Bring Out Your Dead!! *Clunk*

I’m not… dead… yet….

What is it they say about
“cut off a serpent’s head and it will grow another’?

Well, the Dragon reared its ugly head in a last ditch attempt to be…

a bastard.

‘We here at Discover card have a policy that we don’t disclose your actual payoff amount in your balance statement.

How silly of you to expect us to be Truthful in what we say… did you not read the fine print??

Yes, we are here to fuck you over…

One…

Last…

Time…

*Grin*.

And all at only 24%!!!’



“Use Discover Card.
The card that actually Stabs you in the back!”

Vacations

Zelda and I are down in Zelda parents land.

It is over cast and cool outside, but warm inside.

We have family and friends and yummy food.

Rick, a Looonnnnggggg time friend of Zelda's, has adopted the Austin area as home.
See, he has been a gypsy of sorts, traveling around the country for the last 10 years or so.

Rick is an artist and musician and 'follows the beat...' you know the cliche.

He was a friend of Z's first husband back in high school.

It was nice to finally meet him.
Though it was odd to be introduced to someone who knew Zelda in her previous incarnation.

(No, she was not Jesus or Mari Antoinette)

Being someone elses wife.

And did he find it possibly odd that some strange (but loveable) man was hugging and kissing on his best bud's wife...

Whether or not he it even crossed his mind, it did mine.
****
As we sat in Austin rush hour trafic, much ,much worse than Dallas, but not so bad as Denver, Z wondered if we should get a Vacation voucher for Monday. After all, we were sitting in bad trafic on a day off...

Some how I don't beleive so Z.
But I like the way you think...

(She's laying beside me in bed, looking over my shoulder (ok, my arm) adding some color to the post tonight)

It's nice and peaceful here, so long as we don't bring up the notion that mom and dad should give up their king sized tempurpedic to their house guests.

Don't go there!

That and turn about is fare play.

"So, why don't you have your in laws up to visit more often?"

"Well, they insist on staying in our room and we won't give up OUR tempurpedic either!"

Life will never be the same...

Maybe we can roll ours up and fit in the back seat?

If while driving in Texas and you see a large kite that looks a whole lot like a matress being flown from the back of a car, that's probably Zelda and Bunny "flying" their mattress down to the Hill country. Just don't get in behind us in stop and go trafic and low bridges. Some one has to hold the tail till we get up to speed.

****
Zelda and Bunny, in Zelda Parent's land, suffering from SBS, "Strange Bed Syndrome".

Something Right

As frustrated as Z and I sometimes got with Senior Architect, his bigotry, the disorder, meetings at the last moment, jokes about 12 hour days being only “ half a day”, 80 hour weeks and no vacations, to name a few, when I look at the job list, his are the projects being built.

Six out of seventeen are his and they are all under construction or in the final stages of completion. China Lake, Seal Beach, and all the Barnes and Noble jobs.
(I hope to travel out to Seal Beach with Zelda when the project is done to see the final product. It’s really going to be nice.)

Superman has three, two in construction phase.
Pax River and Vista Point.
With the Colonial in the design stages. (Yes golfers, it’s THAT Colonial. It needs a serious face lift.)

Alberta has three, NONE of which are out of design phase, and two of which were previously mine…
(He spends most of his time playing on SketchUp and the internet.)
I don’t see them ever getting to contract stage.
I had them in 2004 when I first started and they are not much further along 19 months later.

The remainder are Bosses and Bosses Wife’s jobs.
Granted, some have not been awarded yet, but only two of them are in contract document stage. And none are under construction.

The navy work and Barnes and Noble jobs are here because of his reputation with those clients. From a business stand point, Senior Architect is doing something right.

"D" press'd

I have been depressed as of late and it has boggled me.

This morning on my last day as I sat here working to finish as much of this job as I can, it bubbled up.

Anger.

With everyone and no one.

Change I do not like but desperately crave.

I want to work the entire building.
As difficult and frustrating as it is, I WANT the entire package.

From interiors to budget to bidding to client and consultant coordination, I want the challenge!

And I am not getting it here…

I fear the new company will only have shell projects for me…

I also want to feel important and a part of things.

To have a say in cad management.

Ideally to use the latest software.

To move forward
instead of backwards.

Something I worry about with this new company.

There are methods to save time with Auto Cad, and depending on how sophisticated the firm, those methods are embraced or shunned.

This new firm from first blush, doesn’t sound very sophisticated.

This will drive me nuts.

Working for the least instead of challenging to the best.

I might be able to forge my own path…

We’ll see how it goes…

A good bye of sorts

Now former boss had his surgery Tuesday.

For the most part, from what I heard, it was a success.
But it appears to have spread.
They should have a better idea when the reports come back next week.

His major concern was the Unknown…

*This may mean the end of this company.
Boss’s wife is not a registered Architect.
Company will fold without the Architectural services it performs.*

That and I do not think the staff will stay.
She and Senior Architect have a running feud.
He was grandfathered into the title Interior Design, paid $300.00 for the card, and won’t let her forget it.
I would have fired him.
Anyway…

We just hired a young woman full time.
I will miss getting to know her and helping her towards her registration. She and her family are from India.

