First things first, today is my birthday.  I am 33, wish me well in the comments.  Jesus was crucified when he was 33.  I’m not trying to draw a parallel between Jesus and I, I’m just saying.  Be nice to me or suffer eternal damnation.

Life has been moving at a billion MPH the last few weeks.  I have begun the final project of the semester, I am TA-ing a design communication class, I am trying to organize a school wide Rhino tutorial session(s), I have begun a new job with my professor from last semester, and we are discussing entering the Van Alen competition together.

The above image is of the Carrie Furnace in Pittsburgh, the site of our final project.  It is an annual competition for the ACSA, known as the Steel Competition.  We are working in teams of two and are to design a museum.  I have been researching the culture of Pittsburgh and site forces but haven’t really hit it too thoroughly yet.  That begins tomorrow. If any of my readers live (or have lived) in Pittsburgh, please contact me.  I have some questions.

I am going to Pittsburgh next weekend to visit the site and to familiarize myself with Pittsburgh. After that I have to finish my portfolio; portfolio review is in the middle of March.  And then I have to go to Florida for Lydia’s wedding.

And then I go to China/Europe to study abroad.  I booked my tickets and paid for all of my lodging and my bank account is several thousand dollars lighter for it.  I have two free weeks from June 15th-30th and I plan on going to London, Paris, Barcelona, Amalfi and Vals to see/soak in Zumthor’s Therme Vals.

Hello again everyone, Happy Birthday to me.

I have to admit that after having lived in Hollywood for several years there isn’t much that surprises me. But, as I was getting into my car this morning (on a very dense urban street in Hollywood, mind you) I noticed a weird smell. I went to the other side of my car and saw that there was a dead shark on the curb, next to my car in front of a 6 story apartment building. The photo doesn’t do justice to the size of this thing; it is 5 ft. long. I stood there wondering how on earth a shark could end up in the middle of Hollywood and I still can’t figure it out.