Here is my new favorite website.
TED: Technology, Entertainment, Design
Great site to be inspired and challenged to make the world a better place. I may start doing some linking and reflecting via this blog on some of the different lectures. You can also subscribe to the video podcast through iTunes.
12.10.2006
foundational
The foundations for Newberry Place should start going in this week. We are using a Superior Wall System, so the side walls and ceiling go in first, with the basement slab getting poured last. The Shea House is the first to start, with Nora and my building pulling up the rear. First move-ins should be in mid-summer with our own tentative move-in of October. This is great because it gives us a little more time to figure out what we are going to do with our house. Exciting stuff!
12.02.2006
christmas party
Last night Nora and I went to the Lighthouse Communities Christmas party. As some of you know, about 5 years ago I started working for City Vision, a sister organization of Lighthouse. Lighthouse has been really generous both to City Vision and to me personally over the past few years. When City Vision went "virtual" last year, Lighthouse allowed me to keep a desk in the corner for my computer and some files. This has really been great for me because I value the comrodery and friendship of all of the Lighthouse staff.
At the party, all the staff was encouraged to bring dishes from their heritage or tradition. We ate like kings and queens and were able to partake in foods from Egypt, Dutch/Indonesia, Urban America, Venezuala and Mexico (we also sampled tequila from Mexico). What an amazing feast. Lighthouse has done such a fantastic job of living out its values of acceptance and innovation be hiring such a qualified and diverse staff. And I know this has made everyone's lives richer.
During the meal, Dave and Donna got a call from their son, Don, who is currently stationed in Iraq. You can read more about Dave's experience at his blog (linked on the right). Two soldiers of Don's unit were shot yesterday. Dave and Donna were obviously shaken up by this event last night, but they also have to live with uncertainty and worry every day that Don is over there. A report I read last week says that we have now been in Iraq longer than our entire engagement in WWII. As Dave and Donna shared the news I became both saddened and furious, not that we are still in Iraq, but that some of us are being asked to carry this burden of war while others are not made to sacrifice. My friend Earl and I were talking on the street the other day in the Madison neighborhood (80%+ black) and we see military recruiters combing the streets. I work at the Community College and daily see recruiters positioned in the hallways. Are these same recruiters setting up shop at our private colleges? Have our taxes gone up to support this war effort? Have I ever been asked by my government to do anything in support of this war other than to buy more stuff to keep the economy on track?
At the party, all the staff was encouraged to bring dishes from their heritage or tradition. We ate like kings and queens and were able to partake in foods from Egypt, Dutch/Indonesia, Urban America, Venezuala and Mexico (we also sampled tequila from Mexico). What an amazing feast. Lighthouse has done such a fantastic job of living out its values of acceptance and innovation be hiring such a qualified and diverse staff. And I know this has made everyone's lives richer.
During the meal, Dave and Donna got a call from their son, Don, who is currently stationed in Iraq. You can read more about Dave's experience at his blog (linked on the right). Two soldiers of Don's unit were shot yesterday. Dave and Donna were obviously shaken up by this event last night, but they also have to live with uncertainty and worry every day that Don is over there. A report I read last week says that we have now been in Iraq longer than our entire engagement in WWII. As Dave and Donna shared the news I became both saddened and furious, not that we are still in Iraq, but that some of us are being asked to carry this burden of war while others are not made to sacrifice. My friend Earl and I were talking on the street the other day in the Madison neighborhood (80%+ black) and we see military recruiters combing the streets. I work at the Community College and daily see recruiters positioned in the hallways. Are these same recruiters setting up shop at our private colleges? Have our taxes gone up to support this war effort? Have I ever been asked by my government to do anything in support of this war other than to buy more stuff to keep the economy on track?
