“To every person there comes that moment
when he is figuratively tapped on the shoulder
to do a very special thing unique to him.
What a tragedy if that moment
finds him unprepared for the work
that would be his finest hour.”
Winston Churchill
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Memory Lane Sunday of the Month...
…because to be honest, there is just no time on Mondays.
So my track record isn’t very good for keeping this thing updated seeing as how this will make the 5th post in 2 years. No excuses. Ok, well, maybe there IS one. I work full time. I know what you’re thinking and though I would LOVE to share the many exciting adventures and scandals of my 40 hour interior design work week, it just wouldn’t be appropriate. Client confidentiality something or other. The other reason is, those 40 hours all have to be billed out which means if I don’t bill out the hours, I don’t get paid. Pretty sure my client’s don’t want to spend 75 bucks an hour for me to update my blog. I’m sure you can understand….
I can and will, however, write of things past. I happened to be hanging out with my very good friend, Andrea, the other night and since her husband is in school, we got on the subject of finals week and I remember thinking after reminiscing on this particular story, that I needed to write it down before all was lost and forgotten. So in an effort to recount this particular memory….
Finals week. April 2000. The BYU.
I have, like many people, a propensity for procrastination. This semester was worse than any other. I won’t get into all the reasons for this, just know that this was a particularly hard semester for me on many levels.
For a little background on my major….. That sucker was about 75 credits in just the major alone. Now, if one was a history major, one would take tests. And it’s basically objective. You either know the subject, or you don’t. With interior design, it is SUBJECTIVE and your dang project is either finished or it isn’t. It’s not like studying for a test with some flash cards and all that… In the Interior Design major, you DRAW. Perspectives, floor plans, elevations and at BYU, you draw them all by hand because you only get one class in AutoCAD. It's harder to guess your way into an A if you didn't have the time to render the floor plan or put the lighting plan together....
By the time I got to BYU, most of my general education credits were finished, so more than likely (keep in mind that my past class schedules are not something I detain in the forefront of my memory) I was in ALL design classes. And for any one in the arts/communications majors, you understand that the work load CAN by far exceed any test taking class I’ve ever been in.
This particular class was Intro to Drafting. I loved my teacher. Anna. She is one of the most inspiring people I have ever known. And her sheer nature made you want to be better, to succeed, to extend beyond. Have you ever had a teacher who made you want to reach the sky? She was not, however, what we would call an easy teacher. Anna expected a lot and, difficult semester for me or not, I wanted to produce the work she expected we were all capable of.
So, the final project was something like this. We were to measure the Brimhall Building (this became lovingly known as the BrimHELL with every passing semester) where most all of our classes were held. After measuring the exterior (with all of its ins and outs) and the interior with approximately 9 class rooms, 4 offices, 2 staircases, a restroom and an atrium on each level (3 levels), we were to draw that building (BY HAND remember and with all the appropriate line weights of a floor plan) on 24” x 36” sheets of vellum. So the assignment continued…
Draw the site plan (exterior walls and side walks with a couple of trees and bushes here and there)
Draw an existing plan (with all the existing walls and plumbing fixtures)
Draw a demolition plan (showing which walls are staying and which walls a coming down)
Draw a new floor plan for a hotel (of our choice)
Draw a lighting plan
Draw elevations of key points within the hotel
Draw a finish schedule
All drawings complete with labels and title block.
Ok then. Our final was at 7:30 in the bless-ed A.M. And if we were a minute late, we were docked a full letter grade. Yikes.
So I start working on it, but as these things always do, it takes WAY more time than I had anticipated. It didn’t help that my roommates were a kick in the pants and there was always something going on over at our hacienda. But it came down to the 5 days before the assignment was due and I am suddenly realizing that I better step it up, or I aint gonna finish. I decide it’s time for the all nighter. And anyone who knows me well, knows I’m a grandma and my bed time (even in my wild and crazy college days) was 10 – 10:30. Go ahead, laugh it up.
