25th Birthday
It's common for people to evaluate their lives after tragedy, sickens, birthdays, and when a new year comes around -- so it will be no surprise to you that I have just evaluated my life. I'm turning 25. According to livingto100.com -- after answering many "life" questions -- I am expected to live to a ripe old age of 90. Which means I have lived 27% of my life. That's not bad. I've done a lot of major life milestones already -- traveled 3/5 of the USA, traveled to Europe, graduated from college, got a job, bought a car, had a long-term relationship, broke-up, had pets, so on. I was looking online for what people should do before they turn 30 and came across this list:
- Budget and Invest -- Check! I have a massive Excel budget that dictates what I do down the the penny every two weeks. And I am happy to say I started to invest last month. Double Check!
- Drive a Wickedly Cool Car (even if you have to rent it) -- Check! And yes, I had to rent it. I rented an Audi TT 2008 coupe in Germany for a weekend (Recommended retail price: $40,000+). I even went on the German Autobahn over 140 MPH.
- Date Against Type -- Check! This is funny because it was one of my New Year's resolutions. If anyone asks me out, I say, "Yes." I'm trying to find friends, the "one," and also make connections for later in life.
- See the World -- Check? I've seen a lot, but I want to see/return to San Francisco, Chicago, Miami, Seattle, Los Angeles, Napa Valley, Toronto Canada, Athens Greece, Cologne Germany, Venice Italy, London England, Dublin Ireland, and Thailand and/or Japan. On my maybe list, I would like to see Hawaii, Egypt, Mexico, and Madagascar. For some reason, I have no desire to visit Australia -- you would think I would, but no. I'd also love to go on a cruise -- maybe I could go on a cruise to places I have not been and kill two stones with one bird (I don't like to talk about killing things, hence the back-assward colloquialism -- I'm quirky).
- Live in a Cool Place -- Check! I guess "cool" is defined by the beholder -- I think that living in Germany for 4 months counts.
- Cook a Meal -- Check! I cook for myself all the time and have even cooked more then one Thanksgiving dinner for family and friends. Also, in this topic it also stated some things you should know how to do before you are 30, like Hard-boil an egg, make a pie from scratch (including the crust), make cookies from scratch, bake a turkey, sew a button, open a bottle of champagne, and so on... i'm happy to say "Check" to all of that too!
- Do Something Physically Adventurous -- Check! In 2006 I hiked to the top of Angels Landing in Zion National Park. Angels Landing Trail is one of the most famous and thrilling hikes in the US National Park System. The park's pride and joy runs along a narrow rock fin with dizzying sheer cliffs on both sides. The trail culminates at a lofty perch, boasting magnificent views in every direction. The hike is about 5 miles -- with an elevation change of over 1500 feet -- and takes about 5.5 hours to complete.
- Get a Website -- Check! I've had one for over 6 years and I maintain it myself.
- Be on Television --- Check! I was in a political TV campaign commercial when I was 6 and on the 6 O'clock news once.
- Survive a Broken Heart -- Check. I've had a broken heart, the kind that sends you into depression for months. I didn't know why this was important untill I read more. The site stated that being broken hearted at a younger age will teach you how to pick yourself up and move on. If you know you can do it when you are young, you'll know you can do it when you are older. It's better to move on from a bad relationship then stick with it because it's all you've known. And this is not just about romance, but even relates to your job, investments, goals, and more. I guess it's like chickenpox -- better when you're young!
I was thinking, for some people, the above list could be a list of life time achievements. But, I guess for me it was a list of things to do before I turned 25. I must be 5 years fast. So here is an addendum list, I created, to complete in the next 5 years:
- Learn to fold a fitted sheet (like Grandma)
- Keep a basil plant alive for more than a year
- Pay off all credit cards
- Establish an emergency fund of 3-6 months of living expenses
- Do a simple good deed everyday (whether opening a door, giving directions, or throwing away trash on the sidewalk that was not mine)
National Landscape Architecture Month 2010
April is National Landscape Architecture Month. I am proud to be in the profession that for the third year in a row, U.S. News & World Report has named among the best career choices! National Landscape Architecture Month is most likely April because it is the birth month of Me! -- but I guess more importantly Frederick Law Olmsted's bday, the father of Landscape Architecture. Olmsted designed many very well known national treasures during his career, such as Central Park in New York, Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C, the Niagara Reservation at Niagara Falls, Boston's Emerald Necklace greenway park system, and the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition (AKA 1893 World's Fair). Not in comon knowledge, Olmsted and his associates also designed many of the prestigious academic campuses in the US, such as Yale University (Connecticut), Wellesley College (Massachusetts), University of California, Berkeley (California), Stanford University (California), Cornell University (New York), University of Chicago (Illinois), and many others.
