GRIZZLY PEAR

written snapshots

Category: Places

  • Three weeks in (five pack nineteen+Exploration Peak+a turtle sandbox)

    At this pace, I’ll be a year behind, except that this new year has come with a new habit—less socialing, more zining. After I make a few zines, maybe I’ll get into the selling and distribution business.

    Or may not.

    Anyways, there will be less catching up of old Substack Notes.

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    4/13/25

    jump easy enter vector five
    galaxies between you and remembrance
    Georgia come back into life

    In my current calligraphy practice, I’ve been focusing on the letters more than choosing words, hence my reliance on word lists.

    These poetry hauls are fun opportunities to play with smaller scripts arranged on a page. I only have to pick five words to turn the given ten into a fifteen word poem.

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    4/20/25

    Celebrating Easter with the most destructive beast known to mankind.

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    5/25/25

    Celebrating my colleagues’ new lives. Yes, our team had babyx2 last summer!

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    5/28/25

    Gemini
    Annie has two many

    An inside joke with an online buddy who worked with a pair of cute twins at her old job.

    I’m not a fan of the astrological words, certainly not in the context of making 5WP’s. But I’m in a “collect them all” mood with all of the Inktober challenges.

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    6/1/25

    Vista, playing with folds inside folds.

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    I just listened to a podcast with a business professor who teaches about power. It was grating, until they had a discussion about the price of power.

    In so many words Jeffrey Pfeffer acknowledged—when you got power, power got you.

    I’ve seen this dynamic over the years. It’s why I’ve been fairly unambitious in my career. I do good work and this has stumbled me upwards, but I’ve never pressed for the next promotion because there is no free lunch in corporations.

    Cya next time!

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    PS—Exploration Peak

    We went to the park with the kids. After the playground got busy, we hiked up the trail to the picnic structures on top of the hill. When we got there, the girl noticed that the benches had initials carved all over them.

    She asked why people would do this. I responded that people want to make their mark in this world, even if it means vandalizing our public property. Not particularly noble, but I get it.

    While hiking down the hill I thought of Bernard Tschumi’s follies. Of course, those big red structures are another stratosphere of architectural sophistication compared to picnic canopies.

    It made me nostalgic for college, with memories of famous architects. Gods in our eyes; just men making their mark in our world.

    —October 2021

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    PPS—The turtle sandbox

    The kids rediscovered the sandbox. A big green plastic turtle with a couple feet/stools and some toys. It’s a bittersweet object. We got it long ago, before the boy was a concept in our world.

    He’s now old enough to play with himself in this box. He appreciates the company, but he keeps himself contented moving sand around. Our daughter is still young enough to enjoy the moment, but lost patience after a while.

    Kids are fickle, but that means they can also come back to rediscover old joys, while we adults live at a much higher gear, too bored to watch children pushing sand. I rationally understand this is a vanishingly short moment, but my brain craves the high octane sugar buried in the telephone computer.

    In twenty years, I hope that I’ll remember the evening light, the sand in my feet, and the fading Vegas summer heat before the start of fall, not this aching addiction to a glowing screen.

    —October 2021

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    PPPS—Practice

    4/22/25

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  • OPM.61 Walmart Stories

    My thoughts about this despised big box chain revolves around two stories.

    Two decades ago, I read an article describing the demise of the pickle giant Vlasic as Walmart’s relentless supply chain squeezed them into bankruptcy.

    The second was an anecdote by a friend whose sibling works for the company. Walmart employees are not allowed to accept gifts. The rule is so strict that they pay for bottled water when visiting a vendor’s office.

    Aside from the power of stories to stick in one’s memory (branding!), they highlight an interesting dichotomy I’ve seen in government.

    Bureaucracy has a logic all its own. The system will demand individual uprightness while being corporately cruel. As the Owner, the trick is to find that balance. We must uphold strict standards, but we also need to execute with wisdom and judgement.

    It is easier to be a coldly bureaucratic operator, but the process is so much richer when practiced with warmth.

