We may not have won the Grand Juror's Prize or even single-handedly eliminated hunger, but at the very least we made an impact locally, talked like pirates for several months, and maybe had a little fun while we were at it.

YAAAARRRRRR!

Part I: Nothing Except Myself, the Sky & the Open Road

With the exceptional brief spurts of civilization (El Paso, Las Cruces, Tucson, Phoenix) there is a whole lotta nothin' between San Antonio and the Southern California coast.

Its really incredible, actually. Driving alone through nothing is a helpful exercise in healing whatever ails you. And last week's little excursion was exactly what I needed. The vast, and ever changing landscapes with jagged mountains and prickly foliage in conversation with the deep blue and equally expansive Big Sky are Nature's answer to each and every one of life's little problems. In a space so seemingly-never-ending, those little problems like "what the hell to do with my life" just disappear in the horizon behind you while all the answers appear where the parallel lines of the open road converge ahead in the next valley.

It all started on a Tuesday morning. I arrived at work, and made final preparations for my trip ensuring that all was in place before my departure. I left the office at 09:00 to walk to the Marriot a few blocks away past the Alamo. There, I picked up my vehicle at the Hertz desk: a beautiful blue Toyota Highlander SUV.

Before heading back to the office, I needed to pick up the acrylic case top to the model I would be transporting and delivering to San Diego. There was somewhat of a mystery regarding exactly why the (Monday) morning prior, we all came into work and it was cracked after having stood for weeks unharmed in the same location. Luckily, it was an easy repair, and the good folks at the plastics shop could do a rush order on it.

Upon my return, I needed to quickly photograph the model before loading it into the SUV. I gathered some other interns to help lift the 7 ft. long creation outside into the good light.

First floor of the Lake|Flato office - my fellow interns assemble to allow me to boss them around. You can see the acrylic top on the left.

Conor and Matt hold up the "sky" backdrop while I snap some pix.

Francis Parker School Model - the keystone of L|F's design is the Library building in the center.

I like that the SeaWorld billboard is in the back ground of this shot taken right before we loaded the model into the back of the rental (also seen in the background). With a sign of relief, the model just barely fit.

And then I was off! Well...after I stopped at Whole Foods for a few snacks. An hour later, I was entirely absorbed in the swollen mass of frontier referred to casually but with reverence (and sometimes fear) by San Antonians, as West Texas.

Nipple Mountain is near the price gouging gas station. I'm always a little bitter that gas is so much there even though there are oil rigs in the neighboring fields. The lady at the check-out counter said she totally dug my hair, but despite her flattery I still think charges too much. What - petroleum has to be refined?

Pure Nothingness is all of its glory - picnic area off I-10, W. Texas.

This was my forth time driving West along I-10 through El Paso and its so easy to forget just how unnecessarily GIGANTIC Texas remains each time. Either way, I had plenty of time to sing at the top of my lungs and ponder my future. I thought about the expectation of attending grad school should I get in. I thought about how I'm really not into three ominous years of cruel academic tutelage and $40,000 of student debt. I thought about how I didn't really want to move. I thought about how great it would be for my fantasy of becoming a writer to come true. I contemplated how difficult it would be for an unknown writer to get published.

Eventually, after 10 and a half hours of driving I reached Las Cruces, NM where I had planned to stop that night. Point of clarification: the only reason why anyone would drive that long in one day is out of desperation. Lest we forget Nothingness. I could have stayed in El Paso (45 minutes South), but it's the step child big city of Texas and should be treated as such.

I passed out after a dinner of enchiladas smothered with green salsa - a New Mexico delicacy.

The next day I was to drive all the way to Scottsdale, AZ where I would stay the night and was to visit the good ole folks at Taliesin West.

En route I stopped numerous times to capture the desolate landscapes of Southeastern Arizona. I was thrilled that the sky was more cooperative that day.

This is ironically known as "Texas Canyon".

View of I-10 from the overlook -

The rock formations across the highway.

 

If you look closely at the background rock formation - there is definitely at least two rabbits and at least one elephant.

A few more hours of driving and I hit the ever-congested greater Phoenix metropolis. I don't know why, but even at mid-day, that city has the worst traffic, even though the highway system is extensive and convenient. It took me at least 45 more minutes to get up to Scottsdale where Taliesin West is situated in the McDowell Mountain foothills. I arrived just after lunch, my friend Madalena was waiting in the kitchen for me finishing up the lunch dishes.

I was very excited by the apparent shift in energy since the last time (almost a year ago) I had been there. For the first time in quite a while, things seemed to be light and happier. One thing that was surely different was the fact that Madalena was there. She used to be the resident chef in Wisconsin and would exude a natural, form-fitting delightful presence in an otherwise far-too-tense-for-its-own-good experience. Lucky for them, she now serves as the school's Asst. Director of Assessment. It was weird seeing her in Arizona at first because I never new her in that context, but that wore off as soon as she smiled. She has done wonders brightening the spirit of the community with her contagious positive energy.

Another immediately apparent change was that the had hired a new chef. A fantastic chef! One that enjoyed making delicious vegetarian meals. Much to my delight, Chef Cassie divulged that (by Madalena's request) she would be making a special meal for me tonight - avocado spring rolls!

I walked around and visited the elder Wright Followers who each asked if I had come to return. And each time it was a weird question that deemed an equally uncomfortable response. I mean on one hand, it was nice that I made such a positive impression during my year at the FLLWSA that everyone wants me back with genuine enthusiasm. However, its also difficult to imagine how easy it is for them to selectively forget what happened while I was there and how we were wrangled through HELL. "Er...I'm just passing through. Driving a model to San Diego. You've never heard of Lake|Flato? Really? It's nice to be back, uh yes."

I finally met the school's new Dean - Victor Sidy, who is a former apprentice himself. We developed a report and I commented on the positive direction the school has leaped since he took the reigns. I decided on a whim to pitch him the idea that had been brewing in my head for a few weeks. I have noticed that there has yet to be written a book exclusively about the apprentice shelters at TWest. It turns out that Victor had noticed this too. We discussed the possibility of me taking on such a project and what that might entail. I could come back to Taliesin West, independent of the school, yet part of the community as a visiting scholar. It would take a few months to compile the necessary research in the archives and then I would write a monograph to be published. I'm very enthusiastic about this possibility, especially considering the more upbeat demeanor of the place.

Madalena and I took some time to catch up - she is such a wonderful person and I deeply miss seeing her everyday as I did while living in Wisconsin.

Taking a walk out back, I ran into more old friends.

My favorite mighty spirit of the Taliesin West desert preserve. They say a saguaro cactus only sprouts its first arm after its 75th birthday. If that is the case, this beauty must be hundreds of years old.

Mike Heublein's rammed earth shelter with the tensile fabric shades. I love the textured shadows on the left side.

Rhiannon - Madalena's daughter. Here she frolicked in the fireplace of my dear friend Kevin Barden's unfinished shelter.

