a daily adventure

productive day

2009-05-18T23:38:00.003-05:00

I checked off another item on my summer to-do list: renewing my driver's license. As a safe driver (as deemed by the State of Illinois), I had the option of renewing online, but I wanted to get a new--hopefully better--picture, so I chose to renew in person at the DMV Express downtown. I didn't have to wait too long, but I should have stuck with the old photo. My fast eye reflexes got the better of me, and I'm half-blinking in the new photo from the flash, making me look high or otherwise under the influence. The new license format is rather odd too - somewhat of an '80s look to it.

Afterwards, I went to the library and checked out a couple books. Then did a bit window shopping. I ended up making one purchase at the crocs store of all places. A pair of brown maryjane crocs are now a part of my shoe collection and so comfy!

back at long lost

2009-05-17T00:55:00.004-05:00

Finally free from school for the semester, I promise to now backtrack and fill in on what I've been up to for the last month and a half or so. Thanks to those who have continued to check in during my long absence - I've noticed your "head" counts on Google AdSense and appreciate your commitment to and interest in my blog. So, please continue to read, and many thanks.

[Photo credit to omoo]

avocado and arugula

2009-04-08T23:52:00.000-05:00

I had so much fun trying new recipes with old friends tonight: avocado & arugula salad, and dill pesto, fennel, green bean and orzo main. Everything was tasty, but I highly recommend trying the salad!

daffodils

2009-04-07T18:48:00.000-05:00

I stopped at Trader Joe's today to get groceries for the previously mentioned dinner and decided to get some freshly cut daffodils as well. They are perking up my kitchen table and making me happy.

purple pearls

2009-04-06T13:44:00.002-05:00

I'm having a few friends over for dinner this week, so I'm "shopping" for fun new recipes to try. Not sure I'll use it this time around, but Epicurious' recipe for glazed pearl onions and grapes looks so pretty, and sounds like an interesting blend of flavors.

[Photo credit to Roland Bello/Epicurious]

cupcake date

2009-04-05T16:34:00.000-05:00

Angela and I had a cupcake date this afternoon at Sweet Mandy B's, which was so much fun. We got virtually one of everything and I was pretty sure I was going to bounce out of there with the sugar-hi I ended up with. The cupcakes, cookies and coffee were delicious and such a fun treat to share.

[Photo credit to mj.gardner]

karma calling

2009-04-04T23:29:00.002-06:00

Saw "Karma Calling" tonight at the Asian Film Festival, being hosted by the Gene Siskel Film Center. The movie was great and the cast and crew were there to answer questions after the film, which was a special treat.

[Image credit to PearsonKramer/Karma Calling]

plotter cooperation

2009-04-03T13:21:00.003-06:00

The plotters cooperated and I got my boards printed in time for the 10AM scholarship jury! Now what?! I have the theme song from "Juno" stuck in my head, so maybe I'll sit here and hum. "Doo-dooo-dooo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo-dooo-doo..."

[Photo credit to Gret@kent]

new music and board prep

2009-04-02T23:16:00.002-06:00

This year's scholarship jury takes place tomorrow and I've been nominated for three awards by my fall studio professor. I had set aside time to work on the boards (to post/pin-up), but then left my hard drive, with all my project work on it, at home. Cat was so kind as to let me borrow her car to dash home for it (rather than spending roughly two hours on the CTA, round trip). I got back to campus quickly and got to work on the boards while starting to enjoy the new Decemberists album, "The Hazards of Love."

bobble head

2009-04-01T22:25:00.003-06:00

Today has been all about studio and AutoCAD work. We tend to listen to music on our headphones in studio as we work and from time-to-time, bob our heads to the beat. I had to laugh when Audrey was dancing in her chair while working and Dave asked "what's up bobble head?"

[Photo credit to auxpetitsoiseaux]

arch for humanity

2009-03-31T22:16:00.003-06:00

I went to a lecture at the MCA tonight, being given by Kate Stohr, co-founder of Architecture for Humanity. The event was co-hosted by Chicago Women in Architecture, and I thought it was a great success. I had read a fair amount about Architecture for Humanity and their Open Architecture Network, but it was really great to hear about the origins of the organization and more behind-the-scenes details of some of the building projects. A great talk and a great mission.

[Photo credit to Architecture for Humanity]

digital difficulty

2009-03-30T22:10:00.003-06:00

Monday so soon. Went into school early this morning to fulfill some TA duties: collecting and compiling about 50 digital presentations from the first-year undergraduate studios. I thought that there might be some technical difficulties in my future, and boy was I right!

[Photo credit to Kingboy]

modernism show

2009-03-29T22:05:00.003-06:00

Enjoyed helping a friend this morning at this year's Modernism Show--a display/sale of Modernist art and furniture. I was at the Elmhurst Art Museum's booth, trying to bring a bit of attention to the local museum as well as to the architecture of IIT's campus. Then, I was off to work on a paper.

membrane oxygenators

2009-03-28T21:57:00.002-06:00

A couple classmates and I met up at the library today for a peer review of our research papers for our advanced technology class. It has been a refreshing opportunity to delve into a subject at great depth and I had a lot of fun geeking out about the possibilities of a catalyst for biodegradable concrete and membrane oxygenators, as they might relate to building skins/envelopes one day.

[Photo credit to See Cara Thrive]

first blooms

2009-03-27T20:23:00.000-06:00

Spring must really be here! My morning was made even brighter when I realized that one of my geraniums started flowering. I keep the plant by my window and it is generally a bit concealed since it ends up behind a thin curtain. I was straightening the curtain though and found the blossom. So pretty.

The rest of the day was a bit of a roller coaster. I would later 1) get entangled and trip on a newspaper strapping that blended in with the sidewalk on my walk to the train, 2) go to a somewhat depressing all school meeting about budget issues and learn that the lab won't be 24-hours again until finals week, 3) have an uplifting desk critique, and finally, 4) be informed that I was nominated for a Spring award/scholarship.

wait. oh?

