Cameron

So everything I have been doing for the last few weeks kind of came billowing to a splendid catharsis this weekend. First of all, the wood drying shed team went down to Oregon and helped load our logs onto a truck that brought them up to Evergreen for us. This was a crucial milestone in the process, as the logs would later be milled into the wood we will use for building the entire shed, which we have been planning and designing for two and a half quarters now.

My parents also came up on Friday evening from California. Actually, my dad got a job in Seattle working for the Cascadia chapter of the U.S.G.B.C., so I’ll be seeing him more often now. Anyways they came up for Arts walk and the Procession of the Species. Arts Walk was on Friday night, and I got to be in something called The Luminary Procession, which is an incredible event where people process through the streets with lanterns and walk to the waterfront by Capitol lake and set off small hot air balloons and they ignite baskets full of papers with everyone’s wishes with fireworks! Sound amazing? Well, it was, but what was more amazing was that a man I met randomly is in a class at the UW with the woman (an Evergreen grad) renting my dad a room in Seattle let me carry the lantern he made in the front of the procession! Olympia is funny that way.

But the fun was just getting started. The Procession of the Species was on Saturday, and my roommates and I donned the 20 foot + long shark costume we had barely managed to complete on time and marched (or should I say, swam) along the streets of Olympia. It is mind blowing how many people come out to see the procession, and the kids really loved the shark. Now that it is over the shark will be hanging from the ceiling in our living room, and serve as a reminder of all the good times we had making it (there is a free art studio downtown that opens up to the whole community to prepare for the Procession every year).

On Monday, more excitement was on its way. The wood drying team got to mill the logs we got on Friday. We met the miller at school at about 7:00 am, and after only about 2 cuts, he told us that we would not be able to get the cuts out of the logs that we needed to complete our design (there was too much checking). so n the fly, we had to redesign the shed  (for what must have been the 5th time) so that we could get something out of the logs we had. We worked for 8 hours, and hopefully got all the lumber we will need out of the 15 or so Douglas fir logs. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, life throws me another curve ball. But if this project hasn’t been a learning experience, I don’t know what one is. Now I just have to roll with the punches and build a different shed in just four weeks. Think I can do it? 

I guess we’ll see. 

I had a really productive week believe it or not! I was able to drive down to Oregon with my project group to look at the logs we will soon be retrieving, milling, and turning into a wood drying shed. We met with the man who was donating them to us, and he gave us some really good advice about the milling process. We also lined up a miller, a truck, and a trailer, and this Wednesday we are going to go pick up the logs.

I also got a lot done on my Procession of the Species costume—a 20’ long shark to be worn like a Chinese dragon by my roommates and me. I did a lot of the work paper maché-ing and shaping the fins and the body over the weekend and I had a blast working the studio with my friends.

I also spent some time enjoying the incredible weather we have been having. Right now it is in the high 70’s, and I am actually typing this in my back yard as a soak up some sun. Yesterday, I went down to the Olympia Farmer’s Market and rode my bike all around Olympia. It is a truly great city, with plenty going on, and now that the weather is good, it is like a slice of cherry pie with whipped cream and a tall glass of ice-cold milk—so nice.

I need such a device so that i can actually accomplish everything i have set out to do in these coming weeks. I need to work on my woodshop project, the wood drying shed, a giant shark costume for the Procession of the Species, buy cradle to cradel and read it for seminar, meet with a group of other students interested in starting a new art club at Evergreen, I have to work almost everyday next week, and somewhere in between, I need to find time to eat and sleep. And the list goes on!

But in retrospect, it’s better than being totally bored, and by the end of this quarter I will have learned and earned and accomplished enough to make all the stress worth it. And at least the work is fulfilling, and actually enjoyable. But one thing that I have not been implementing in my life enough is rest and meditaiton. I heard that Gandhi used to say if you think you are too busy to meditate, then you should meditate twice as long. Still, I’m keeping my fingers crossed for that time machine.

Hey everyone, I’m back at it again, blogging my heart out for you!

I have had such an eventful…well, month, but I am just now sitting down at the computer to tell you about it. So, just a quick wrap up of last quarter:

Our group finished up a ton of work redesigning the wood drying shed and produced a bunch of professional looking construction documents for our final presentation (often at evergreen, instead of finals you will a big final project and have to present it). Our group also applied for a grant form the school to get funding for the project, and we just found out that we got the money! We are also getting all the wood we could want donated for free, we just have to pick it up and mill it. This quarter, we will actually build it on campus.

The end of a quarter is always hectic, but I still managed to pull a few all nighters to finish my portfolio, I worked ten hours a week 4 weeks straight, had a couple of pot lucks (one of them was at my faculties house!), and make a clean getaway to San Francisco for spring break. I had an awesome time while I was there, and now that I am back in Olympia, the weather is starting to turn for the better! Today is sunny and in the 60’s! I am also planning on participating in the Procession of the Species again this year, so I am really excited for that.

So I just got back from the Olympia Farmers Market, and I am about to go on a bike ride. So, have a good one, I’ll keep you updated on how crazy this quarter is going to be!

Well, well, well, I hope all of you enjoyed your Valentines Day and your President’s Day weekend! It was certainly a welcome holiday after a really busy week.

Well, to tell the truth, my week started out busy and then got slightly less so. The project that my team has been working on received two starkly different pieces of information: first, the county approved to project for construction; then, the school took away our funding. So all the work we have done this quarter was just for practice. But without skipping a beat, my professor helped get our group back on our feet by inspiring us to rise to a new challenge. Now we have to be a lot more creative and it is a much more exciting design challenge.

