The AWOL Architect

  We all have different incentives and VERY different obstacles that are put in the way of our goals.   Our goals are varying as well, but since I've put myself on this crazy path when I tell people there is almost always a response of, "I could never do that."  And the reality is none us of can, or will, if we think that way... I might not reach my goal but I damn well am going to give it a RED HOT GO!   Why # 1 - Because if I cross that finish line or not my deceased father would be so proud of me...and that is still a driver in my day to day life.  He was the first man, and possibly only to date, who believed I could genuinely do anything I put my mind to...  #YOLOMF Cancer is a fucking horrible disease in how it must be fought. In the past two years I have lost three very amazing people who were directly or indirectly a part of this amazing life.  Its been 19 years since I lost the two most important men in my life and I'm now at the age ...

I've decided to start this one with a bit of a funny story that exemplifies the fact that architects live and breathe architecture... Many of you know I dream about architecture; I also think about architecture in the shower.  Two weekends ago after cycling 70km, ocean kayaking 6km, and carrying my bike up a hill that's a pedestrian version of Lombard Street in San Francisco, I jumped into a much needed HOT shower.  My body hurt and I had burned 2,500 calories (equivalent to the healthy caloric intake for a typical adult male per day).   As hot water started to soften and melt away the tightness and soreness, what I wanted to do was lie down on my stomach and shift so the hot stream of water could palpate the points of fatigue and pain.  In a quarter circular shower stall with an approximate radius of 850mm this is NOT possible.  Who designed this shit?! So, to solve the problem of getting this glorious hot water to fall on to my lower back I decided I coul...

“I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” ―  Michael Jordan Grab a cup of coffee or a pot of tea as this is a long one... For those of you who knew in me in highschool, and before, you know that I mostly identified as an athlete.  Playing various sports, starting with gymnastics and ending with Track and Field (or athletics as its called in Commonwealth Countries).  During the winter months we practiced basketball 2.5 hours a day with games at night and on weekends.  During the summer months I left home and rode 3-5 horses a day, mucked 10 plus stalls and did 8-10 hours of hard yakka per day.  The others seasons varied and usually included some of the above.   I was fast - for a couple years in middle school I was the fasted female mile runner in my class.  I was st...