2009-03-24T22:06:00.002-06:00

Due to some slightly confusing wording in a course syllabus, everyone in my advanced technologies class thought our 85% research draft papers were due next week, but an email from our professor around 7pm tonight cleared all of that up . It's due at 10am. Tomorrow. Time to turn all these notes into something pretty.

[Photo credit to the trial]

back in action

2009-03-23T21:09:00.002-06:00

It was hard to get up this morning. I think my body had finally adjusted to Pacific Time and now I'm back on Central Time. I did make it into school on time for my first class though. I felt surprisingly invigorated and energized as I walked back into studio. Eight weeks remain in the semester, including exams, which is simultaneously scary and exciting.

fly away

2009-03-22T23:58:00.001-06:00

Sadly, I had to fly back to Chicago today, and start getting back to reality as my break comes to a close. The weather was a bit cooler and rainy in San Francisco this morning, so I spent some time in a coffee shop, working on my case study report before making my way to the airport. The flight back was crowded - unlike the trip out. I was greeted by my brother when I arrived and he was so nice as to give me a ride home. My cats weren't happy about my absence, but it was a truly wonderful week!

last full day

2009-03-20T21:10:00.004-06:00

Tomorrow I fly back to Chicago, so I've tried to take it easy today, it being my last full day in San Francisco. I'm not sure I want to leave. Not only because I've had such an amazing week in this great city, but because I'd rather not go back to the reality of loads of school work and less sleep. I guess I signed up for it though, so I shouldn't whine! I walked up to Twin Peaks in the city today. It was quite a walk...more of a hike. A man standing next to a delivery truck even said to me, "bet this is one of those times you wish you had a ride, huh?" It was past noon when I was on my way back down the hill, so I stopped at Crepes on Cole for lunch. Crepes sounded great, but I ended up getting their eggplant sandwich instead and sat at a table outside. The weather turned slightly cold though and my fingers were slightly numb by the time I was done. From there, I took the Judah St/N bus to the ocean. It was even colder there with brisk breezes, so I walked around for a short while and then headed back downtown where I got a cookie and some coffee to warm my hands. It has been a nice, leisurely day. I may go back to my case study building in the morning, before going to the airport, so I can take a few close-up photos of the precast concrete panels.

driving about

2009-03-19T21:43:00.004-06:00

Today was the driving day. I reserved a car with Dollar Rent A Car and arrived early since I had read online that they can be pretty slow. I'm glad that I did because they were indeed slow. I guess with lower rates, you get poorer service. Well, the guy who was helping me decided to upgrade my car for free since I was so patient, which was pretty nice and totally unexpected. I first drove south to Half Moon Bay, since a friend's dad had told me a few years back that I would love it there. It was lovely, but pretty cool, so it was hard to stay out on the beach for very long. I went into the downtown area and saw the shops, then headed back north to see Napa Valley. I was surprised at how well I can get around when I just have a little faith in myself. I didn't get lost at all! I drove the whole winery strip on CA-29 to see Old Faithful. It was going off quite frequently today, so I got to see it over-steam three times in only thirty minutes or so. Strangely, "the management" also had a couple llamas and some lambs on display. They were pretty cute, but I felt bad for the close quarters that they were stuck with. After my fun at the tourist trap that is Old Faithful, I drove back along CA-29 and stopped at a winery to explore and taste a bit (but not much since I was driving solo). Napa is beautiful and I'm glad I made the drive to see it. On the way back to San Francisco, I got to drive on the top of the Bay Bridge (versus the bottom on the way out), so I was pretty excited.

arch tour + Berkeley

2009-03-18T21:29:00.005-06:00

Today started with Rick Evans' walking architecture tour of San Francisco, which is unique and less touristy than the others offered. It was a small group of five, including myself. We visited a few, not so easily accessible green roofs and a mixture of old and new buildings. It was quite informative and enjoyable. After that, I got a small salad at a Boudin Bakery location and then took BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) to Berkeley. It's so easy to get from place to place here. I love it. I had downloaded a podcast series from Berkeley's iTunes U, so I could take a self-guided tour. It was pretty neat, and I learned a lot about the school as I was wandering around. I then hiked through some of the campus hills and later made my way back to downtown Berkeley for a veggie sandwich and a cool drink. It was another tiring, but very fun afternoon.

building tour + biking

2009-03-17T21:03:00.004-06:00

Since the actual purpose of my trip is to visit and photograph the building I'm doing a case study on, I had arranged for a tour of the building this morning. Unfortunately, the apartment company wouldn't allow me to take photos inside, so I tried to take lots outside, and then did some sketching of interior spaces at the Peet's Coffee & Tea on the corner afterwards.

From there, I did a bit more walking around and then changed into more athletic gear. I ended up quickly making friends with one of my roommates, and asked her if she wanted to join me on a bike ride across the Golden Gate Bridge. She was excited and said yes, so together, we took the MUNI to Fisherman's Wharf, where we rented a bikes and started the journey. It was lots of fun. I decided to continue the ride to Sausalito, which was hilly and beautiful. I was a little nervous about riding back up the hills to get to SF again, so I stopped for dinner and rested in Sausalito. I did end up making it back up the hills, and back into San Francisco well before sunset. I just missed the time to return the bike before the shop closed, but I had rented it for a full day, so it wasn't an issue either way. I decided that after the 18 miles of hilly biking, I had earned dessert from Ghiradelli, so I rode there and got a mint bliss sundae. It was so good, but I couldn't finish it. Perhaps I should have opted for a kid's size. My eyes are always bigger than my stomach when it comes to sweets. After Ghiradelli, I came back to the hostel. I am totally worn out, but happy.

golden gate park

2009-03-16T21:41:00.004-06:00

I did a great deal of walking around yesterday and today as well. I walked from my accommodations in Union Square to Golden Gate Park. I wandered around a bit and then went to the California Academy of Sciences, which is perhaps the building/place I wanted to see most. It was everything I had hoped for and more. From there, I walked over to the Japanese Tea Garden, which was also a beauty to behold. I couldn't pick just one photo from today, so I included a few. As always, you can click on them to see the full-size version(s).

san francisco

2009-03-15T22:25:00.002-06:00

I made my way to the airport early this morning for the flight to San Francisco. The flight itself was great and very few people were on it, meaning that virtually everyone got three seats to themselves. I slept a bit, listened to music some and even started and finished a book for my theory class, Learning From Las Vegas. The photo here is from the plane, when we were flying over the Rockies.