I get my self all situated on one of the drafting boards up at the Brimhall, turn on the tunes, and get to work. I draw. And draw. And draw. During the day I would have classes, but just as soon as they finished, I would head back to my drafting table and draw some more into the night. This goes on for 2 days and 2 nights. At this point, there is no time to go home and shower, let alone sleep and on the third night, Andrea, Jodi, and Danielle (roommates) brought me my favorite coldstone treat. Sweet cream, brownie, and peanutbutter goodness all in a nice little cup. Those girls are the freakin best. I couldn’t have survived those days without them… Little did I know how much I needed them. I would try and catch 2 hours here and there sleeping on benches in the freezing cold Brimhall, and though I may have caught some z’s, my body just never did shut down for sleep. Had to keep drawing.
The night before the final, I finished my drawings at 4:30 A.M. As finished as I could be at THAT hour because, Anna wanted them BLUE PRINTED. That meant that I could go home, sleep for an hour, get up, shower, get my junk together and head into Orem to get the drawings blue printed. I would have just enough time to make it there and back to campus before 7:30.
I was so proud of myself for having such a great plan.
I get home at 5:00. Set my alarm clock for an hour later and, since the alarm clock is sitting right next to my head, I push it as far away from me as it will go while still being plugged in and I think, “Great, that will work. That way I’ll have to get up to turn it off.” And then, I sleep. Really for the first time in 5 days.
Can you see where this is going?
I don't even remember turning off the alarm. The next thing I DO remember is my roommate, Andrea (who was in her final semester and had zero finals), saying “Jayna, don’t you have a final today at 7:30?” I bolt up in my bed and suddenly overwhelming alarm shoots through me. I try to get my bearings and then look at the clock which reads in red numbers: 7:15. Oh no. Plan foiled. Who’s idiot idea was it to sleep at all anyway?!? At this particular juncture, I have no time to get my plans blue printed. Who am I kidding, at this point, I don’t even have time to shower. Andrea says she will help me, so I pull out my long stretchy black Banana Republic skirt (these are the details I remember) and my taupe button down Express shirt. I try and make my greasy, sick hair look as presentable as I possibly could, throw on a little makeup and I grab my drawings. Since BYU at that point decided to enlist ‘checkpoint charlie’, she couldn’t drop me off right at the Brimhall, so she took me as close as she could, and then off she went to blue print my drawings for me. (Heavenly Choirs now... Thank you Andrea.) I ran to the Brimhall (with my drafting tube strung across me and the copies I had made at Kinkos the day before of what I had actually finished in case I never finished…. This was my back up) and walked into the room on the stroke of 7:30. At least I wasn’t late. As I walk into the room, as usual, everyone looks to see who has come in. And they sort of laughed at me (not unusal)… But it was only my good friend Mark who turned red, lowered his face, and said, “Um, Jayna, your button is undone.” Yeah, I look down and right there, not up by my collar, or down by my stomach, but right across my chest, is a button separated from it’s button hole. Well now, how long was that going on. I had just run across campus giving a little “good luck and happy finals” show to all the earnest students. Nice.
About halfway through the final, Andrea comes to the door with my blue prints. After presenting them to the class (and since they all knew how long I had been up and many of them had been my company over the last few days) most everyone, following my friend Melanie lead, stood up and gave me a standing ovation. Hilarious. And so fun. The best part of being in a small major (one had to apply once to get in the major, once after the first year to stay in the major, and once after the 2nd year to keep yourself in the major… this was no casual undertaking) is being able to be such good friends with the people you spend so much of your time with. With few exceptions, we started the major together and ended the major together and so many of my good friends came from this.
So, I’d like to thank Anna for making me want to be better than I am. I’d like to thank the interior design class of 2001 and 2002 for all the support, the good times, and all the laughs. I’d like to thank my roommates for being such great friends for 9 years now. AND most especially Andrea for not only EVERYTHING she has done for me but for also being my great friend. To you I dedicate my Brimhall Hotel.