Leaving seems perfect timing on my part.
I did not know when I turned in my letter.

When I let Boss know I was leaving, he asked to speak with me about what he might have done better.
We never got to speak. So I decided to leave a note.

He has too much to think about at the moment to worry about why I left, so I thought I’d think about it and clarify it in my mind.

Clean it up some as well.

Here is the note, save the names, as I wrote him.

**

“Boss,

I wanted to let you know I enjoyed my time here at ABCD.

Before I started here I reviewed my long term goals.
I want to move out of state, and so set a time limit of two years with you.

My plans have changed some, but I still wish to move out of state.
Zelda and I are now working towards that goal.


You asked if you could have changed things.

If I could change things at ABCD, I would rework the layout of the floor plan so that the staff was laid out as a group.
With the project archs along the glass and the staff to I-35, where the interiors library is now.
And would combine the two libraries back here by the back door.

As it is now, I feel left out, unwanted if you will, back in the Architectural library.
Communication is poor.

I would buy, not repair, but buy new chairs for the staff.
I asked and was turned down.(I was getting headaches and back strain daily.)
Hundreds of thousands for salaries, but we work on 15 year old chairs.
I don't understand that math.
There is a reason why half the staff bring their own chairs.

I would no longer require your Professional staff to do the dishes.
On the average day, the dirty dishes, coffee cup and pot, are yours, not ours.
To ask us to do what the principals do not, creates resentment in the staff.
We are busy making you money putting out jobs.
If you are going to require it, I would disclose this in all job interviews.

When I interviewed, many things were said that never came to pass.
I am used to working for people who are good on their word.
I spent my own money to buy a laptop, upgrades, and software in preparation for that day.

I heard rumors about people not getting raises for 3 years.
I also heard that if I were to get one, I would have to ask.
I did and was put off.
If am worth it, give it to me.
If you can't at the moment, tell me why.
And if you aren't willing to give one, let me know so that I may make changes.


I have learned a great deal here and would like to have continued with you.

Daily I hear Senior Architect and Superman doing things I really want to do, headaches, over time and all.

It appears that in order to do that, I have to move on.


I hope your health improves and you have many more years of designing club houses.
You are in our prayers.

Stay healthy and kiss your wife everytime you can!

Karltb”

************



Superman keeps a top 10 funny sayings list he collects from coworkes.

Recently he updated it to 15 and added one of his own.

Let me leave you with this…

“A Holiday is a day when it is easier to drive in to work.”

Bad, Bad, Architect

I am embarrassed to say,
as I red line my latest job this morning,
that this is the worst set of drawings I have put out in years…

My apologies to the contractor, my coworkers, the client, and my former employers who taught me better…

Sigh…

There be dragons!!!

One dragon officially slayed!

Zelda drove the final steak through its evil heart yesterday.

And even in its death throes,

it struggled to stay alive.

Pleading with its forked tongue,

“How about 0% interest on all new purchases?”

New Bed, Old Bed

Yes, the new bed is wONDerFul!

As I found out last night.

I tried a different pillow to ease the crick in my neck.

This seemingly amplified my snoring.

Which defeated the earplugs Zelda was using.

Who inturn woke me to get me to stop.

Twice.

Having to yell loud enough the second time to wake me through my snoring, which I NEVER hear.

And the ear plugs I was using to drown out someone else’s less obnoxious night sounds.

And since I, unlike Jesus, do not do well being woken in the middle of the night.

I decided to retire to the old bedroom to get some rest.

Although I was warm, and no one nudged me in my sleep,

I must have woken a half dozen times.

Leaving me grumpy,

and Zelda sad

that I left in the middle of the night.

coffee

Z's coffee is preped so it's time for bed.

Speaking of bed, the new one is nice.

We both seem to fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer and wake rested.

I have noticed that I have some neck pain and lower back issues.

I can feel my spine is out of alignment when I lie on the bed. The curve of my lower back.
In time this should work itself out.

My bride awaits!

Night all,

ktb

Something has gotta give

I was feeling the weather and allergies plus the job crunch.

Came home with a headache...

As did Zelda, which for her is sadly, the norm for the last 9 months...
*******
I am torn because I DO enjoy how I make a living.

It has gotten trickier since I've become married.

Z has to wait more often than we'd both like for me to leave work

In order to complete the work, I HAVE to work late on occation.

She doesn't like to wait. And I feel guilty for it...

How to balance that is to be determined...

Easiest way would be to drive separately and put in the long hours such that Superman and Senior Architect do.

I have been feeling depressed and today like I was dying.

Frustration with the situation with the project due today.

I should have taken work home Friday and worked through the weekend.

We still wouldn't have been finished, but we would have been closer.

This would have made the home life unhappy.

Zelda misses me when I drive separately and work late.

She doesn't have the support group she has in Omaha.
And her girlfriends have begun to call less and less as time passes.

