living-writing: Year End Updates

I have concluded my semester of Beginning German with flying colors, an A+ no less. Kirk was disappointed though; he thought I should have gotten an A++, if such grade exists, considering the numerous advantages I have over the other students. Towards the first week of November my life got considerably busier when, out of the blue, I was called to help out with a project at a small, local architecture firm here in Bloomington. Having to juggle a first-period class four days a week and then go to work for 9 hours straight was no stroll in the park, but I'm glad to have the opportunity to get involved in some architectural design work and get paid for it! I don't know how long this gig will last; the plan was to resume work after the holiday break with the hope this might herald more opportunities to come.

I used my first paycheck to buy a new refrigerator, and as a result, was called "white trash" in jest by a friend. (The reference takes some explaining, which I'm not sure I can do convincingly.) The truth was that the ice-maker of our vintage fridge which came with the house built in 1966 broke during Thanksgiving week and leaked water on the floor; it would have had to be replaced anyway. This winter will be our fourth in Bloomington! We have been slowly replacing our kitchen appliances in the past couple of years; the changeover is now complete for the kitchen. We will be working our way to other parts of the house in the coming years. My inclination is for small, piecemeal improvements, while Kirk favors large-scale overhaul.

The followings are some computer renderings of the interior renovation of the Monroe County Library Teen Center project (in the Design Development Phase) which I participated in -