11.30.2006
11.24.2006
giving thanks
I woke up this morning, the day after Thanksgiving, thinking, "you know, I probably don't need to eat anything today..." Moderation has never been one of my attributes. I find something that I like and then go way overboard - usually trying to get everyone around me to do the same so that I don't look so crazy. Examples of such behavior include, but are not limited to, the following:
Settlers of Catan - found the game, played it about 10 times the first night, proceeded to call all my friends and tell them how great it was, had a friend who I hadn't seen in 2 years come over and play Catan at 1am, bought every expansion and upgrade
HALO - Jon bought and xbox and told me how great the game Halo was. I played it and immediately struck a deal with Nora that if I lost 10 lbs I could get one. Did so. We had about 1 year where we played Halo non-stop - again mostly at 1am.
Podcasts - I got and Ipod a couple years ago so that I would have a running partner. I immediately got into podcasting - again wrangling multiple friends into the obsession. For a couple months people accused me of have earbuds surgically implanted in my ears.
(Unfortunately, my brother and Marty tend to get the brunt of my persuasive techniques)
Anyway, this endearing quality usually more prominently presents itself during the Holidays for a variety of reasons. First, the Holidays are about extravagance and excess. Too much food, too much drink, too many presents. Second, there are people around that typically will indulge some of the obsession. Third, there is time off from work that needs to be filled with some new activity. It would be wasteful or sloth to leave that time unused, idle hands and all....
So on Thanksgiving, I ate to much, played too many games, drank too much, watched
too much T.V., spent too much time with my son, and enjoyed my family way too much... wait.... that sounds pretty good. That sounds like the kind of obsession I want to drive into the ground. I think I'm getting hungry...
Settlers of Catan - found the game, played it about 10 times the first night, proceeded to call all my friends and tell them how great it was, had a friend who I hadn't seen in 2 years come over and play Catan at 1am, bought every expansion and upgrade
HALO - Jon bought and xbox and told me how great the game Halo was. I played it and immediately struck a deal with Nora that if I lost 10 lbs I could get one. Did so. We had about 1 year where we played Halo non-stop - again mostly at 1am.
Podcasts - I got and Ipod a couple years ago so that I would have a running partner. I immediately got into podcasting - again wrangling multiple friends into the obsession. For a couple months people accused me of have earbuds surgically implanted in my ears.
(Unfortunately, my brother and Marty tend to get the brunt of my persuasive techniques)
Anyway, this endearing quality usually more prominently presents itself during the Holidays for a variety of reasons. First, the Holidays are about extravagance and excess. Too much food, too much drink, too many presents. Second, there are people around that typically will indulge some of the obsession. Third, there is time off from work that needs to be filled with some new activity. It would be wasteful or sloth to leave that time unused, idle hands and all....
So on Thanksgiving, I ate to much, played too many games, drank too much, watched
too much T.V., spent too much time with my son, and enjoyed my family way too much... wait.... that sounds pretty good. That sounds like the kind of obsession I want to drive into the ground. I think I'm getting hungry...
10.30.2006
loan
Today we signed our loan to begin construction on Newberry Place. UNBELIEVABLE! Foundations should start to go in the next couple weeks.
10.29.2006
apple cider
As a quick break from cohousing madness, we visited Robinettes to get some apple cider and take a hay ride. We had all the cohousers over to our place to sign purchase agreements, the mood was festive and full of stress. Thankfully, we have the needed paperwork so that we can get to the bank on Monday and try to close on the loan. I'll post as soon as we know more.
10.21.2006
excavate
I went out this raining, fall morning to check out the cohousing site progress. The bulldozers and backhoes are out and starting the work of getting the site prepped for foundations. Most of the trees and brush have come down. There were multiple homes on this site back in the 70's, so there will also be a lot of foundations to dig out.Here's a photo looking north up the infamous Dexter alley. Apparently the court hearing for the alley vacation was yesterday. We haven't heard anything from our lawyer as to how that particular hearing went. In order to vacate the alley we had to have all the neighbors within 300ft of the project be listed as defendants. They represent the public that we are claiming the alley from. Nothing says "get to know your new neighbors" like listing them in a lawsuit. If it went well, then we are ready to keep rolling on the project, and these powerlines should be the next to go. This next week is full of big decisions and critical junctures for the cohousing group, culminating in the loan signing at the bank.