Add in not feeling well and it's not a happy situation.
****
I have said it before, and I say it again...

I am at a loss as to what to do ('guys DO, women Talk' as the authors claim. And I agree) for her.

How to make her happy. How to make her feel better.

I will be visiting an Oreck store to buy an air filter (Anyone out there who has tried a filtration system they like please let me know. Oreck has great ad that temps me, but that's tv...) soon.

I can only hope this will make the house a little more bearable for her...
*****
Z mentioned tonight what I was thinking at work today, if I have to work over time regularly with this new company, then we will have to drive separately.

In order to succeed in my line of work, I'm going to have to work some kind of OT. Be it at work, or bring some of it home.

What is proper

Today's paper offered a number of articles about potentially offensive 'public speech'.

The one writer was caught off guard by a television program's insistence in showing questionable material with his young daughter in the room at the time.

Some shows by their nature will clue into what they may show.

Springer for example...

This one found, for what ever editorial reasons, to show a graphic of a nude man, legs spread wide, with the offending area pixelated.

He was caught off guard, and the network invited something offensive into his home without permission.

Bad manners.
*****
There is a locally produced tv show where persons who feel their lovers, wives, husbands, boy or girlfriends are cheating on them agree to appear on the show.

The show then has its detectives follow the lover in question, going so far as to tape phone calls and place cameras in the 'victim's' home to record the goings on.

They have shown highly pixelated sex acts that go far a above anything I have seen in 'romantic' scenes in movies or mainstream networks.

Upon 'getting the needed evidence' and showing it to the cheated lover (unpixelated) they go to confront the couple.

An emotional fight occurs with yelling and denial and pain spread in large emounts.

These folks are 'ambushed' and blocked in, surrounded, and most often, on private property.
Going so far as to invade restaurants, places of business, dance clubs, parking lotgs, etc.

Emotional titilation and personal anguish sell.

As does the sex.

I know, I've watched it.

What I was suprized by what the sensors would allow.

The pixelated sex scenes.

The host then gives a moral "why what you are doing is wrong" to the cheating partner, this AFTER he himself, along with who knows how many others, has watched the sex video.

The cheated partner knew something was up or they wouldn't be on the show.
Why they don't trust their jut feelings...

And "all is made well".
The partner either "changes their way", or they "move on".

Because it is for the 'moral good', showing porn on the public airwaves, is justified as o'kay.

After all, it wasn't the host who was cheating, he is just making a living...

Mixed Feelings II

This will be my last week with this company.

I know my decision to go elsewhere is the best thing for me.
Zelda is also very happy about this as well.

At the same time, I get the nagging feeling that I could have done more to try to fix the problem before it got to this stage.

Talked to the boss. Something.

Anyway, time to look forward, instead of back.
****
Question to answer...

Where is the balance between work and home?

Superman came over to say "Hi" and acknowledge my leaving.
He told me that he put in 400 hours last month.
It took a while for it to click "I had a 400 hour month last month, I'm not going to do that again."

400 hours?! How do you put in that much time and stay married?
In a conference call Friday the client was crowing about how he pulled it off.
My project is due Monday. I put in only 180 hours and got some help from our contract workers at the last moment.

My project is maybe 85 to 90% but I refuse to work this weekend on it.

I have watched Senior Architect and Superman put in tremendous over time, pass up vacation days, (senior has three weeks per year but hasn't taken but maybe two or three days since I've been here.) and not be rewarded for it except for getting more jobs.
Yes, they do get a larger Christmas bonus than I do, but they don't get office respect.
There is not profit sharing, no bonus for meeting or beating deadlines, as they do for contractors.

I may be spoiled.

With former companies, I did not put in nearly as much overtime, but when I did, it was apreciated and rewarded, even if it was only lunch.
Over time was discouraged.

It is the norm and expected here.
The owners resisted hiring new people.
It may be the same at the new company.
And the norm for my business.

We'll figure it out...

Cancer

My current boss has had some medical problems lately.
Pancreatic cancer was mentioned today…

I am told that his form is operable.

From my experience, with my grandmother and Aikido Sensei, it is a very painful, very terminal disease.

Please keep him in your prayers.

He goes in for surgery next Tuesday.

Thanks

New Bed Test

Even with a great bed, if I don't get to bed in time, I'm still going to feel tired the next morning.

I have got to work on my self discipline...

Less Tv.
More quiet time.
(Translation: More thinking for myself...)

If 'n I had it to do over again, I would have gone with the Queen.

The king is wonderfully large.

But I am so far from Z now, and the squareness of a king requires rethinking the look.
Rectilinar form vs square. Think the movement from square tv's to 6:9 ratio...

Anyway we'll figure it out...

Where's the happiness?

This morning, on the drive in to work, running late, because I rebel against being adult and making my lunch the night before, I thought, "I need a change...".

Everyday, day after day, Z and I get up and go through the same thing.

Traffic,
pollution,
same ole same old,
to make a paycheck to support ourselves so we can make it to work 5 days a week.

