Not Built in a Day

Last month, J's parents invited us and his brother to meet them in Death Valley for a weekend trip over Easter weekend.  Somehow Easter in Death Valley seemed appropriate, so we agreed.  We packed up our best western gear and headed for the desert. Day 1 - Friday We had an uneventful flight from San Jose to Las Vegas, where we met J’s brother at the airport, and were picked up by his parents in a giant, black Jeep Wrangler, nicknamed Monique, which would be our road trip vehicle for the weekend. Our first stop was Whole Foods, to stock up on provisions, which for today’s modern family includes water, shrimp rolls, artisanal cheese and crackers, a mango smoothie, and chocolate-covered almonds -- only the essentials. We then drove out to Death Valley, losing signal as soon as we left the Whole Foods parking lot, and relying on the downloaded maps I had remembered to save to my phone before we left home. We took NV-160 through Pahrump and Death Valley Junction, following...

This past weekend, we went to Vancouver for a few days so that J could participate in Lindy Bout.  I went along to see the sights and visit with college friends who live nearby.  I would try to say something cute about the weather, but I think my humor would be too dry for this climate.  Suffice to say, it rained some of the time, but I didn't let it dampen my spirits.  For the full photo set, use this link. We arrived Thursday night after a delayed flight, and took the SkyTrain and bus to our Airbnb close to Granville Island.  J went to dance, and I went to bed. Friday Our Airbnb host was excellent and gave us an orientation and suggestions for places to check out.  I started the day with a blueberry-jasmine croissant from Beaucoup Bakery , which he recommended, and which was just a couple blocks away.  The croissant was delicious, and I got crumbs everywhere while waiting for the bus to downtown.  The bus ride was less than 15 minutes and...

I think most architects have hobbies producing some kind of art or craft - some design furniture, others paint or draw, still others sew, and there are probably as many different outlets as there are individuals.  One of my colleagues at work is a talented  encaustic painter  (painting with wax), another designs and builds his own surfboards, and one of my  former colleagues  makes decorative knives. As for me - I make, well, random stuff.  The impulse is there, but the discipline (the craft, you might say) isn't, so the art pieces and crafts I make are whatever takes my fancy at the moment, allowing me to explore different techniques and materials.  I haven't posted any of my crafts for a while, so here is a selection of pieces from the last couple of years. "Collected Works" As a kid, I collected all kinds of things: figurative erasers, toy cars, stickers, enamel pins, etc.  Lately I've been interested in trying to turn those collections ...