    ~

    Some Links

    For about six months, I dived into jazz. I don’t consider myself particularly knowledgeable about this obtuse genre, but here are a few standouts from those explorations, primarily courtesy of library app Hoopla.

    After trying out a few of Keith Jarrett’s solo albums, I’ve settled on the Paris Concert. Like the rest of the world, I adore the Koln Concert but I prefer how the Paris Concert starts with a baroque phrase before transitioning into jazz.

    Coltrane is still the truth. For the season, you can’t go wrong with My Favorite Things, and Giant Steps is every bit as giant its title.

    Less famous known is Bobby Timmons. I first found him due to his excellent Holiday Soul Christmas album, but I’ve also very much enjoyed his albums Chun King and Chicken and Dumplin’s.

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    Schrader & Dennis, Three Oaks, Michigan, 1909

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    Thanks for reading!
    Justus Pang, RA

  • Anaheim and Big Bear, Summer 2024

    Notes from our Disneyland + Big Bear run (trying to escape the Las Vegas heat before school starts).

    0) The day before we left, we battled a pantry bug infestation. After decades of bulk purchases it was finally our turn. Better that they showed up before we left, but it made for a hectic run up to the vacation. From now on, everything bulk goes into the freezer for a week. And no more stocking up.

    1) Our boy is not good with mountains nor traffic and certainly not both—he’s thrown up a couple of times on the Cajon Pass between Victorville and San Bernardino.  If your kiddo has a similar issue, Coyote Canyon Park is a lifesaver.  It sits right after the pass with restrooms and a shaded playground. As a city park, the restrooms might be closed after dark, but they were open both times we’ve visited. Our future Vegas to SoCal runs will plan on hitting the Clyde V. Kane Rest Stop and then this park as we glide into the megacity.

    2) The kids felt they liked Legoland almost as much as Disney.  If so, there’s more stuff to do a short drive away, the weather more pleasant, Legoland a bit cheaper, and the park is well suited for younger kids. San Diego FTW. That said, this is Disneyland!  

    3) We refused to pay the extra $35 per head per day for Lightning Passes but still got plenty of rides by skipping the popular roller coasters (Matterhorn, Space Mountain, Star Wars, Cars). That said, keep an eye out for the virtual queue program.  It was being used to control crowds at the Haunted Mansion Ride (and I suspect offered as a free taste for their Lightning Pass system).

    4) We stayed at the Anaheim Islander Inn and Suites (which we used for our last visit five years ago).  A totally no frills motel with bananas and costco danishes for “breakfast”.  The place was clean, walking distance to the park, and the price was right.

    5) The design manager at my office with a bit more Disneyland experience recommends the Candy Cane Inn.  It’s a little pricier but looks a lot nicer (it was on our route to the park).  We would have considered this place if we were visiting with our parents since they have a shuttle to the park.

    6) Bring a stroller. This is the last time our boy can ride it and it was nice to throw wheels under him for the half mile march home. Even so, we’ll bring it next time since it was a great provisions cart to supply these day long marathons.

    7) The three weekday tickets were the best deal we could find. Ideally, we’d live in Southern California and visit once a month for a season, but that’s not an option for Nevadans. Three days in a row was plenty; we were getting frayed by the last day. Even our girl acknowledged that she would have had her fill after four days (two at each park).

    8) I strongly prefer Disneyland over California Adventure. Disneyland feels more authentic in its simulacrum, partly because much of it was built before disability standards. California Adventure is the outdoor mall version of Disneyland—the girl commented that it felt a bit like a casino. But they preferred the thrill rides at California Adventure.

    9) We planned on exploring other parts of LA, but it was too friggin hot. Coming from Vegas, I thought we could handle the heat, but outdoor all day under a humid 83 is a lot. So we went up to Big Bear instead. Along the way, we got gas in San Bernardino. It was 105. I have no idea why anyone would live there instead of Vegas.

    10) Yes, the boy threw up twice on the way up the mountain.