We were passed by 5 people in a hurry to get to work (50 mph in a 40), maybe they were late too? I'm thinking they "love" trafic as much as Z and I...

Images of older houses in older cities with views of the ocean come to mind, more and more often.

This weekend is a two day seminar on investing that I have free tickets for, and wanted Z to see.

She's not feeling well,
it will be crowded,
and we may have freezing rain and ice,
so it looks like we won't make it.

I have put my investing dream on hold as we make a home for ourselves and pay off old debt...
I sometimes wonder if it will ever get back on track...

I guess if we take the additional income I will earn in 6 months as a registered Architect and set it aside for investing, and live off of the rest as we are now...

I feel we are going in the wrong direction. (See Rebel against being an Adult above...)

At the moment we are planning a new home, which we really need.
I am at a loss as to where all this $$$ will come from to buy something else...
***
Z wrote the LAST check to Discover Card last night.
She got it back when it was still owned by Sears and was reputable...
As they are now, they might as well have managers named Guido and Louie.
If you pay only the minimum payment on a Discover statement, the interest paid on that payment is

89%.

Z wanted to add "Kiss my Ass!" to the check...

They have in the last few months increased her limit to $9,800.00 at 24% annual.
But when she called to negotiate a lower interest rate because we had paid down so much, they said

"No".

Anyway...

No more Discover Card Debt!!!
***
Zelda went home early yesterday from Non Allergy related allergies...(she's not allergic to "anything" at the moment. But her body doesn't know that and acts as if its allergic to everything)
She wasn't feeling any better this morning. Add to the fact that my lateness puts her into trafic from Hell, and I told her to turn around after dropping me off and going back home...

Independ women these days! She didn't do a thing I said... And she complains that I don't listen to her!
***
Something has got to change...

Mixed Feelings

When my current employer finally got around to speaking with me yesterday about my resignation letter, he seemed extremely sad.

It was painful.

I can only speculate as to why he responded so...

We were to speak about it today, but he never stopped by my desk...

It brings up questions of how much I read into things, let emotions cloud, etc.

I know I did.

At the same time...

I asked him before Christmas for a raise.

I told him back in August I wanted my own project.

The big name project went as it should, to Superman.
He wants to specialise in hospitality, specifically golf club buildings.
I was told I would be given it, but I am covered up helping Senior Architect.

The place I am going sounds like a sweat shop, but I am used to working a great number of projects in a year.

Yes, there ARE good things about the current office to go along with the bad.

Z is happy and relieved that I have switched.
It should be exciting work.

I want to do the whole thing.
Site plans to building design to interiors to consulting to working with clients to construction administration field work.

I won't have the luxury of traveling out of state for projects on the company dime.
I won't get to see the openning of the Navy project and how it came out.
(But then I was supposed to have gone out during framing to see my wall sections and it never happened.

That could be a theme for this office.
Promised but "never happened".

Six month reviews.
Never happend.

Comp time for over time.
I had to take it or it would have never happened.

My own projects.
Never happened.

The ability to do some design work.
Never happened.

sigh...

Anyway.

Mixed feelings.

What's that syndrome where the
kidnapped person identifies with the kidnappers?

Upwards and onwards!

From bunny bed central,

Happy Valentines Y'all!

time to test the goods!

Diary-X

Zelda shared with me that her blog, diary-x, charges for premium service.

$14.99 per year.

She told me she JUST paid her annual premium...

The question arises...

If the owner of diary-x charges $15.00 for such sevice...

Why is he asking for donations to help pay for the restoration of the server???

And where is all that Money going?

Why did he not back up the server?


He asked for donations to help buy a lap top and got it...

http://diary-x.com/


"Massive Drive Failure

Monday, February 14th, 7:43 PM CST (GMT - 8:00)

This server (which hosts Diary-X among other sites) has undergone a massive drive failure. What this means is that the drive, while in good physical condition, is unable to read or write data. This could be because its logic board has shorted out, or because the read/write head is unable to move. I have been informed that there appears to be no physical damage to the platters, that the drive spins up normally and does not make any unusual sounds. Due to the nature of the failure, the technicians at our data center were unable to restore the drive to a working condition.

In order to repair this drive, we must send it out to a third-party data recovery service called DriveSavers. They will open the drive in a cleanroom, inspect the platters for physical damage, use specialized equipment to read the surface of the disk, and then reconstruct the disk image onto a new hard drive, which will then be shipped back to us.

As you can imagine, this is an expensive proposition. Diary-X was running from an 80GB SATA drive, and recovery of such a drive is priced out at $2700. I recently collected donations to repair my personal computer, and your generosity provided $1500 which I had used to purchase a new computer. I intend to cancel this order, however, and put this money toward repairing the failed drive on this server.

This means that we will need to raise $1200 more to restore this drive to a working condition. If you already donated to help me fix my personal compute, thank you! and you don't need to donate again. However, if you didn't previously donate and you've got the means, please consider making a donation. Even the smallest amount will help -- it all adds up.

