Life With Andy Again

Well, Andy's back and he has started decorating the office with a vengeance. He is a little crazy but we like it that way.

He has been busy spreading all of the vast knowledge has has attained this semester. It's amazing that you can learn so much about movie trivia in architecture school.

Unfortunately, in gaining Andy, we have lost Steve. As you can see by the reaction of the ladies in New Orleans, Steve had to go back to school. It looks like he is spending more time drinking and socializing with people on the streets than doing actual work. Hope he can get that thesis done.

Who's checking these drawings....

Conry...Rutz? Rutz...Conry? Seems quality control let this one slip through the cracks and now tens of tens of innocent squirrels have bee destroyed without any proof they were in fact connected to any organizations bent on taking over the world. At least the old people have been taken care of.

So Long Pete

This has been a week of uncomfortable celebration as we savor our last few days of working with Pete. Yep, you read it right, Pete is moving on to greener pastures and now someone else will be responsible for cleaning up his manure.

Steve, who has been filling in for Andy since he went off to school will now have more shoes to fill as he tries to fill in for Pete. Of course, Steve’s quality and quantity of work will have to diminish quite a bit to reach that goal. Perhaps a few Jager-Bombs before work may put him in the right frame of mind to work as hard as Pete did.

We have to admit that regardless of how much Pete did or didn’t contribute to the ongoing work at SGW, he was a source of endless entertainment. In addition to the mounds of work that he created for Steve the Younger, his unique methods of plan dimensioning will ensure SGW’s lifelong relationship with all of its clients as they attempt to build to Pete’s drawings. Pete’s actions were equally matched by his exuberant appearance. We will truly miss his flowing cape and magical T-square. Pete’s appearance brought an other-worldly flair to the office.

Many people have been seriously affected by Pete’s departure. Stuart started balling the minute he heard about Pete leaving and hasn’t stopped since. Other co-workers have resorted to binge drinking –the funnels in the back room are getting a bit out of hand. I am seriously worried about what will happen to the fragile chemistry that we have here at SGW once Pete is actually gone.

I am sure Pete is going to make the most of his new position – we all can’t wait to hear what his new title will be. For those that are interested, we have started interviewing (John and I) for someone to move into Pete’s seat. You have to already work at SGW, you must despise George Bush to the point it makes no sense, and you have to be willing to enter into random conversations on any subject at a moments notice.

-C.P.

Andy replaced?

Well, today we officially got over Andy’s absence. The “irreplaceable” intern Andy has actually been replaced with a new intern, Steve “the younger”. Steve is a refugee from New Orleans and has completed the trio of Tulane folks in this little corner of the architectural universe. After hosing him down and getting him a decent change of clothes, he seems to fit in quite well.

Since arriving at SGW, he has been busy helping Steve “the elder” get his shit together with the endlessly exciting task of filing. Some project managers do this work on their own but Steve “the elder” is a bit too important to waste his creative talents on such a mundane task.

We are still schooling our new intern on how to navigate through IMDB but hopefully he will catch on soon. Last week, we spent a bit too much time trying to determine if Jessica Biel is a good actress or not. Andy’s expertise really would have come in handy. Our arguments about cinematic minutia are getting a bit out of hand and we could use someone to sort this out for us so that we can actually get some work done.

On a side note, in an informal office poll, most people believe that Jessica’s acting talents can not be ascertained by the body of work she has produced so far. Only Pete truly believes she is a bad actress.

Life Without Andy

The Nap Store realized by some jerk in Florida, Mall of America.

That's right, naysayers. The Nap Store aka MinneNAPolis aka the Power Nap Sleep Center exists or will soon. Google it yourself, ARut. Said jerk's implimentation includes themes and perhaps more appropriate markets then my original concept but we are almost dead on with pricing ideas. It turns out people will pay to take a nap if the facility is available. The Nap Store making the world a better place one sheep at a time.

You owe me five, Andy.

-Pete

Resurfacing like the Kalpoe Bros. . . .

