Arkansas Traveler

My new commute.

2011-08-21T19:50:00.000-07:00

One (minor) advantage of moving to the new villa is that my commute got much more attractive - I have to walk through the gardens of villa 5.....

Living in a brothel...

2011-08-20T19:54:00.001-07:00

Between loosing access to the adjacent hotel due to a change in management, and additional staff, things were getting crowded in the compound. Many of us (including me) were doubled up and sharing a room. An adjacent building (and former chinese brothel) was available, and our company rented it, cut a door in the wall, and renovated it for our use. I didn't see it before the renovations, but I understand it was pretty ugly.

Since I'm only going to be here for another six weeks I volunteered to move over there and save one of the 'permanent' staff the hassle of moving twice. The only real downside is that I no longer have a private bath.

They haven't really started working on the garden yet, but that should be next on the list.

Oven Street

2011-08-06T05:34:00.000-07:00

On the way back from Qarghah we went down what our PSDs called "oven street" - it's supposed to be one of the older streets in the city, and where they make the giant clay ovens by hand.

Qarghah

2011-08-06T05:25:00.000-07:00

We were out at a base near Qarghah and I managed to snap some shots from the car. These are fairly typical of the smaller streets that I've seen.

Snider-Enfield

2011-08-05T19:49:00.000-07:00

I didn't mean to buy another rifle at the market yesterday. I've already gotten a couple, plus various knives, swords, and axes. This carbine, however, proved irresistible. It's a Snider-Enfield, which is a cartridge conversion of a muzzle-loading firearm. Add the mother of pearl inlays and I was helpless....

Turquoise at the ISAF Market

2011-08-05T03:52:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while since my last post, but things have been rather boring. No real adventures lately in the 'stan or while I was home on R&R....

Today was our normal taste of freedom each week, with a two-hour trip to either Camp Eggers or ISAF, I went to ISAF where the market is bigger and the merchants take dollars. The market at Eggers is smaller, and I have to deal with getting Afghanis, and then doing the exchange rate in my head. I've had a request for some turquoise for a family member, so took some pistures to show what is available.

New Rug!

2011-04-15T07:01:00.000-07:00

Picked up a new rug for the house today. It's roughly 6x9, wool, and dyed using vegetable dyes. The colors shift slightly depending on which direction it's viewed.

It'll decorate my room here in Kabul, and then go home when I do.

Bela Hassar

2010-12-26T04:14:00.000-08:00

I was going through some pictures, and found some great ones that were taken by Nino, one of the other ExPats.

It really shows how the houses are built on the slope, and what they're like.

It's a whole different world over here....

My Home Away From Home

2010-12-25T04:23:00.000-08:00

It doesn't really feel like Christmas over here. None of the hustle-bustle of shopping, parties with friends, and no family to spend Christmas morning with. I'm not sure if that's good or bad that it doesn't feel like Christmas - I don't think I fully realize what I'm missing.

They gave us the day off, s0 with yesterday being our normal 'Friday' off it makes for *two* days off in a row. I'm thoroughly enjoying being lazy. Slept late, got some reading in, and now I'm looking forward to making all of the Christmas phone calls. I think, perhaps, I'll know what I'm missing then. No regrets, though.

With a day off I thought I'd post some pictures of my little home away from home. Pretty nice quarters, all things considered. Roomy, warm, and with a private bathroom. Not too shabby......

Camp Eggers Bazaar - 17 Dec 2010

2010-12-17T02:17:00.000-08:00

Ahhh. Friday. A day of less work, and just the ExPats here. It's nice and quiet. I headed over to the market / bazaar at Camp Eggers mostly for a change of scenery. I also needed to check into the rules for shipping weapons back, and that's the place to do it.

Camp Eggers is about 10% of the size of the market at ISAF. Pretty much the same stuff, though.....

I'm strangely attracted to the fish pottery. Sweetie - what would you think about having some around the house?

ISAF Market

2010-12-03T03:00:00.000-08:00

We have a chance to go out to one of two markets on Fridays - either Camp Eggers or ISAF. Camp Eggers is primarily a US base, and the one where my clients are at. ISAF is mostly international. The markets have pretty much the same stuff, but the ISAF market is about six times the size of the one at Camp Eggers.