We are sending the drive in for repairs tomorrow, and we'll get a better idea about how long it will take to repair once DriveSavers has received the disk and can inspect it for physical damage. In the meantime, you may wish to browse the Diary-X Community at LiveJournal, where a bunch of people are congregating to discuss these events.

Thank you for your understanding and your support.

--Stephen Dekenstephen.deken@gmail.com "

Until later notice...

here is Zelda's current new blog address till things get worked out at Diary X or she jumps ship.

(Gasp! What would have happened if this had occured while we where still getting to know each other?! (for those not familiar, Z and I met through her blog) Eeek!)

http://zeldapinwheelbunny.blogspot.com/

Hmm...

I have been feeling blue as of late.

I think it has to do, in part, with not getting enough sleep.

Then there is not feeling fulfilled at work.

We cleaned the back room out in prep for the new bed.
It brought up some emotion.

The matress set we are donating has been mine for over 12 years now.
(Has it really been that long?)

It holds some memories.
Mom gave it to me right after college.
I was supposed to have paid her for it.
$600.00. I can't say that I followed through.

Sorry mom.

I had young women over to spend time on that bed...

Funny how we get attached to objects that we normally never think about in our daily travels.

Z and I have been using her mattress, much firmer and newer (?), for months now and I haven't needed to 'visit' my old bed 'cept when I was sick and we both needed to rest and spread out.

Tonight they will bring the new bed and haul off the old for donation to Goodwill for someone else to spend time on with dates.
*****
This new larger bed has caused some disruption around the house.

We have had to find new homes in other rooms for Z's things.

Her cedar chest has become a very nice coffee table, large enough to spread out all our clutter.
The tin chest she got with her first husband now sits in the corner of the living room supporting a ficus tree.

We are not sure about the small zoo of stuffed animals and the chair they occupied.

Where should we put this hon?

How about...

for right now...

we put it...

in the room...

I just cleaned...

out for Z to do her art work in...


Oh well...


At least we should sleep much better...

It's a Monday...

Zelda discovered, as did I, this morning that diary-x had a "massive drive failure".
Nothing has been backed up since Dec. of 2004...

In addition, she still feels like crap a good portion of the time.
And since she "isn't allergic to anything", she is at a loss as what to do, or how to handle her allergic reactions to what ever it is that she in fact IS allergic too...
Something man made...

Any suggestions out there?
Any treatment options to suggest?

We get the new bed tomorrow, Valentines Day.
Her back has been troubling her for some time.
She has a massage scheduled this week as well as a visit to the chiopractic.
"Crack your bones!"

Cleaning out the Master Bedroom tonight.
So much for the guest room...

Finish cleaning out the back room for her Art room...

Spent a gazillion dollars on new bed linens.
They are more to my liking than a pure Zelda expression...
Translation: We both like them. But they are subdued, earth tones, with femine touches.
Vs. bright, colorful, happy Zelda tones.

This house is not a King Sized house. So the bedroom will be pretty much that, a Bed room.
We will move our clothes into the back closet. It is the largest in the house and I had given it to Z so she could have space. Seems currently I have more clothes than she does.

On a frustrating note, Z told me this am that she has gained lbs. since the holidays.
We aren't getting out enough. In large part because she feels bad many days.

Dallas doesn't have the winds whipping cross the plains like Kansas or Nebraska to blow out the man made polutions on a regular basis.
I have decided that it is the larger polution problems that keep Z down.
More Ozone and heat in the summer (and this winter).
I know I have trouble on high Ozone days and I do not have the complications of Asthma.

On the possitive side, which I am making an effort to emphasize more in my life, we will this month, thanks to our tax return, and a lower interest credit card, be paying off the Evil Credit Card from Hell that has been a ball and chain around Zelda's ankle (or neck) for too long.

It's going bye-bye this month!

Second: Z bought some new clothes (again) yesterday after we spent that gazillion dollars on new linens. She hasn't been able to blog from her computer (I'm calling the IT guy this week) and when she tried this weekend from my lap top, well, see above...

Third: I made some tasty dinner last night that took all of ten minutes.

Fourth: I have a new job that will challenge me, provide for a chance to design, and oportunity for site construction administration. To answer the question: Does what I draw in the office actually work in the field...

Fifth: We get a new bed, complete with new linens, that we BOTH picked out together.
By the warranty, I'll be 59 by the time we need to buy a new one.

And finally, I will never receive the coveted "You forgot to do the dishes" drawing by the Interiors Principal shown above.
Sniff, sniff.
Not..

Alternate Buildings

There are new methods for construction coming along that have built in enery efficentcies.

One system is foam insulated concrete.

In placing concrete, which is plastic in nature, forms are used to hold the concrete (not "cement" which is the powder used to bind the rock and sand together) in place.
Traditional forms are made of wood and are disposed of after use.

In the foam system, the forms are made of insulating foam and are left in place after the concrete cures (hardens). This system provides for an efficent means of creating structural walls. The wall is double insulated.

Other systems are available as well.