Once I landed, I was able to find my way around very easily. After I dropped my luggage off, I went for a random walk. I went up one street/hill and ended up stumbling into Chinatown. As I was up on high, I saw the Transamerica Pyramid and started walking toward that, since it was on my list to see. From there, I made my way to the Ferry Building and saw a fun fountain there, as well as enjoyed the shops along the water.

sleep + packing

2009-03-14T10:19:00.001-06:00

I completely crashed around 7pm, when I got home last night, and proceeded to sleep through the next 13 hours. I never even woke to have dinner. I still feel worn out and have a headache from sleep deprivation...I didn't realize that it ended up being almost 84 hours without sleep. Not good. Anyhow, I'm taking care of some chores at home and doing laundry so I can pack for the trip for San Francisco. I'm all checked-in for my flight in the morning and very excited! Also excited for my classmates who are traveling to other destinations worldwide this week. Have fun!

[Photo credit to innaminnafly]

printed

2009-03-13T11:15:00.000-06:00

My board is finally printed and ended up being 8' long...$40 later. The critique starts at noon. I just freshened up a bit and changed into a nicer outfit. About to carry over the pieces of the site model to Hermann Hall's ballroom, where our review will be.

nodding off on the bus

2009-03-12T06:07:00.000-06:00

I didn't sleep last night and probably won't sleep tonight in order to finish everything for my studio midterm review. It isn't that I'm not organized about getting things done, but I was still making changes to my building's design into this week based on feedback from my professors, meaning it came down to the last few days to finalize everything. I went home from studio around 5am this morning to shower--and was falling asleep on the bus--and then promptly turned back to school for more work.

Seen here: working on my presentation board, but nothing is laid out in any particular fashion at this point.

model-making

2009-03-11T18:01:00.004-06:00

This afternoon, I had some time reserved on the laser cutter to cut pieces for my studio model. It was intended to be more of a structural representation than a facade view. However, I decided to still cut out some trees for the front courtyard area. They look a bit like MDF lolly pops though, yes?

dining at the Harmuth estate

2009-03-10T23:53:00.004-06:00

It has been a long week already and the worst of it hasn't even begun (with my midterm studio review on Friday). Although, I did have the pleasure of visiting Don and Elysia's place tonight for a tasty home-cooked meal and long overdue catch-up. I brought a frozen apple crisp from Trader Joe's. Everything was wonderful...and I even got leftovers, which I had for lunch the next day. Good food and great friends. What more could I ask for?

[Photo credit to flyzipper]

sawdust

2009-03-09T22:10:00.003-06:00

In an effort to complete the site model I mentioned a few days ago, I was working in the wood shop this evening, making some basic massings to represent buildings surrounding our project site. I hadn't worked in the shop in a while since most of my recent models have been with acrylic, chip board and/or museum board. It was really gratifying to make something with my hands and not think so much - just enjoy the craft. I'm still brushing saw dust off of my clothes hours later, but it was totally worth it.

[Photo credit to Carolyn 2006]

acrylic bling

2009-03-07T19:17:00.004-06:00

I'm enjoying my new, cute ring. Cat made it for me on the laser cutter while she was cutting some pieces for her studio model.

laser cutting

2009-03-05T18:51:00.003-06:00

One week until our studio midterm review! We are required to have physical models of our projects at 1/16 scale, so we're working to build a couple site models that they can be set into. Here are some of the laser cut MDF pieces for the base. The base is broken into six sections that will be nested together on the day of the review.

mug shots

2009-03-04T18:49:00.002-06:00

After nearly half of a semester, it seems that my two studio professors are still having trouble remembering some names, so they decided to take our mug shots and post them on the wall.

sunrise

2009-03-02T07:37:00.000-06:00

I've really been enjoying the sunrises and sunsets lately. Here's this morning's sunrise.

slumdog millionaire

2009-03-01T23:41:00.002-06:00

Finally saw Slumdog Millionaire tonight, which was wonderful. It definitely deserved all of the awards it received over the past couple of weeks.

[Photo credit to Fox Searchlight Pictures]

mech/elec in person

2009-02-28T14:31:00.000-06:00

This morning, my mech/elec professor organized a voluntary field trip to see the mechanical and electrical systems of a LEED Platinum building, which his firm had worked on. My mom is visiting Chicago this weekend, so she came with too. We got to see geothermal exchange units, the inner-workings of solar panels and their management system in the mech. room, plus fabric duct work, a huge rainwater collection system, a rooftop greenhouse that they filter air through as well as their rooftop garden. Afterwards, a couple friends, my mom and I went to Feed for brunch where we had some tasty blueberry pancakes.

edvard munch

2009-02-26T18:25:00.002-06:00

The Art Institute recently opened its new special exhibit on Edvard Munch. I had been looking forward to seeing it and was excited to finally do so this afternoon. It was very well curated and I would definitely recommend going to check it out.

Earlier in the day I was doing some research for a paper and came across this photo of the Oriental Theatre in Chicago circa 1921. $0.15 sounds nice.

sushi and cake time

2009-02-25T23:22:00.002-06:00

Today was Cat's birthday, so a group of us picked up a cake and went to a sushi place. She arrived shortly after us with her boyfriend and was totally surprised. Then came the cake!

free afternoon

2009-02-24T18:20:00.000-06:00

There was nothing keeping me at studio this afternoon, so I decided to work at home, and ended up getting to watch a beautiful sunset.

another week, another charette

2009-02-23T21:15:00.000-06:00

I only slept for about 30 minutes last night because I was working on studio materials for today's pin-up. These Monday charette reviews are becoming quite waring! I'm used to having the weekend to catch up on other things that are due at the beginning of the week, so I've been forced to work on mostly studio now and still have to work overtime into Wednesdays.

over-working

2009-02-20T23:59:00.003-06:00

I am really crashing this evening. I've been pushing myself really hard lately, perhaps as a distraction. I was aware on some level that I was doing it, but couldn't seem to stop. My mom was planning a visit and I had somehow got it into my head that it was this weekend. It wasn't until the early hours of the day I thought she was arriving that I realized she was coming the next weekend. My mania is all catching up with me and I need some sleep.

economics of global warming

2009-02-19T21:54:00.002-06:00

The Nature Museum invited me to their lecture tonight, which was being given by Paul Solman, business and economics correspondent for The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. The topic was the economics of global warming. I was intrigued by the subject, as I hadn't heard of global warming being talked about in that context before. The event was pretty interesting and included some funny video clips from interviews as well.