Luis Salazar's striking "Hook" shelter.

Inside Mike Volk's sweet and simple creation - much like him. His shelter has walls made from living Ocotillo fencing.

The one heart-wrenching part of my trip was visiting the place where my friend Joy Charbonneau's Shelter once stood. Alot of my heart, sweat, and blood went into making her shelter a reality. It was torn down because a few spiteful individuals refused to believe it properly exhibited Wright's philosophies of organic architecture. Even if they were right, there was much to learn from the structure, and it should have stood for what was best about Taliesin - people coming together to bring creations into existence. Instead, the scar it's untimely devastation has left on the desert remains to remind me and others of the worst part about Taliesin - that fear of change and conflicting egos will be its demise.

In getting back to the good - it was so nice to visit the atrium where the apprentices have their studio. There were a few familiar faces about but for the most part they were fresh blood. There are even a few internationals from Iran and China. It was a vital and stimulating group working eagerly and excited to keep the cycle going. Plus, I was fond of the pinwheel desk formation they all arranged.

At dinner, I reunited with an old friend - Bruce Brooks Pfeiffer, who happens to be the Director of the Frank Lloyd Wright Archives and knower of all-things Wright and wrong. He was keen on revealing which big leading men were brawling to play Frank Lloyd Wright in the new Hollywood biopic. You'll never guess who!

The avocado spring rolls were as wonderful as they sounded.

All-in-all, it was a splendid visit. I wouldn't mind coming back for a few months to write a book. I really want that to happen, infact.

I left the next morning feeling blissful - loving life and thankful for all the wonderful opportunity the Universe has tossed in my direction.

The drive from Phoenix to San Diego was a new one. I had never driven along I-8 before and was amazed by how startlingly scenic it became. I made a regretful pit stop in Yuma for pan-Asian cuisine. I don't know what I was thinking.

From there the landscape was filled with enormous pink sand dunes and then gradually morphed into an entire mountain range that looked to be primarily composed of piles of gargantuan boulders. I really wish there had been some sort of scenic overlook to pull into for a few photos but stopped was clearly discouraged for non-emergencies with the assorted heat warning signs. In fact, these signs instructed to turn off your car's A/C so the engine wouldn't overheat. Actually there were places to pull over, but they were for that purpose only. It was hard to believe considering that there was snow on the ground.

I finally drove into San Diego at about 3pm PT and I had a job to do. I made arrangements to meet up with a guy who worked at the school to deliver the model. It was fun to do a quick surgical fix of a few cars here and there that had dislodged during the drive. John - the school's fund-raising guy - gave a me a tour of the site where phase 1 of our design is already under construction. Having been uninvolved in much of the project other then transporting the model - I didn't know much about the design, but wasn't surprised by all the innovative ideas conjured up by my firm.

An hour later I was heading North to La Jolla for a stop at Louis Kahn's Salk Institute, which is a biological research facility built in the early '60's.

It was more amazing then I could have imagined.

 

And what a view out to the Pacific Ocean! It almost looks unreal.

Kahn was a master at allowing contrasting light and shadow to interact on simple forms.

The building is entirely clad in travertine marble which gives the smooth surfaces a rich texture.

Not bad, Louis. Not bad.

Notice how the flat forms of the facade allow the reflection square from the opposite windows to move lightly across the surface.

I like the slipping Salk guy.

At some point I pulled myself away from the pulsating beauty of Louis Kahn's masterpiece and headed North toward Los Angeles. The traffic was terrible along I-5, so I meandered off in Oceanside to watch the sunset by the pier.

 

I chilled my feet in the Pacific Ocean for the first time in years. Its startling different then my familiar, peaceful, and warm Atlantic Ocean back in Florida. I wandered the beach barefoot as the fiery orb set beyond the horizon.

I soon set off on the road again into the oncoming California darkness. It was a bittersweet relief. My roadtrip was almost over and I was exhausted. However I had my whole weekend in Los Angeles to look forward to. Stay tuned...

Gone Surfin'

I'm driving to California!

I'm embarking on yet another (I think this is my sixth since January 2003) journey across the great American Southwest starting tomorrow.

I am most excited - I'll have some wonderful alone time in the car singing the whole way with no self-awareness. I'll get to see the desert in bloom. I'll get to see some friends. I'll get to dip my toes in the Pacific Ocean. I'll get to spend the weekend in Los Angeles gallivanting around.

How did this fantastic opportunity unfold itself in my direction?

By some stroke of pure luck, impeccable timing, and my generally assertive and opportunistic disposition - I landed Mission: Possible. It being, to transport a model whose name is Francis Parker to San Diego.

Not that kind of model. Silly.

The model belongs to a school which is a client of the firm and is footing the bill - most expenses paid - for a three-day-meander-about. It really doesn't get much better than that. Getting paid to roadtip...

Ooooooh, but you'll have to wait for the tell-all blog post when I return. Don't hold your breath too long because Calli is so gut wrenchingly enchanting that I might not come back. I'll tell you what. If I'm not back in 1 week...wait longer. And if the heart of Texas is really as deep as everyone says it is, I'll bring you back a cool rock. Eureka!

Statement of Purpose - Draft

Alright, I just spent the better part of today organizing my thoughts for the required "Statement of Purpose" or "Letter of Intent" (as it is occasionally called) for grad school applications. The purpose of these essays is to allow you to clearly express your hopes and dreams for the future to each grad school of your choice in approx. 750 words, while effectively soliciting your candidacy to their admissions committee. Generally they appreciate your inclusion of the following criteria:

• your purpose in graduate study
• the area in particular in which you specialize
• the intended future use of your graduate study
• your special preparation and fitness for study in that field
• an explanation of any problems or inconsistencies that appear in your record
• should contain information about you that renders you unique from other applicants

It would be particularly helpful in any feedback that you let me know how I come across. For example, I am concerned that I might be considered condescending in the first paragraph. There are other points that I express that I fear might lead reviewers to conclude that I am not open minded to new ideas. Being pegged as "incapable of benefiting from instruction" is simply not what we're striving for here. I also have a tendency to be too vague.

Also, any vigilance you are willing to provide in regards to the following common flaws found in these statements would also go far in assisting me through this process:

• it should be objective, yet self-revelatory
• it should form conclusions that expand on the value and meaning of personal experience
• avoid a catalog of achievements
• it should get to the point early and get the attention of the reader
• it should be an example of careful persuasive writing
• conclusions should be documented with specific incidences
• the inclusion of awkward sentences - anyone who reads this blog regularly should be familiar with these

Just to satiate anyone's curiosity, the schools I'm looking at are my first choice, the hub of the counter culture revolution, located in a nice part of a disdained city, columns, columns, everywhere!, my least favorite, and a serious long shot.

Please leave comments - you know where...