I prefer the more natural methods such as "Rammed Earth" or "Straw Bale" construction.
They are more energy intensive in the construction phase, but these systems are renewable and readily available. They also do not require manufacturing off site.
They have some limitations, but the energy savings, simplicity, and longevity more than offset them.

Rammed Earth consists of clay and sand. Pressed in forms until the desired height.
It is impervous to insects. Is the colors of the soils used, showing stratification. Is sound proof.
Can be shaped. And has the ablility to transfer heat through it's construction over the year. Depending on its thickness, summer heat will radiate through to the inside face in winter.
Rammed Earth, under current codes, requires additional structural elements, such as collumns, to hold up the roof. http://www.rammedearth.com/

Straw Bale construction, first used in Nebraska, has the adantage of being readily available most anyware. A standard 24" bale has an R value of 50. It too must have structural elements to hold up the roof. Simple tools are required to bind and cut the bales. The inside and outside faces are then plastered.
The common misconception about Straw is that it will attract vermin or be a fire hazzard.
This is simply not true.
Repairs to one of the original Straw Bale houses in Nebraska required removal of some of the bales. The bales were set aside. Upon returning to inspect the straw after repairs were made, they found the horses had begun to eat them. The straw had been encased in the walls for over 50 years and had been preserved well enough to entice the animals for a snack. http://www.greenbuilder.com/sbat/2001_Home_Tour/

(Karlthebunny is not affiliated with either web site listed, they are provided for reference.
Rammed Earth photos above provided from rammed earth.com web site)


Studies have been done combining the two with incredible results.
Depending on the climate, straw bale exterior walls and rammed earth interior walls provide the insulating values as well as the tempering ability of mass. The rammed earth maintains the air temperature inside the structure through radiant energy through out the year with a little help on the coldest days from a wood stove.

Add a Cistern to capture Rain water from the roof and you now have the gray water needed flush your toilets and water your lawn, which if xeroscaped using indigenous plants, will use little if no additional water, and provide abundant local wild life.

(My college English teacher would kill me for all the run on and fractured sentences in today's blog. Forgive me Mrs. Reynolds, I'm trying to save the planet!!)

Other energy efficent means of construction involve building with recycled materials.

What ever system you use to build your home,
think long term...
think renewable...
think 7th generation...

New Homes

If you checked out the link last week (architecture2030.org) for the energy consumption of the worlds resourses, the built environment consumes 76% of (JUST) the US electrial demands.

Currently we use Coal and other Fossil fuels to produce that Electricity.

We, the People of the United States, consume the majority of the planet's energy.
We, the People of the Untied States, also contribute the majority of world Polution.

We, the People of the United States, are exporting our habits and life styles around the world as "the" ideal way of life...
****
Yesterday Zelda and I went looking at new houses in our neck of the woods.
The smallest model we saw was 3,200 square feet.
This is actual I-can-stand-on-it floor space.

Most of these homes had tall ceilings. Most did not have ceiling fans.
The two story homes had two story living rooms and dining rooms.

The largest house Zelda would not go see as she found the lack of intimicy depressing.

These homes are designed not by Architects, but home builders, who go with the "latest trends".
Meaning "what the consumers are buying".

The average mortgage is 30 years.

These guys build to the limits of the code.
The houses are only as efficient as the State and Fed. government requires.

That two story, 4,200 square foot home I saw, will have closer to 6,000 to 7,ooo cubic feet of air to Heat, (which will sit on the ceiling,) and Cool (with prices going up)
EVERY
DAY
for
30,
40,
50?
YEARS.

And guess who gets the bills...
They aren't called "consumers" for nothing.

And don't forget you'll need the furniture to FILL that 4,200 s.f so it doen't look "too big" or "too empty"...

On the lighter side, there will be some great deals when these folks file bankruptcy.
You can get these houses for a song.

Who's watching your religion???

A BBC article reported on the hysteria going on over the political cartoons and the representation of the Prophet Muhammad.

In Chirstianity, G*d implores us to "remember the Sabbath to keep it Holy".
Literally giving each and everyone of us the power to Make a Day into a Holy thing.

As far as I know, Muhammad, like Jesus, never declaired himself G*d.

The BBC went on to say that no where in the Kuran, the Holy Book of Islam, does it say that it is forbidden to create an image of the Prophet.

It is by Tradition and Interpretation that this "unbreakable rule" has been adopted.

This image is Not the Prophet.
Just as the image of a pipe is not a pipe, but only ink on paper.

Let's not confuse the two...

There were also 11 other images created for this Danish newspaper.

Most of them were very respectful and reverent.

A couple of them were not.

These were commisioned by asking the artists to share what was their image of Muhammad.

One image was picked out of a group and is being used as an excuse to kill and destroy.

This is not Islam.

Those who protest the cartoon, (come on folks, it's ONE freaking Political CARTOON) are giving their power over to some guy in another country who didn't think twice about it after he collected his check.

Who's watching your religion?
*****
There is something DEEPER going on here. Something between the way the West sees the Middle East. And the way the Middle east sees us...
And it's the noisest, not the majority, who get the most press...
***
In the same way.
The Bible, neither the Jewish Bible (known by Christians as the "Old" testement, but known by Jesus as the "Word of G*d") nor the Christian, mentions that Sex before or outside of Marrage is wrong. (Only sex with someone's spouse not your own.)