I took this photo during the Q&A session at the end. Hence the heads turned to look at the person asking a question.

plant tour

2009-02-18T17:46:00.001-06:00

My studio went on a field trip today out to the suburbs for a plant tour of a precast concrete company. They have a production system that is the only one of its kind in the northern hemisphere, or so the owner told us. Essentially, there are large tables or beds which move on a sliding system from station to station. After the tour, we went to a nearby project site to see the construction of precast panels from the plant. By the time all of the touring was over, it was nearly 2pm and we were starving, so we stopped for pizza before heading back into the city.

development

2009-02-16T22:16:00.005-06:00

I didn't get much rest this weekend because of the studio work assigned on Friday afternoon for today's pin-up. I stayed up until almost 4am this morning/last night trying to get everything done, and was still working feverishly at studio after a couple hours of sleep. I managed to get almost everything done, which was still more than some people had. I have tons of other work to accomplish this week, but I need some rest! I dropped something on the floor earlier and banged my head when going to pick it up, which didn't help my lack of clarity in the least.

[Photo from today's critique. My work is on the wall panel on the left. Although, in this view you can only see about a third of what I had up.]

dreams

2009-02-14T18:23:00.000-06:00

Cat evidently had a dream about my studio project last night...in gigantic proportions. She told me about it while we were working today. We decided it was a good sign, and that also, based on her dream, I need to create a model of my design out of acrylic.

[Photo credit to nb's closet]

wee hours

2009-02-14T04:05:00.002-06:00

I just got home from studio. Meredith and I were working late on a Friday night, after being assigned a whole lot of stuff to do for Monday's pin-up.

[Photo credit to Amanuencis]

rainy day

2009-02-11T22:18:00.002-06:00

My studio was supposed to go on a field trip to the suburbs for a plant tour of a precast concrete manufacturing company, but a lot of their operations are outside and today was a very rainy day, so the trip was cancelled. Luckily, my professors already had a plant tour of another company scheduled for next week, so we will still get to see the process of mold-making, mixing, forming, removing, etc.

[Photo credit to diesmali]

outlook

2009-02-10T18:18:00.003-06:00

I'm trying to be more positive in my outlook, and the beautiful weather over the last couple of days has been very helpful. Fresh air and sunshine are like magic for me - very therapeutic. I left school early today (rather than hanging around studio to work after my last class) and went home. After I dropped my things off, I went over to the lake for a walk, which was just what I needed. Now, I'm working again at my kitchen table.

exhausted

2009-02-09T22:50:00.003-06:00

I have felt so exhausted today even though I should feel rested coming out of a weekend. I didn't do anything of interest besides work on school stuff. I guess my efforts there were good though because I had a very positive critique during our pin-up this afternoon. Also, I'm not one-hundred percent sure, but I don't think I cried today. Came close a couple times, but didn't. So that's good, right?

[Photo credit to stucchiphotography]

copious

2009-02-07T20:16:00.007-06:00

I'm doing a little better now that I've had a few days distance, but I worry that I'm bottling up my pain--something I tend to do--and distracting myself with my copious amounts of schoolwork, rather than allowing the grief to come. I still cry when I go to bed and am left in the dark with my thoughts, and think of you even when I first wake up. I wonder if you are thinking of me.

[Photo credit to zaire1]

brainstorm

2009-01-29T21:00:00.006-06:00

I spent a lot of time in studio today, reading articles and case studies that relate to my project, and also sketching out some site characteristics and how they might influence the direction of my design.

I took a break for dinner and went to Chinatown with Eung Joo, Cat and Sai, which was yummy and fun. We ate at Saint's Alp Teahouse. I had never had a hot bubble tea (just cold), so I tried their ginger milk bubble tea, which was spicy and delicious.

already?

2009-01-28T20:56:00.003-06:00

Almost 9PM already? I got home at 8:15 and just finished eating dinner. I haven't even started back to school work yet. *sigh* I will get it done, somehow. I just have to keep telling myself that.

[Photo credit to 3amfromkyoto]

chair finery

2009-01-27T20:56:00.006-06:00

I'm still daydreaming about a better work set-up at home. When not in studio, I currently work at my kitchen table because it gives me so much space to spread out...and my old, crummy desk bought at Staples or some such office supply store ends up working more for storage and a nap spot for the cats. This image is the chair I really like and would love to have, assuming there was a nice desk to use it with and funds with which to purchase glamorous home-office furniture. It's cushioned and lined with grey wool felt. It also "swivels on a height adjustable, black nickel base."

[Photo credit to West Elm]

full week

2009-01-26T07:46:00.001-06:00

Monday, Monday. This is the first day of the first full week of the Spring semester. It's all downhill from here, so to speak. I'm entering the second half of the three-year program.

[Photo credit to uncommonmuse]

end of day adventure

2009-01-25T21:50:00.000-06:00

Today was mostly uneventful, but the end was filled with a pizza adventure. I went into school around noon to do some research, then grouped up with my studio team at 3pm to finalize our portion of the class' project background. After I printed my sheets, I headed to a coffee shop and read some of Jane Jacobs' Death and Life of Great American Cities, a book I've had on my list for some time.