I have never had the desire to become a great architect. Instead, I strive to become great at everything I wish to achieve, therefore allowing greatness to transcend into all aspects of who I am. With this philosophy intact, I believe that as my purpose in life unfolds, I will be a success. I have chosen architecture in which to excel at, because I understand that as a designer, I have an opportunity to evoke change through reinterpretation of human interaction with the built environment. Throughout my education, I have focused on sustainable design, minimizing human impact, and cultivating awareness. It is my intention to further engage this study at <insert name of institution here> in the M.Arch program. I look forward to continuing my education at an institution that is setting a precedent for environmental and social responsibility (OR excellence in design).

Assisted by an undergraduate degree in interior design from Florida State, I have a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between interior and exterior space. I have a firm background in spatial organization and planning, product specification, lighting & custom design detailing, drawing contract documents, hand drafting and Auto-Cad with 3/D, drawing & rendering, and model making.

During my apprenticeship at the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture, I successfully learned to integrate a multitude of educational opportunities into an independent study of architecture. These studies included extended design projects with programs of my own fruition, a solution for sustainable waste water management at Taliesin West, presentation as performance, master planning, preservation theory, and participation in classes for the allied arts. Guided by faculty mentors, I created a unique, individualized education in an unconventional environment for learning.

Apprentices in the FLLWSA are members of the Taliesin Fellowship, a community rooted in Wright’s philosophy of Organic Architecture. I served in various aspects of community support maintenance and administered the organic vegetable garden, in addition to my educational initiatives. Additionally, I took full advantage of many hands-on construction projects at Taliesin West, assisting fellow apprentices in building personal desert shelters and serving on a preservation team in Wisconsin to rebuild a roof section of the prolific Taliesin complex.

Due to the unfortunate plague of political unrest perpetuating within the FLLW Foundation, I made the difficult decision to resign from the FLLWSA after a year without completing my M.Arch degree. Despite this, I fervently believe that it was a defining experience in my life that I will cherish forever. By cultivating an understanding of Wright’s philosophy, I further refined an intimate relationship with an architectural luminary. I obtained a unique perspective for approaching design by deepening my comprehension of the profound inherent connection between all things at all times and on all levels of existence. Because of the alternative nature of the FLLWSA educational program, I am not seeking transferred credit. Instead, I have included my transcript as a comprehensive list for your consideration of the activities that made my experience there distinctive.

Currently I am benefiting from a full time internship with Lake|Flato, a high profile firm in San Antonio that was recently awarded “AIA Firm of the Year”. Since starting, I have already delighted in a wide range of activity germane to an understanding of how a successful architecture practice operates. I am supervised by talented individuals that oversee my participation on a modicum of projects. In my first month I compiled a series of research booklets to assist in a design charette for a mixed-use urban renewal master plan. Most recently, I have been immersed in the nascent stages of a design for a nature center addition and renovation in Maryland. Continuing into the spring, I will be taking part in the completion of this project’s construction documents. This will allow me to delve into all the various stages of its design process. I am especially eager to participate in the research for the project’s LEED certification.

It is undoubtedly plausible to foresee for the future social trends shifting towards a more peaceful coexistence between man and nature. I have it in mind to one day lead architectural enterprises with a firm of like-minded individuals geared in this direction. It is my dream to integrate a core group of specialists from related disciplines (i.e. design, construction, ecology, landscape architecture, regional planning); the goal being to develop and promote a model for community-oriented living with an emphasis in environmental sustainability.

With my related undergraduate degree at FSU, a year of intense study at FLLWSA, and a varying spectrum of professional design internships, I feel that my experience could merit my candidacy the esteemed consideration of the admissions committee. I have the tenacity, self-motivation, and positive attitude necessary to see my dream of becoming a socially conscious architect manifest itself into reality. I know that <insert name of institution here> can augment my abilities as an aspiring architect, and propel me to reach my goal of making the world a better place. I still have so much to learn and would very much like to embrace the educational experiences offered at <insert name of institution here>.

26 Things That Occured the Weekend I Turned 26

FRIDAY September 23rd - My Birthday Eve

1. I enthusiastically left work at a reasonable hour and dropped off my week's worth of accomplishments in book-making at the developer's office before heading to the bank at Whole Foods to deposit a few checks and buy myself some flowers. It was there that the oh-so-helpful WF's cashier informed me that "the place" to buy pinatas was at The Pinata Store. Ofcourse!

2. After a refreshing nap, April picked me up for dinner. I told her that despite how hungry we were, we had pinata shopping to do. When I explained where the Pinata Store was, she exclaimed, "Perfect! That's right by Lulu's Diner which is a really wacky joint that you'll love."

Unfortunately - both the pinata store and Lulu's diner were closed! The pinata store looked like fun, I couldn't wait to return in the morning to pick one out for my party. Lulu's 24 Hour Diner also looked like fun. It was covered with kitchy murals of purposely ugly half-naked women and chickens and things. April and I were rather vexed by the fact that the door being locked at 7pm, considering it is a 24 hour establishment. A guy with a paper hat sweeping up inside pointed at a sign on the door that read:

Lulu's Diner is always open - except between sundown on Fridays and sundown on Saturdays when it is closed in celebration of God's Holy Day, the SABBATH which is written as one of the ten commandments in the Old Testament. Don't you read?

3.  After 4 months of barely looking, I finally found other Jews in San Antonio... I was pretty amused!

4. We went out for sushi instead, in celebration of my Birthday Eve.

5. Then April took me to The Bijou, which is a fancy little movie theater that serves beer and features only independent films and has people employed there whose job it is to bring you decadent cakes in the middle of your movie. We split a chocolate truffle ordeal and made fun of a British film we decided to see. We couldn't see Broken Flowers like we had planned because it started too late.

6. April dropped me off and I spent the rest of the evening opting for rejuvenation! I took a bath and chanted with Krishna Das on CD and then meditated for world peace.

SATURDAY September 24th - My Birth Day

7. I awoke to sunny skies. It just goes to prove (or surmise) that when you asketh of Lord Siva, Lord Siva grants - together we successfully thwarted a hurricane. (Sorry Louisiana, really.) Call me crazy, but I think the mystical Hindu God of Auspiciousness has really taken a liking to me. Regardless, if the ominous thunder clouds from Hurricane Rita stayed out of range then my birthday party could go on - no worries.

8. I started cleaning up my house in preparation for the birthday party.

9. Stephanie & Patrick took me out for birthday brunch. We went to Twin Sisters. I had the vegetarian quiche.

10. We returned to the Pinata Store to pick one out. I was really overwhelmed by all the choices. There were just so many loosely familiar, frilly, and hollow paper mache characters of different sizes as you can see from this photo -

Its a little grainy because it was taken with Patrick's all-in-one gadget that really doesn't serve masterfully at any one thing (phone, camera, wireless Internet) but is handy when you need it.