So my track record isn’t very good for keeping this thing updated seeing as how this will make the 5th post in 2 years. No excuses. Ok, well, maybe there IS one. I work full time. I know what you’re thinking and though I would LOVE to share the many exciting adventures and scandals of my 40 hour interior design work week, it just wouldn’t be appropriate. Client confidentiality something or other. The other reason is, those 40 hours all have to be billed out which means if I don’t bill out the hours, I don’t get paid. Pretty sure my client’s don’t want to spend 75 bucks an hour for me to update my blog. I’m sure you can understand….
I can and will, however, write of things past. I happened to be hanging out with my very good friend, Andrea, the other night and since her husband is in school, we got on the subject of finals week and I remember thinking after reminiscing on this particular story, that I needed to write it down before all was lost and forgotten. So in an effort to recount this particular memory….
Finals week. April 2000. The BYU.
I have, like many people, a propensity for procrastination. This semester was worse than any other. I won’t get into all the reasons for this, just know that this was a particularly hard semester for me on many levels.
For a little background on my major….. That sucker was about 75 credits in just the major alone. Now, if one was a history major, one would take tests. And it’s basically objective. You either know the subject, or you don’t. With interior design, it is SUBJECTIVE and your dang project is either finished or it isn’t. It’s not like studying for a test with some flash cards and all that… In the Interior Design major, you DRAW. Perspectives, floor plans, elevations and at BYU, you draw them all by hand because you only get one class in AutoCAD. It's harder to guess your way into an A if you didn't have the time to render the floor plan or put the lighting plan together....
By the time I got to BYU, most of my general education credits were finished, so more than likely (keep in mind that my past class schedules are not something I detain in the forefront of my memory) I was in ALL design classes. And for any one in the arts/communications majors, you understand that the work load CAN by far exceed any test taking class I’ve ever been in.
This particular class was Intro to Drafting. I loved my teacher. Anna. She is one of the most inspiring people I have ever known. And her sheer nature made you want to be better, to succeed, to extend beyond. Have you ever had a teacher who made you want to reach the sky? She was not, however, what we would call an easy teacher. Anna expected a lot and, difficult semester for me or not, I wanted to produce the work she expected we were all capable of.
So, the final project was something like this. We were to measure the Brimhall Building (this became lovingly known as the BrimHELL with every passing semester) where most all of our classes were held. After measuring the exterior (with all of its ins and outs) and the interior with approximately 9 class rooms, 4 offices, 2 staircases, a restroom and an atrium on each level (3 levels), we were to draw that building (BY HAND remember and with all the appropriate line weights of a floor plan) on 24” x 36” sheets of vellum. So the assignment continued…
Draw the site plan (exterior walls and side walks with a couple of trees and bushes here and there)
Draw an existing plan (with all the existing walls and plumbing fixtures)
Draw a demolition plan (showing which walls are staying and which walls a coming down)
Draw a new floor plan for a hotel (of our choice)
Draw a lighting plan
Draw elevations of key points within the hotel
Draw a finish schedule
All drawings complete with labels and title block.
Ok then. Our final was at 7:30 in the bless-ed A.M. And if we were a minute late, we were docked a full letter grade. Yikes.
So I start working on it, but as these things always do, it takes WAY more time than I had anticipated. It didn’t help that my roommates were a kick in the pants and there was always something going on over at our hacienda. But it came down to the 5 days before the assignment was due and I am suddenly realizing that I better step it up, or I aint gonna finish. I decide it’s time for the all nighter. And anyone who knows me well, knows I’m a grandma and my bed time (even in my wild and crazy college days) was 10 – 10:30. Go ahead, laugh it up.