After reading for about an hour and a half, I met up with J to try out a place called Coalfire Pizza. A friend, Kim, recommended it a few days prior. We decided to just get a cheese pizza, but there were two options on the menu: a regular one and a fresh mozzarella one. When our waitress came over to take our order, we asked her what you got if you didn't get fresh mozzarella...frozen cheese? She explained that it had to do with how the cheese was sliced, stored and the layering of sauce vs. cheese on the pizza. Then we followed that question up with, "we heard that your pizza is a little like NY style pizza. Which one would be more like NY style." She wasn't sure, so she asked the manager, who wasn't sure either, so he got the owner, who happened to be there. Well, the owner quickly came over, pulled out a chair and asked us, "what exactly do you mean by NY style?" This led into a whole conversation between Brooklyn-born J and the owner about Coney Island pizza vs. Brooklyn Pizza vs. the joint down the street where you get a huge slice at 4am. After this entertaining conversation, we went with the fresh mozzarella pizza which was delicious, and the owner also brought us a complimentary caprese salad so we could try the mozzarella. Yummy.

After the whole ordeal, I asked J if he thought the owner--who was talking pretty intensely--was upset by our question or just challenged. J responded, "I think he's just reeeally serious about his pizza."

stitching panoramas

2009-01-24T20:21:00.004-06:00

I quickly stitched together some photographs taken yesterday to form panoramas of the views seen across the street from two sides of the project site - the only two sides, which directly border a street.

mil-e-wau-kae

2009-01-23T20:02:00.000-06:00

Spent the day in Milwaukee with my studio. We took the train north in the morning and were picked up by a charter bus, compliments of the Precast Concrete Institute. Our first stop was the site for our project. We spent about an hour there, photographing and otherwise taking in the area and its qualities. I had no feeling left in my fingers by the time we got back on the bus, since my hands had been out most of that hour, taking pictures. Some people spent the last bit of the hour wrapping their hands around a cup of warm coffee.

From the project site, the bus took us to visit several buildings in the area, which were composed of architectural and/or structural precast concrete. It was interesting to learn and see the difference between the two. (Architectural is essentially a precast facade or envelope element, while structural is a precast structural component). We did a drive-by of most of the projects, but there were a few at which we got out and walked around. By the afternoon, everyone's bodies were fully shocked from the warm to cold to warm to cold jolt of getting on and off the bus, and we were happy to get on the train back to Chicago. It was definitely an informative day and so great to get a feel for the area where our building will be.

weighing airfare

2009-01-22T22:32:00.003-06:00

I started looking at airfare rates today to see whether a trip to South America would even be financially reasonable given the budget and non-existent additional funds I have to offer. Unfortunately, things aren't looking good for the cities I've searched so far: Lima, Peru; Caracas, Venezuela; Bogota, Colombia; Rio, Brazil; Buenos Aires, Argentina. Airfare ranges from around $700-1100. Madrid and Barcelona, on the other hand, seem more doable cost-wise and also have a lot of precast concrete concrete projects going up--especially, Madrid.

[Photo credit to RayStudio]

much excitement

2009-01-21T20:53:00.003-06:00

Much excitement has happened the last twenty-four hours. I took the LEED exam yesterday afternoon and passed. Hooray! I'm now considered a LEED AP (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, Accredited Professional), and I can add the certification after my name when applying for big, important, fancy schmancy jobs.

Among other classes, today was the first day of studio for the semester, so we found out what our project is: a low-income/employer-assisted housing project in Milwaukee. I'm very excited about the project! This studio has a focus on concrete and as noted in the syllabus, we're actually going to be focusing on pre-cast concrete for our buildings. The class is taking an all-day field trip to Milwaukee on Friday to see the project site, visit an architecture firm and see some other precast projects. The Precast Concrete Institute (PCI) is very generous in sponsoring us to go there, meaning they're covering our train fares. Even more exciting than that treat is the additional research assignment my class has been given to work on throughout the semester. We are each supposed to do a case study of a precast project, which can be located anywhere in the world. As a part of documenting the project, we have to visit the project and the PCI is reimbursing our travel expenses for up to $800 for trips farther than 200 miles outside of Chicago. I'm thrilled! The university has been tightening their belts, so for my professors to secure this sponsorship is a huge deal. I really wasn't expecting to be able to travel for studio again until at least next semester. Now I have to scout out a project and decide where I'm going! I'm thinking somewhere in South America or Spain.

[Photo credit to pixeleetion]

inauguration day

2009-01-20T11:59:00.000-06:00

Celebrating the inauguration of Chicago's own at a Chicago institution, Berghoff.

thank you, Martin Luther King Jr.

2009-01-19T09:09:00.003-06:00

"And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country."

- President John F. Kennedy

obamicon

2009-01-18T09:43:00.006-06:00

I had a fabulous time at Monika's birthday party last night! This morning, after looking at some photos form the evening, I decided to play around with Obamicon.Me, a site where you can "Make your own 'Obamicon' - your image in a style inspired by Shepard Fairey's iconic poster." You can even change the text at the bottom of the poster. Your choices include some words to be expected such as "change" and "progress," but you can also type your own name in, or whatever else tickles your fancy.

words from a great man

2009-01-17T18:13:00.003-06:00

A few beautiful quotes from Martin Luther King Jr. heard during today's morning ceremony for Celebration of Service:

"Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?'"

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

"Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal."

celebration of service

2009-01-16T08:38:00.007-06:00

I'm very much looking forward to helping with Chicago Cares Celebration of Service tomorrow morning. This is an annual event, which is always scheduled for the weekend preceding Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It's a wonderful event and this will be my third year helping. Of course, Michelle Obama has helped bring a lot of new attention to the National Day of Service, which takes place on Monday, 19 January (on the holiday).

If you aren't already a part of a service event on Monday and are able to contribute your time, please consider lending your hands in honor of MLK Jr. and in support of positive change in our country. You can find events in your local area to participate in through Obama's Renew America Together web page.