Today I was at ISAF, so here's some pictures:

2010-10-18T23:41:00.000-07:00

We're in the process of leasing the villa next door to us. It was being set up as a restaurant, so it doesn't offer much in the way of living space, but we desperately need the additional working space. We're packed to the gills as it is, and we're going to be adding another 10 or so ex-pats and 50 or so LNs (local nationals) would be a huge pain without more space for desks. Fortunately the LNs don't need living space, but the additional ex-pats means most of the newer folks will be doubled up in rooms. Looks like I'll probably never see a private room for the next year or so.... Oh, well. We still have it infinitely better than the green-suiters, so I can't complain.

While the new villa doesn't have more living space, it *does* have a great garden. It will be *so* nice to see some greenery.

Afghanistan has a great history of gardens. With the climate being so dry, they really value green space, and go to great lengths to take care of it. Roses are a particular favorite, and are grown pretty much everywhere.

Old Aircraft at the Flightline

2010-10-16T07:36:00.000-07:00

We were looking around a part of the Kabul Airport today, and I got a chance to take a look at some aircraft in the graveyard...

Kings & Queens Palaces

2010-10-09T07:14:00.000-07:00

The two palaces are the "Kings Palace" and "Queens Palace" without about 1/2 mile between the two. I was told that at one period the Queens Palace was use as the guest house....

The small house is one of a pair adjacent to gardens below the Kings Palace. The observatory-like building was identified as a restaurant with a pool that the last king used. Looks to be 60's or 70's era design.

And the garden is simply one of the many adjacent to the barracks. While the buildings are often in poor shape, they love their gardens!

The road to Darulaman

2010-10-09T07:05:00.000-07:00

We headed out this morning towards a new (for me) base that we'll be working on. It was very interesting how the houses went straight up the mountain, and built right into the rock.

Friday Bazaar at Camp Eggers

2010-10-01T05:23:00.000-07:00

Today I was able to get out to visit the Friday Bazaar at Camp Eggers. Cool stuff - probably much more expensive that what I'd pay at a local vendor, but that's not much of an option anyway. All in all it was a nice chance to see something more than the inside of the villa......

Here's today's score: A rug for my room and a Martini-Henry.

The stamps all seem to match, but I'm guessing that the rifle is probably a Khyber Pass copy. For what I paid for it ($60), thought, I'm not terribly worried. The bore is atrocious - a trace of rifling amidst the corrosion. I have *no* intention of ever firing it, but it and the rug will make a nice addition to the man cave......

The state of things

2010-09-28T05:05:00.001-07:00

I've gotten some comments off-line, and I thought my response might be of interest to the wider audience..... Btw, is anyone actually reading this? Leave comments!

"Yes, the villa is pretty nice. For now I'm sharing a room, but all things considered it's fine. Yes, I'm comfortable, and I feel very safe. I thing we've got a great security team handling things for us.

Work is good, and very interesting right now. I always love having new challenges, and I've got a huge amount of learning to do right now, so I'm enjoying the process.

Fun & relaxation? Well, there's not much of that. In theory, our work day is 11 hours Saturday through Thursday, with 6 hours on Friday (which is the holy day here, and the afghanis aren't working) - in practice, I can see that I'll often be working much more. Still, I have the internet to surf and my websites to read, plus books to read (there's a good-sized library left by other folks). Thursday night is a bit of a party night - we'll often do a cookout, and I've been told of a standing Thursday-night poker game.

I see a limited selection of Afghani people. We've got a number of them working with us at the villa - including housekeeping, admin, security, and technical staff. Some women, but mostly men. I work directly with a handful - they seem like really great, talented people. I can't really tell much about their customs or lifestyle - I've only been here for a bit over a week, and tend to interact with them on a professional level. Give me a few months, and I'll probably be able to tell you more."

Jalalabad Road

2010-09-26T19:57:00.000-07:00

We were out visiting a site on Saturday, so I got a chance to see a bit more of the country. The traffic is crazy - vehicles squeezing through any hole, going any direction. What's amazing is that they never hit anyone......

One Week Here

2010-09-25T19:26:00.000-07:00

I've been here a week now. I'm starting to get used to the place, but it's a bit like drinking from a firehose. Lots of work, and lots to pick up, but good folks to work with. More & more projects are coming in the door, too, there's job security......