    11) We stayed up there for two full days to decompress from Disney before heading home.  We hit up the Big Bear Valley Historical Museum with a few old buildings and plenty of exhibits, well worth the entry fee of $5 per adult. The Big Bear Alpine Zoo was a bit more expensive ($54 for the family) and the animals were hiding from the heat.  The San Diego or Los Angeles Zoos would be better deals…but we weren’t in SD nor LA, and LV don’t got no zoos.  Both places were good for 90 minutes each if you savor the strolls. 

    12) I suspect there are plenty of nature things to do as well, but we used up all our walking energy in Anaheim. Our AirBNB had Disney+ so we caught up on Bluey. YouTube noticed and fed us the single Bluey episode that the Mouse refuses to stream on their service. Fortunately the Australian Broadcasting Company has now uploaded Dad Baby for everyone to watch. It’s hilarious. Go check it out.

    13) We also watched Finding Nemo, Finding Dory, and Dumbo. They’re all great, but Dumbo was amazing. 5 minutes of story as an excuse to produce 85 minutes of badass animation. If you haven’t watched Dumbo lately, do yourself a favor and check it out after you watch Dad Baby.

    14) The ride home was uneventful. Unlike the route up from LA, the road down to Vegas was gentle, on par with a Mount Charleston run.  Along the way, we hit up the EddieWorld gas station north of Barstow.  It was meh—what you’d expect from any wannabe tourist trap (like the Terrible’s at Jean). 

    15) We skipped the claw machine at Prizm Mall at Primm this time, but it’s a way better stop with all the massive murals inside and outside of the dead mall. I wonder how long that building will stay open since it only has one shop operating in that place. Five years ago we hit up the old Barstow Outlet Mall (the old one set back from the freeway). At the time it was almost empty but still well maintained with green lawns. That place is now fenced off and totally brown inside.

    16) I brought a bunch of books but I didn’t get much reading in. But I did get some good progress on The Conference of the Birds (Darbandi & Davis translation). I dig it. I don’t grok the Sufi obsession with “love” in a Islamic context but I’m only halfway through. At least I’m now in sync with the masnavi meter. Last year, I tried to read Rumi’s Masnavi but I couldn’t get past the rhyming structure. Now I think I can flow with it.

    update: 17). I completely forgot to mention the highlight of our Zoo trip. While at the gray wolf exhibit, the three wolves settled up against the glass. They were on a raised platform so our faces were less than an inch away from these majestic beasts. Mama was so moved that she let the kids buy a wolf stuffy at the gift shop even though she’s sick of the proliferation of soft toys in our house. This afternoon my daughter looked the zoo website and found out that these wolves were rescued from the illegal pet trade. They arrived malnourished and with severe mange. Humans are so callously cruel, and yet, this zoo shows that we can also emend our faults.

  • jade

    We went to the Clark County Museum’s historical park for their annual “Heritage Holidays” celebration. It’s been four years since our last visit, a completely different world ago.

    I presume he enjoyed it a lot more than when he was twenty months old!

    This photo was taken in a tiny two bedroom house, originally constructed in Henderson, Nevada around the Second World War.

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    We have been extremely cautious about the pandemic so we still aren’t eating out. As such, much of this info is out of date, but I wanted to mention a few favorite Vegas places, but please do your own research.

    Vegas Restaurants

    • Ramen was just becoming a craze and hadn’t made it to Houston before we left. So when we arrived, we went straight to Monta. It was still our favorite before the pandemic hit, though I’m not sure it’s totally worth the long wait.
    • Pacific Island Taste was a favorite at my office. My co-worker still vouches for it and we had them cater our holiday potluck a month ago. Get some Hawaiian flavors at the 9th island!
    • If I was going fancy on the Strip, I guess I’d pick the Bouchon at the Venetian. Strip restaurants are usually money grabs by celebrities so it lacks the passion you find with chefs at their original passions. But we’ve had a couple memorable Easter brunches with friends up at the top of this hotel.