10.20.2006
pics from wa
Levi learning to sit up...on a tiger
Levi does his joker impression
Bedtime for Francis.... I mean Lauryn
Sunday morning breakfast before the Seahawks game
Nate came to visit for a couple days
Yoko Ono has my baby!!!
aia event
Tonight, Marty and I presented at an event for the Grand Valley Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) on the topic of cohousing. There were several moments throughout the evening where I just couldn't believe we were presenting on this; taking people through 4 years of development. In my opening comments I talked about how Marty and I were in the back of a little Dodge Omni car (with Bwindi) on our way to a camping trip. I barely knew Marty at the time, but we started talking about our homes, neighborhoods and hopes for ccommunity. I was having 
similar conversations with Phil and Lavonne. Out of these conversations the cohousing project was born.
It was really rewarding to present with Marty tonight, so close to having this project off the ground and in the ground. After the presentation our Architect came up to us and said, "it's really amazing what you guys have done." What a huge compliment, and one that extends to so many people in our group. I often get credit for a lot of other people's hard work. I always try to pass on the compliments, but that's the great thing about the cohousing project is that people have come into leadership at the right times. I wish every compliment I receive was heard by everyone.
similar conversations with Phil and Lavonne. Out of these conversations the cohousing project was born.It was really rewarding to present with Marty tonight, so close to having this project off the ground and in the ground. After the presentation our Architect came up to us and said, "it's really amazing what you guys have done." What a huge compliment, and one that extends to so many people in our group. I often get credit for a lot of other people's hard work. I always try to pass on the compliments, but that's the great thing about the cohousing project is that people have come into leadership at the right times. I wish every compliment I receive was heard by everyone.
10.12.2006
east meets west
Nora, Levi and I just flew out to Washington State for a long weekend. I have a couple days of work that we piggybacked on with some vacation time. Here is a picture of the cousins playing for the first time. Lauryn was adopted from China a little over 2 months ago. She is a bit farther along in her mobility and understanding, but they weigh about the same (that is a reflection on Levi's near obesity, not Lauryn's slenderness). She didn't quite know what to make of her Uncle's beard. Both of them are battling colds.Serendipitously, Nora's brother Nathan is down from Alaska for a training in Seattle. So he is coming up on the weekend, also to meet Levi for the first time. More pics and stories to come.
rapid growth story
We just got a really nice story about Newberry Placed published in the online journal "Rapid Growth" www.rapidgrowthmedia.com There were only minor glitches and I think the journalist did a great job of capturing the project and not making us sound like total wackos (or Waco's).
The article focused a bit too much on me, personally, but this has always been the case in talking with media. They need the human story, and there isn't time to tell 16 human stories.
The article focused a bit too much on me, personally, but this has always been the case in talking with media. They need the human story, and there isn't time to tell 16 human stories.
10.06.2006
bids are high
We have the bids in for the cohousing project, and things are a bit high. It's really tough to figure out why or how it translates to individual mortgages. I'm starting to figure out why standard developers just build the same unit over and over - no surprises. I'm sure we can get it figured out and still keep on schedule, but it takes the wind out of every ones' sails. People get really excited that they might be able to add that one thing if the bids are on, but now they have to think about getting rid of something instead. "Who wants to ride the roller coaster? Step right up!"
10.01.2006
september ends...
With September coming to a close and the weather starting to turn, the Faber Fam took advantage of one of the last good weekends before Michigan settles into winter. 
We started our day with a trip to the farmers market to pick up some fresh produce for some Autumn Soup. Squash, parsnips and tomatoes were the order of the day and we found them in great supply at various booths up and down the market. We also bought some homemade pita bread. Most of the market was covered in tarps so we maneuvered Levi's stroller, dodging water drops and downpours. It was not the most beautiful of mornings to be at the market, but with all the fall harvest coming in, it was tough to beat. The other great thing about the market is that you run into a lot of people that you know. So we were able to bump into a number of old friends and get caught up while stuffing veggies into our bags.
After we got home from the market, Nora started in on cutting up the veggies for soup. From the way things were going, I thought the soup was going to end up more as a stew. But when I got home from my next outing, I was surprised to find more of a bisk.