The villas where we're staying are nice, too. We've got four in a small compound where we live & work. It makes for a short commute, but it's also hard to get away from talking about work stuff....

Here's the Villas:

Here's where I work - just inside the front window....

A view of the area:

Another view:

Once more into the fray......

2010-09-18T21:43:00.000-07:00

I'm headed to Afghanistan once again. This time it actually looks like I'm going to make it. Dubai is much the same as last time, but slightly cooler. 100F actually seems reasonable...

We had a great dinner last night, at the Ottomons Restaurant at the Grosvenor House. www.lemeridien.com/grosvenorhouse A very nice Turkish restaurant. The manager, Ahmet Bakay, took great care of us. What a small world - he's turkish, but spent 4 years in Savannah, and then 4 years in Atlanta before moving to Dubai a year ago.

Upon looking at the menu, Karon asked him to simply bring us food - whatever he thought best. It was a great choice. We had an amazing selection of foods, and shared them family style so everyone had a sample of the options. We spent three hours at dinner, finishing with cigars (not me) and single-malt scotch on the balcony overlooking the Dubai Marina. Perhaps it's the time difference, but I didn't even mind that we didn't get back to the hotel until 1am......

I can tell I'll do my best to come back for dinner whenever I come through Dubai.

Home Again

2010-08-09T07:19:00.000-07:00

I made it back home this morning. It's amazing how 95F and humid doesn't seem so bad anymore....

Dubai is an amazing and interesting place, but not one that I'd really want to live. For the right job & money I'd have no problem with it, but it doesn't do that much for me. No real 'there' or something. That, and I like smaller towns, like Winder.

Still, a very interesting trip.

More Burj Kalifa

2010-08-09T07:18:00.000-07:00

Burj Kalifa - The worlds tallest building (for now)

2010-08-09T07:14:00.000-07:00

Momma I'm coming home......

2010-08-08T00:09:00.000-07:00

It looks like my Afghan adventure is over before it started. Or postponed, at least.

The client is changing the contract, dropping 5 of the 6 bases, and adding at least 3 more. This means a change order, though, so part of the team headed on to work on the one base, and part (including me) is headed back to Atlanta pending redeployment.

At least I got an expenses-paid vacation to sunny (and hot!) Dubai. I think it was 46C (115F) yesterday.....

Eli, Me, and the Atlantis Hotel on the Palm

2010-08-08T00:06:00.000-07:00

Daytrip to Abu Dhabi

2010-08-06T07:51:00.000-07:00

We're still in limbo waiting for the contract to get worked out, so we took a day-trip over to Abu Dhabi, which is about 90 minutes away. Honestly, I like it better than Dubai. Less vegas-like, and more middle-eastern. More real. It was amazingly hot, so most of the tour was from the windshield of the car....

2010-08-04T17:40:00.000-07:00

Dubai is Interesting

2010-08-04T04:38:00.000-07:00

It's all different, but all the same. Construction is everywhere, but much of it is stopped. Feels a bit like Las Vegas. Malls are just alike those back in the US - many of the same shops, same clothes. Many more cultures / attires, but they all shop the same.

Photos from Dubai

2010-08-04T04:33:00.000-07:00

ATL to Dubai

2010-08-03T11:44:00.000-07:00

I'm officially on my way. Cara drove me to the airport, and we had dinner before I crossed into the security zone. Amazingly it was only 15 minutes in the line - something must be wrong at the TSA....

The flight was 14 hours or so - way too long, especially since I can't sleep on a plane. I watched 3 movies (including the Rocky Horror Picture Show), played a few games on the on-board screen, read a bit, and listened to some music.

Dubai airport is nice, huge, and amazingly easy to navigate through. Even at 9pm local it was well over 100. Ugh. We're staying at the Le Meridien near the hotel - a very nice place. Tomorrow will be some exploring, and getting ready for heading to Afghanistan on Thursday.

I've been awake for 30 hours or so, and I'm a bit wiped. Not terribly sleepy, though.....

The ice-jam is breaking.

2010-07-19T05:47:00.000-07:00

Things are finally starting to move. The two weeks of pre-planning / training start today, and the company has bought my ticket to Dubai. The teams fly out on Monday, August 2nd for our six weeks of fun....

