SMALL AT LARGE

IN THE EARLY SUMMER OF 1999 WHEN I RETURNED TO SLEEPY OREGON TO WORK ON THE HOTEL PRELIMINARIES, I WAS IN HEAVEN. MY RECENT WORKS IN OREGON WERE HOUSES AND AN ART GALLERY. NICARAGUA WAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD AT A LARGER SCALE IN A MANNER THAT REFLECTED MY SENSUOUS INTERESTS. I THREW A DINNER PARTY AT MY TEMPORARY RENTAL HOUSE ON THE FOURTH OF JULY TO SHOW MY FRIENDS WHAT I WAS DOING IN NICARAGUA. WALDPORT, SEALROCK, NEWPORT OREGON IS ALL ABOUT BEAUTIFUL SCENERY AND PEOPLE WITH LIMITED VISION. SO MY STORIES OF NICARAGUA WERE FAR OFF FANTASIES.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I WAS IN SEARCH OF THE PERFECT MATE, PLAYING THE STOCK MARKET, AND DEVELOPING THE NICARAGUA PRELIMINARIES. A TRIPLE THREAT OF DOWNSIDE DISASTERS THAT I WAS OBLIVIOUS TO.

THE MATE THING WAS CONFUSING, BECAUSE I AM CAPABLE OF LOVING MANY WOMEN. LIKE IN THE MOVIE SHAMPOO, WHERE WARREN BEATTY, THE MACHO HAIR DRESSER, CONFESSES TO FALLING FOR ALL THE BEAUTIFUL WOMEN WHEN HE DOES THEIR HAIR. I FIND THEM SO DESIRABLE AND CAN RELATE TO THEIR WORLDS EASILY. I HAVE A POSITIVE SELL THAT MAKES ME ATTRACTIVE AND INTERESTING SO I FELL IN LOVE EASILY AND BECOME DISTORTED AND CONFUSED WHEN THE LOVES DISCOVERED MY PASSION FOR ARCHITECTURE AND MY BLATANT HONESTY. THE U.S. WOMEN THAT I AM ATTRACTED TO ARE SELF SUFFICIENT, SO THEY BOLT AT THE LEAST SIGN OF DISCOMFORT. I HAVE TOLERANCE AND STAYING POWER TO MAKE A RELATIONSHIP WORK. I WENT INTO MOURNING WHEN A SERIES OF WOMEN LEFT ME THAT I HAD FALLEN FOR. THIS WAS ALL NEW TO ME, BECAUSE I WAS THE ONE THAT USUALLY LEFT A RELATIONSHIP. WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND AND I ACTED LIKE A SCHOOL BOY LOSING HIS FIRST LOVE. MY ADULT KIDS WERE BEWILDERED THAT THEIR DAD COULD BEHAVE IN SUCH A CHILDISH WAY, BUT ROMANCE IS THE SAME AT ANY AGE. ALL THOSE GREAT SONGS IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES TELL THE COMMON STORY OF A JILTED LOVER HEARING “HIT THE ROAD JACK AND DON’T COME BACK NO MORE NO MORE.”

I SET UP DESKS WITH HOLLOW CORE DOORS AND SAW HORSES IN MY LIVING ROOM AND USED A TEAM TO ASSIST ME, COMPOSED OF A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT, MY DAUGHTER YASMINA, BRANDY MY SON’S LOVE, BOB KOLOWSKY A COMPUTER MAN AND BRIAN HANNA ARCHITECT, MY EX WIFE’S HUSBAND WHO I CALL SAINT BRIAN. I USED THE LOCAL DRIED GRASS FOR MODEL MATERIAL. WE WERE IN A TIME SQUEEZE TO MEET THE RENDEZVOUS DATES.

ERIK, MY SON, MADE ELABORATE CRAFTED PLYWOOD CARRYING BOXES TO TAKE THE MODELS ON THE PLANE WHEN I TRAVELED. THE EXQUISITE BOXES COUPLED WITH THE DESIGNS IMPRESSED THE AIRLINE ATTENDANTS AND CLIENTS, AND SUFFERED NO DAMAGE. ALL PRE 911.

 

 

 

MY FIRST STOP WAS NEW YORK CITY TO DROP OFF THE BROCHURE AND MODELS TO PETER HOLSTEAD. THE LAST MAJOR PUSH OF BROCHURE WORK DONE AT KINKO’S IN BOSTON.

PETER HAD A NEW YORK BANKER CONNECTION THAT HE WANTED TO SELL THE HOTEL, VILLAGE AND DESTINATION POINT SENARIO TO. FOR YEARS PETER HAD GREAT HOPES TO MARKET THE PROJECT AND TRIED TO DO SO WITH NO LUCK .THE CONVERSATIONS WITH HIM WERE FULL OF HOPE AND JUST ABOUT TO BE FUNDED. THERE WERE SQUATTERS ON HIS LAND AS WELL THAT HE SPENT YEARS LEGALLY FIGHTING. A COMMON TALE IN NICARAGUA WHERE THE LAND IS NOT USED AND SQUATTERS HAVE RIGHTS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE NEXT PUSH WAS A TRIP TO NICARAGUA TO PRESENT THE HERTY HOTEL. ALL WENT WELL, BUT NEITHER PETER NOR HERTY HAD ANY FINANCING TO BUILD. THE COUNTRY WAS GEARING UP FOR ELECTIONS AND THERE WAS AN UNCERTAINTY ABOUT INVESTING WITH POLITICAL UNREST.

HERTY ENDED UP SELLING THE HOTEL LAND TO THE ARMY FOR A RETREAT. THE LAST MEETING I HAD WAS WITH SOME MONEY CRUNCHER FOR THE ARMY THAT HAD NO IDEA OF THE SENSITIVITY OF THE DESIGN NOR HOW TO IMPLEMENT THE CONSTRUCTION. IT WAS A SHAME THAT HE HAD THE BEAUTIFUL MODEL IN HIS POSSESSION.

 

 

SO WHAT WAS LEARNED? A BUNCH OF STUFF ABOUT TROPICAL HOTELS. THE DESIGNS CATCHING THE EYES OF OTHER ARCHITECTS, AND GIVING MEANING TO SENUOUS FORMS . THE BOTTOM LINE IS I MADE INROADS INTO NICARAGUA.

I RETURNED TO THE STATES WAITING FOR THE NEXT CALL FROM ROGER. HERTY HIS UNCLE WAS RUNNING A CAMPAIGN FOR THE MAYOR OF MANAGUA AND ROGER WAS HIS RIGHT HAND MAN.

NICARAGUA TO BE CONTINUED.