Also still alive...

photos: Art Gray

Alright so we have been negligent in our blogging... I'm guessing we're not the only ones that have had a problem with the new log-in system? Anyway...I've figured it out.

So...all is well out here. The fires are finally settling down. There is still a thick brown haze across the city that can be seen out our windows. Typically we can look out across the mountains north of LA, but over the last two days we can barely see them.

We are both deep in the semester at the school, so a little stressed about seeing better work from our students, but nothing really to complain about.

Over the last few months our lives have been completely taken over by our latest project. It is an outdoor installation in a neighborhood known as Silver Lake here in LA. Above is an image of the installation…

Also thought I might post some of our latest press information:

Story in Businessweek.com:
http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/oct2007/id20071019_509447.htm?campaign_id=rss_daily

Our deck from last year is on the cover of Wood Design and Building:
http://www.cwc.ca/Publications/WDB%20Magazine/Feature%20Issue?Language=EN

Story in Architectural Record:

http://archrecord.construction.com/archrecord2/design/0710/OylerWuCollaborative.asp

Some press releases about our latest installation:
http://www.dexigner.com/design_news/density-fields-by-oyler-wu-collaborative.html

and finally, some Flicker links of our latest project posted by the public:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wildbell/sets/72157602605901536/with/1689571407/

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=density+fields&m=text


Ok, probably far more than you wanted to know…far more self-involved than even a blog called the “self-involved” news can handle. …but don’t ever say I didn’t keep you posted :).

Good to be back online….and excited to see everyone at Christmas.

Love- D

I'm Alive

I know that it's been a while. I really do. But I finally got on a full-time work schedule, and it's been an adjustment. There's been no time for the long blogs that I always feel compelled to write. I also started a new blog with some girls that I know called "Vexed in the City". It's about us all being from small towns and dealing with living in major U.S. cities. We have a lot of readers, and I love doing it. It's very fun. If you want to check it out, it's www.vexedinthecitygirls.blogspot.com. But be aware that I'm pretty candid on it and I cuss a lot. So there you go.

Okay, so here's what has been going on in my life, I will try to categories it a la headline news.


*I started work at Nordstrom. I work around 30-35 hours a week and that is considered "full time". But it seems like more because I commute 2 hours total for each time I go to work, and I also close most nights and don't get home until 9 or 9:30. So, it takes up a lot of time. But let me tell you- it's worth it.

The money is great. I am making about 20-25% more than I made as a teacher, and I work about half the hours. When I was a teacher, my job seemed like it was never over. I had to take it home with me- calls from parents, grading papers, lesson plans...it was exhausting. But not that there aren't prices to pay....at Nordstrom, of course, I don't get a lot of the very rewarding things that I got as a teacher. But I also don't go crazy with stress. So we'll try this for a while and see what I do.

I have seen some pretty outrageous spending there. And my customers seem to like me. I've had some talk to my manager and say what a good job I did.

Really, the worst part of my job is that I don't have a lot in common with the girls that I work with. They are nice for the most part, we just don't have a lot in common so I don't get caught up in conversations or "hanging out" with them (which I guess is a good thing because I keep selling while they chat). See, most of the girls are in college or dropped out of college...just turned 21. There is one girl who is married. I really like her. It's just that most of these girls not only are in college and are young, but they also have parents who are paying for everything including their school, rent, credit card, etc. So, when I say that I really like an article of clothing and wish I could buy it they say "why don't you." And they can't understand when I say "Well, because I have bills to pay and a fiance' that I share finances with." Then they say "why don't you just buy it anyway? You don't have to tell him."

See where I'm going with this? These girls don't have any idea what it's like to be married or almost married, live on a budget, or have to be denied ANYTHING because of cost. It's really bizarre. And they are really nice...but they really just don't get me. And it's only sad because I hoped to make more friends at work, but I need people that can relate to me. So far there is one girl. So that is good.

But, the money is good so I'll put up with it.


*Next item- the band got a new drummer and bass player and we have gigs in November. We haven't played in a while since we had to get a new drummer and bassist, but it was worth it. The guys are really nice and really talented. We gig at Lilly's on November 3rd and a place called The Bird's Next on November 30. In between the gigs we are going to record a demo so that we can put together a press kit and also give a press kit to a contact that we have so that we can play at all of Chicago's festivals. Pretty excited about that.


*Also, I started my improv classes at Second City Conservatory. I love it. My teacher is actually the big man in charge of Second City- the "Creative Director." His name is Norm Holly. He's very good and he cusses a lot. I like him. I'm one of 5 girls in my class and there are 10 guys. There are 3 guys that I think are very good. The rest are good too....everyone is very talented. But that's to be expected because it's the conservatory, not the beginner's improv classes. But I really like these 3 guys. And apparently they really like me. One of them is a fabulous gay man who just moved here from NYC because he's had a Broadway career and he's "over it" now. He pretty much doesn't have to work now, and he just wants to direct and write here in Chicago. He was really big time though- he used to star as Billy Flynn in the Broadway touring production of Chicago. He was, like, pretty much a Broadway star. And he's in my class. And he wants to put me in some productions and maybe put me in an improv troupe that he wants to put together. He thinks I'm the best one in the class, and says that I'm "well on my way" to "making it." And that makes me feel good because I know that this guy has been to the top and seen a lot of talented people. Isn't this all crazy? He's great. He also gives me a ride home from rehearsal and is super-nice.

So that is how class is going. I've only had 2 so far, so I have 6 more weeks of Level 1. I'm excited and learning a lot.

Cam is halfway through his class and ready to be done with Level 1 at Annoyance. Everyone thinks he's the best one in the class and I'm sure he is. I can't wait to see him do well there.


*In other news, let's see....oh yes- Jackie was very sick last week and peed all over Cam while he was sleeping. She was also peeing all over the apartment, and on Saturday morning we took her to the vet and they made Jackie go to the Doggy emergency room.

Turns out, Jackie has a UTI and she was passing kidney stones. We retrieved one that she passed (on Cam while he was sleeping, which will be a hilarious story someday) and it was pea-sized. PEA-SIZED! For a little doggy vadge, that is huge! Poor little Jackie was in a bad way, but now we have her on antibiotics and drinking lots of water, and going out nearly every hour to pee....so she is starting to feel better and pass the rest of her stones.



*Also in other news, we are going to be able to come home for Christmas for longer than I anticipated (now that I'm in retail). We will actually get to Kansas on Saturday, December 22, and on Wednesday early morning on the 26th I will fly home to Chicago and Cam will take Amtrak to Dallas to see his family and friends for a couple of days (I can't as I have to return for after-Christmas busy-ness at work). But I wasn't expecting to be able to come to town for nearly 5 days, so I am happy.


Anyway- that is what has been going on. Sorry the blogs are less frequent, but I have been so busy the past two weeks. Hopefully things will slow down a little.


Love you all and miss you.

Lindsay