I decided to take in another rugby game. So on my way out of town, I stopped by my brother
Jon's house to see if he wanted to come along. He was finishing up some mixing for a client and obviously was getting tired of it, because it didn't take much conjoiling to get him out of the house. Out at the field the weather was off and on between light drizzle and sunny skies. I think most would say it was perfect rugby weather. The Grand Rapids Gazelles did not appear to be doing to well (I'm still learning the sport so it is often tough to tell). In contrast to the last game I went to, this one's referee was stopping play a lot more - I don't know if that was in response to it being rougher or if he was just having a bad day. Jon and I stayed out there for about an hour and then I got him back to his mixing duties.
When I got home I sampled some of Nora's Autumn soup (very tasty).
We then decided to check out the Eastown Street Fair. Our friends' band was playing at 5pm and it had been awhile since we saw them live. The street fair is another one of those places that you know you will run into a ton of people you know. Levi was introduced to several old college friends. We tried out his backpack unit for the first time because the Baby Bjorn is getting a little too small. Your back really starts to feel it after a couple hundred yards of walking around. He also got to try on his new shoes, which are really nice but pretty pointless at this stage of the game. The band was great but we couldn't stay for long because Nora had to get to a party and I was heading out to Matt and Ruth's house.
So we parted ways and I headed out to the Boelkins for some dinner and games.
When I got there the boys were surfing on crab apples from a tree they cut down in the front yard. We had a nice spaghetti dinner and then tried out a new game called Memoir 44. It is a tribute game to the d-day and reinacts different battles from WWII. It makes me want Levi to grow up faster so that we can play games together. Cohousing will probably help too, board games are tough to play by yourself.
We started our day with a trip to the farmers market to pick up some fresh produce for some Autumn Soup. Squash, parsnips and tomatoes were the order of the day and we found them in great supply at various booths up and down the market. We also bought some homemade pita bread. Most of the market was covered in tarps so we maneuvered Levi's stroller, dodging water drops and downpours. It was not the most beautiful of mornings to be at the market, but with all the fall harvest coming in, it was tough to beat. The other great thing about the market is that you run into a lot of people that you know. So we were able to bump into a number of old friends and get caught up while stuffing veggies into our bags.After we got home from the market, Nora started in on cutting up the veggies for soup. From the way things were going, I thought the soup was going to end up more as a stew. But when I got home from my next outing, I was surprised to find more of a bisk.
I decided to take in another rugby game. So on my way out of town, I stopped by my brother
Jon's house to see if he wanted to come along. He was finishing up some mixing for a client and obviously was getting tired of it, because it didn't take much conjoiling to get him out of the house. Out at the field the weather was off and on between light drizzle and sunny skies. I think most would say it was perfect rugby weather. The Grand Rapids Gazelles did not appear to be doing to well (I'm still learning the sport so it is often tough to tell). In contrast to the last game I went to, this one's referee was stopping play a lot more - I don't know if that was in response to it being rougher or if he was just having a bad day. Jon and I stayed out there for about an hour and then I got him back to his mixing duties.When I got home I sampled some of Nora's Autumn soup (very tasty).
We then decided to check out the Eastown Street Fair. Our friends' band was playing at 5pm and it had been awhile since we saw them live. The street fair is another one of those places that you know you will run into a ton of people you know. Levi was introduced to several old college friends. We tried out his backpack unit for the first time because the Baby Bjorn is getting a little too small. Your back really starts to feel it after a couple hundred yards of walking around. He also got to try on his new shoes, which are really nice but pretty pointless at this stage of the game. The band was great but we couldn't stay for long because Nora had to get to a party and I was heading out to Matt and Ruth's house.So we parted ways and I headed out to the Boelkins for some dinner and games.
When I got there the boys were surfing on crab apples from a tree they cut down in the front yard. We had a nice spaghetti dinner and then tried out a new game called Memoir 44. It is a tribute game to the d-day and reinacts different battles from WWII. It makes me want Levi to grow up faster so that we can play games together. Cohousing will probably help too, board games are tough to play by yourself.