Picking out a pinata was a tough decision. Very few of the options looked like what they were supposed to be - so much for fine Mexican craftsmanship. I was also very adamant about not encouraging violence toward (representational) living things (such as people or animals). When I finally gave up this act of futility and picked out a hula girl, my friend Julie (calling me on her cellphone from the carousel in central park NYC to wish me an HB) scowled at the idea of battering the female figure. Ugh! So, I went with something I didn't think anyone would have an emotional attachment to...

11. We returned home and I played with my new and temporarily intact Spongebob Squarepants pinata.

I also acquired the appropriate "Official Pinata Stick" - Spongebob's soul would be destroyed in a matter of hours!

12. Having made good headway on the much-needed house cleaning, I went out into the world to run some errands. I needed some party supplies as well as pinata filler. Ironically, they didn't sell filler at the Pinata Store.

13. I also attempted to become a proud owner of a new iPod but Circuit City and Best Buy were swarming with people. I guess all their way-too-generous-moms had spoiled them too with birthday money to splurge with.

14. I returned home and cut a crack in Spongebob's ass to insert him full of sweetness and glee. Having completed the surgical procedure, I hung my pinata outside my front door. The poor thing dangling from the knob of a tree looked pretty bummed. After all, it was the gallows...

I suppose I was asking for it. Hanging up an object full of candy outside your home fully warrants the attention of neighborhood kids.

This is Caleb and Trevian - I was rather startled by our conversation which I will recount in this short play:

Travian: (running over) Ben! BEN! What is that?

Ben: Its SpongeBob. Doesn't it look like him?

Caleb: We don't watch that show. Its stoo-pid.

Ben: Yeah, I don't watch it either.

Travian: Is it full of candy?

Ben: (raising his eye-brow inquisitively) its filled with something...

Caleb: (demanding) Give us some candy!

Ben: Don't you mean, give us candy please?

Both: Please, Ben? Pretty please? OH Please! I'll be your best friend!

Ben inserts his fingers inside Spongebob's square pants and pulls out two blow pops and hands it to Caleb and Travian.

Caleb: Awww, I don't want a grape one! Gimme somefin else...

Ben: Beggars can't be choosers there bucko.

Caleb: (disappointed) Aw Man.

They ran off and I resumed some yard work but they quickly returned with bamboo sticks and they had that devilish look in their eyes as I hoped to have in a few hours.

Ben: Are you boys really going to make me bring the pinata inside?

Both: YES!!!!

15. The Pinata came back inside and I started on the make-your-own sixpack I compiled at Whole Foods.

16. I received many phone calls from friends that remembered (thanks guys) and then finished getting the house together.

17. I made Guacamole while Patrick surprised me with his investment in a few tiki-torches to provide light and citronella for the party. I arranged and lit tea-lights all around in preparation of my first guests. Exhibit A is my bedroom all festive:

18. My birthday party officially begins with the arrival of the first guests -

Ok, maybe Patrick and Stephanie don't count since they live across the yard. Brad arrived soon after bringing with him a multitude of delicious chocolate rum cakes. He really outdid himself and I think the cakes were definitely in competition for "yummy-est treat" against the guac. Then, to my surprise Nick appeared. Nick and I face eachother sitting at "Intern Island" at Lake/Flato. He told me he would be in Austin all weekend at ACL which was another event spared by Hurricane Rita. Perhaps Lord Siva is a Coldplay fan.

In a very short while (or at least the pictures make it seem) there were people filling up the yard. Here is Nick, Stephen who is husband to another fellow intern - Lindsey, and a circle of more Lakefladians in the back.

I'll take a quick moment to point out forlorn-looking Dave on the bottom right, because he gave me a framed kick-ass print he developed at the UTSA photo lab among other things. Everyone else is clearly having a good time.

John Paul and Alain - some chuckling Whole Earthers.

Jonathan, Cameron, Chris, his wife Karen, and Heather's back - all from Lake|Flato. Cameron was good enough to divulge the great secret of turning 26 - its the no pressure year. All the disappointment you create by not meeting the expectations of others when you turn 25 has surely warn off by your 26th birthday.

19. The Blush made me blush - I had quite an embarrassment throughout the evening when friends kept on showing up with bottles of wine. Not that I'm anti-vino or anything, but I haven't been drinking wine at home since I moved. This entirely stems from the fact that I own no wine glass. I apologize to anyone who came to my party and had to drink wine in a blue plastic cup. You classy folk deserve better!

This is staged stimulating banter between Heather and I. And more -

Heather, Jonathan, and Chris. Alright, maybe I divvied out my tavern glasses for the wine. But still.

Dave, Brad, and his girlfriend Vanessa - I usually label this kids "my pretentious artsy friends" and you must understand that's why I love them. C'mon, Brad's got the Andy Warhol glasses and everything! Supposedly they love me because I'm NOT pretentious. Boy, do I have them fooled...

Nick, Stephen, and Lindsey - interesting fact: S&L make homemade pickles, or at least they attempt to.

Here they are taking what was dubbed, "the sorority girl photo."

Jeremy (on the left) who I originally met at the Shambhala Center and now work with at L|F, talking with Johnny who is Patrick's swimming coach from high school. The dude on the right... yeah I have no idea who he is, but he doesn't appear to be having nearly as much fun as he should. I like that Jeremy really branched out and spent alot of time connecting to people. Later he said, "Life's too short to just hang out with people you know at parties. Hell, parties are too short."

Vanessa, looking unamused about being in the vicinity of Ivan, who is quite a character. And friendly! Also, a friend of Patrick.

20. I so enjoyed having one of San Antonio's most resounding local talents - my friend Jake with drummer - play in my living room. I really wish I had given them more attention but...

I was too busy sitting on top of Jake's wife, Marcy. It was really cute, I asked her why she didn't bring their beautiful daughter like they had at my last party, and Marcy said that she wanted to come so badly she cried! Apparently little Cleo had a wonderful time at the potluck.

Brian and Alison. And Mr. Square Pants. Brian got me the greatest present ever - an authentic circa mid-80's Mr. T coloring and activity book with stickers. Its amazing!

Wendy and Willie. Or maybe its Willie and Wendy. Also, Jake showing off his broken "G" string. Wendy is so good, always drinking the coke (while her evil twin sister (they're 18) always has beer.)

This was Alison and Marcy indicating that it was time...

21. I busted a pinata stick-shaped cap in that spongepant's ass!!!!

It was really convenient that some of my friends are Mexican to ensure an authentically good time.

Here is Jake's drummer explaining proper pinata hoisting protocol to Heather*.

"Wait! Can someone hold my beer?"

After the first strike, we gave up on protocol and they tossed it at me!

"Back off!"

Here is Heather* gathering some bounty.

* Jeremy's wife Heather is featured very prominently in the pinata photo montage. I think its funny since he had the camera.

Poor guy didn't even see it coming.

22. I journeyed into the house to collect another beer from my secret stash and just as I shut the door to the refrigerator, I heard the birthday song being sung! It was 3/4's of the way through before I bolted out the door and back outside to relish in the final verse. It was rather humorous. Uhhhh...who are we singing to?