Still waiting, but hope.

2010-07-08T07:07:00.000-07:00

Once again, plans changed. They didn't need me in Afghanistan immediately to help with their projects, so I've been helping to generate the background data and get the project oriented. The commute has been rough - 65 miles each way through Atlanta traffic. At least the office hours are flexible. If I leave by 6am I usually get to the office by 7am, and if I leave around 4pm I'm usually home by 5:30pm.

Our schedule is starting to get a bit more firm - it looks like our project will get the notice to proceed soon, training will start the week of the 19th, and I should be flying out around August 3. We'll see if it actually works that way.....

"Hurry up and wait" turns into "what are you waiting for?"

2010-06-02T04:56:00.000-07:00

Things are finally moving. Last Wednesday morning I called in for an update and to see if a start date had been set. I mentioned that I was in the area and would be happy to help with other projects - they said they'd keep that in mind. Five minutes later (10am or so) I was asked to come in for a 1:30 meeting. At that meeting I was asked to start immediately, and sent off for a physical / immunizations that afternoon. I started in the office the next morning.

0 to 60 in nuthin' flat.

I'm spending my time here getting familiar with the background on the projects, and filling out paperwork, including a detailed background. Any idea how many jobs I've had and places I've lived over the past seven years? Way too many, and they wanted all of the details and contact info for each.... Yech.

My travel dates are still floating, but it looks like I'm headed to Kabul via Dubai around the end of next week.....

My Afghanistan Adventure

2010-04-13T11:35:00.000-07:00

Another adventure is looming. I've accepted a position doing military base planning in Afghanistan. I'll be living in Kabul for 4+ months starting sometime mid-May.

I'll post more as events unfold.

Peaches n Gracie

2007-10-28T07:43:00.000-07:00

Peaches has Gracie completely buffalo'd. Peaches attacks the tail, feet, nose, whatever, and Gracie heads for higher ground. She's gentle, so I doubt she'll bite, but I'm waiting for her to plant a paw on the pest. Of course, she *has* been playing with Peaches, so I have hopes......

Meet Peaches

2007-10-25T10:55:00.000-07:00

I decided to make my life a bit more interesting, and adopt a kitten. I'd been thinking about getting QT some company for a bit, and see if she'll stop bitching quite so much. So, here goes....

Peaches is a little boy, about 6 weeks old. Good overall health, but a bit of an eye infection. He was named "Remus" but that didn't really fit, and mom has a dog with that name. The name "Peaches" comes from both "Georgia Peach" and "Peaches and Cream" - he's pretty feisty, so perhaps the name won't make a wuss out of him.... Anyway, he came from my vet's office - they had a couple, so I got the smallest one to give QT more time to set the pecking order.

The grumpy badger herself is none too impressed - she's been mostly hissing and saying bad things, but at least no outright attacks. Gracie is supercurious, and a bit jealous. Still, she's tried to play with him a bit, and he's not afraid of her, so it's a good start.

2007-10-25T10:48:00.001-07:00

Savannah

2007-10-24T06:58:00.000-07:00

Wow. I finally made it to Savannah, GA. Cara had a conference there, so I joined her for the weekend. She did her conference during the day, I played tourist, and we got a chance to explore a bit in the evening. I think I got the better end of the deal.

It's everything everyone says about it - a cool, old city. It's great to walk around someplace that's designed for people, not cars.

We even got to see Lady Chablis' act - If you read the book "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" Lady Chablis is the drag queen, and a real person. What a cool show....

2007-10-24T06:47:00.001-07:00

2007-10-24T06:46:00.003-07:00

2007-10-24T06:46:00.001-07:00

2007-10-24T06:45:00.001-07:00

2007-10-24T06:44:00.001-07:00

2007-10-24T06:43:00.001-07:00

2007-10-24T06:42:00.001-07:00

2007-10-24T06:41:00.000-07:00

2007-10-24T06:40:00.001-07:00

2007-10-24T06:38:00.000-07:00

2007-10-24T06:37:00.000-07:00

Bad Blogger! No Biscuit!

2006-10-24T08:09:00.000-07:00

Audience, please forgive me. It’s been four months since my last post, and so much has happened. I know I’ve let all of you down, so I hope you’ll bear with me.

