In the end though my biggest discovery was modkat.  Shaped sort of like an extruded app icon that you find on your iphone and with a blue washable and reusable liner that reminds one of an IKEA shopping bag, the innovative idea here is that the cat enters the litter box from the top instead of the side.  In addition the lid locks firmly down and can support the weight of my 15lb Russian Blue.  The intent is that the cat hops up on the lid and then slips into the litterbox through a hole.  In reverse the cat is supposed to hop back onto the lid which has small holes to catch the litter before the cat hops off and runs away.  Lucy however finds it easier to drag herself up and over the back therefore shortcutting the step of hopping on the lid, thereby spraying litter on the floor.  It’s not as bad as before, so the new litter box is still worthwhile in this sense.  Also neat is that it comes with a scoop that stores right on the unit itself.

Lucy and her new modkat

Several colors are available.  I was initially drawn to the red color, then yellow, then finally decided on white since my apartment and furnishings seem to change every one to two years.  The main draw back is the price which is close to $200.  Lucy’s first litter box was $10 + a $5 scoop.  If you are willing to invest in a designer litter box which will be an almost attractive feature in your tight apartment then this is a great option, instead of being hidden in a spare closet.

So…

My mom left the car to fill up and then when inside to get drinks.  This gave me an opportunity to take it all in.  Someone was definitely trying to make a statement with this one.  The first thought is the Jetsons.  The glue that tied everything together was the roof plane which beginning at the convenience store, continued to shelter the car wash where it then made a sharp turn and became the canopy sheltering the gas pumps.  Then I noticed that the cars waiting for the car wash (and the line was ridiculously long which is not usually the case at most of the gas stations I’ve seen).  The entry point was at the east side of the convenience store.  From there a ramp guided the cars behind the convenience store (which had plenty of glazing to express this layering) where eventually it came back down at the actual washing area.

Check out LA Curbed’s website which has several photos with explanations.  Here is my stitched photo from cell phone camera shots as well…

Gas Station by Kanner Architects

Awhile ago when I was packing for a trip I wanted to bring along my favorite shampoo but the container was too large to pack in my small bag (who wants to check bags these days with all the fees and hassle?).  I remember I had some film containers so I filled them with my shampoo and conditioner.   Enough for 2-3 days!

Those who know John and me the best are aware of our Pt Cruiser game.  It started as a road trip game on the way back from a trip to Nashville and has been an ongoing game ever since.  With the recent troubles at Chrysler it is highly probable that this game is going to get much harder as the years progress.  I want to point out that this game did not evolve because either John or I have a liking for Pt Cruisers as our taste for cars is currently along the lines of Audi.  However, the Pt C. look is distinctive, they are hard to miss and come with wood trim, flames, convertible style, even limos.  So naturally at papertoys.com I chose to make the paper Pt Cruiser.  I had problems getting the front to fold right but I think it came out pretty good!

Then things began to crumble…

I was fully immersed in a major deadline which had already been pushed back a couple of weeks. I had returned from Thanksgiving weekend (during which I met John and we had our first date) and had gotten settled at my desk ready to push through the final week of my project’s CD phase and was busy coordinating final details with consultants and finishing changes to drawings that were on my to-do-list (which became the running joke of my project team throughout the project). That morning I found out I was being let go. I’m sure the reaction of everyone is different, but it took awhile for it to sink in in my case. My strongest reaction I guess was quiet anger because I wasn’t able to finish my project, it was close to Christmas, and I wasn’t going to get much needed hours to complete my professional internship.

Six months later…

A numbness starts to set in and a loss of motivation, confidence and self-worth starts to set in.  Some of the hardest things to deal with are filling up time productively, staying motivated, and sticking with what you have committed to do. Just because the economy is weak right now, I still do not accept the idea of giving up my career but the odds of me getting hired at the moment are stacked up against me.  Every day I want to give up, but I don’t because I know I deserve better.  I’ve gotten a mixture of advice and a lot of it has been right on, but it is hard to accept that you might have to put your career on hold and find a job doing something else.  Also, I have no clue what else to do because I am still too young to be ready for a career change and am at a critical stage of my career in beginning the process of becoming licensed.  I can only push on, get better and learn as much as I can, and continue to grow.

