The speed at which my children can absolutely crush $35 worth of fruit…
Reading
A Pattern Language
Christopher Alexander
Notes
Notes
Is anyone else in Oregon who works professionally in planning, architecture or development actually seeing residential uses being built without parking? Curious because despite no minimum parking requirements, I’m seeing none in the 2nd largest jurisdiction in the state.
Notes
The paradox of tolerance.
Notes
Abolish zoning they said. It’ll be great they said.
Notes
Being from the Pacific Northwest means never being able to trust a national forecast or weather app.
Notes
I understand you’re trying to attract new business on your landing page, but for the love of god, include a login button for those of us who use your service.
Notes
A year ago I moved out of land use planning into campus, facilities and parks planning. Probably the best career move I ever made. Went from doing thankless, highly political work that no one was ever satisfied with, where nothing ever felt complete, to making positive changes I can see. Love it.
Essays
Open Enrollment Hell
After several months of asking questions, trying to understand the coordination of benefits between my dental plan and my wife’s in preparation for some orthodontia, here’s the email I finally received from Delta Dental. 🦷
I have an employee under Redacted who wrote in asking how COB works when a married couple both have family coverage through separate employers under Delta and the family is about to initiate an Orthodontal claim. The spouse is an employee of Redacted hospital ($2K ortho limit is the plan they are considering). The husband read his policy documents and then called into Delta …
Notes
In the eye of the storm, or did the bomb cyclone squeegee the sky?
Notes
Halfway through The Death and Life of Great American Cities for the second time in my life (for a book club) and have come to the conclusion that it’s unreadable nonsense. Amazing how 20 years of professional experience can change one’s perspective so much.
Notes
Notes
Remembering a time in my 20s and early 30s when all I wanted was an out from where I was living in the Midwest. It felt like a prison.
It you’re in a similar situation, don’t give up hope. There’s someplace out there for you.
Notes
The job hopping in the tech space is so much different than government. As someone who has sat on many hiring panels, if I were to receive a resume with 10 jobs in as many years, that person is not even getting an interview.
Notes
Not sure why it bothers me so much that Las Vegas will get true HSR before the Northwest or Midwest, but it does.
Notes
I moved away from Lansing about 10 years ago. Lived there for almost a decade. I didn’t live there when developers tore down this block on Michigan Ave, but I still can’t believe they took out an entire historic, fine grained commercial block.
Notes
My public university degrees (in-state undergrad and grad) cost $106k in tuition, not including community college costs or interest (2010). Thank god for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. Hopefully it survives.
Notes
Made the mistake of getting back on Facebook right before the election. Just deactivated again, but seriously considering permanent deletion. What I always miss most are the groups. There are some great communities on there, I hate to admit.
Notes
I posted yesterday about needing more indoor play places for kids with adult amenities more like an airport lounge. Biggest concern to me would be sight lines. How would Foucault feel if we used the panopticon as a model? 😉
Notes
The Achilles Heel of the YIMBY movement is the common thought that this isn’t built because it’s illegal. It’s legal in enough places to know that developers don’t build much of this. People have so much faith in the landlord and investment class. Such weird bed fellows for the movement.
Notes
Having one of those weekends with the kids where I’m ready to go back to work. I think we all need a vacation.
Notes
Making my homemade mac and cheese tonight. Feeling like I need some comfort food. Might not fill the void, but it will get me through!
Notes
We need indoor play places for kids where the parent areas are more like airport lounges. When we’re going through long stretches of bad weather, these places are lifesavers for people with young kids, but I think there’s an untapped opportunity here to provide better amenities for parents.
Notes
Went looking for a binaural sleep frequencies app and ended up self-administering EMDR. Have you tried turning your trauma off and back on again?
Notes
Currently: Old Fashioneds and a pretty competitive game of Rummikub while the kids watch a Christmas movie.
Notes
So many worries about the Fed’s direction in the coming years—beyond the usual. Transit funding, affordable housing, education… it all feels so precarious right now. Trying to stay optimistic, but it’s tough not to feel the weight of it.