Chapter 016 - 2003.10.29

Everything referenced from a single point in space.

The inside has multiple levels.

It's built atop and around the natural granite that existed -

• though a little blasting was required to install the septic system.

The land was purchased in early 1996 -

• when we lived out of state.

We had an informal marriage agreement -

• to move back up to northern New England -

  • before the end of the fifth year based in NJ.

We started clearing for the house in March 1996 -

• by coincidence, after a great snowstorm.

In the fall of that year,

• the weekend when the footings of the foundation were to be poured -

  • a GREAT compact storm moved over our the area -

    • and for more than two (2) days -

      • 21+ inches of rain fell.

A great number of the footing forms floated out of position.

Roads everywhere were flooded.

Water was flowing inside the home we were staying in that weekend.

Needless to say -

• the footing did not get poured as planned.

We barely found a way -

• to drive out of the area and back to New Jersey.

I had to redo many of the footing the next spring -

• after we permanently moved back to Maine.

I have lead two different types of professional career lives:

• 1) as a process & test engineer

• 2) as a building contractor.

I also thought about architecture,

• but I waited a while -

  • and got into software architecture -

    • vs. building architecture.

Not featured in the above photo -

• is the addition of a barn.

I also designed and built, by hand, this barn -

• also brick.

Software tools have greatly advanced -

• between the two major building projects.

For the barn I did a complete 3D modeling -

• using my old, free,

  • Google SketchUp software.

Below is a 3D modeling image of the barn.

You can see that what I design in my mind -

• I can also build with my own two hands.

I have a type of mind -

• that is limited by what can be built.

I do NOT create fiction with my mind.

Fiction is a waste of time.

'Real fiction' is what I'm passionate about.

Real fiction is -

• fiction of the moment -

  • intended to be reality of tomorrow.

Meaning -

• it does not exist yet,

  • but soon can be part of real life.

All my life -

• I have imagined real fiction.

And many many times -

• I have delivered on what I only imagined.

I study everything -

• to understand its truth.

To separate the possible from the impossible -

• or at least the easier possible -

  • from the extremely difficult and costly possible.