Let see, where to start….

Ok, school – I’m pretty much half-way through the semester, and things are going well. I’ve (mostly) gotten into the rhythm of school. I’ve got a fairly full plate – five classes (15 hours) and teaching an undergraduate design studio.

My major realization has been to figure out how out of the norm I am. First, I’m older than the normal grad student – most are in their mid 20’s. Second, the MLA program is geared towards teaching people how to be landscape architects. I’ve got a pretty good handle on that by now, so many of the classes aren’t as challenging as I might like. Still, that *should* have been obvious from the outset, but I guess I’m a bit slow. What it does mean, though, is that I need to be more proactive in my education. No worries – I’ve got some ideas about how to do that.

As for the rest of my life, it’s fairly boring. It’s nice to have a place of my own again, and I’ve got good neighbors. It’s also nice to have my cat (aka The Grumpy Badger) back, and she and the dog have both settled in well, and are getting along fine. No social life to speak of, but that will happen with time.

Well, that’s about it for now. I’ve got to study a bit for a mid-term tomorrow, then pack for a trip to NYC over fall break.

Take care, and stay in touch!

Heading Back East!

2006-07-14T09:01:00.000-07:00

It looks like my time here in Oregon is drawing to a close. I'm leaving here to start grad school at the University of GA in Athens. I'll be working on a Master's of Landscape Architecture so that I can teach. It's something I've wanted to do since I was getting my undergraduate degree, and it looks like the time is finally right.

As of tomorrow morning I'm hitching up the trailer and getting out of town. My plan is to haul ass to Fayetteville, spend a week with family, then drive from there to my father's place in Highlands NC. I'll use his house as a base to get set up in Athens, before heading up to Northern VA to visit friends and collect my stuff from storage.

Orientation starts Aug. 10, and classes on the 16th. I've got a full plate, as I'll be taking a full load of courses plus a Teaching Assistantship - I'll be teaching one of four sections of a second-year LA design course. If nothing else, it should keep me busy.

2006-07-13T20:59:00.000-07:00

My planned route from Portland to Fayetteville. Looks to be a bit over 2100 miles....

2006-07-13T20:57:00.001-07:00

The visitor center at Hurricane Ridge, Olympic NP

2006-07-13T20:57:00.000-07:00

Lake Crescent in Olympic Nat'l Park

2006-07-13T20:55:00.000-07:00

And another

2006-07-13T20:54:00.001-07:00

Another.

2006-07-13T20:54:00.000-07:00

View from Cape Flattery. It's the northern-western-most point in the lower 48.

2006-07-13T20:51:00.000-07:00

One of Washington's pebble beaches. It was a might overcast that day...

2006-07-13T20:49:00.000-07:00

Yet another coast shot

2006-07-13T20:48:00.000-07:00

...and the sun sets on my oregon adventures!

2006-07-13T20:47:00.000-07:00

The Rouge River Gorge

2006-07-13T20:46:00.001-07:00

Diamond Lake

2006-07-13T20:46:00.000-07:00

Cool overlook structure

2006-07-13T20:45:00.000-07:00

View of Crater lake from the lodge

Birthday Camping Trip

2006-06-23T06:41:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm starting to feel old. I turned 36 today. Wow.

Anyway, to celebrate, I'm going camping for the weekend with the dog. We're headed down to Crater Lake tonight, then over to see the Redwoods tomorrow. On Sunday we'll head up the Oregon Coast - should be pretty. It'll be about 900 miles of driving, which isn't that bad split over 3 days.

I've wanted to see Crater Lake since the first time I was in OR 10 years ago, but time is running out - I leave for GA in ONLY 3 weeks.....

2006-06-23T06:29:00.000-07:00

My planned route

First Ride on the KLR

2006-05-29T14:52:00.000-07:00

Well, I took it out for a 'real' ride today. Something like 80 miles & 2 hurs - everything from freeway to tiny gravel roads. General thoughts...

1. Infinitely less power than the b12, but enough to do the job. I definitely *won't* be beating many cars off the line.

2. The 7500 red line comes up fast in 1st gear. I have to remember to shift, and pay attention rather than simply going by the sound like on the b12.