Well, I'm back . . . from Aruba, that is. Fresh from a secret mission that I was commissioned to execute by the South Bend based Equestrian Search Team (an affiliate of the Texas based EquuSearch).

As you can see, it was a success . . . The Brothers Gumbel and I inflicted some beach justice, and now the Kalpoes are in custody once again.
"Taste that, Deepak & Satish? That's the taste of beach justice" - Greg Gumbel


Now that my heroicism is done for the time being, I'm working on getting reacclimated to this "city of sin." More on how sweet South Bend is later on tonight . . . for now, I've got to get to some sort of classes.

Glad to be back.

-Andy

On a day like this.....

...we really miss Andy around here, especially on a day like today with big news coming out of Aruba. Breaking News!!!! Two brothers arrested again in connection to Natalie Holloway case. Had Andy not left us I'm sure this would have sparked a good 15-20 minute discussion concluding with all of having much greater knowledge of the incident and managing to offend or entertain at least 4 other people in the office. However, andy is no longer here so I know nothing about what happened and there has been no talk at all about Aruba in weeks.
In other big SG news, seems Peaches is having some trouble with his fax covers. Apparently he never got the memo and has been using the old cover. Luckily, having 5-6 bosses there are plenty of people to point this out and make sure he understands the fax policy.

Where's Andy?

It's truly quiet in the office today. Pete is at City Hall and Andy is... ...hmmm, where the hell is Andy? We set up this wonderful blog for him so that he could tune in at any moment and catch the excitement that is going on at SGW. We haven't heard from the bastard in months. O.K., it has only been a week in a half but it feels like months. Andy, if you are out there, please let us know you're still alive. I'd hate to think that you had another beef stew incident or worse yet, that you have joined a commune or something.

-CP

More Encouraging News About Our Profession

Andy, There's still time to escape!!!

An Excerpt from CNN/Money:

"Most of us work hard for a living. And if we're lucky, we're well compensated for the effort. But there are some jobs you should take only if you really love the work because the investment you make to get the job and the hours you keep aren't necessarily commensurate with what you earn.

Not that all careers in this category are necessarily low-paying, at least not by national standards. But they may require a great deal of time and money in graduate education, offer working conditions that only passion can excuse, and there may be such a long run for the roses that you forfeit prime working and child-bearing years just to achieve a salary that college peers were earning a decade earlier. Here are just three of those jobs.

Architects

For every Philip Johnson or Frank Lloyd Wright in a generation of architects, there are countless more who work without fanfare on the everyday buildings where we work, live and shop.
Architects may spend up to seven years completing undergraduate and master's-degree studies, or up to three-and-a-half years in a master's program if they majored in another area during college. To be eligible to take the licensing exam, they also must log three years as interns working for licensed architects.

Architects with a master's might enter the work force with between $50,000 and $80,000 in student loan debt. But as first-year interns, they might earn only $34,000, the national median according to the 2005 compensation survey by the American Institute of Architects. Meanwhile, several steps up the ladder, senior architects earn a median of $68,900."

A Little Introduction.

I am sure everyone is curious to get to know the people responsible for this blog – so here we are:

Andy “The Optimistic Intern” Rutz

Andy has had an off and on relationship with SGW. He will soon be a graduate of Notre Dame University. Since he won’t be drinking this semester, he will surely graduate magna cum laude. Andy’s hobbies are: watching Anchor Man, looking up trivia on IMDb, and creating mind-blowing renderings of even the most mundane buildings.





John “I Hate Everything” Sugrue

John has been at SGW way too long. When he is not knocking people off of their bicycles or boycotting the latest street fair, he is enjoying himself with a beer-in-hand at Wrigley. His hobbies are: space elevators, sticking up for President Bush, and making cynicism into an art form.





Pete “I don’t need your affection and you ain’t getting any of mine” Conry

Pete has been at SGW for about a year and never tires of the architectural challenges that the office offers. He is a deck design genius and never resorts to “standard deck lighting tricks”. His hobbies are: deck design, deck building, deck critique, and putting down President Bush.

Cast your votes now!!!!