    Vegas Coffee Shops

    • Tony Hsieh’s Downtown Project wasted a ridiculous amount of money, but one of its legacies is the sunken courtyard with Mothership Coffee Roasters in the old Ferguson Motel in Downtown.
    • Nearby is Publicus, an independently owned coffee shop that has maintained a stellar reputation.
    • Le Paris Coffee and Pastry is an off strip gem on Decatur and Desert Inn. It was the place I’d take folks to show them the “real Vegas”.

    Quirky Places in the Desert

    • The Clark County Museum is a great deal with general admission at $2.00. We should go there when the sun is out, I’ve heard there is more there to be enjoyed.
    • Cactus Joe’s is a nursery and variety store. Given that it’s primarily outdoors, this was one of our first visits when we started coming out of our shell. It’s a fun shop, even if none of the stuff matches our aesthetic tastes.
    • Calico Basin is on the outside of the famous Red Rock Canyon. It’s free and won’t involve a long wait to visit.
    • If you want to check out a big piece of civil engineering, the Hualapai Lot Trail Head gets you right there. It’s wild to hike in the hills overlooking the city, turn a corner and feel like you’ve disappeared into the desert.
    • Las Vegas Books is a used bookstore that opened a couple of years ago by owners who moved here from Minnesota. This is the quintessential Las Vegas story. Come here and work hard, and you will establish a reputation in no time.

    And if you want decade-old tips for Houston (we left in 2013) here are few highlights.

    • We loved walking through the Menil art collections. It was our last stop before leaving the city.
    • The quirky Orange Show is an inspiring testament to what one determined person can make.
    • The Port Authority offers a super cool, free 90 minute boat tour of the shipping channel.  
    • If you have time for a full day detour, run up to the Kimbell Art Museum at Fort Worth. This building is a required visit for any architect.

    Houston Nostalgia in Restaurant Form

    • Cafe Brasil is where I started a Friday morning caffeine and contemplation routine, with a shot of espresso and a scone.
    • Wandering around the neighborhood, we discovered La Guadalupana and fell in love with their pastries (almond croissants!), vampiro (beet, carrot, and orange juice), and their mojarra frita.
    • Our favorite breakfast plate was the migas (Mexican style egg scramble with tortilla strips) at Baby Barnaby’s. This American posh fusion took it this TexMex breakfast plate to another level.
    • In Bellaire (Chinatown), we would get the Spicy Fried Tofu at Star Snow Ice in the Dun Huang Plaza. It paired great with their sweet Hot Tofu soup. Sometimes we would start a meal run with Fried Tofu as an appetizer, go to another restaurant for the entree, and return for Hot Tofu as dessert.

    Hopefully I didn’t steer y’all wrong in with the food, but I can vouch for the other stuff. And I’m always happy to chat about my towns. I hope you have fun in the desert (or swamp!)

