Monthly Archives: March 2011

Three Stupids

Posted on March 31, 2011 by sputterpub

     When I was around 14 years old, I had an idea that has never stopped cracking me up. I was walking along a road in unincorporated Bonita, California with either my buddy Alice or my neighbor Cindy, when the … Continue reading →

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Unified Theory of Fabrication

Posted on March 30, 2011 by sputterpub

     When I was around 50 I encountered Nader Khalili (electronically), and I fell deeply in admiration. I read about his idea for ceramic homes in the Middle East, and how when asked for ways to build on the moon, … Continue reading →

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Chemistry

Posted on March 29, 2011 by sputterpub

   When I was 15 I took high school chemistry. That’s what college-bound kids did in the 60s; enrolled in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics in that order, the final three years of school. It wasn’t a favorite course but I … Continue reading →

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Garage

Posted on March 28, 2011 by sputterpub

    When I was 40 I bought the North Berkeley cottage, and that move caused a chronic small anxiety in me, about swollen creek water and the garage. It was more of a covered bridge than a proper car house, … Continue reading →

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Continuum

Posted on March 25, 2011 by sputterpub

“I need more space,” my boyfriend used to plead in 1969, but what he meant was “I want other girls, and I don’t need a steady yet.” It wasn’t his intent to settle down before his oats could sprout, who’d … Continue reading →

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OJ

Posted on March 24, 2011 by sputterpub

    When we were in our mid-20s, Nick and I once made a memorable mess. We were on a road trip vacation, which meant we carried detailed maps and plenty of food and drink so we could tool around on byways … Continue reading →

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On Closet Doors

Posted on March 23, 2011 by sputterpub

     Once I got into universal design (see the last few Wednesday posts), I never got out of it. I began to view housing, inside and out, big and small, as a new puzzle instead of a previously-solved issue. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Universal Design | 3 Comments

Codes & Epigrams

Posted on March 22, 2011 by sputterpub

When I was around 55, I finally figured out that people don’t always mean their words. Some phrases are in fact code. For example, “Hi, how are you?” is seldom an honest inquiry about your health or mood. You’re supposed to … Continue reading →

Posted in Lessons, Poetry | 2 Comments

The Anticipator

Posted on March 21, 2011 by sputterpub

   When I was 15, the family moved from southern California to the San Francisco bay area, and in the next few years the place exploded with music, drugs, sex, and politics. I was already eccentric and suspected I might … Continue reading →

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Canyon Road

Posted on March 18, 2011 by sputterpub

  When I was in my 50s, I checked out opera. I had a friend who was recently widowed, and he held two season tickets to what SF put on. I attended performances with him a few times a year. I … Continue reading →

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