The same Traditions that are effect Islam also taint Christianity.
And people have died over that too...

Big News!!

We got the King instead of the Queen.

I am not sure the logic in buying such a Large bed.

Being that a King is large enough to lose your lover in, would it not be more logical, and here is where the romantics will cringe, to have two singles, and sleep separately?

I could understand one bed if the couple were midnight snugglers.
Or if there were night time nookie going on.

But for sleeping in a bed that feels so large that one can spread out and never touch anyone...

WILL BE GREAT!!!

Sweet dreams dear!

******
Date line:
Unpleasant Architectural firm I work for.
Or, will work for till next week at which time I will start with a new firm.

One with LOTS of work coming in the door.
One with a microwave in the break room.
One where I wash only My own dishes.
And where the secretary as well as the draftsman have Aeron ($$$) chairs.

It may well turn out to be a sweat shop... we'll see.

Zelda was estatic!

I'm excited too.

It will complicate car pooling a little.
It's still on the way to Z's office, but there is now a detour.

Z says she's fine with it...
It is back in my old stomping grounds in the "Uptown" area of Dallas.
I can have lunch with my former coworkers in the area.

I will have a review in 6 months to adjust my salary.
It should be pretty good as I will be registered by then.
*****
What are you getting Zelda for a Valentine's present Karl?
Why, a new bed! Should get here in time for VD! (tee hee)

Taking the Plunge

Ever since we moved in together, Zelda has wanted to get a new bed.

I would put it off, because they are not cheap.

That and I already knew which one I'd like.

I wasn't sure Z would go for it...

Well...

We decided we would bite the bullet and take the plunge.

Sears is having a 50% off sale and they carry the same brand used by the Broadmoor.

I could do that.

First I wanted to check out the entire Sealy Posturepedic line to see what they had.

And since they had other brands, we decided to look at those as well.

Saturday we will become the proud parents of a Tempurpedic Queen.

Whoo Hoo!

(Yep, it's the brand I was wanting.

(The price, like a Bose, is fixed.
And like the Bose, it would be one of those items I'd want if stranded on a desert island.
Can't say that about most house hold products.)
Z's parents have one as well.
We both liked the same mattress in both brands.
To top it off, the salesman gave us a discount where he could.
It works out to be less than a hundred dollars per each year on the warranty.)

Tomorrow we'll pick up some new bed linens.
And begin looking for a new bed frame.
(Sniff, sniff, I have to give up my old Crate and Barrel full size...
To sell, or not to sell...
that is the question...)

Man we American's are spoiled...

So all's well who sleep well!

Some how...I missed that one...

Z and I were horsing around the other day and I gave her the Karate Chop! Miss Piggy always gave to Kermit.

It then occured to me,

"Is this a joke I never got?!"

Would that make it....














a Pork Chop?

Quote

“In learning to sail

you do not change the current of the water

nor do you have any effect on the wind,

but you learn to hoist your sail

and turn it this way and that

to utilize

the greater forces

which surround you.

By understanding them,

you become one with them,

and in doing so are able to find your own direction.”

-June Singer


“…you become one with them,…’

This is very much an Aikido way of thinking..

Use your opponent’s energy and to get out of your own way.

Quote

“To be a winner,
a man (or woman)
must
play to win…”

(with edits)

-Albert Carr


How often I go into something without a game plan.
No exit strategy or goals.
And how often I get my butt handed to me on a plate.

Because by Not Planning
I set myself up to lose.

Quote

“Sit,

walk,

run,

but don’t

wobble.”


-Zen Proverb

Quote

“Our business in life is not to get ahead of others but to get ahead of ourselves----- to break our own records, to outstrip our yesterdays by our today, to do our work with more force than ever before.”

-Stewart B. Johnson

I like this quote in that it focuses on the main antagonist in my life.
Me.

How can I make me better?
Only I can answer that one…

One Drop at a Time

Read an internet article you may have already seen, but I think it’s well worth passing on.

I have decided to forgo and accept the self deprivation of no longer drinking bottled water.

We have a Britta filter pitcher at the house, and it works just fine to remove any off flavors in the local tap water.

Drop By Drop G*d filled the Oceans till they wrapped the Earth.

Drop by Drop, we accept new products to “better our lives” while we chip away at our world.

Next time you stop by the store and see the Bottled Water aisle, think about how much energy and resources were used to bring it, Chilled, to your hand, so that you could drink it, then pitch it away, all in the name of “Convenience”.

Then ask, in the Big Picture, in my Children’s children’s life time, did I REALLY need to buy that?

How Convenient is it, really?

Drip, Drip, Drip, Drip…

http://us.oneworld.net/external/yahoo.php?url=www.earthpolicy.org/Updates/2006/Update51_data.htm

How Fucked Up is That?

The way to progress in Palestine is Democratic Elections.

