Things I See

There was a huge inspection project back in October. Doing the field work and then writing up the inspection reports took the rest of the year. Combine with holidays, a vacation and a heavy cold, there was no coming up for blogging air. But I saw some interesting stuff.

A plywood tree.

This was in a chapel. It's two pieces, cut exactly the same and stuck together. It looked like one of them had that center cut out you're familiar with when you get some toys; the cut out which helps you slide two pieces together.

I looked at this and thought how cool it would be to have this done at a Christmas tree. You could assemble it and then stick the whole thing into a closet. It could be painted green and there could be holes in the branches to hang ornaments. The spread of the base would prevent all but the largest animal or human from toppling it. I would be interested in this concept since my fake tree is rather annoying to put together and is quite heavy to bring up from the basement. That's why I didn't bring it up this year. I just didn't feel like assembling it. And yet, I have all these ornaments I love to look at. A tree like this would serve well for display purposes. I could see stores selling ornaments year 'round could find this attractive.

The lighting in the chapel was very interesting. This is a half-moon fixture which was in the choir loft. Great thought was given to the presentation of light. It can be very easy to slap up a row of track lights and call it a day. Quick, efficient, but, as a representation of faith, not so much. It's one thing when the church is old and installation of current lighting needs to take preservation in mind. It's another when you can create the lighting when you design where the lavatories go. I've seen a more unified design when it's new construction versus old construction where new fixtures have to be installed. It's not all the time, mind you, but enough for me to notice a consistency.

Here is the fixture in the center of the main floor of the chapel.

The half-moon fixtures were in the choir and around the walls. There were recessed lights under the lofts on either side, but two of these filled the main floor with light. They produced the most interesting reflection on the polished floor.

In a health services lab, the entry had a most appealing design. In the waiting area, the wall across from the windows had panels like this.

I thought it might represent a light rain shower. On the windows of the waiting area, was this corresponding design.

This reinforced my idea the design represented rain. But inside the receptionist's area was this alcove.

This is what is left when you make a panel with holes. I didn't try to figure out which panel corresponded, if any did, to this. It would drive me batty. The overall effect was pleasing and if you were coming to the area for a class, I think it would be designed to relax you, at least, I hope it would. It was cool, nonetheless.

Drawing desks. I was so excited when I saw these. When I matriculated for my art minor, I had to take drawing classes. I can't draw worth a darn, really. We didn't have desks. We had to hold our oversize drawing pads in our laps. I might have enjoyed the class better if we'd had these desks on which to put things.

This is the ceiling in the remodeled main campus building, Old Main. Doesn't every college have a building similar to this? It was the first building on campus and used to be classrooms before being turned into administration in, probably, the 1960's. The university had done a wonderful job of preservation and redemption of the structure. This is the first floor welcome area ceiling; very art deco. Made me think that if I ever get around to repainting the kitchen, this would be a cool pattern to do to the ceiling. The light fixtures were, I think, kind of blaise, but their unpretention made you look at the ceiling.

Finally, we'll file this under "You had one job."

My obsessive-compulsive friends were really upset by this floor. When I saw it in person, I just laughed.

Beverage:  Water

Deb

Life

I used to be so good about blogging. I used to be so good about reflection and the observational life. I write. I read. Observation goes with those.

I used to have more than enough material for daily posts. For 3 years, there was more than a post a day. Now, I can barely get a post a month. You can be forgiven for feeling that I'm never around. It is the truth. I'm not around.

What happened?

Life.

In February of 2013, my office won a very large job, part of the largest road construction project in Illinois, the rebuilding of the circle interchange in Chicago, where Interstate 290 meets Interstates 90 and 94. It was complicated, but it got us into several other projects and work has never ceased. If we aren't out in the field, we are in the office. I used to write several posts from the comfort of my office. Get the work done, write one, two or three posts. Now, I don't have that luxury. I'm heading out in the early morning hours Monday for a full day in the city on yet another large job. I started it last Thursday. There are 30 buildings to inspect. I am not sure if I will do the bulk of them but I will have a lot done by noon on Tuesday. I don't mind the field work, it's the writing up of the reports afterwards that I dislike. I admit to procrastination in that regard. I should be better about writing these. If I didn't drag my feet because I dislike it, then there would be more time for the things I do like.

I've seen things, gone places I never would have ventured to. I kind of want to go back to this fabric shop even though I need fabric like I need Bubonic Plague. But...fabric! I never would have found this place had I not had to go do an inspection in a section of Chicago where I'd never been before.

I'm traveling more than in past years. That alone takes me away from this computer and the pushing of keys and the wrestling of letters into words into sentences into paragraphs. It's sort of good for the pocketbook because we get paid a mileage rate when we have to use our cars. But day trips of 12 hours can wear on one, grind one down, make the recliner or the bed more attractive than telling you about the way cool place I found myself back in May. I haven't blogged about that even though the space was amazing and I should show you some of the photos I took.