  • San Diego, Z to A

    1. Zoo is the truth. Visit it. Get a membership. Visit it a few times.
    2. Yes! The carousel started running again that week at Balboa Park after a six month rehabilitation. What a gem! Gorgeous carvings. It has character, which the carousel at Legoland lacks.
    3. unfortunately, the miniature train at Balboa Park, is uneXceptional.
    4. We’ll be back next March and with another set of 2-day passes to Legoland. (They charge almost nothing for the second day, aside from the $30 parking charge.)
    5. Visit the ships at the Maritime Museum. It’s awesome. We spent all day (without even taking the harbour tour). I could not imagine packing myself with a bunch of dudes to explore the world. I hope to return ten years later when they’ll be old enough to savor the exhibits. They also enjoyed the park across the street.
    6. Unimaginably bigger is the Midway Aircraft Carrier. After the Maritime Museum closed, we walked to this ship and holy hell, that thing is massive. We’ll visit in five years when both kids are old to understand its enormity.
    7. The years as a project manager of large construction projects taught me the value of money. What we saw ain’t cheap, forty or four hundred years ago.
    8. Several active warships were docked across the bay. Super-empire!
    9. Regrettably, the kids (five and nine) aren’t old enough to enjoy art museums. But that’s not so disappointing when it’s a small free jewel box like the Timken Museum of Art.
    10. Quirky Spanish Village Art Center was also fun, but nerve-wracking while manhandling a five year old to keep him from touching everything.
    11. Preferably, art should be touched, but that’s not my call in someone else’s studio.
    12. On the other hand, you can touch the art at the New Children’s Museum. Not cheap ($76 for the four of us), but the Whammock! by Toshiko Horiuchi MacAdam is worth every penny. My daughter is aging out of the museum, so it was a bittersweet visit.
    13. Nighttime festivities at the zoo freed me to wander Balboa Park on my own for two nights (we only bought one adult membership for my wife since it came for coupons for my entries).
    14. Mingei International Museum was cool. High craft meets high art. Next time I’ll pay to peruse the second floor gallery.
    15. Lovely to hang out at the May S. Marcy Sculpture Court and Garden. I sketched a few sculptures, eavesdropped on a couple of conversations, and enjoyed the evening as the sun set.
    16. Kicking it on the the stairs in front of the Timken Museum was a joy as a group of youngsters danced to a bluetooth speaker. I miss living in a real city.
    17. Jump! One young fellow was lying on the ground. As a middle aged fool, I assumed he was stretching his back. He suddenly twisted himself upside down in a flash.
    18. I enjoyed a couple of hours at the Natural History museum. I wasn’t into the taxidermy, but stared for a while at bones and hand-drawn botanical illustrations.
    19. How did he grow up so fast? After the zoo closed, we checked out a moth event outside the Natural History museum. The boy asked great questions for the entomologist. I didn’t realize he was so fluent in English.
    20. Go to the Fleet Science Center. (According to my coworker who grew up in San Diego)
    21. For $229, the Balboa Park annual pass (2 adults and 4 kids) is a no-brainer in future visits.
    22. Even though the AirBNB was in a great location, it was a little grimy. But we had a place to sleep and cook for a week at a reasonable price. It came with fleas.
    23. Dogs! But the landlord’s dogs were super cute. Our boy Drew During our waits for Dinner. I also started watching Bluey with the kids. It’s Dang great!
    24. Cute library alert! Vegas libraries are big community centers, so it fun to check out the little University Heights public library. I found a Mutts alphabet book and an illustrated copy of Kipling’s Just So Stories.
    25. Bordertown Primm has a dead Outlet Mall on the way home. There are only two stores still open with the rest filled with murals. The only reason it hasn’t been abandoned is because it’s attached to a casino. I hope it stays alive, it’s the best rest stop, clean, unused, and air conditioned. Especially since the claw machine gave us a Pickachu for $1!
    26. A week away from podcasts and writing, though I sketched a little. Before the trip, I suspected that I needed a break. In retrospect I sorely needed it. If you’re not sure, take one.

  • The bark expanded like a paper mesh, broken lines flowing above the undulating trunk, marks of the growing inside tearing to the outside.

    A lizard sunned on a tree stump.
    With a bright blue chin.
    It ran away, then stopped.
    Flashing pushups, it watched my withdrawal.

    Spaceship walk!
    He climbed onto my back for a better view of the lake.
    As I put him down, he grabbed my collar and whispered,
    Actually, I don’t want to walk anymore.

    As we walked towards the pond,
    A duck flew in to join two companions.
    Quack.
    Quack! Quack!

    Quack.
    Quack! Quack! Quack! Quack!
    Quack!
    It flew away.

    A jackrabbit froze on gravel road.
    It darted of when the kids clomped down the hill.
    We told you to stop!
    But he started first!

    We saw a propane grill on a pickup truck.
    Someone people are better at partying,
    Even at a State park,
    Especially at a State park.

    ䷏䷀

    Family moments
    gather like a
    Hairpin.

    the Sun
    sets behind
    a mountain Ranch

  • Our House

    To celebrate our 10 year anniversary, I’m sharing this house that has been a part of our marriage for 9 years and 7 months.

    The 1,100 sf house was constructed in 1952 and needed a complete renovation.