Democracy = Freedom.

Freedom = Good

Unless you are the US Government.

"Um...So sorry, didn't you know that
you can't vote that way?"

Heaven forbid you actually
USE your new found freedoms to
act for
YOURSELVES.

Never mind that OUR interference
in YOUR politics
60 years ago,
CREATED all this mess.

DITTO Iran

DITTO Iraq

DITTO Columbia

DITTO (fill in the blank with Troubled Third World Country)

insomnia

I've been sleeping all week and maybe due to a late coffee, I can't seem to fall asleep.

hmm...

funny how that works...

Waiter Rant recommeded these, so you know they gotta be good.

http://postsecret.blogspot.com/

and

http://www.dooce.com/

And now for something completely depressing

http://www.architecture2030.org/

What are YOU going to do about it?

Bad Dreams Interpreted (no, it's not the cat)

I went home Wed. feeling lousy.

Which was suprising. I felt great Monday and Tuesday.

Thursday I stayed home sick, no sense in going in only to have to call Zelda for a Taxi ride home.

About mid day, feeling dizzy and clammy, I decided to check if I was running a fever.

And I was.

A small one, but enough to be uncomfortable.

It lasted the rest of the day.

About 8:00 pm I remembered what a Nurse friend of mine had told me about how to cut a fever.

Start with a pain reliever.
ie Tylenol.
If the fever hasn't dropped within half an hour, take a different pain reliever so as to not OD.
ie. Advil.
Keep this up till you
a) run out of different pain relievers
or
b) the fever drops.

I took me an hour and a half to finally get it down.

Seems the antibiotic I'm on has not killed this particular bug...
I feel better, but my cough is back.
Hopefully it will not disrupt my house plans for tomorrow.

I have decided I was running that low grade fever all week, which would explain the odd dreams.

*****
My sister and her husband are having to put down one of their kitties tomorrow.
They have lost all three of their long term kitties in the last year.

It has to have been tough.
Mommy Kitty has been with them for 16(?) years.
She was fond of sleeping at the head of the bed.
Right on top of my brother-in-law's bald spot.

She would get upset with him from time to time and boycott the bed for a night or two.

She has been sick with cancer for some time now and her quality of life is fading...

Possitive thoughts and prayers coming your way sis.

Thank you mommy kitty for your dedication to brother-in-law.

(She was one of those cats who L O V E D to be touched and petted.
One got the impression it was orgasmic the way she'd purr and roll around.)

The fluffy one is Socks. Lived 16 years as an outdoor/indoor cat.

I have been told the average life span of an outdoor cat is two years.

Considering they lived on a very busy corner lot for the first 10 years or so, that's quite remarkable.

Pretty damn smart cat.

He went awol earlier this year.

Perhaps he was taken by a hawk or old age...

They have a new kitty, kit kit.

Zelda and I haven't met him yet.

Though we have been told he's a ball of fun as only kittens can be.

And they love him already.

Aren't we funny creatures?

I could tell you

I could tell you what I did for Zelda,
but I think it would be best to hear it from her.

Let it be said that lots of pampering has taken place.

Hostages were used,

and things should be getting better.

****
She has been off of her allergy meds in preperation for a skin test on Wednesday,
(yes, she does have skin, but that's not what the test is about.)
and so she has been quite miserable.

Throw in the notion that she gets jealous when I stay home sick,
(yeah, go figure.)
and the drive I can't help her make, and you have

one

very unhappy

Zelda.

In the imortal words of...

Ah... from the imortal words of Hanibal
from that late great TV show,
"the A team",

"I love it when a plan comes together!"

(The A team, gotta love it!)

Making Plans...

This morning I was at a lost as to what to do for my beautiful wife…


But after talking with the powers that be,

I now have a plan…

Giving Meaning to life

Step one.

Do your wife's laundry.
Not EVERYday, as to let her get spoiled,
but regularly,
so as to let her know you love her
in actions
as well as words.

Step two.

Prep her coffee maker.
Not everyday, as to let her get spoiled,
but regularly....
(that and I often don't remember before bed)

*********

Zelda and I find ourselves in a rut caused by the day to day grind of living.

Maybe I'll drive home a different way today.

Or I'll change the bed linens so that the foot of the bed becomes the head...

Looking forward

Looking forward to feeling better.

I don't know what it is, but I've been having disturbing dreams lately.

One's that are bad Quinten Tarantino movies with lots of blood and distruction, but with out the great sound track.

Maybe Scrooge was right. Dreams are little bits of bad cheese.
We DID have sushi last night.

Monday I took my latest Architectural Exam.
I will know in about 4 weeks if I passed.
(The computer knows the moment you finish, but NCARB likes to make us wait.)

This may also be a cause of the dreams...

Or it may have been that I have a big dead line on a project.
Or my head cold.

Yesterday after work I had an interview with a firm that designs retail strip centers.

Shopping centers.

I'll go in for a second interview.
But I am not sold yet.

Shell architecture gets old pretty fast.

I like the whole picture I am getting here where I am...
but I want MORE!