On Valentine’s days, my friend had a wonderful little concert at her house, which doubles as an art gallery and a music venue. The bands were really wonderful (an evergreen faculty member was the guitarist in one of them), and all my friends were there. Then, I drove up to Seattle with a couple of friends who were playing a show at a house party. We actually didn’t know any one there, but they were very nice and liked my friends music.

I was going to do a lot of homework this weekend, but then my roommates and I started a 1000 piece puzzle, and spent the whole day working on it. So I gotta go do some work!

See you kids later!

Hey folks!

For those of you who came to preview day, I hope you had a great time and learned some inspiring things about Evergreen!

I had a slightly busier week than usual, which is saying a lot, because I am normally quite active with work and school and friends and everything. But this week I was functioning at full capacity everyday, sometimes for 20 hours a t a time. My whole body was buzzing with energy; I was excited to do work. I spent a god many hours in the studio outside of class time working on drawings and on other homework, sometimes taking a break to go give a tour or do a housing host.

On Wednesday, I spent the night in my friend Joey’s art studio again. Only this time, we went to Safeway and bought doughnuts and Sunny D and cookies. I stayed up until 5 a.m. doing homework, though we took small intermission to paint mustaches on each other and watch Goodburger (remember Keenan and Kel?), and I fell asleep on a couch, and woke up at 9 a.m. Thursday morning to go to class.

I’m incredibly busy, but I love it, and I’m starting to realize that this is what college is al about.

I had a very rewarding week. My class took a field trip to Portland, and visited four locations that had to do with sustainability. My favorite place was the Portland ReBuilding Center. They are a non-profit organization that deconstructs buildings by hand and resells the materials. It reduces landfill waste, and also provides a valuable service to the community by selling the materials 50-90% cheaper than what they are valued at. They also built their entire warehouse and office out of their inventory! I’m telling you, it is a wonderful magical place! So Inspiring!

On Friday I saw my friend’s band perform and get broadcast on a local radio station. Then everyone went out for milkshakes. Life is good.

This Saturday was the Westside Arts Walk, organized by a group of community organizers known as the Raccoon Collective. It is an all day event where people open up their houses to display art and have workshops and people cook and sell food and bands play. This year, everything was delicious: the art, the food, and the music!

Now it’s Sunday, and I didn’t watch the super bowl, but I’m ok with that, because I didn’t participate in one of the largest consumer spectacles of the year. Instead I did homework and attended a potluck hosted by some friends of mine who are trying to start up a literary publication about life in Olympia. It is going to be awesome! You should check it out at www.timefighters.org

Blog 1-25-09

Hey everyone! I hope you all had a good week. Tomorrow is Chinese New Year! Year of the Ox!

Well this week was a tough one. My awful cold really slowed me down right as school started to really pick up. Now I’m staring down the barrel of a bunch of stuff due Tuesday and I’m scheduled to work everyday this week on top of that! But I’m going to have to rise to the challenge. My group is counting on me to help bring this wood drying shed project into the light. We met with an actual city plans reviewer on Friday and she helped us outline what codes and permits we needed to be aware of before we can start building this shed. Who knew a little shed could be so much work?

But in the midst of all this work, you’re friend Cameron knows it is important to relax. I spent much of this weekend sleeping, reading, drinking tea, and watching movies. I even got up at noon today and make myself some French toast. And tonight there is a concert at my friend’s house, which I’ll attend at least for a little while. The problem is that he lives on the other side of town, and it is supposed to be get down below 20 degrees tonight.

And I got my eyes set on the long term as well: I am applying for scholarships (deadline is February 2nd!!!!), I am lining up summer jobs, and I just bought myself a ticket to the Animal Collective concert in may in Portland!

So even though I am up to my ears in stress, I am reminding myself to just take a moment to relax… ahhh, that’s better.

I woke up this morning to a sore throat and sniffles, but my sickness could not persuade me to miss the monumental inauguration of our 44th president, Barack Obama (it’s funny to think that my version of Microsoft word 2004 doesn’t recognize how to spell his name).

After his moving and poignant speech, I traded going to class for some extra sleep, and then I went to the student health center this afternoon. Whether you want to study pre-med, or if you are sick in any way, they really do take good care of you.

The weather has been clear and sunny and occasionally warm (50 degrees or so!), and Mount Rainier has been out and robust (I swear she’s moving closer to Olympia every time I see her). The nights have been really foggy though, but in a fun, spooky kind of way.

Well, I have lots of homework to make up, and tomorrow is going to be a big day. I have an important meeting to attend, and I am going to see one of my favorite artists and Evergreen Alum, Nikki McClure speak tomorrow night. This week also kicks off the beginning of the 6th annual Middle East Film Festival here at Evergreen.

It’s gonna be a nice last half of January, even though my head is full of brown mucus.

So, guess what? Monster Jam tickets were SOLD OUT! Maybe next year…sigh…

But that’s ok, because tonight, I get to go see a crazy show to help support the Olympia All Ages Project. Mount Eerie, Son Skull, and Wolves in the Throne Room are playing, and a bunch of my friends will be there, so it is shaping up to be a crazy Saturday night.

But I got lots to do this weekend for my class, Green Studio. I need to do some drawing assignments, read a few books, and draw up some plans before a meeting to get the ball rolling on the wood drying shed project. Basically, me and four other students are going to design and build a structure on campus that will allow Evergreen to take donations of timber and mill it into lumber that will be dried and then used in our wood shop. It is a perfect way for us to get real world experience working with a team on a real project with a client and a budget and a deadline. It is going to push me to challenge myself more than I have ever had to go before for a class. It’s a big responsibility, but I am really excited to see this project through from beginning to end. It really highlights the beauty of Evergreen’s academic structure.

Well, I got a lot to do before the concert, so I’ll talk to you kids next week!