Stephanie made me a funfetti cake. I hope that whole world peace wish comes true one of these days...

I like this picture because everyone is enjoying their pinata treats.

It was a great birthday, and the cops though hovering on the street nearby, never even gave us a hard time. At around 2, things began to wind down.

23. Stephanie and Patrick helped clean up. By 3 I had past out.

SUNDAY September 25th - My Post-Birthday

24. I awoke to the most blissful sounds I've ever heard. All the neighborhood kids had discovered the candy littered throughout the lot. It was such a joy to share in their excitement.

25. I went to work at my last day at WEPCo.

I was hungover.

(More to come on that...)

MONDAY September 26th - My Post Post-Birthday

26. I BOUGHT AN IPOD!!!!!!!! WHEEEEEE!

Hello. And Welcome to Adulthood.

Last week I completed the illustrations I spent the summer drawing for the Interior Design Structures and Codes Resource Book that my boss then, Kim Marks is having published. Also, my job at WEPCo has been winding down to just Sundays. This has freed up my schedule for my full time internship at Lake/Flato Architects - a very high profile firm of about 50-60 people, that I'll be with until (should all things go well) at least next summer.

The firm's office is located in a building downtown, only a block from the Alamo. In decades past, the actual building served as a car dealership showroom. Here it is from the East--

The firm is setting a precedent for environmental responsibility by producing work that adheres to many principles of sustainability. The office has a very casual atmosphere. Though many of my colleagues do look their best, we aren't limited by any dress code. This means I can wear my hair down and flip-flops to work (everyone does, its great). Its incredible to be surrounded and engaged by so many like-minded individuals with similar interests and hopes for the future.

The only thing my co-workers complain about is the office standard computer drafting program, which unlike 90% of the industry, is not Auto-Cad (the program I spent this summer mastering.) It seems quite a contentious issue infact, and leads to many snarls by the very mention of its name. The program was created "completely" during the Reagan administration, and therefore has no need to update as a windows operating system. Myself and the other new interns have been in training with it all week, and finish up on Monday.

The powers-that-be at the firm are still settling what projects the new interns will be working on. It sounds like I might be put on the team that does most of the firm's local residential work. We'll see...

I love working downtown! Its so much fun to drive downtown, park downtown, look out the window to downtown's skyline, pity the homeless downtown, walk around the downtown streets during my lunch break, and meditate at the Alamo - right downtown. Granted the San Antonio downtown isn't as exciting as the New York or Chicago downtowns, but I do get the sense that I've hit the BIG TIME which is a substantial thrill. Plus, San Antonio has a "Tower of the Americas".

Another super fantastic thing about the firm I work for is the indispensable learning opportunities I get at a high-profile firm, like field trips, lectures at local universities, field trips, free lunches from product reps, and did I mention field trips?

This morning I joined several of my co-workers to visit a brand new very Lake/Fladian completed project of the firm, just on the outskirts of town. The project was a Nature Center at Government Canyon and is set to open to the public next month.

Some of the elements common in Lake/Flato's body of work and corresponding philosophy are evident here - a humanistic scale, a palette of materials that evoke a sensibility to its site, sharp angled roof lines, recycled rusted steel, and as many sustainable design features as could possibly be packed in!

The most notable feature is ofcourse, the prominent water tower.

Thanks to those sharp-angled roof lines, harvested rainwater is directed into cisterns on the ground.

I really love the way the cast-in-place, circular concrete cisterns protrude into the ipe-wood deck. It kind of suggests trees overhanging a above a shady pathway. The rainwater falls onto rocks in the center which act as filtration before it flows into a light-less cavity to prevent eutrification (algae growth).

Once in the tower, the water in the upper tower is reused for irrigation, and the lower for toilet flushing.

Here is the limestone masonry facade of the office building. The angled light seeping between the corrugated metal sun shades is particularly nice at dilineating the wall's textures.

 

The well-shaded screened meeting room is a great space with a fantastic view of the wooded prairie above the canyon. I'd like to point out that because of its energy saving design, it remains cool without any artificial means.

The outdoor pavilion above amidst the wild flowers...

And star of the show, the most expensive toilet ever! That's right kids, it makes compost of your poop! I especially enjoyed the bird who made a nest in the toilet paper dispenser.

So having my first real fabulous office job, only made the realization I had about the current state of life more poignant. Well, you see, now that I get home at a descent hour (as opposed to 9:30 at night after grueling 14 hour days) my car is usually swarmed by the neighborhood kids when I pull in the driveway. Its cute yes, unless I'm on the phone with someone important or trying to listen to an arousing NPR story.

On Friday, they were particularly excited. "Ben's home! Hey Ben! Lets get him!" All I wanted to do was tear off my work clothes, put away the groceries, and collapse on my new jersey sheet-covered floor mattress. The kids were playing in our yard, running amok. In the kitchen, I looked out and saw three of them clambering up ontop of the shed, which I knew was probably not such a great idea. Stephanie would have had a fit. Could I ever forgive myself if little Jaime or Trevian or Caleb or Angel or Treashawn plummeted off, while I could have intervened? I knew the right thing to do was to be the responsible adult and stop them and explain to them that the roof of the shed was not a toy.

Wait a second? What? Responsible adult? When the HELL did that happen? Was I not a fun loving kid with way too much energy reeking havoc in neighbor's yards just like uh, yesterday? I can't believe it.

My life is just flying by way too fast here. I guess I am just going to have to make a more concerted effort trying to evoke my inner child from time to time. I hope that Stephanie and Patrick don't throw a fit when they come home and find me on the roof of the shed.

Adventures in Job Hunting

Poof! Just like that my 6+ months of vacationing from the "so-called real world" were over. After being in grad school for a year and then traveling about the country, I had settled in a new place. Suddenly the impending weight of the need to actually begin supporting myself began looming like an ominous storm cloud on the horizon. I had to get myself a J-O-B! And soon considering I was being supported by my biggest fan --- M-O-M. But getting a job in San Antonio became a trial far more difficult than I ever anticipated and oddly enough, turned into an auspicious string of events that actually makes for an interesting story.

Before arriving here, I had my heart set on continuing my education in a very practical setting: an architecture firm specializing in sustainable design. I would be learning from professionals I respect, while earning money to support myself in an environment that nurtured my integrity without the unfortunate guilt of selling out. This is why I was overjoyed by the possibility of interning at Lake/Flato. I had the necessary education and skills, an interview that had gone seemingly well in retrospect, and someone on the inside (my friend Elizabeth) tuning me into what was taking them so long to make up their minds.

By the time I returned from my trip to Arizona through the middle of April, it had been over three weeks since my interview. I had not heard from the Internship Director on the matter and was beginning to get concerned. But I still was confident it would all turn out fine and I should direct my efforts at attempting to land a meaningful summer job since the internship would begin in the Fall.