    Along with an complete update of the plumbing and electrical systems, the kitchen was rearranged with the former laundry room opened up for interior access and the insertion of a new powder room within the existing footprint.

    Exterior work included a new roof, retrofitting the carport structure, and new concrete flatwork.

    We performed the work as owner, architect, and general contractor overseeing the major trades. We also installed and refinished the interior throughout the house.

    Project Description

    This project was a constant irritant for four years, and we only lived in it for a few months. But it was worth it. We’ve had a great tenant for the last five years, and it set me up for the second phase of my career.

    I had always been an employee without subordinates. This was the first time I managed other people. I suspect the hard won experience in difficult negotiations and contractor conflicts came through in my interview, helping me grab this job and preparing me to be an Owner PM.

    Every architect should remodel their house, once.

    This remodel also taught me to treasure the moment and trust my wife.

    By the time we moved in, she was pregnant with the boy. Once he arrived, we moved back in with her parents so they could help with the kids. Then the girl started school in their neighborhood and we never came back.

    The universe doesn’t care how long you’ve taken to pursue a dream. Maybe you’ll get nothing, but sometimes it will be kind. Be grateful for those moments, however short. We got a Thanksgiving and Christmas in our house.

    Victory is fleeting, and time moves fast. This experience taught me to be picky with my commitments. I learned to focus on activities where I’ve already won by merely doing. (That’s why I’ll never do another house remodel!)

    Remodeling isn’t easy with two architects. I tend to rush, but she would sense something amiss and pause. So we’d stop. And think. And redesign. Again and again.

    Each delay took days, but it kept getting better. Replay this drama a few times and I got the message. If she’s not ready, then I know something is wrong. I learned to trust her instincts.

    I suspect most folks can learn such lessons without a miserable house remodel, but this was our crucible. Here’s to a decade, let’s hope for many more!

  • Notes from San Diego

    Three years after our country shut down, we went on our first vacation, for a week out in San Diego.

    Finally getting out of Nevada made me a little sad about the time lost. But I was also grateful for the massive privilege to take a week off and not have to worry about it.

    One big mental shift on this trip was my constant worry about time. Trying to optimize a trip is madness but I couldn’t help myself. I’m not sure what happened to the young man who spent a lovely spring afternoon on the Seine just reading Raymond Chandler. Maybe he’ll return one day.

    Legoland

    • Kids (just 9 and almost 5) loved it.
    • It’s not a big park, but it took two days to get everything out of it.
    • The second day was drizzly which worked great — shorter lines and the rainy day pledge means we get free admission for a day within the next year.
    • What didn’t work great was the Technic rollercoaster. Totally not worth an hour wait.
    • Pretty amazing to stumble across my childhood friend my first day at the park. It’s a small world.
    • The boy was scared of some rides the first day, but then enjoyed them on the second day.

    San Diego Safari Park

    • Gorgeous views.
    • Tons of walking.
    • Make sure to visit the botanical gardens at the top of the park.
    • Worth a day, definitely a great perk for locals who are already members of the main zoo, but wasn’t a highlight. Most likely way better for the animals than the humans.
    • Wait until the Elephant Valley construction is completed before visiting if you’re out of town.
    • Bring Binoculars.

    San Diego Zoo

    • Every bit as amazing as I remembered it.
    • Even with the disappointment that the Great Pandas have been recalled back to China. (Fortunately I found out before we arrived).
    • There was a long line for the tour bus in the morning. By the afternoon there was no wait. I presume it was the same dynamic for the Skyfari gondola.
    • The was the only park we didn’t stay till closing time, only because they had extended hours to 7pm for Spring Break.
    • Maybe next time I’ll bring some sketch books and we can draw some animals.
    • Hopefully the next visit won’t be in such a rush, cause we’ve now seen most of it all.