A lot of our identity is defined by our jobs.  What do you do?  Where do you work? How can we establish a relationship/partnership with your company? My advice to the newly unemployed is to really try to know yourself and always believe in yourself. Really invest time in your support systems…your family, friends, networking groups, sport teams, church..and open up about your situation in an honest and real way. Make sure they know what your passions and interests are and make sure you learn from their passions and experiences as well. It might open your eyes to new possibilities. I never thought I would start a website, but John’s interest in blogging intrigued me and I wanted to try something new with my free time. I’m still playing around with what I ultimately want its purpose and target audience to be, but for now it’s for those that want to learn more about my interests, keep up with how I’m doing, and my adventures during my “unplanned vacation”.

It seems that December was a month of changing plans. At the beginning of the month I became involved with a beautiful girl. I had not been too seriously looking for a relationship but it seems that’s when the most wonderful ones spring up. My December bore no resemblance to the one I had imagined I would have even a few days earlier. Everything seemed to be going well and then I was forced to join the ranks of the unemployed.

Once I was laid off I made a plan that I would begin blogging and find a new job in a few weeks and everything would be right as rain. Boy was I was wrong. I did begin a new website, you can find it here, but it seems finding new gainful employment is more difficult than I expected. I have been searching and networking for going on three months now and have had very little luck.  Don’t get me wrong not working is pretty awesome, not having work every day is very freeing, but that gets old fast. When the majority of your friends have jobs it can get pretty lonely.

Since most of my friends have jobs they have a hard time sympathizing with my plight. A notable exception though is my girlfriend (the proprietor of this website), she unfortunately is also laid off. So predictably we end up spending a good amount of time together. It’s been great for the relationship but still work would amazing. I have digressed back to ruminating on plans.

While plans are rarely followed to a T there is still a use to making them. Since I have been laid off and much to the chagrin of my girlfriend, I have not made schedules and plans for each of my days. When I was working the majority of my daylight ours where devoted to work so that portion of my day was planned for me 5 days a week. Now with no gainful employment my days are wide open, and I not being the most disciplined person with my time have squandered much of it. Now I have endeavored to make more plans and more importantly goals. Without plans and goals it is easy to float through life. Its easy to lose sight of the big picture. Don’t get me wrong it is useful to cast aside ones plans and live free every once in a while. But plans provide structure and give one hope and a since of accomplishment when quantifiable goals are reached, and when you are laid off and close to losing hope anything that gives you a feeling of accomplishment is a good thing. So to sum up plans are important but be prepared for the unexpected and often times the the things you don’t expect are the best things in life.

Retractable bollards have entered pop culture by showing people who accidentally crash into them and at this first this may seem hilarious but they are really no laughing matter as they can cause injuries and do serious damage to cars.

++ In my experience, I have specified both paper towel dispensers and hand dryers except in healthcare where there is an emphasis on hands free to prevent the spreading of germs in a sterile environment.  Part of the reason I think most of us prefer paper towels is that it’s quick, simple, and works well to dry our hands.  Dryers on the other hand are noisy, take more time, and still don’t leave hands completely dry. ++

This past Tuesday at Six Feet Under, however, I came across a Dyson Hand Dryer that boast some pretty unique features that offer a great alternative to the exlerator hand dryer.

+Several years ago, I was in Montreal with a friend during fall break and I had the brilliant idea of walking the 10 blocks to our destination instead of taking a cab.  I failed to realize how long the blocks were and my feet wore out very quickly.  I was, however, delighted to see that Montreal had disposal stations instead of trash cans on every block.  

Next to the bin for waste were also receptacles for paper, plastic and cans.  Even the Atlanta airport has not accomplished that and its 2009 (although I have not flown since 2008 so I cannot 100% back that statement).  I came across a design competition in Chicago that engaged the young architecture community to design a recycling receptacle for Chicago’s streets.  I think this is a promising way to help define a a city’s identity, commitment to the environment, and add visual interest.++

+I live in a modern apartment community, that has for everyone’s convenience trash valet four days a week.  During designated times, residents can leave trash right outside their door and leave it to magically disappear in two hours for the price of $18 a month (this fee is required, not optional).  Unfortunately recycling is not available, so everyone just tosses their recyclables in the garbage and thinks nothing of it.  I admit I did that for a few months because I have limited space in my small apartment and had no idea of where to go to do the responsible thing.  I now go to Whole Foods but it’s not convenient and I used it mostly as an excuse to get out the house. ++

I recommend Earth911.com to find areas to recycling near you. Every third saturday of the month, the Midtown Alliance has a recycling event in the parking lot across from Grady and accepts e-waste.  This is great when you are making a move, which many of us are being forced to do these days!