Walkabout into the new year -- construction and calendar quest

I set off today with a mission. I had a Border's 20% off coupon, a knitting book to peruse (150 Knitted Trims by Lesley Stanfield) and a hope of finding some San Diego 2008 calendars.

I was also seeking mileage to make up for the fact that between colds, cats and such, I've been way more sedentary than a body should be when the goal is to be a smaller body.

Per usual, later than usual, off I went with perhaps enough time to Gaslamp and back without losing daylight. Whether the late out the door was or wasn't a subconscious avoid the pub ploy is subject to debate.

David, if you're reading this, I really did hope to see you and share a pint before you winged it back to Wilsden but the back story worked against my intentions. One of these years we'll get drunk and discuss it okay? It was lovely surprise to run into you however briefly and a good reminder to _renew_ my passport so I can get 'round that side of the pond.

Along the way, I took these "what were they thinking " shots of one of the continuous construction condo projects here in the hood. Some of the projects have just been remarkable examples of horrific architectural design (yes, I do have photographic evidence and blog entries yet to be written on that topic) others have tried to tie the new construction into existing structures.

The Egyptian on Park is one example of this trend as are the condos on Park & Robinson that housed a dry cleaners when I first moved to San Diego.

I snapped photos but never posted on this variant on the trend that includes an older home rather than a commercial building.

I wasn't a huge fan of this project on First near Robinson but I've softened my views now that I've seen the far too many facades effort of the construction on 5th & Thorn.

The First near Robinson project photos begin below.

Meanwhile, back to calendar items. The San Diego calendar thing is a fun tradition that started with my cousin Vera who could usually be relied upon to provide a Women's Institute calendar.

Over the years I would send a calendar featuring the place I was living or had visited that year to give a bit of connection. I did a similar thing with my mum, sometimes annotating the calendar with my planned whereabouts and/or notes about the location of the photo.

This year, I counted up and figured that I had about a half dozen or so former San Diegans or never been here sorts who might enjoy that calendar tradition that links us up in non-cyber virtual way. A quirky daily reminder that someone in San Diego is thinking of them throughout the year.

On my last roll through Costco before the holidays there had been a goodly stack of suitable calendars but I didn't buy and when I returned the cupboard was bare -- not a single calendar to be had.

I also needed my own cubicle and home calendars and between Borders and Calendar Club at Horton Plaza, I was sure that I would find something to make marking time more fun.

At Borders I looked at the Stanfield title but didn't see anything that I hadn't already seen in other reference books I own and there was no other compelling reason like compact size or particularly good index to make the purchase so I gave my coupon to a total stranger before heading over to Horton Plaza to continue the calendar quest.

No joy on the San Diego calendar quest and in 2008 my cubicle will not be sporting the usual sailing calendar because I just couldn't find one that I liked.

Instead the CWRU calendar will be sharing digs with views of Mount Fuji courtesy of Pomegranate publications & the British Museum. At home, we're still greeting the day with and planning daily events with Happy Bunny, while the office is watched over by a Black Cats calendar. Other 'round the place calendars have a bit of an attitude with Inner Bitch (mine's more out than in) and this little retro number.

So what was I knitting? The modules for the knitted rhombic hexecontahedron, of course.
Photos to come.