    La Jolla

    • We got lucky with free admission to the Museum of Contemporary Art (2nd Sundays and 3rd Thursdays).
    • Coming from a city without an art museum, it was amazing. But I’d have a hard time paying $25 per adult since the kids didn’t have much patience.
    • Wrangling an 4 year old around priceless art is tiring. International travel is at least two or three years away.
    • If you go to the museum, check out the Orange Wedge.
    • Also check out Adriana Varejao’s disemboweled painting.
    • Free parking in the city is a nice perk. Keep an eye out on the signs, every street has different rules for how long you can park.
    • We got to walk through to tide pools at low tide. This was dumb luck as well.
    • The momma seals and pups at the “Children’s Pool” are cute, even if you could only watch them from above since that area is closed between Dec 15-May 15 to protect the seals.
    • Always good to revisit the Pacific Ocean.

    COVID-19

    • We’re still COVID cautious. Thankfully we got nary a side-eye for being masked up the whole trip.
    • Recommend the 3M Aura and VFlex N95 masks. V-Flex comes in two sizes, and the smaller size was perfect for the kids. I’ll be curious how they feel when it gets warmer.
    • We stayed at an AirBNB. Flushed out the house when we first arrived, including running a Corsi-Rosenthal box for the first night.
    • Not eating out removed a decision point throughout the trip. Less fun, but simplified the travel.
    • Our pattern was to have a big breakfast, get to the attraction, play till the 5pm close, eat a PBJ Sandwich in the car, and go home to cook a late dinner around 8 (or 9!) pm.
    • We also kept Kind bars in the backpack.
    • Since we didn’t eat out, getting an AirBNB near a supermarket was critical. We brought plenty of stuff from Vegas, but you always need something.
    • I just realized that the Take and Bake Pizza from ALDI’s is the first non-frozen, non-home prepared meal we’ve had in 3 years.
    • I didn’t go in, but my wife reported that ALDI’s isn’t all that. Very sparse, which explains the equally empty parking lot.
    • It might be my bougie privilege speaking, but I appreciate that California charges for plastic bags. It’s long overdue to make these perks not-free so they aren’t freely wasted.
    • As for illness, let’s see how things go in a week. So far so good, but given our long hibernation, I’m assuming we’re the freshest meat out there for all the latest germs out there (corona and otherwise).

    Detour Home

    • We took a detour home through the desert. Added an hour to the drive time.
    • I love driving 2-lane highways. My wife was not amused.
    • Not sure I’d do it in summer, it would be terrifying to have car trouble with that heat.
    • There some cute shops in Joshua Tree and 29 Palms. Make sure to gas up in one of those two towns, it’s a lot of nothing after that. (And gas was cheaper than in San Diego!)
    • I wish we stopped at the little Wonderland Books shop, but we were in tired, heading home mode.
    • It was awesome to see the big restored Roy’s sign at Amboy. They’ve cleaned up the lobby. Worth a stop for a couple of pictures.
    • The highlight of the detour was the Kelso Depot. The building is nicely restored and the National Park Staff were super friendly.
    • Because we didn’t get gas at Joshua Tree, we had just enough gas to make it to Vegas, but had to refill before landing at home. It gave us one last ride — the kids’ first car wash. They squealed in delight.

    With the free admission day in Legoland, we’re now pondering a summer visit. Might as well revisit the beach and Zoo. Add one day at Balboa Park and a visit to the New Children’s Museum (which we loved in 2019) and we’re back for another full week.

    Some bureaucrat at the California Office of Tourism just earned her wings.

  • Building 1300

    Our home renovation was the first project under my stamp. The second was this renovation at Building 1300.

    It was built as a residential center the disabled. Fifty years later, it’s an administrative building. We removed two kitchens, freeing up space to become an indoor exercise activity space for the clients and a training room for the staff.

    In school, we design majestic pretend structures. Sometimes we get to participate in marquee IRL projects — my wife worked on curtain wall details for an addition to an iconic museum and I’ve played a part on three university building projects.

    But really, Architecture is a mundane practice.

    We make incremental improvements to what’s around us. We get paid to make the world a little better.

    Four years ago, I left private practice to become an Owner’s Project Manager for the State of Nevada.