[Photo credit to Todd Spencer/The Virginian-Pilot]

bookshelf

2009-01-15T16:54:00.005-06:00

Surprise! "A daily adventure" now has a bookshelf (see below on the right panel). The books, as you will see, are listed in no particular order whatsoever. Although, I've read all of these books and I happen to own many of them. If you're interested in learning more about any particular book, you can click on the cover and it will take you to an Amazon page for that book. I'm a big fan of loaning books from the local library, but also like to buy books used on Amazon. Oh, and in case it isn't obvious, you can click the "next" but to scroll through all the books on the virtual shelf until, well, you reach the end, in which case you can click "previous." Happy reading (whether its something on the bookshelf or not)!

On a musical note, I downloaded the Starbucks "pick of the week," today which was a song from Blind Pilot called "One Red Thread." It's pretty good; if you like mellow alternative tunes, you should listen to it - click on the song name here for a YouTube video of a live performance.

[Photo credit to jamelah]

enamel surprise

2009-01-14T20:33:00.005-06:00

I was randomly looking at some of the jewelry I inherited from my grandmother years ago and I found a pin, which I have never worn and probably never will. It just isn't quite my style. I sold a few things on eBay last month, so the thought crossed my mind to sell the pin there too. It seemed wise to do a little background research first since my grandmother typically had nice/refined taste in jewelry. The back of the pin had an imprint for David Andersen Norway, so I googled that name and came up with a neat webpage explaining the various jeweler marks for this company, which helped me figure out the age of the pin. As I read more here about the contributions of the jeweler to enamel-painted pieces, I realized that another piece I have, a bracelet, is by the same jeweler. I don't know why, but figuring this out was exciting to me. I really love the bracelet, which is a series of linked leaves painted with white enamel. I haven't been able to wear the bracelet in a couple of years because the clasp broke and I haven't had a chance to get it repaired.

Anyhow, from there, I looked up the name on eBay to see what else was being sold by that jeweler. I was surprised to see some pins by the jeweler being sold as a Buy-It-Now for as high as $250! I found another post which featured a slightly different version of my bracelet in a set (with earrings), which was being sold as a Buy-It-Now for $325. I really didn't think the jewelry would fetch that much, so it was a fun finding.

Later in the afternoon, I had the rare chance to watch a CSO (Chicago Symphony Orchestra) rehearsal! It was a very neat experience to watch the conductor, Riccardo Muti, pause and ask for changes in how the instrumentalists played and how the chorus sang--even made facial expressions--as they prepared for the weekend performances of Verdi's Requiem.

ricotta blueberry muffins

2009-01-13T20:40:00.003-06:00

I had some ricotta left over from a spinach pie I made a few days ago, which I was trying to figure out what to do with. Well, I came upon this recipe for ricotta blueberry muffins, which sounded perfect. I love blueberry muffins and the ricotta would add protein and help keep the muffins moist.

The muffins recently came out of the oven and are still a bit hot, but I taste-tested one and it was great! The recipe is definitely a keeper.

sick day

2009-01-11T20:47:00.002-06:00

The cold/cough has gotten worse, and as of right now, only about every other word I try to speak comes out as an understandable sound.

[Photo credit to Drew Graham]

medication

2009-01-10T15:27:00.004-06:00

My chest cold...or whatever it is, is still getting the better of me. I've woken up at 3AM the past three nights because I was too congested. I prefer not to take things like nighttime NyQuil because they don't give me restful sleep. J swears by the decongestants with pseudoephedrine, so I picked up the non-drowsy version of Aleve-D at Walgreens a couple days ago. The first time I took it, my stomach seemed to get upset and I had heartburn. I don't think I had much in my stomach, so that's probably what caused the upset, but I was still leery of using it again. However, the cold seemed to creep deeper into my chest last night and I thought I would give it another try today. An hour after taking it, I had heartburn again and I also felt a little foggy--despite the fact that it's supposed to be non-drowsy. I've taken other decongestants in the past and haven't had this problem, so I'm blaming the pseudoephedrine. The warnings on the back even talk about heartburn, stomach pain and high blood pressure. As such, I don't plan on relying on this product.

[Photo credit to nates365days]

Rush, LEED and leggings

2009-01-09T21:10:00.003-06:00

This morning, I had an appointment at Rush Medical Center's Biorhythms Lab for a sleep study interview. I had to fill out oodles of questionnaires. While I was there, they also took my height and weight, and gave me a tour of the lab. I'll find out in a couple of days whether I was accepted into the study. The basis of the research is on eye color and sleep. As such, they also spent a few minutes staring at my eyes, trying to determine exactly which color I best matched in a book of eye photographs. It was a combination of silly and creepy.

After that, I stopped at the main post office downtown to ship a package, since it was on my way north. As soon as I exited the subway, I learned that there was a protest happening on Federal Plaza, which is located outside of the post office, meaning I had to make my way through lots of people just to find the revolving door. There were police everywhere and there was a weird vibe in the air. As soon as I was done, I tried to get out of there, and ended up stopping at the Argo Tea on Dearborn and Madison for tea and a bite to eat. It was nearly 2PM at this point, and I hadn't had lunch yet. I stayed there for a bit and tried to study for the LEED exam, which I wasn't too successful at. I love staring out the window from the second floor at that particular Argo, so that's primarily what I ended up doing.

Today was also the first day I wore a pair of leggings I got while in New York. They are actually quite warm thanks to a fuzzy lining. At some point in the evening, I was changing into pajamas and saw that my legs had been tinted to a funny blue-black color. Lesson here, (which I really already knew) is to wash your purchases before wearing--especially heavily dyed items like black leggings and dark-wash jeans. I had a good laugh at myself.

study schedule

2009-01-08T18:32:00.004-06:00

Now that I'm registered for the LEED AP exam on 20th January, I'm trying to follow a study schedule I created for myself. I spent a while at my branch library today, reading and memorizing factoids. I think I've got the general things down now: sections, no. of prerequisites, credits and points under each category, fee structure, building certification process, review timetable, and required application documents. The next two days are dedicated to memorizing the Sustainable Sites section. I've read most of the sections already, but at this point, I couldn't even begin to tell you what detailed criteria is called for. As such, I'm putting my nose to the grindstone.

The exam is based on 200-points and is scaled. A score of 170 or higher is required to pass.