I had many thoughts about what a meaningful summer job might have been, but then I decided I would aim to get work doing custom framing (which I really enjoyed doing back in the day) or even contributing my museum exhibit work experience (which I really enjoyed doing even more, further back in the day) to one of many fine San Antonio museums. After reorganizing my resume, I completed a tiring first two days of job hunting doing just that. The gentleman who works at a Mexican Folk Art gallery at Blue Star fixed up a detailed map of SouthTown marking establishments he thought might be good places for me to work. A guy at a little independent frame shop told me he had no need for anyone at the time, but gladly took my credentials to give to a colleague that might need someone. The HR director at one of the museums explained that the only position currently open was the Curator of Antiquities. Even though I hadn't completed my thesis on Hellenistic sculpture yet, she kindly took my resume, regardless.

Ultimately, I got more dead ends than leads, which lead me to try a new strategy on day three. What I did was this:

I strapped on a brand new, glistening pair of enormous balls! I decided to march on down to the design district where I proceded to barge into several architecture firms, resumes in hand and exclaim in a nutshell (no pun intended), "Here I am - new to town - in need of work - HIRE ME!"

This had mixed (and yet another pun) results, but more commonly the overwhelming small town vibe of San Antonio enveloped the boldness of my unannounced interrupting of busy workdays. Many of the small firms in the design district who were not hiring thought that perhaps they might know someone who was, and if I were to just leave my resume with them then they would see it through. I was so delighted by their eagerness to assist a newcomer to town.

Just when I thought I had exhausted this technique, The Universe began spewing its magic upon me. I was bludgeoned by the catalyst of that unusual string of events that was weaving me into it's web of amazement and awe.

What happened was - I ran into Stephanie (one half of the immensely wonderful married couple I was living with) across the street from one of the firms I had just barged into. She had just finished up a meeting with the Membership Committee of the SouthTown Board of Directors. She suggested I go upstairs in the building we were loitering in front of where another member of the committee happens to have her marketing firm. Stephanie figured that maybe there was something graphic design-related that I could do there. Sure! - worth a shot, right?

As it turned out, I had run into Lara, the owner, at a party that I went to with Stephanie & Patrick the weekend prior. She recognized me as the guy who remembered everyone's name. She did not have anything available as far as employment was concerned and wouldn't have had the time to train me if she did (as my knowledge of marketing is pretty desolate). BUT (in the San Antonio tradition) she asked that if I were to email her my resume, she could then email it to a few designers/architects that she new around town.

Lara came through, and on Thursday, I received a call from Kimberly - President of Marks Design Group, an interior designer who was looking to hire someone...could I come in for an interview? Damn right I can!

On Friday Morning at 10am, I did just that - leaving right before noon... the interview went very well! So well that I walked out of the workshop-converted-office with the paperwork to fill out (or figure out, more importantly) for my benefits! Medical insurance - what a concept! And get this for auspiciousness: She happened to graduate from Florida State in Interior Design (like I did) back in '81 and knows several of my former professors. Additionally, and most insanely ridiculous of a coincidence - she also happens to be the sister of my elementary school art teacher, who could very well be held responsible for the early development of my passion for designing the built environment.

I was exstatic! Best of all, Kim said that she could tell by speaking with me and viewing my portfolio, that I could move up from my entry level base salary and do in a year what takes the average person five. I couldn't believe it! I was very flattered and spent a good portion of the following weekend scanning the Ikea website, eagerly awaiting the day that I could afford all the savory and affordable Scandinavian design treasures for my new house that I would one day move into.

Life seemed too good to be true, and sadly it was. On Monday, I anticipated hearing from Kimberly in regards to when I would start my new job. When that did not happen, I emailed her Tuesday. And later that day she had this to say:

Hi Ben,
Thank you for your note and especially for coming in to talk with me. I really enjoyed meeting you and look forward to the opportunity of working with you.  I hate staggered enthusiasm, but I have been delayed in responding to you because we are in our own sort of delay in the start up of new projects. While we have a lot of potential projects on the horizon, none have been released so our work load is thin as of present. I hope this situation changes soon.  In the meantime, I understand that your job search should likely continue, as everyone in fact needs work and bread on the table.

I appreciate your patience and understanding, and I will certainly keep you abreast of things here as our work load changes! I hope you will keep me posted on your whereabouts and keep in touch also. Thanks,
Kim

Say what? Wait...what just happened? How? Damn.
And just like that I was back to scraping myself off the pavement.

I was completely bummed. Though success in the matter seemed to move quickly, the thought of putting myself back through the wringer of job hunting was exhausting! Then Patrick suggested something BOLD but brilliant and given the situation, I had little to loose.

I emailed Kim back full of "patience and understanding" and suggested that I come in pro-bono for a day or two and perhaps work on a project where I client was on the fence about hiring her. I could do conceptual schematics or presentation renderings which could sway them into signing a contract. She would have an additional project on the table, thus giving her a reason to hire me. She could see me in action, plus I would gain instant clout for bringing in the work!

Kim responded enthusiastically, impressed with my persistence. She was up to the challenge. She had been courting this second generation immigrant owner of a hair salon that was in need of a "serious makeover" for his family's establishment. My preliminary ideas she thought might help nudge him to make the investment. With that, I was in the office the very next morning with a roll of trace paper and my gigantic toolbox of design supplies in hand.

Kim brought me to the site, and explained the program with all its complexities and when we returned to the office, I made myself at home in an empty cubicle, getting down and dirty on the assignment. She informed me that Liz, another designer, would be at my disposal for help and research. It took me an hour of so to organize and get acclimated, but then I began spewing ideas onto paper. It was rather magical. I felt rejuvenated and refreshed by the opportunity just to be designing again.

A woman (a very pregnant woman) named Alicia stopped in. She was the sales rep. for Mannington Flooring and seemed to have a friendly relationship with Kim's other drones. She was also on the committee for a fundraising event with the local IIDA chapter and was able to snag me a free ticket. This was fantastic because regardless of how my pro-bono day would go at Kim's, such an event would be an excellent place to network considering that all the local designers (potential employers) would be there. Plus, because she visited all the local firms regularly she was in the know with who was hiring. She gladly insisted she would email me a list of anyone she could think of.

I tried not to get too distracted, because there was still much to be done in my attempt at winning Kim a new client. At 4:30, after a nearly endless endeavor on my part, she came downstairs to review my progress. I showed her my ideas which she shot down effortlessly one by one. According to her, my schematic concepts were unrealistic, far too edgy, and I jumped to conclusions regarding where I thought the direction of a business I didn't own would move. Though stunned at her reaction, I watched as she praised Liz regarding her ideas, which simply and cheaply were to put up a facade around the building and its new addition in the shape of the Alamo.

YIKES! Is that not what I spent an entire year at the FLLWSA learning never to do? Had it all been in vain?

Ofcourse not! But I was certainly immensely humbled by the amount in which I still needed to learn about the harsh realities of the building industry. In a flash, I was reminded what it was that I was fighting against - uninspired, yet affordable design. Good, efficient, and inspired design should be affordable! Kim came back to me and asked, "Well did you at least have fun?"