3. The bike cruises just fine at 75 (indicated) but has little beyond that.

4. The brakes do, in fact, suck. The rear brake will be a very real part of my braking process.

5. The stock seat does, in fact, suck after an hour. Time to order the corbin. I can get a 'standard' flat seat via ebay for $200, or go through their shop for fancier materials / build. The 'flat' seat is a bit lower than stock - I don't need it, and may want to keep the leg room of the standard height. Hmmm, decisions, decisions.

6. The colors are growing on me. I'm not even going to *try* to examine what that means about me.

All in all, I'm real happy with it. It'll be perfect for what I need, and how I'll be using it.

The end of an era....

2006-05-28T18:30:00.000-07:00

Well, in the interests of simplifying my life, I got rid of the Bandit, and picked up a KLR 650. I got some cash out of the deal, and a bike that will be better as commuter / basic transportation. Less maintenance, less expensive tires, and I'll feel less guilty about it sitting outside in the rain. Finally, if it gets knocked over in the parking lot, it's no big deal. Less plastic to break, and dents will only add character.....

2006-05-28T18:29:00.000-07:00

It's a '94 KLR 650 in the classic 'barbie' paint scheme....

Modern Ruins

2006-05-26T13:14:00.000-07:00

If you have a chance, check out Shaun O'Boyles photos of modern ruins -

http://www.oboylephoto.com/ruins/index.htm

Cape Lookout

2006-05-15T18:13:00.000-07:00

The weather was fantastic on Sunday, so I headed over to the coast. Cape Lookout seemed interesting, so I packed the dog and away we went! Nice drive over, and a great hike out to the point. About 5 miles round-trip. Clear day, about 70 degrees, with a slight breeze. Couldn't ask for better weather! Gracie was a great hiker, staying about 40 feet ahead, and coming back to see what was holding me up frequently!

2006-05-15T18:12:00.000-07:00

Tillamook is about 90 minutes from Portland - Cape Lookout is about 30 minutes more

2006-05-15T18:07:00.000-07:00

What's taking you so long, dad?

2006-05-15T18:06:00.001-07:00

Looking north

2006-05-15T18:06:00.000-07:00

another view back towards sand lake

2006-05-15T18:05:00.003-07:00

on the cliff

2006-05-15T18:05:00.002-07:00

Up ahead

2006-05-15T18:05:00.001-07:00

pretty cute, eh?

2006-05-15T18:05:00.000-07:00

Gracie Dog

2006-05-15T18:04:00.000-07:00

looking towards sand lake

2006-05-15T18:01:00.000-07:00

Cape Lookout from the distance - that's it in the background

Urban Husbandry

2006-05-06T18:36:00.000-07:00

In a discussion on the Pro-Urb listserv, Richard Layman mentioned the idea of "project planning vs. urban husbandry" in relationship to the ideas of Jane Jacobs (RIP) - Now, I won't go into the discussion of Jane Jacobs, but the idea of 'urban husbandry' caught my attention.

Wikipedia defines the following:

Urban Area - A geographical area (including cities and towns) distinct from rural areas.

Husbandry - As from the bible, to name and care for the Garden of Eden and the animals (Genesis 2:19-20). It is otherwise thought of as the practice of breeding and raising livestock.

The idea of 'care & feeding' of cities and towns interests me. Perhaps a better idea is 'community husbandry' - how'd *that* look on a business card? Too pretensious, perhaps? Something to think about, anyway.

Tooting his horn

2006-04-28T07:17:00.000-07:00

Tim volunteered the rider of the Dream Tour - See the April 27th entry - http://www.thedreamtour.org/

Way to go, Tim!

2006-04-28T07:16:00.000-07:00

My brother Tim posing with his bike - He volunteered to help with the Dream Tour

The die is cast....

2006-04-17T10:06:00.000-07:00

God willing and the creek don't rise, I'm headed to Athens GA for my MLA in the fall. It was a combination of a number of things, but the fact that the MLA is the 'official' terminal degree for LA's broke the tie. While a MURP degree would add some credentials, some portion of the academic advertisements state "MLA or other related terminal degree" - as the MURP is not the terminal planning degree, I technically would not meet the criteria.

