Fun times at work today. I got to take a field trip. We (local government) have become holders of an empty department store space in a declining mall. We were looking at holding a large department training event there and I was part of the inspection group. Man! All my dystopian post—apocalyptic abandoned space dreams.

I really hate that the space is not being already converted into an intake and service facility for social service or into indoor rec space for youth or seniors or trades training space for a community college.

There was a post on a DC blog (Popville) that the Secretary of Transportation (Pete ... however you spell his last name) got the full MetroBus experience, traveling with two small children.

We (local government) have become holders of an empty department store space in a declining mall. We were looking at holding a large department training event there and I was part of the inspection group. Man! All my dystopian post—apocalyptic abandoned space dreams.

I really hate that the space is not being already converted into an intake and service facility for social service or into indoor rec space for youth or seniors or trades training space for a community college.

So cool!

Met with Erika, the interior decorator. We'll be starting with a window treatment for the curved windows, and sourcing ironwork that needs to replaced outside.

She gave me a big reality check on whether we could occupy the interior Cupola space. She used phrases like "sistering the joists" and "load bearing" and "shear" indicating that any messing with the structure might require going inside the walls and putting in steel to support it.

That's not what I want to do. Also, as you would imagine, that's not so much decorating as construction, and gets very expensive. I really don't want to mess with the bones of the place.

We'll have a structural engineer over to examine the space and let us know what's possible. "We're in the feasibility study portion of the project" she said.

Also, you all need to remind me that a wasp was building a nest in the attic and I need to take care of that before it gets going.

Don't let me forget!

Pester me until I go after it with Raid!

the interior Cupola space

Meaning not the 1st floor or the 2nd floor, but above the 2nd floor? Is that not open to the 2nd floor?

David, just remember that it's important it not fall down. (I've worked with engineers and I know that's something high on their priority list.)

Meaning not the 1st floor or the 2nd floor, but above the 2nd floor? Is that not open to the 2nd floor?

Yes, the attic is a full space, and interior of the cupola is up there. I'm talking with Erika on how to turn the attick into Stede's pirate ship library from Our Flag Means Death: [link]

David, just remember that it's important it not fall down. (I've worked with engineers and I know that's something high on their priority list.)

My highest priority as well!

it's important it not fall down

"Gravity works!" -- Batty Koda

In the land of ouch, my grandmother-in-law is hitting the "has lived past the amount of money allotted for her remaining years" stage of life. (She's 98. She's also in independent living, but independent living is expensive, and her savings + investment income has been running out.)

As she had a decent nest egg and a good financial services dude to manage things, I'm currently despairing over a: ever retiring; b: the issues around my parents and siblings WRT money and everything else; c: wondering how my mother-in-law will manage if she lives as long as her mom.

Yikes, that’s scary PM! But I guess less scary than not getting to enjoy any of it, which also scares me.

I can’t believe they’d cancel senior night because of grades (at this point in the year??) that sucks so bad for poor M.

I can’t believe they’d cancel senior night because of grades (at this point in the year??) that sucks so bad for poor M.

Senior Night is just part of a regularly scheduled game, where they honor graduating seniors. It's a fairly low-key celebration where the underclassmen say thanks to their graduating teammates.

It's not canceled as such, it's just the scheduled game where they were going to do that is cancelled.

They can do something at school and possibly will. Though there are only two seniors and Matilda is one of them, I'm afraid it'll just got lost in the shuffle.

Anyway, she's shifted her focused and was psyched that her prom shoes arrived.

Also, Emmett was going to the store so I had him grab some Wasp Spray for me and we sprayed the nascent nest with wasp in it. She's dead. (video on FB - not of the killingating. Just the industrious wasp and her Japanese influenced paper lantern technique.)