I did indeed. But I told her that it did not appear that I was successful, and should start seeking employment elsewhere. And after I stopped banging my head against the cubicle desk repeatedly, that is precisely what I did.

The next day, I emailed Alicia from Mannington and reminded her that she promised to email me a list of hiring firms. I didn't worry too much at the end of the week when I still hadn't heard from her because I had a free ticket to the Potential Employer Fundraiser Auction Event and All Things Fancy Pants Design-Related at the San Antonio Museum of Art.

I dressed up in the most designer-looking apparel that the Fairy Godmother could rustle up and ushered myself to the ball. One of the unfortunate things (or more-so extremely fortunate) about the past year and a half of my life, was the frequency to which I would attend these types of events as per being an apprentice at the FLLWSA. One thing was to be expected: a completely open bar! Well, in the case of this event, my spoiled self had to pay cash for a few drinks. And $20 was only about to go so far. In addition, due to my all too early arrival, I became more bored than I could stand really quickly. Usually I am rather at ease in socially awkward situations, but this affair was a little too high brow for others to open up any conversation to a wandering loner with big hair, apparently.

HOURS later, I was relieved when the buffet opened up. After retrieving some Asian catering delights, I scouted the courtyard for a good table; a reasonable in on conversation with strangers. I found the perfect table too - 3 or 4 couples all around my age. One half of each these couples all worked at an architecture/interiors firm called Drewry Martin Design Inc. I worked the table nicely, using my Taliesin experiences to engage their interest in me. Then, one of them said the magic phrase: Oh! You know, we are hiring. You should send in your resume on Monday. Here is my card.

I'm still weirded out by this, but one of them also recognized me from school. She had just started the Interior Design program at FSU my senior year. Its especially odd because San Antonio is such an unlikely place for a person from Florida to end up and there we were - three of us, including Kim, and we were all from the same home town. We had much to gossip about including this gem - that Alicia from Mannington had her baby - 1 month early. It happened the same day I met her while at Kim's office. That's why she didn't email me the list. Crazy.

I stayed to the end of the live auction, happy to have reacquainted with a fellow alumnus and a potential future co-worker. On Monday I sent off  portfolio packets to half a dozen firms including Drewry Martin. On Tuesday, a call came from the receptionist there - can I come in for an interview? "Yes! Okay, tomorrow at 11. Great."

It was a very unusual interview. I spent an hour or so with two women who seemed delighted to have me there so that they could discuss inter-office politics in my presence between bouts of my polite aggression to dazzle them with my credentials. At some point, we got up for a brief tour of their workplace, which was nice. It seemed like a good sign when they introduced me to everyone, including Mr. Drewry and Mr. Martin, the partners. I was told they would be in to interview me shortly. To my surprise and horror, they did this at separate times so I had to repeat myself three times in the two hours I spent there. It was mentally grueling, but I felt good about the interview, even if I wasn't so excited by their work which was mostly warehouses. Warehouses, being just about the least exciting building type for any designer, if you can imagine.

They said I would hear back from them within two weeks, having several other candidates to interview. I wasn't worried - unless someone with far more experience came to them. I thought it would be a nice fall back, even though I wasn't terribly enthralled about DM Inc. (or their work). My mistake.

I actually did not get any other interviews at any place I applied. No one would return my calls. It seemed as though all the fountains of possibility had dried up. And indeed two weeks later, I got a nice letter from Drewry Martin Inc., explaining that they indeed had gone with someone else.

Yikes. I was getting desperate. I sucked it up and applied at numerous corporations that might make use of my skills and/or preserve my integrity (just a little) like Home Depot and Whole Foods. Surely they would hire me, at least for the summer!

Nothing.

I NEEDED A JOB. Would I have to be a college graduate working for an evil empire like <gasp> Starbucks or <choke> MickyD's or even <puke> Waaaaaaallllllmaaaaarrrrrt???????

The Universe simply would not allow that to happen... And as I made another round of a nearby shopping plaza, the perfect little retail operation revealed itself to me. I ventured through the smokestack-clad storefront of Whole Earth Provision Company. I was greeted by a petite, black-haired girl who asked, "Can I help you with anything, Sir?"

"Yes, I was wondering if you all were hiring..."

"Why yes! Here, let me give you an application," she suggested enthusiastically.

I sat outside on a bench enshrouded by the shadows of the towering smokestacks that once served as the powerplant of the former limestone quarry and had more fun than I've ever had filling out an application. Judging by the questions I could tell this could be a fun place of employment. Well, at least until something more lucrative came along. After the usual listing of previous work experience (which was already on my included resume) I answered questions like what my strengths were and what I needed to work on, what I enjoyed doing in my free time, where I grew-up, and what my favorite color is (avocado green).

Whole Earth Provision Company (or WEPCo) is a small, Austin-based company with seven stores throughout the big cities in Texas (except El Paso, which is like the step-child big city in Texas). The mission statement sounds exactly like something I would have written myself, it goes like this:

"Whole Earth Provision Company is a specialty retail business offering a broad array of quality, innovative products which excite those who share our enthusiasm and concerned commitment to learning about, experiencing, preserving and enjoying our home planet."

This encompasses just about all of my favorite things including but not limited to camping gear, supplies for the savvy traveler, eco-friendly clothing, flip-flops, and great books and great toys!

Upon completion, I returned the app. to the front counter and walked across the parking lot to Borders so that I might peruse the latest edition of Rolling Stone. It was 15 minutes later when I received a phone call from Rosie, the manager at WEPCo asking me for an interview the following day. Hell yeah.

Gleaming with happiness, I returned home and checked my email. There in my inbox was a message from the Internship Director...

"Hi Ben, Hope you are well.  Things are busy here. Elizabeth sends her regards. We are just making some decisions about interns for the fall (September thru January).  Are you still interested in a position? Let me know what you're up to and if this is still on your radar." Wow! By this point, I had almost forgotten about Lake/Flato! I damn sure as hell was still interested in an internship position with the AIA 2004 Firm of the Year. I phoned her the next day before my interview at WEPCo to get the details. I would start right after Labor Day. How exciting! As expected, my interview with Rosie (who happened to be the delightful black-haired girl who retrieved for me the application) at WEPCo went according to plan. Rosie was quite impressed with my outgoing personality and witty sense of humor. She hired me the next day for a full time, summer position with the opportunity to keep a weekend shift if need be while at L/F. I was especially thrilled because I would be working in the book & toy section. Three weeks or so into nestling into my new job I was flying high. I loved that I could wear flip-flops to work. I loved that playing with puppets all day was part of my job description. I loved that everyone I worked with was really cool. I loved what a close vicinity the store was to Whole Foods so that I could eat there easily and frequently. But most of all, I loved that I was just simply working. I hadn't earned a living in so long that I even forgot how much earning a living actually is. This was somewhat of a problem. After receiving my second paycheck, it was clear that I was not quite making ends meet and that I would need to pick up another job... Oh no! But I struggled with that so much already - what would I do? Apparently not much it seemed. Working 'til close on Fathers Day, I left the store and checked my voicemail, where it appeared that Kimberly Marks of Marks Design Group had called and requested I come in for a meeting with her to discuss an opportunity that she needed help with for some kind of special project. Excellent... So on my next day off, I paid her a visit where she proposed that I reduce my hours at WEPCo so that I might assist her in drawing illustrations for a resource booklet for interior designers that she is having published. What a fantastic opportunity, indeed. I took her offer and now work 60 hours a week between two jobs. The resource booklet should be completed well before my internship with Lake/Flato begins, and when its all said and done, I'll be a published illustrator! Isn't life funny? Within a month I went from being jobless and desperately avoiding begging my parents for more money to being entirely overworked at TWO great jobs that may even make it possible in the near future to afford Swedish-designed, fabulous Ikea furniture, afterall.