Our Station/Small Plate Ideas:

What about a station kind of like a bbq, but maybe a bit more gourmet:

- little "burgers" (sirloin, turkey, or crabcake) on a small foccaccia, poppy or onion roll with fixins like gouda, roasted peppers, grilled onion, dijon, etc served with skin-on potato wedges. -dry rub bbq ribs cut in small sections (2 ribs each maybe) with a scoop of really good (and not runny, hence not so messy) baked beans with chunk of garlic bread -gourmet "mac'n'cheese & beenie weenies" a ramekin of super-sharp, cheesy mac'n'cheese baked with a crispy crumb top, dressed up with tomato confit and topped with sliced beer-boiled, bbq spicy sausage/brats (or not for the vegetarians). - orzo or pasta & veggie salad

What about a new orleans, southern style station a-la-pete (pete lived in new orleans for six years):

- have shallow bowls with a base of rice and choose from chicken or shrimp etoufee or black beans, red beans, scallions, cheeses, etc. with a bar of many different hot sauces and peppers. - jalapeno cheddar corn muffins. - crabcakes? crayfish cakes? - small piece of blackened catfish (or other fish) over rice with a piquant sauce and side of steamed kale - kind of like one of the things you mentioned, pam.

An italian station (i am half italitan and have a large italian family which could make this a good ...or bad option):

- tortellini, fettucini, etc with a choice of a couple sauces (olive oil & cheese, marinara, meat), tossed with spinach, veggies, chicken, or sausage and put in a bowl - meatballs, italian sausage & peppers - calzone pockets, but nicer than pizza. chicken? spinach and ricotta? shrimp alfredo? spicy sausage - caprese salad side (or mini caprese salad like we make) - chicken or veal medallions - parmesan, marsala? - risotto. top it with stuff - meat, veggies (eggplant, zucchini, red peppers) i love risotto.

A carvery station

-meat meat meat! (tenderloin? turkey? chicken?) -things to go with the meat. vegetables? mashed potatoes -maybe risotto. again, i love risotto.

Breads, cheeses & oils

- various breads - i like whole foods "seeduction" bread, bread with chunks of garlic in it, ciabatta or something good for dunking in oil - a selection of olive oils. we love olive oil & dipping. - cheeses - cheddar, comte, brie, gouda...we love cheese. - salami or other sausages...we love salami - olives, peppers - would like a station like this to linger around for the whole night

Cuban

- tamales (like at coobah w/ great sauces!!) - jalapeno honey pork (like at cafe 28) - something with avocado?

Pick two and provide your comments. Thanks for your help.

-The Wedding Planners

Andy will be relieved to hear....

...that Wiccans do, in fact, accept homosexuals. Also, Wiccans are not to be confused with witches. John, despite his confident pontification, was wrong on both accounts. That's right, not much has changed here at SGW. It is still unclear when we are supposed to include the "W" in our firm name and John is frequently overconfident and wrong in his opinions. Telly uncovered a CNN Money article listing Architects as one of the worst professions for pay vs. education level and work. That brightened eveyone's day. Yesterday a project with a real life clock tower landed on my desk! I'll make sure it has plenty of sniper nests for frustrated architects.

Andy if you're out there, I can't seem to find this movie in IMDB: This scientist is working on nanobot technology that when injected move around the body healing as necessary. He gets cancer and in a dr. jekyl move injects the bots. It works great at first, then the bots go out of control and he ends up with gills and acid shooting skin. Hilarity ensues. Anyway, I probably saw it the 90s sometime. It may have been on Showtime. The plot was crucial to some point I was trying to make yesterday.

The root of the problem...

Dear Messers Conry, Payne, & Sugrue:

After complete surveillance and investigation as you requested, we have the following to report regarding the A. Rutz “choking” incident. The report consists of quotes from interviews with various witnesses to the alleged incident and all of the facts contained herein are assumed to be true and honest.