    I’m the ultimate middleman — I don’t deliver nothing. The Architect designs the project. The Contractor builds it. The Agency uses the facility to serve the public.

    I just shepherd the team to deliver the project on time and on budget, hopefully at an optimal quality.

    My tasks are unremarkable. Calculate estimates. Send emails. Meetings and phone calls. Double check drawings and dollar signs. I shuttle documents around our bureaucracy.

    My position is five steps below the Governor on the org-chart, but it’s blessedly free from politics. The Citizens elect our Politicians. They determine our directives. The Division gets it done.

    But nothing happens without people.

    My big paradigm shift after taking this job was realizing that work is all about relationships. As a professional architect, I delivered tangible documents. Now, my only unique skill is familiarity with the government bureaucracy.

    I’m here to balance the conflicting demands on a project, negotiate the cross incentives within the team, and chart a path through the process.

    It’s not always daisies. On Friday night, I dropped the velvet hammer on a flooring manufacturer for delaying another project. It’s my duty to be fair and firm as a steward of taxpayer dollars.

    I grasp the checkbook, but I work for those who do the real work. Construction isn’t easy, but I hope to make it satisfying. I try to conduct myself with honor and enable each team member to to do their best. I care about each of us, in our roles and as individuals.

    This is our work. Let’s make the most of this precious opportunity.

    Maybe even walk out with a smile.

    This Kitchen Demolition project did not go smoothly. It started as an extensive renovation with a consultant architect, but the agency suddenly realized that the funding was about to expire.

    With that nasty deadline, I could only deconstruct. I slammed demolition drawings on AutoCAD LT and pushed it out to bid. The contract was approved, signed by all parties.

    Then COVID hit.

    The Capitol feared we were at the precipice of a depression and killed this little project. (Of course, the cancellation dragged out amidst the pandemic confusion, leaving the contractor in limbo for more than a month.)

    By Spring 2021, the looming depression became an economic rebound. The Agency revived the project.

    The Contractor held their bid, we waded through a swamp of paperwork, moved the cash into the right budget account, and those kitchens disappeared!

    We celebrated with a twelve pack of Dr. Peppers.

    Construction is only straightforward after it’s done. Every project suffers its twists and turns.

    We can plan, but only so much. When chaos hits, the universe forces us to negotiate. If we choose to collaborate, these frustrations can cultivate relationships beyond mere project roles.

    June came and went this year. The twelve month warranty expired — the only part of our job without hiccups.

    Wednesday morning, I returned a missed call.

    His voice quivered.

    Tracey passed away.
    I thought you should know.
    She really enjoyed working with you.

    ䷨䷆

    one small project
    client and contractor
    respect
    notice beyond this vale
    greatest honor of my career

  • Disneyland in the Kitchen Living Room

    It started innocently, pushing the boy around the house on the tricycle. To mix it up, I counted down from ten and took off like a rocket.

    The girl heard him laughing and wanted to join the fun.

    The boy didn’t want to share but learned that half is better nothing when we stopped playing with him.

    We started zooming across the floor, again and again.

    While waiting for her turns, my daughter started riding their plasma car. She wove between the scattered trampoline, tent, and slide. With this spark, we pushed and pulled the furniture to create a second ride that weaved through the living room and kitchen.

    Disneyland at Home.

    The Plasma Boat Cruise was a figure-8 circuit. It started with a leisurely River of Animals, passed the Drawing Station and slid underneath the (dining) Table Mountain, next to the Aladdin’s Cave (tent). It rolled through the Cooking Zone and Frozen Land, looped through the Furniture Alley (with the trampoline, slide, reading chair, and ottoman), baked through the Sun Canyon next to the patio door, flowed through the Gorge of Chairs, dug under the Snow Tunnel and we were back at the beginning.

    In the meantime, the Rocket would take off. When the Cruise had ended, the tricycle would be ready to go again. The riders would switch and do it all over again.

    This wasn’t the real thing. But the kids had fun, and I ate a tastier (and much cheaper) home-cooked breakfast before heading upstairs for work.

    See you in Anaheim.

    Someday.