SMALL AT LARGE

MY HOUSE IN OREGON FORECLOSED ON APRIL 15TH 2010. MY POLITICAL CLIENT IN NICARAGUA DIED IN 2005 OF A QUESTIONABLE DEATH, AND I SUDDENLY WAS NOT POLITICALLY CORRECT TO BUILD THERE. MY WORK IN ABU DHABI STOPPED IN SPRING OF 2008. ANOTHER STORY TO BE TOLD. I HAD NO WORK TO SUSTAIN MY MORTGAGE AND LIVING EXPENSES. I RECEIVED GENEROUS FINANCIAL HELP FROM FRIENDS, BUT IT WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO MEET THE BILLS. I STOPPED PAYMENTS AND EVENTUALLY THE BANK OF AMERICA TOOK THE HOUSE. NOW IT’S BACK ON THE MARKET, LISTED BY COLDWELL BANKER FOR UNDER $300,000. A REAL STEAL IN A BEAUTIFUL AREA, HALF A BLOCK FROM THE BEACH.

ALL THE LIP SERVICE TO HELP HOME OWNERS ENDS UP TO BE 5% THAT QUALIFY. THE REST GO UNDER. I AM NOT SURE OF THE PERCENTAGE OF BANK FORECLOSURES, BUT I AM SURE IT WAS NOT 95% OF TROUBLED BANKS GOING UNDER, LIKE THE HOUSE FORECLOSURES. THE TRICKLE DOWN THEORY DID NOT WORK FOR ME. I WANT A TRICKLE UP THEORY. HISTORY HAS SHOWN THAT HARDLY EVER HAPPENS, AND WHEN IT DOES THE LEADERS BECOME CORRUPT AND THE CYCLES STARTS ALL OVER AGAIN.

BANKRUPTCY SETTLED JULY 1, 2010 IN OAKLAND CALIFORNIA, IN THE HEARING THE FEDERAL JUDGE DISCOVERED AND ADJUSTED THE FEE I WAS BEING CHARGED BY MY LAWYER. WHEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT STARTS FEELING SORRY FOR YOU, YOU KNOW YOU ARE AT THE BOTTOM.

LIVING IN A DINGBAT ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT WITH MY WIFE IN ALAMEDA CALIFORNIA ON THE BAY. AFTER LIVING IN HOMES FOR THE LAST FIFTY YEARS AND AN ARCHITECTURAL MONUMENT FOR THE LAST TEN YEARS, IT WAS A PLEASANT SURPRISE TO REDUCE THE TRAPPINGS OF THINGS TO MINIMUM SPACE. WHAT A RELIEF. NOW IT COMES DOWN TO PAYING THE RENT. GOING TO BORDERS BOOK STORE, A HALF BLOCK AWAY, FOR THE INTERNET. THE FIFTY DOLLAR DIGITAL TV I BOUGHT AT A GARAGE SALE PICKS UP ABOUT 30 LOCAL CHANNELS ON THE INTERNET. I WAS BAPTIZED IN ARCHITECTURE IN LOS ANGELES DOING DING BAT APARTMENTS WITH A. T. WILKES FIFTY YEARS AGO. HE TRIED HARDER THAN MOST ARCHITECTS, AND WITH ME INTRODUCED TWO STORY SPACES AND SPLIT LEVELS. THE MINIMUM SPACE LIKE I LIVE IN NOW, WAS THE ENEMY. BUT I AM TOLERANT NOW AND HAPPY TO HAVE A DECK, VIEW OF THE POOL AND ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE BAY. ALAMEDA IS AN ISLAND OFF OAKLAND IN THE BAY. IT HAS MORE VICTORIAN HOUSES THAN ANY OTHER CITY IN CALIFORNIA. A BUNCH OF CANALS GOING EVERYWHERE AND A REAL DOWNTOWN WITH A FANTASTIC ART DECO THEATER. WE CHOOSE ALAMEDA FOR THE WEATHER, COST, AND SECURITY. MY STUDENTS ARE IN LOVE WITH SAN FRANCISCO, BUT THE COST, WEATHER , SECURITY,NOISE AND FILTH OF SAN FRANCISCO BUGS ME, LIKE MOST CITES DO. MORE LATER ON THIS SUBJECT. SAN FRANCISCO IS FOR THE AFFLUENT. WE WERE FORTUNATE TO QUALIFY FOR THE APARTMENT IN ALAMEDA, WE WERE TURNED DOWN AT OTHER APARTMENTS FOR LACK OF INCOME AND BANKRUPTCY STATUS.

LOOKING FOR CONSULTING JOBS TO FINANCIALLY GET THROUGH THE SUMMER. AS A YOUNG MAN I ALWAYS ENJOYED LOOKING FOR A JOB, BECAUSE MY PORTFOLIO BROUGHT ATTENTION EVEN THOUGH MY OFFICE TOOLS OF DOING CONTRACT DRAWINGS WERE LIMITED. THERE WERE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE OWNERS. ONE TOLD ME I WAS USELESS, BECAUSE I WOULD BE TROUBLE. PATRICK CLAY TURNED UP HIS NOSE, BECAUSE I WAS NOT A CORBU MAN. ANCHEN, OF ANCHEN AND ALLEN HIRED ME IMMEDIATELY. I COULD GO ON AND ON. BUT USUALLY I LASTED 3 MONTHS AND MOVED ON FOR VARIOUS REASONS, OFTEN BEING FIRED. I WAS VERY PROUD AND LIMITED. ONE ARCHITECT NEEDED A SLOPE ROOF HOUSE SCHEME. I ONLY DID FLAT ROOFS. ANOTHER WANTED A SIMPLE SQUARE FOREST RANGER HOUSE. I DESIGNED A SPIRAL HOUSE . LOOKING BACK IT WAS COMICAL, BUT IT WAS SERIOUS STUFF AT THE TIME.

THIS TIME AROUND I KNOW TOO MUCH , OVERQUALIFIED AND LOOK LIKE EVERYBODY’S GRAND DAD. I PROCESS INFORMATION RAPIDLY AND BANG OUT DESIGN CONCEPTS INSTANTLY. IT IS HARD TO BE IDEALISTIC WHEN BROKE. WHEN I WAS TEACHING AT SCI-ARC WITH A SUSTAINABLE INCOME AND ASSURANCE I WOULD NOT BE FIRED. I COULD AFFORD TO BE THE IDEALIST. NOW WITH NO DEBT (OTHER THAN FRIENDS) AND AN AFFORTDABLE OVERHEAD, I AM BACK.

WISHING YOU THE BEST. NEXT BLOG ” TIME WITH JOHN LAUTNER”

GLEN