I made the deck space this year different from previous years. I haven't shown that to you and here it is, half-way through deck season. I'm out there, although not, obviously, right now, writing or reading, cats under the chair or in the doorway. I started journaling, something I used to do ages ago. I bought a package of gel pens and writing in colors has been wonderful for creativity on those pages, not so much for collecting thoughts here. And I'm drawing again. Bits and scraps and thinking I really need to invest in a good pencil sharpener. The journal entries are interspersed with art. Will I post some of it here? I don't know.

And there is life, in general. The Jeep finally died. I think I can write about that today although the deck calls. I need to upgrade my computer as World of Warcraft is bracing for a major expansion of play next month and the memory cards sit to my right, still in the box, still waiting for me to make the time to change out what I have for new and shiny. The electric line through the middle of the house, covering the bathroom, the hallway and the office, is non-functional. Next month, I need to have an electrician come out and look at it, tell me what it will cost to fix, and dread that whole process. I look years ahead and think just how much to do I want to invest in this place that's been my home for 30+ years. I had to move the computer to the living room. There are plusses and minuses to this.

I found, rather he found me, a landscape/lawn guy. He lives two blocks north of me; went to the same grade and high school Carole did. He's a go getter, if I may be allowed a retro word here. Yes, last year, I spent $250 on a brand spanking new lawn mower that now sits in the shed. If he hadn't wandered into my life when he did, my lawn would not look as good as it does. I have no time and less energy. I haven't blogged about that and I need to show you what I've done.

And there is the RA.

I honestly don't remember what I was doing when I cut my finger. It was something in early June. Probably planting. I was going to blog about my evolving plants. Well, that didn't happen, but there is a minion bandage for that cut. And it's my hands which have given me the most problems this year. My rheumatologist has moved to Atlanta and I see a new lady in August. Spring was, for some reason, particularly trying. There were and are aches in finger joints and in my wrists. That's the only place I seem to be greatly affected. When you spend a whole day typing reports, you don't want to come home and type blog posts, less so if the middle digit on the left hand hurts.

There has been the fatigue. I have energy that astounds me. I have calm. I have inner reserves I marvel at tapping into...

and then I crash. It is not uncommon for me to sleep 16 hours on a Sunday after a Saturday of activity. I don't feel fatigued on Saturday. I feel energized and am thrilled with all I can accomplish. Sunday morning dawns and I feed the girls and go back to sleep, getting up for an hour at one and maybe a few hours from 4-8. The RA web sites I follow talk about the fatigue. It is beyond "fatigue" and the associated connotations. It is beyond "exhaustion" and the definition of that word. I collapse, completely, totally. The deck and the sunshine hold no allure. Give me my bed.

This breeds frustration. There are dishes in the sink, clothes in the washer, grit on the floors, dust everywhere. I forget my daily vitamins. Don't bother me. I retreat. I seclude myself. I don't go out. Don't ask. It was a big, very big, deal to go to a wedding at the end of last month. It will be a big deal to go to Carole and Larry's. I could, very easily, recuse myself from life and stay in my bed. You don't know fatigue until it's from a chronic illness. "I'm so tired." Please. And this takes me away from the blog, from life, from things which used to give me great pleasure.

So, where am I? I am still grateful every single day. I am happy, too, in my own way. My happiness does not depend upon others. It comes from myself and if I can make myself happy in a small way, my whole day is happy. Yet, I look at this space and the hundreds of photos I have taken which have not made their way here and I feel a pang of unhappiness, emptiness, maybe. How to realign my life that I can get back here and yet do those things which are giving me pleasure? That's where I find myself. I promised, some months, or perhaps a year ago, that I would post more. I shouldn't make empty promises. I'm still here. I'm still me. I have joys and sorrows, frustrations and celebrations. I still have two cats, one of whom is in her box, snoring. I am reminded of a quote usually attributed to John Lennon but which was written by Allen Saunders for Reader's Digest.

"Life is what happens to us while we are making other plans." 

Truth. I love the journey, even with the potholes.

Beverage:  Orange Juice

Deb

I Know That Face

Might this look familiar?

It's from a web site, One Drawing Daily. I don't remember where I stumbled onto the artist's offer to draw a pet from submitted photos, but I thought, "Let's see what he does with a black cat". I sent in the photo.

Later that day, I realized I hadn't given the artist Pilchard's name and I wasn't where I could stop and amend the post. Poof. The need to provide a name was forgotten. Then, the artist went to Rome and I really forgot all about this, until this morning when the drawing came through my Facebook feed.

You must go to his web page, link above, and look through the drawings. He's amazingly talented. It's a gray, drizzly morning in Chicagoland. It needs to stop raining so I can mow my lawn. This was a fantastic splash of sunshine.

Beverage:  water

Deb