Is it hype or actually good?

This may offend some of you. But this whole Harry Potter craze has simply gotten out of hand.

The (what is it, the 6th?) book was officially released yesterday so I think its safe to freely talk about this...

It was a few weeks ago and I was at my retail job. Right before we opened, there was a brief morning meeting - just like we do everyday to keep the us all informed of store issues. Well, that morning there was a particular issue that our manager needed to address and it was this:

We would be selling the new Harry Potter book!

I was aware that such release date was swiftly coming upon us as EVERY TIME I entered (or even glanced in the direction of) Borders Booksellers (which is just up the parking lot from our store) I was bombarded with all kinds of details of the BIG OPENING RELEASE PARTY at MIDNIGHT 46 days and counting- Reserve your book NOW, 40% off 28 days and counting -  owl, broom, and wand window decals so you could not see into the store 15 days and counting... you get the idea.

In addition to the fact that we would be selling the new Harry Potter book, it was also noted that maximum security measures would be taken because if such a book was to perhaps maybe get into the wrong hands before such release date, than our little store could get sued - which was not what we wanted to happen!

Right.

Well, day by day as the date approached, the maximum security measures were increased from the benign "just make certain the books stay in receiving, separated from all other merchandise until July 16th" to the precautious "Well, just to be safe, as soon as the books are delivered, ensure that they are brought to the manager's office until July 16th." Then there was the really guys, we don't want to be sued freak out from the main office, and they were to be kept in the store safe. What next - armed gaurds? Booby traps? Barbed wire?The Department of Freakin' Homeland Security? IT'S NOT THE GOD DAMN HOLY GRAIL!!!!

Or is it?

The hype was getting to me! Though I have never read a single page from any one of the previous Harry Potter books and unabashedly chuckled at all the silly security measures put in place about this new one, I wanted to be there when the books arrived. I mean, I wanted to be there when the oh-so-sacred-and-much-coveted new Harry Potter books arrived. I wanted to touch one and pet one and hold one close to my face very endearingly - before anyone else would. I wanted to discover its secrets and keep them to myself. And most of all, I wanted to tell everyone of my interaction with one so that I would be the most popular boy in school!

But then to my dismay and utmost disappointment, we got word from the store headquarters that it was just too much of a risk. Really, really guys. We don't want to get sued! And just like that the horribly untrusting Main Office decided to not send the books at all. Well, not at all, but more like not until the next shipment day after the official release date.

Either way, my plans had been ruined. I would have to wait with all the other crazy people wearing witch costumes and light sabres at Midnight in Borders to get my new, very own Harry Potter book.

Oh, and to further the insanity - check out what the good ole folks at Guantanamo are reading...

Forget Rest! On the 7th Day, God Created LEGOS

So I was working at the design firm today. Try to envision this scene:

On the first floor of our house-converted-office is a large room with 6 cubicles, 3 on each side facing each other. On my side, I sit in the center cubicle, sandwiched by the other two women who make up Marks Design Group (with the exception of our boss who has her own office upstairs.) The three of us face three guys (I'd say aged between 35-50) all of whom work for an architecture firm renting out space in our office.

Since starting work on my special summer project there, I have gotten comfortable sharing witty banter with these guys, which usually makes the ladies sandwiching me chuckle as we tease each other throughout the day. Usually it has to do with whatever happens to be on the so-called liberal media. Mark will get all upset because Diane Rehm is bringing down the evil that is Karl Rove, and John will get all defensive when I say something to the effect of "golf courses being really really bad for the environment," which he happens to design. Eddie will cheer me on because he's just the IT guy and avid NPR listener, and as I said before - the ladies chuckle. None of this ever gets in the way of work ofcourse!

Anyhow, I overheard a heated phone conversation John was having with a contractor. I didn't know the specifics, but I did know that he and his co-worker are doing a plan for a development beside an already existing golfcourse just west of town, and he was using the phrase "tree demolition" frequently.

When he got off the phone I inquired, "John, what pretell is meant by the term Tree Demolition?"

"Well you see Ben," he said almost mocking me, fully aware of my pro-environment, anti-development ideals, "its when you need to clear a site of existing trees, and a crew with some big trucks come and dig them up and make them disappear."

Though I was enclosed by my cubicle, I'm sure he could imagine the look of horror fill my face. "What is done with the trees?"

"Oh, its just not cost affective to save them. Sometimes they are chipped into mulch, but there are all these problems with mulch like seeds from other plants contaminating it, so the trees are usually just burned on site..."

JUST NOT COST EFFECTIVE?????

This was precious LIFE he was talking about!

I cannot believe how disconnected people are from our Great Earth Mother. It really boggles my mind! And to do so, soooo disrespectfully! I spit on you Mother Earth, but let me enjoy my condo overlooking the green...

This got me thinking about The Garden of Eden, which is my favorite story from the Bible. The story is so richly symbolic. You can recap here at The Brick Testament (really, you should recap, its just too much fun!)

What is there to learn from this? I whole-heartily believe that God is Nature. No matter how hard we attempt to isolate ourselves from this ubiquitous entity in our shopping malls and air-conditioned apartment high rises, we all know that Nature is a part of us. We are all connected. Every drop of water has circulated through our body and traversed every river and been enveloped by the ocean time and time again.

When God ousted man-kind from the Garden, it was a brilliant metaphor for the dawn of civilization and our initial disconnection with a struggle for everyday survival. Eden is the omnipresent paradise all around us. We just have to perceive that its there. In the beginning Nature (God) was all there was, and in the end so it shall be again.

The only constant in the Universe is change. Its up to us to praise the blessings of Nature. Ensure it will continue to bestow these blessings upon us. Its ALL we have, and all we ever have had, and all we ever will have.

In the meantime check out what The Brick Testament has to say about the following of my least favorite (though still hilarious) Biblical anecdotes:

Proof of Virginity

Transvestism

Bestiality

Homosexuality

When to Stone Your Children

Male Genital Injury