Of course, the other things, like being closer to family, and the small-town atmosphere of Athens are just icing on the cake. Of course, my timing for the move will suck. Prientation will start Aug. 10th, and classes on the 16th. I'll have to leave Portland Mid-July to get down there and settled in time. THe 'nice' part is that I'll be leaving OR just as the weather turns nice, and arriving in Athens just in time for the worst part of the summer. Yeah, humidity!

3 months to go....

MLA vs MURP

2006-04-09T18:40:00.000-07:00

Here’s what I see as the advantages & disadvantages ofeach program:

Georgia’s MLA Program:

Advantages:
* Potential for Teaching Assistantships due to the large undergraduate program.
* Potential for professional contacts / recognition /recommendations within the academic LA community.
* Name recognition of the program within the LA community.
* Recognition/understanding of my degree – the MLA isthe ‘typical’ degree of faculty, and specifically mentioned in the advertised criteria.
* Intimacy / environment of the program. With a smaller graduate program and studio environment (15-20students/year) I’d (probably) get to know my fellow students and the faculty better.
* Community Design Studio – GA has a strong community design studio that works throughout Georgia. I’m very interested in working with communities, so this wouldbe valuable.
* Small town / intimate nature of Athens, GA. I grew up in a smaller town, and miss the atmosphere.
* Proximity to family – I’d be 2 hours from myfather, and (only) 14 hours from my mother & brother.

Disadvantages:
* Tends to duplicate my base education – I’d get deeper understanding of landscape architecture, but not add as much breadth.
* My fellow students would generally be seeking their first professional degree, and I might not learn as much from them.
* Adds value only in an academic setting, not aprofessional setting. A BLA + CLA + MLA doesn’t seem to add up to much more value than BLA + CLA in the professional realm.
* I’d have to move cross-country (I live in Portland now). Only a slight disadvantage – most of my stuff is still in northern VA, and I’d have to move it out here.
* Athens has less of a market for part-time LA workat a rate consistent with my experience.

PSU’s MURP Program:

Advantages:
* Broadens my background, giving me credentials as both a LA and planner.
* Increases my understanding of the policy side ofthe built environment.
* In-state tuition in Oregon. Granted, this is less significant, given the potential for assistantships.
* Will be able to work part-time at my existing jobat a professional pay rate.
* PSU has a strong internship program withconnections throughout the Portland area, which couldpotentially give me exposure to a wide variety ofprofessional environments.

Disadvantages:
* Strong reputation within the Pacific Northwest, but limited (?) in the rest of the country.
* Larger ‘cohort’ of classmates (35-40) and no studio class means I might not know my classmates as well.
* Farther from family means less/more expensive visits.
* MURP degree is not typical terminal degree for LA faculty.
* Larger city may be more expensive place to live.

How much value would the teaching experience (as a TA) give? How important is the recommendations of my facultytowards getting a job? I’m assuming that recommendations from faculty within the LA community might count more that from those from the (unknown)planning community. Does the diversity of the MURP degree ad much value?

School Update

2006-03-29T07:37:00.000-08:00

Well, I finally heard back from both schools - good news! I was accepted both places. Now the hard part begins - making a decision! Of course, that also depends on funding options. I was not offered an intitial assistantship at PSU, but the odds are good I can get one if I want it. The opportunities at UGA are still unfolding. They don't decide on assistantships until early summer (late May / early June), and typically like to spread them around a bit. However, there may be an opportunity for a waiver of out-of-state tuition for a semester or two. So at this point, I'm still waiting.

PSU is having an open house on April the 7th, so I'll check them out a bit more there. UGA wants a decision by April 14th. It looks like I have a few more weeks of flapping in the breeze....

2006-03-29T07:36:00.000-08:00

Relaxing...

2006-03-29T07:33:00.000-08:00

Gracie the Dog on the bed

Long time, no posts....

2006-01-28T17:23:00.000-08:00

I know, I'm a terrible blogger.

I'd resolve to do better in the new year, but I hate resolutions. In any case, I'll try to do better.

The big things in my life are applying to grad school, and Gracie.

I'm working towards making grad school a reality for the fall of '06. I've applied to two programs, out here at Portland State Univ. (PSU), and to the University of Georgia. If I stay here I'll enter the master of urban and regional planning (MURP) program. If I go to Georgia it'll be to attend the masters of landscape architecture (MLA) program. Two very different choices in two very different places.

