lunch @ zito's

phone call from greg to visit old blue water grill. was formerly zito's restaurant. now to be a pay day loan. rode with greg and justin (partner). the building has been destroyed. when it was the b.w.g., it had a kind of low burn kitsch sensibility. zito's tried to add some thin red brick on the interior to give it that "authentic italian restaurant" feel. but the things got aluminum storefronts, a flat roof with exposed hvac equipment, and not a single masonry bone in its body. greg's going to strip it back; exactly the right thing to do. walking in their was kind of like peering through the clouded windows of a tomb. dust, decay, creatures, death everywhere. unfortunately, i could still remember having wonderful meals there, the intriguing murals on the walls, the festive ceiling decor. although it was a bit expensive for us, i have to say that i truly felt happy eating there.

greg bought the house behind it. i thought for parking, but no, he's renting it out (as an investment). i suppose it was to also give him a buffer zone, so the immediate neighbor wasn't screaming about the new establishment.

he called this evening and asked to have a rough perspective sketch of the remodeled building for a local business group meeting on monday at 7:30am. sure . .

today going through many of the schedules for a final revision: windows, plumbing, finishes, etc. for d. resid. i get a very good feeling when looking over the plans. i can start to envision the house and feel it coolness. the set of drawings is the most thorough and complete thing i've probably ever accomplished (besides my scarpa thesis). though it pains me to go through every detail over and over, especially when i keep finding little mistakes everywhere, i also have a sense pride about it as an accomplishment. of course the feeling's a roller coaster from moment to moment.

need to get a big jump on j. resid. sketches, model, plans.

sign for d. resid. with rendering and website at building lot.

submit b/w resid. for chrysalis renovation award. we're getting an award for it from missouri preservation in february. lynn's to help write up & send out a piece for publicity. i should have worked to get it published beyond saint louis years ago. this time, we'll send out something that will catch someone's eye. and follow up with phone calls & emails. i owe it to anne and steve, to harris, to lynn, and to myself.

same with my scarpa thesis. i can send a cd-rom with the text. what about the illustrations? will i have to scan them? send to mit press, princeton architectural press, southern illinois university press, rizzoli, others.

need to scan r.g. ross photographs from magazine. it seems they'd be a good outfit to work with if h.b. doesn't work out. meeting with them on tuesday morning to review d. resid. plans. will bring updated, finalized schedules with me (or deliver on monday). will need to finalize specs, pronto.

invoice, bills, payroll, checkbook, personal and business taxes. what a pain.

need to write on harris. had meeting with tom m. re: an h.a. historic district in oakland. he lives next door to harris' old studio, now a house, much enlarged. should have recorded our conversation to transcribe as text. had lots of good comments (of course). starting my writing verbally will help tremendously with the procrastination / can't get started / got to be perfect syndrome.

need to meet with people to do the same: record conversation. that will create a mass of material forming the basis for the text. organize images according to chapters. print them out and store / organize using picasa. stream of consciousness via imagery. that's the way to move forward. i need to complete the book this year 2005.

also finish r. resid. -- screen porch, railings, lighting, ceiling fan, stone patio outside office. then photograph interior and exterior. update landscaping this spring: walk paths, finish concrete piece edging of zebra grasses. plant lots of bulbs. plant lots of seeds for flowering plants, especially out at the street. buy from 'go native' (or something like that).

no actual lunch. office was locked and dark when i got back. although c. means well, its often hard, painful, and frustrating to deal with her running commentary. not because of the content really, more due to the corrosive delivery. she's got way too much anger and frustration inside.

a.e.r.'s not performing at school. he's a damn smart kid, but kinda lazy and slow to start (like me). procrastinates. tomorrow. later. after. his report card was good, but the teacher says he's not doing his work. oy . . . discipline, homework, potty training, eliot chapel on sunday, powder valley on saturday (looking at the birds? walking?)

j. resid: simple, light, open, not rustic, not really country, honest, straightforward, link to faux barn, create a piazza between (courtyard), define the outdoor space, cars, lights, horses, views, pump septic up to pasture, experiment with floor levels? . . keep to scheme laid out? call to discuss? update . . . schedule . . . deadline? b. fuller's comment about design and beauty is on the mark overall and especially in this case. listen to mies' voice on 'modern architecture' interview cd-rom.

must cruise on d. resid. specs. complete quickly and efficiently. no unnecessary b.s. copies of cut sheets should help.

sleeping better with cpap, but still feeling tired. now to sleep.