[Photo credit to HOK Network]

"solid void"

2009-01-07T21:02:00.002-06:00

Went to see the Cecil Balmond exhibit, "Solid Void," at the Graham Foundation today, which was very interesting. I read Balmond's book Informal for a class this past semester, so it was neat to see some of his work in person...although, he was the structural engineer for the campus center.

decorations + "check please"

2009-01-06T22:21:00.001-06:00

I tried to tidy up a bit more today, which meant taking down my holiday decorations and putting them back into my storage unit in the basement. I set aside some to donate a few weeks ago because I made a new rule that all of my decorations had to fit inside this one large bin that I own. You'll be happy to know that everything successfully fit into the bin--and that's without any major pressure being applied in order to close the lid--and a truck is coming tomorrow to pick up my donation items.

While on the internet earlier in the day, a friend sent me a link to some old footage (circa 2001) of Obama on "Check, Please," a local television show featuring local restaurants. Enjoy!

[Photo credit to green shock]

back to Chicago

2009-01-05T11:16:00.001-06:00

This morning, I made my way back to Chicago. I had a wonderful weekend. Thanks for welcoming me, Kristie, Daniel and Katie!

whitney

2009-01-04T09:43:00.003-06:00

Today was a day for discount shopping--excited about my new blue, $5 wallet--and art. After successfully making our way to Upper Manhattan, Kristie and I went to the Whitney. We were hungry by the time we finished looking at all four floors of art, so I fulfilled my obligation to J to have a slice of NY pizza for him. Yummy! I miss it too.

lunch at the chocolate shop

2009-01-03T13:37:00.001-06:00

After the bookstore, it was time for a lunch break. We went to the Max Brenner chocolate-themed restaurant. Kristie and I ended up splitting a veggie burger, which was actually really tasty! Of course, we got hot chocolate too. I had to resist the urge to spend $9 on the "hug mug." From here, we are off to 5th Avenue for a stroll.

strand

2009-01-03T11:44:00.001-06:00

We had fun perusing the books at Strand after walking through the Saturday market in Union Square. Although, we were quickly overwhelmed by the vast number of books.

good morning

2009-01-03T09:32:00.001-06:00

Watching the sun shine in while trying to wake up.

off to brooklyn

2009-01-02T09:17:00.003-06:00

I'm finishing pulling my things together for my trip to New York this weekend. I decided to pack pretty light since I'm only going to be there for a couple of days. Among my carry-on items are a messenger bag with clothes and a gift for my hosts plus a larger purse with my essentials and a book. I also packed one of the new space bags I got in case I decide to buy anything (which would never happen in New York, I know). I'll be back with stories and photos on Monday!

[Photo credit to saitowitz]

happy new year!

2009-01-01T10:09:00.002-06:00

Hope 2009 is a wonderful year for you and yours.

[Photo credit to "Just Hay Everyday"]

"me talk pretty one day"

2008-12-31T18:43:00.004-06:00

Finished Me Talk Pretty One Day today, two days after having started to read it. I guess I have just that much time on my hands to sit and read. It's lovely! The book was pretty funny, so now I'm moving on to read another one of David Sedaris' books, Naked.

Oh, and have a happy New Year's Eve!

WebMD and New York

2008-12-30T19:02:00.003-06:00

I think I may have caught a bug. I feel weak, had a sinus headache yesterday and this morning, am congested and have a temperature of 96.7. I was wondering what a low temperature might mean, so I put my various symptoms into WebMD's "symptom checker," which was really of no help, since it listed 20 possible conditions I might have, ranging from multiple sclerosis to a flu.

In more uplifting news, I got airfare all sorted out for a trip to New York this weekend! I'm so excited to see Kristie, Daniel and Paul, and to play in the big apple...it has been too long!

[Photo credit to drquimbo: Brooklyn apartment]

dry shampoo

2008-12-29T20:03:00.002-06:00

I stopped into Borders this afternoon to redeem a gift certificate and ended up with the latest issue of Real Simple and two new books. I was looking through the magazine on the bus ride home and read about this pretty neat hair product that is a dry shampoo. Strange, yes? Evidently, it's a behind the scenes secret at fashion shows, but it could also be good for camping or for situations that cause power outages, and thus, water outages.

What it does: "Klorane Gentle Shampoo with Oat Milk lets you clean hair without water. This dry shampoo is based on softening, protective oat extract, cyclodextrins, and natural polysaccharides (micronised powders with very oil-absorbing properties) to clean the hair without washing, as often as required. The hair regains volume and lightness within minutes. Quick and practical to use, it's recommended for those on-the-go."

the day i got an iPhone

2008-12-26T20:54:00.002-06:00

I'm so incredibly excited about my new iPhone, which was a very, very generous gift from J! I never really pictured myself ever having a do-it-all sort of phone, but now that I have it, I know that it would be really difficult to go back to anything less. I've been entering my contacts and playing with new applications this evening. I was even wondering about how to adjust something, so I used the internet from my iPhone to figure out how to change it...with the iPhone! That's just plain awesome.

holiday flying

2008-12-25T23:46:00.000-06:00

Flying on major holidays is the best! I had a late flight back to Chicago this evening and there must have been only thirty or forty people on the plane. I got three seats all to myself! Luckily, I was flying a couple days after the big storm that hit Chicago, so the flight took off on time and even landed a few minutes early. My brother and his girlfriend were kind enough to come pick me up at the airport, so I really couldn't have asked for anything better.

movie marathon

2008-12-24T21:38:00.000-06:00

Today was my last full day at home (for this trip, anyway), and somehow it became a movie day. We watched quite a variety of movies, including "The Spiderwick Chronicles," "The Last Legion" and "Guiniviere."

the district

2008-12-22T19:32:00.001-06:00

Ed, Angela and I went down to D.C. today to walk around and visit some museums. The weather cut short the walking around part with the temperature at freezing, but we were able to spend time in the Museum of Natural History and the National Gallery of Art. We left around 3pm, so we didn't have to fight through rush-hour traffic, and dad was already starting to prepare his new tetrazini recipe when we got home at 4pm.