9.28.2006
timelines
We are now in the "if..then.." stage for Newberry Place. October is full of hoop jumping as we zero in on breaking ground. Between financing, construction bids, alley vacations and unit selections there is little time for anything else. If we can get the alley vacated then we can start on financing, if we get the bids in then we can start on unit selections, if we can get the unit selections then we can finish up on financing. CRAZYNESS!
It's important to step back now and again to appreciate the success of this project. It has become so "normal" that you forget how extraordinary it all really is. The last 2 years has been filled with a lot of details so that you get consumed by the minutia instead of seeing the bigger picture. I think people are starting to try things on and dream a little again.
It's important to step back now and again to appreciate the success of this project. It has become so "normal" that you forget how extraordinary it all really is. The last 2 years has been filled with a lot of details so that you get consumed by the minutia instead of seeing the bigger picture. I think people are starting to try things on and dream a little again.
9.16.2006
grand rapids rugby
It was a frantic start to the weekend. Marginally sleep deprived, I accidentally slept in this morning. There were about 10 cohousers patiently waiting for me to open up the office at about 8:10 so that we could review the architectural plans. Whoops! The plans look great though. It really is amazing to see all this detail on the plans for something that was so unclear a few years ago. We have such gifted people both in cohousing and surrounding the project. Most days it is just humbling.
So last week it was American Football, this week it is Rugby.
My coworker invited us to watch her brother play rugby for the Grand Rapids Rugby Club After a brief overview of what the hell was going on, we started to get into it. It is pretty brutal though. The thing is, I think it is much more paced than football because there aren't the pads to give players a false sense of security. If you play to fast, you will get thrown down and get hurt- badly. The blood flowed freely.
Speaking of blood. Marty and I picked up a new game called Zombies!!!
It is pretty fun. The goal is to escape from a small town full of, what else - Zombies. I'm looking forward to playing this on some upcoming fall nights as Halloween approaches.
So last week it was American Football, this week it is Rugby.
My coworker invited us to watch her brother play rugby for the Grand Rapids Rugby Club After a brief overview of what the hell was going on, we started to get into it. It is pretty brutal though. The thing is, I think it is much more paced than football because there aren't the pads to give players a false sense of security. If you play to fast, you will get thrown down and get hurt- badly. The blood flowed freely.
Speaking of blood. Marty and I picked up a new game called Zombies!!!
It is pretty fun. The goal is to escape from a small town full of, what else - Zombies. I'm looking forward to playing this on some upcoming fall nights as Halloween approaches.
9.11.2006
who killed the electric car?
We saw this documentary on Friday night with some cohousers. Check it out if you get a chance.
Who Killed the Electric Car?
seahawks v lions = sealions
Roy invited me to the season opener for the Lions this weekend. It was pretty awesome! I'll still take the pace of a good soccer or hockey game over football. But anytime you can put that many cheering fans into one place, it's pretty exciting.
a gift from aunt mary w. in washington state
Learning:
1) I discovered there is such thing as the stereotypical Detroit football fan. The basic qualities include: belly, cigarette, beer, profanity
2) The underdog will always tug on my heartstrings. Despite going in a Seahawks fan, there was something about a good Lion's play that made you say, "Good going little guy, keep it up kid!"
3) Football is really less about the game and more about how many advertisements you can fit between plays. It was really overwhelming, to the point that you wonder if it is even effective (we all did end up at Burger King (official NFL sponsor) afterward, so maybe something worked)
4) The money generated around sports is unbelievable. You get a little sick feeling if you think about it too much. If we could apply the same energy and devotion to something more worthwhile.... Every one of those seats had a big price tag.
5) The mixture of sports and patriotism was also a little strange. There were recruits getting sworn in at half-time. It reminded me how little the US public has had to really sacrifice for the war.
Alright, that started out light and then got pretty heavy, sorry about that.
a gift from aunt mary w. in washington stateLearning:
1) I discovered there is such thing as the stereotypical Detroit football fan. The basic qualities include: belly, cigarette, beer, profanity
2) The underdog will always tug on my heartstrings. Despite going in a Seahawks fan, there was something about a good Lion's play that made you say, "Good going little guy, keep it up kid!"
