Breaking with Friends
We've been pretty head's down the last few weeks...time for a break.We still have client meetings and im still working on a few zenbox clients, but we've had some in between guests overlap with us having enough money back in the account to buy materials, so we've been making a push to finish out the studio. Sadly that means long days of hard work, but its rewarding to watch the project come together and see the vision turn (slowly) into reality. It's a daily reminder that I'm far better at designing spaces than I am at actually finishing them out. I can do the woodwork and cabinetry, but it must take twice as long and seems to have half the quality as if we simply had a professional working in the space. If only we had the cash for that, it would certainly be the path of choice at this point.
We are getting there however... Walls are painted, floors are stained and sealed, now its on to cabinetry. We find ourselves talking more each day about what we'll do to fill our time when the project is over. How we'll reward ourselves for a job well done. And how this is almost certainly our last project like this (at least that we can envision at this point).
The slow timeline sadly is a result of the fact I've been battling with the same shoulder injury since diving for a volleyball our first week in VAN...no doubt from lack of giving it time to heal. Obviously continuing to play for a few weeks and then returning to PDX to build a pergola and work a few different remodel projects wasn't exactly what the doctor ordered. I've been trying to be more aware these days...carrying and lifting less. Taking it easy, and a twice a week regiment of acupuncture to try and heal what is a apparently a few torn ligaments. Getting old sucks. Or being injured sucks... or both.
We took a day off last weekend for Sunday Parkways...where portland shuts down a circuit of streets throughout the neighborhood so that everyone can safely and easily head out on foot or by bike to tour the city. With the loft opening out onto one of those streets it seemed the perfect time to swing open the doors, watch the bikes go by and meet new people. We invited several people in for tours and discussions about small home living and ADUs, and even threw a sign out front to see what they might might be on everyone else's mind.
This weekend we took off the entire long weekend. We had initially considered going back to VAN this month, but one of our friend's birthday is this week and our group of friends was discussing heading to cali for a long weekend. Lucky for us, flights seemed prohibitive and they decided to spend a long weekend with us in Portland instead. If that's not an excuse for a break in the work, i don't know what is!
We blocked out our place and squeezed 9 (a bit sad since it was supposed to be 11) into the space between a few mattresses on the floor and one on the couch. Such a great time!!
The time literally flew by, but we spent most of our time out and about exploring the city. Walking to the food carts for lunch and dinner, walking to different breweries so they could enjoy portland beers, enjoying an absolutely insane evening on the portland Pedalounge (a 16 person bicycle specifically for touring between bars and breweries in SE Portland) followed by a dance party back home. We also managed to somehow squeeze 9 people and 3 dogs into the bus. Clown car reenactment at its finest! I cant seem to get the video to upload, but if you haven't already been clown car, go check it out. I just can't stop watching it over and over.
The weekend came and went far faster than we would have hoped. We enjoyed every second of it, love these peeps and can't wait for the next opportunity to see them all (which given our already growing drive to return to VAN...shouldn't be too long)!