[Photo credit to laffy4k]

"...like two tomatoes on a curb"

2008-12-20T18:45:00.004-06:00

I was reading an issue of Stop Smiling on my flight home to Maryland this morning and I loved this one sentence--particularly, the end of it--which preceded the text of an interview: "As always, there is never enough time to reflect, but recently Aaron + I had a chance to catch up in LA like two tomatoes on a curb."

I'm not even sure when or why two tomatoes would be on a curb, but I love the picture in my head of two people just plopped down on a curbside, talking.

mies tales

2008-12-18T16:17:00.004-06:00

I stopped into work today to catch up with my team, since I hadn't seen anyone in a while (with the slowdown in work). We went out to lunch and ended up staying for a couple hours talking about the world of architecture, its ups and downs with the economy, and even some old stories of Mies [van der Rohe].

My favorite of the Mies stories was one about him towards the end of his life, when he was wheelchair bound. Evidently, he was a "late riser" (liked to sleep in) and word would be sent up to the office when he was on his way in. Since he was pretty well renowned even while alive, his younger workers really looked up to him and would work feverishly at their drafting. When Mies would arrive, he would roll over and watch them as they were drafting, but his wheelchair was so quiet that they wouldn't hear him coming and would be startled when they finally realized he was right at their side. In order to remedy this situation, it seems that someone stuck a playing card in his wheel, so that Mies would make a flapping noise as he rolled into and through the office, giving warning to all of his employees. Mies was also hard of hearing at this point, meaning he was none the wiser.

[Photo of Mies van der Rohe, 1969]

running around

2008-12-17T23:56:00.004-06:00

Much of today was spent running around. In the morning I went to the post office to get stamps for holiday cards and then met up with Eung Joo to get some LEED study materials. After I had copies made, we went and ate pizza at Pizano's. It was a fun time. We generally don't get to spend much time having fun together; it's usually work, work, work. After lunch, he went to meet another friend and I ventured further into the loop to meet J for a coffee break. From there, I headed south to school to take care of a frustrating issue at the bursar's office. (It was becoming clear that I wasn't getting anywhere through phone calls with them.) While I was at school, I ran into Audrey and she invited me out for drinks with some other classmates later in the evening, so I met them at a bar later, which was another fun break after the mania of the semester.

[Photo (and cozy creation) credit to gerrijo]

subtle ache

2008-12-16T10:08:00.006-06:00

I was feeling particularly energized yesterday morning, so I decided to go for a walk along the lakefront. I grabbed my earmuff headphones (a gift from my Aunt Julia a few years ago), bundled up and put on my ankle weights for a little extra challenge. It was quite icy and cold out--the kind of cold that chaps your face with one gust. After I learned how to stay nimble on the ice with the extra leg weight, I was able to walk more quickly and warm up. I probably walked about a mile and a half or two miles. After getting home, I jumped in a hot shower, but my legs stayed red from the wind and cold for a while. I'm still glad I went. Although, I'm slightly sore today...it has been a while since I've gotten to excercise.

leibovitz interview

2008-12-15T09:28:00.003-06:00

Read a wonderful interview with world-renowned photographer, Annie Leibovitz late last night. This is another one of those artcles I had saved to read later, and I'm so glad I finally got to it!

nothing important

2008-12-14T19:16:00.004-06:00

Now that I have basically nothing to do (with winter break in action), I've been cleaning, tidying, listing some things on eBay, putting up decorations, writing holiday cards and reading miscellaneous things I've saved throughout the semester, which I didn't have enough time to stop and read when I came upon them. One of those random pieces was an article from the Chicago Reader about a lady who goes by the alias "Lo" for "Living Oprah." Lo is a writer, actress and yoga teacher. She's been on track to do all things Oprah suggests and recommends for one year. And, of course, she's blogging about it. Check out her blog here.

[Photo credit to Jason Creps of the Chicago Reader]

lending a paw

2008-12-13T17:28:00.001-06:00

Gweniviere was helping with the decorations. She's thoughtful like that.

x-mas at DePaul

2008-12-12T22:47:00.001-06:00

Went to the Christmas at DePaul concert this evening to see J sing (as well as the rest of the DePaul Community Chorus and Chicago Children's Choir). It was lovely--perhaps even better than last year.

[This photo was taken when the lights were down, as the singers were still filing into place. There were about twice as many people singing than are seen here.]

done, done, done!

2008-12-12T15:37:00.001-06:00

I wrapped up my final paper for my advanced architecture theory class this afternoon thus completing my work for the semester! Yay! It's amazing how much stress builds up over the course of a few months. I really don't realize how bad it gets until I'm done and I feel a huge weight lift from my shoulders. I'll be "weightless" for the next five weeks.

[The above photo is of Reyner Banham, an architecture theorist and critic, whose work I was reacting to/writing about]

print, bind, burn, submit

2008-12-11T14:55:00.000-06:00

I stayed up really late last night, slept a couple of hours, got back up and finished all the pages for my studio presentation book, plus a technical appendix, which was optional. I'm a glutton for punishment. I got to school around 8am and printed all of the pages out, then headed to Kinko's to get the books bound. After burning a CD with the book material and a copy of my PowerPoint presentation from the week before, the package went into my professor's mailbox. Studio: done. After that, it was on to the arch theory paper.

[Image seen here is a structural detail I drew for a part of my building with my professor's guidance.]

exams over

2008-12-09T20:05:00.002-06:00

I had two exams today: mechanical and electrical building systems at 8:30am and structures at 1:30pm. Beyond those, I have two large projects and a lengthy paper to complete. It's nice to at least have the exams out of the way though. I have to think positive to get through this week.

[Photo credit to ItAteMySweater]

heartland + cappuccino

2008-12-07T11:16:00.000-06:00

Yummy. Breakfast at West Egg today. Heartland combo with cappuccino.

deconstructing

2008-11-28T14:23:00.000-06:00

Having Thanksgiving leftovers and watching "Deconstructing Harry." It's nice to goof off for a day!