3) Football is really less about the game and more about how many advertisements you can fit between plays. It was really overwhelming, to the point that you wonder if it is even effective (we all did end up at Burger King (official NFL sponsor) afterward, so maybe something worked)
4) The money generated around sports is unbelievable. You get a little sick feeling if you think about it too much. If we could apply the same energy and devotion to something more worthwhile.... Every one of those seats had a big price tag.
5) The mixture of sports and patriotism was also a little strange. There were recruits getting sworn in at half-time. It reminded me how little the US public has had to really sacrifice for the war.
Alright, that started out light and then got pretty heavy, sorry about that.
9.04.2006
grand crossing bridge walk - labor day
Nora, Levi and I headed downtown for the 1st annual bridge walk, led by the mayor. We ended up getting down there just as the first crew started taking off, so we ended up at the end of line.
Thankfully we ran into Paul, Julie and Abbey, and they were going about the same stroller pace we were. I found out later that Dan and Laura (and kids) were somewhere mid-pack.
I was pretty surprised that I didn't recognize more folks. I figured there would be the 50-100 usual suspects, but the crowd was pretty big, taking up several bridges as it snaked through downtown. I heard a lot of comments and talk that suggested many folks were coming in from the burbs, "Wow, they really cleaned things up down here", "I haven't been down here in awhile..." The DeVos supporters suggested the same about the demographic. I figure all Granholm's folks were over at the Labor Day Parade.
Heartwell, who led the walks, said "It's about fitness, it's about community spirit, it's about meeting your neighbors, meeting new people as you walk along the way. It's a great day for Grand Rapids."
It really was a pretty great morning, so here are some pics...
Paul and Nora with Amway and new Hotel in background
Those little colorful dots are people
Crew on the 6th St. Bridge
Thankfully we ran into Paul, Julie and Abbey, and they were going about the same stroller pace we were. I found out later that Dan and Laura (and kids) were somewhere mid-pack.
I was pretty surprised that I didn't recognize more folks. I figured there would be the 50-100 usual suspects, but the crowd was pretty big, taking up several bridges as it snaked through downtown. I heard a lot of comments and talk that suggested many folks were coming in from the burbs, "Wow, they really cleaned things up down here", "I haven't been down here in awhile..." The DeVos supporters suggested the same about the demographic. I figure all Granholm's folks were over at the Labor Day Parade.
Heartwell, who led the walks, said "It's about fitness, it's about community spirit, it's about meeting your neighbors, meeting new people as you walk along the way. It's a great day for Grand Rapids."
It really was a pretty great morning, so here are some pics...
Paul and Nora with Amway and new Hotel in background
Those little colorful dots are people
Crew on the 6th St. Bridgetrailrunner x
I'm trying out http://www.trailrunnerx.com to see if it is accurate and helpful.
This is the route I plotted out in the Trailrunner software. You can download an image and then set coordinates. Using GoogleEarth I was able to also find rough elevations for the different points. By drawing and connecting the dots, you can make tracks and then combine those to form routes. It gives you a total distance and elevation numbers.
I then ran this 2.02 mile run with my Nike+iPod. This is the readout of that 2.14 mile run from nikeplus.com. So it was pretty accurate - the run and the map were less than 100 meters off over the distance. You can see the dip at the end of my run where I came up the 152 stairs, HOLY SMOKES! I think the dip near the beginning is were I ran down the "X".
This is the route I plotted out in the Trailrunner software. You can download an image and then set coordinates. Using GoogleEarth I was able to also find rough elevations for the different points. By drawing and connecting the dots, you can make tracks and then combine those to form routes. It gives you a total distance and elevation numbers.
I then ran this 2.02 mile run with my Nike+iPod. This is the readout of that 2.14 mile run from nikeplus.com. So it was pretty accurate - the run and the map were less than 100 meters off over the distance. You can see the dip at the end of my run where I came up the 152 stairs, HOLY SMOKES! I think the dip near the beginning is were I ran down the "X".
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