My eventual goal is to teach landscape architecture, with a focus on community planning issues. While I've got some planning experience, the MURP program would give me the credentials. The MLA program would be a more fun/design-oriented program, with greater odds of assistantships since they've got a large undergraduate program. It would also give me greater contacts within the LA community. The MURP would give me job growth outside of a LA teaching position, while the MLA program would do little for me professionally as anything other than a teacher.

The academic side is a toss-up. Location-wise, I'm leaning heavily towards GA. I miss being in a smaller town, and Athens is a pretty cool small town. It's also only a couple of hours from my father in NC. It's been almost 25 years since I was less than a day's drive from him. Closer would be nice. It'd get me closer to mom and Tim in Fayetteville, AR, too. Only 14 hours! While not exactly close, a day's drive is a whole lot closer than Portland.

At this point, I'm waiting to see if I'm accepted, and what kind of offer I get. It'll probably be another month or two before I hear anything.

Waiting is hard.

At least I have Gracie to keep me busy. Gracie is a 3-year old mutt. Probably a mix of brittany spaniel, lab, and pitt bull, but you'd have to find her parent and ask them to be sure. She's about 45 lbs, and white with a bit of tan on her ears and a tan spot on her back. Pretty cute. She was my mother's, but needed a better home. I needed a dog. So she came home with me at Christmas. I'm hoping that the 2x a day walks have some positive impact on my fitness, but it's nice to have her around even if that doesn't change. So far she's been amazingly easy to live with. Fairly quiet, well-behaved, and generally house-trained. I know, I need pictures, but that'll have to wait...

Take care,

B

RIP Aunt Rosie

2005-12-29T19:32:00.000-08:00

Wirth (Ray), Rosemary "Rosie" Beloved Wife, Mother, Grandma, Sister, Aunt and Friend Died peacefully in her home after a courageous battle with Melanoma cancer on 12/20/05. Preceded in death by parents Harvard and Catherine Ray. Survived by Husband of 45 years Bernard T. Wirth, Children, Jeff (Julie) Wirth, Lisa (Larry) Welter, Wendy Wirth, Paul (Shelly) Wirth, grandchildren, Jeffrey, Sam, Allie, Luke, Erin and Selena also survived by sister Margaret Peterson and brothers, Tom, Peter, Steve and many friends. Celebration of Life service Tuesday December 27, 2005 11AM at BEAVER LAKE LUTHERAN CHURCH, 2280 Stillwater Avenue, Maplewood, Minnesota. In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to American Cancer Society Melanoma research. Cremation Society of MN 612-825-2435

Happy Birthday, Tim

2005-09-27T10:03:00.000-07:00

I wanted to take this opportunity to wish my brother happy birthday. He's the best brother a guy could ask for.

In that spirit, here's a picture to show exactly who he is.......

2005-09-27T10:02:00.000-07:00

Going to the birds

Evil Overlord List

2005-09-27T09:51:00.000-07:00

Here's the link to the evil overlord list - things to do (and not to do) when I become an evil overlord: http://www.eviloverlord.com/lists/overlord.html

2. My ventilation ducts will be too small to crawl through.

29. I will dress in bright and cheery colors, and so throw my enemies into confusion.

40. I will be neither chivalrous nor sporting. If I have an unstoppable superweapon, I will use it as early and as often as possible instead of keeping it in reserve.

A friend (Gary) forwarded this to me in response to my email of Universal Laws. It's good enough that I thought it deserved it's own post, so that I could find it again if needed.

2005-09-05T10:48:00.000-07:00

The docks at the long beach harbor. I guess they're empty because it's a holiday weekend.

2005-09-05T10:46:00.000-07:00

Yours truly on the tour boat.

2005-09-05T10:45:00.000-07:00

A cool ship I saw. Turns out that it's the transport ship for rockets to the equatorial launch platform. See http://www.sea-launch.com/

2005-09-05T10:44:00.000-07:00

Sea Lions on the bouy outside of Long Beach harbor.

2005-09-05T10:42:00.000-07:00

Pretty pink flowers......

2005-09-05T10:40:00.000-07:00

I just liked this one for the light in the hedge, as well as the textures.....