I get my self all situated on one of the drafting boards up at the Brimhall, turn on the tunes, and get to work. I draw. And draw. And draw. During the day I would have classes, but just as soon as they finished, I would head back to my drafting table and draw some more into the night. This goes on for 2 days and 2 nights. At this point, there is no time to go home and shower, let alone sleep and on the third night, Andrea, Jodi, and Danielle (roommates) brought me my favorite coldstone treat. Sweet cream, brownie, and peanutbutter goodness all in a nice little cup. Those girls are the freakin best. I couldn’t have survived those days without them… Little did I know how much I needed them. I would try and catch 2 hours here and there sleeping on benches in the freezing cold Brimhall, and though I may have caught some z’s, my body just never did shut down for sleep. Had to keep drawing.
The night before the final, I finished my drawings at 4:30 A.M. As finished as I could be at THAT hour because, Anna wanted them BLUE PRINTED. That meant that I could go home, sleep for an hour, get up, shower, get my junk together and head into Orem to get the drawings blue printed. I would have just enough time to make it there and back to campus before 7:30.
I was so proud of myself for having such a great plan.
I get home at 5:00. Set my alarm clock for an hour later and, since the alarm clock is sitting right next to my head, I push it as far away from me as it will go while still being plugged in and I think, “Great, that will work. That way I’ll have to get up to turn it off.” And then, I sleep. Really for the first time in 5 days.
Can you see where this is going?
I don't even remember turning off the alarm. The next thing I DO remember is my roommate, Andrea (who was in her final semester and had zero finals), saying “Jayna, don’t you have a final today at 7:30?” I bolt up in my bed and suddenly overwhelming alarm shoots through me. I try to get my bearings and then look at the clock which reads in red numbers: 7:15. Oh no. Plan foiled. Who’s idiot idea was it to sleep at all anyway?!? At this particular juncture, I have no time to get my plans blue printed. Who am I kidding, at this point, I don’t even have time to shower. Andrea says she will help me, so I pull out my long stretchy black Banana Republic skirt (these are the details I remember) and my taupe button down Express shirt. I try and make my greasy, sick hair look as presentable as I possibly could, throw on a little makeup and I grab my drawings. Since BYU at that point decided to enlist ‘checkpoint charlie’, she couldn’t drop me off right at the Brimhall, so she took me as close as she could, and then off she went to blue print my drawings for me. (Heavenly Choirs now... Thank you Andrea.) I ran to the Brimhall (with my drafting tube strung across me and the copies I had made at Kinkos the day before of what I had actually finished in case I never finished…. This was my back up) and walked into the room on the stroke of 7:30. At least I wasn’t late. As I walk into the room, as usual, everyone looks to see who has come in. And they sort of laughed at me (not unusal)… But it was only my good friend Mark who turned red, lowered his face, and said, “Um, Jayna, your button is undone.” Yeah, I look down and right there, not up by my collar, or down by my stomach, but right across my chest, is a button separated from it’s button hole. Well now, how long was that going on. I had just run across campus giving a little “good luck and happy finals” show to all the earnest students. Nice.
About halfway through the final, Andrea comes to the door with my blue prints. After presenting them to the class (and since they all knew how long I had been up and many of them had been my company over the last few days) most everyone, following my friend Melanie lead, stood up and gave me a standing ovation. Hilarious. And so fun. The best part of being in a small major (one had to apply once to get in the major, once after the first year to stay in the major, and once after the 2nd year to keep yourself in the major… this was no casual undertaking) is being able to be such good friends with the people you spend so much of your time with. With few exceptions, we started the major together and ended the major together and so many of my good friends came from this.
So, I’d like to thank Anna for making me want to be better than I am. I’d like to thank the interior design class of 2001 and 2002 for all the support, the good times, and all the laughs. I’d like to thank my roommates for being such great friends for 9 years now. AND most especially Andrea for not only EVERYTHING she has done for me but for also being my great friend. To you I dedicate my Brimhall Hotel.
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