Exhibit 1. “I didn’t realize how dangerous Andy’s exercise regimen was. He had told me to always leave him alone and not come in the room when he was doing them but the other day, I heard a strange grunting and a choking sound and burst through his bedroom door and there he was, on the floor, without his clothes. He tried to tell me how he was working out and he felt a strange sensation in his throat. It wasn’t until several hours later that he said that it might have been food he was choking on. My gosh, I wish he would be more careful and I’ll never understand why he has to exercise without his clothes”
– Mrs. Rutz (Andy’s Mom)

Exhibit 2. “Yeah, Andy is a little weird with his “exercising” and all. I never thought much of it until he came out of the room the other day after the choking incident. He had nothing on, which is pretty typical with Andy, and he was completely blue. I swear to god, I thought he was auditioning for “The Blue Man Group” or something. It was funny as hell but my mom yelled at me and told me to go in the other room. I guess it was serious.
-Zach (Andy’s brother)

Exhibit 3. “Mr. Rutz came in to the emergency room complaining about a problem with his throat. He was bruised all over his back and he seemed to be covered with an oily substance, maybe a lubricant of some sort. I used to see this kind of thing all the time when I worked in Chicago. You see all sorts of weird crap when you work late night in an inner city emergency room. Anyway, he claims that he started choking on some food or something. We looked down his throat and saw nothing there. I can only imagine what that guy was choking on”
- Emergency Room Nurse

Exhibit 4. “I’ve seen Andy about 40 times in the past year with this same problem. We still haven’t pinpointed what is going on so I told Andy that he has some inflammation and that he was having trouble swallowing because of it. To tell you the truth, I don’t know what kind of kinky stuff this kid is into, but he really needs to cut it out before he kills himself. I figured the best advice I could give him was to cut out the alcohol. I figure if he stopped drinking, he would stop abusing himself this way.”
-Andy’s doctor

Exhibit 5. "I got home the other night and saw this bowl of stew in the fridge. I said, “sweet” mom made some beef stew. I figured I’d have a bite to eat and then go to bed. It was pretty hot so I went in my bedroom, undressed to my boxers, and sat in front of the tube to enjoy “Anchor Man” for the 50th time while eating the stew. That movie is as funny as shit. I must have started laughing while eating the stew and fuck; I woke a few minutes later after passing out with this hunk of meat in my throat.”
-Andy

Please remit payment for our investigative services. If you would like this money added to the “peach thief” account, we can send a bill for the full amount in a couple of weeks. As usual, it is always entertaining doing business with you.

Sincerely,

Private Dick

President
Private Dick’s Investigation Service
Chicago, Illinois

Ramblings with Kenneth

Our first morning in the PA (post andy) era and things are going alright, althoguh he is already missed. CP had to be the go to guy for some imdb info in order to confirm that John Singleton has done no good movies since his debut with Boys in the Hood. This proved true, but took much longer than it would have had the idealistic intern been in the office. Consensus seems to be that Pete's Pants Party went off without any problems and was a big success. No confirmation as to stuie's pants staying on. Moral discussion of the day: "Paternity tests upon birth". Sci-fi idea of the day: "truth machine." Imagine the possibilities, we would finally know if cp is just a jerk or really a fun loving comedian. Not much else to report this early in the week except a lonely, empty desk and a single tear on KB's cheek when he realized it was true that the days of the idelaistic intern were forever behind him.

-J

Crazy Games Of Poker and other assorted Pete-isms . . .

What a great last day so far!! Pete has been dazzling us again with his musical prowess . . . another mix chock full of rip roaring overplayed cliche hits. Brilliant.

Other than that, I single handedly saved the company today by delivering Lew's stamp down to City Hall . . . damn, what a rush my job is.
(Romero's roaming around looking to "theive" things, what else is new?)

Just finished up Laura's work for her, so now I'm probably going to zone out for a few more hours until John makes good on his promise and clears up the skies with his skills in magic so we can go to the Cubs game.

(Pete's mix just bottomed out when the song cut off prematurely . . . Pete's good like that. Now we're getting another Joe DiMaggio song . . . can you say fetish?)

Alright, it's on . . . and I'm out. Great summer.

-Andy