Olmsted was a landscape architect before the profession had a title. Olmested is accredidted with being the father of landscape architecture even though in past histroy we know of people that practiced that which we would concider landspace architecture. One that comes to mind is André Le Nôtre, best known for his garden designs for Louis the XIV palace Versailles. An interesting fact, in the Louvre Museum (Paris, France), hangs portraits of all the designers of Versailles. Jules Hardouin-Mansart portrait has "L'architecte" under his portrait and the other designers have their respective tittles too. But, when you come to André Le Nôtre's portrait, it only has his birth/death year.
This use of "landscape architect" became established after Frederick Law Olmsted, and others, founded the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) in 1899. One of the goals for having ASLA and National Landscape Architecture Month is to promote the profession. Becuase landscape architecture is relatively a young profession, we still need to explain what we are. What most people do not realize is, in North America and Europe, landscape architecture is a very heavily regulated profession. Much like the timeline in becoming a medical doctor, landscape architects are in school for 4-5 years, then complete a 2-5 year internship, during which they must pass the Landscape Architect Registration Exam (5 tests totaling 16 hours and 45 minutes) -- which I have endearingly began calling "the landscape bar," which upon passing receive licenser, then pick a specialization or stay a general designer. And to remain licensed, they are required to receive a minimum of 6 hours of continuing education each year. As you might be wondering, with all of the regulation, landscape architecture must be more then just planting plants in a backyard. You would be correct; landscape architects work on (all at varying scales of design, planning and management):
- urban design
- site planning
- town or urban planning
- environmental restoration
- parks and recreation planning
- green infrastructure planning and provision
- private estate/ residential landscape master planning and design
Landscape architects are also vital members of multi-disciplinary projects including:
- The planning, form, scale and siting of new developments
- Sustainable development, sustainability
- Stormwater management including rain gardens, green roofs, groundwater recharge, and treatment wetlands
- Civil design and public infrastructure, highways, transportation structures, bridges, and transit corridors
- Reservoirs, dams, power stations, reclamation of extractive industry applications or major industrial projects and mitigation
- Environmental assessment and landscape assessment, planning advice and land management proposals
- Coastal and offshore developments and mitigation
- Ecological Design any aspect of design that minimizes environmentally destructive impacts
So now you know! I believe I have done my online duty in spreading and explaining what landscape architecture is. Do me a favor and tell some other people it is Landscape Architecture Month. And if they ask you what that is, try and tell them or, better yet, send them to this blog or ASLA's National Landscape Architecture Month website.
Surgery is a Pain [Updated]
Surprise, I'm having surgery! Becuase my insurance ends at the end of April (maybe? it might not end for another year now with the new Obama Care changes), I have been going to the doctors to get things checked out. Things I have been ignoring -- I know, that's bad. Turns out that when I got really sick in Munich, Germany a year ago -- I should have gone to the doctor. Anyways, my doctor told me that I should get the surgery now before it gets worse. I agreed. He says it will be a simple outpatient procedure with a four hour hospital stay. I will be under anesthesia and will take pain pills for the next few days. He also said that he would be surprised if I did not feel up to going to work Friday -- but everyone is different and we will see. Wish me luck 
So that was wishful thinking. In the hospital I felt fine -- all of the medicine and anesthesia. When I got home after the surgery, I went right to bed and slept. Friday, when my alarm went off for work... I slid out of bed and collapsed to the floor in pain. I grabbed by pain pills and swallowed them down as fast as I could. I called in work sick -- my boss told me before my surgery that he didn't expect I would make it in on Friday -- he was right. For the next few days, I have been in bed watching TV or sleeping. Saturday was the most painful. So far, Sunday, has not been so bad -- but I really hope I feel better then this Monday.
10¢ in One Second
As you know, I have been investing in the stock market. Nothing big, just 1 or 2 stocks here and there. Yesterday I bought 2 stocks in Trinity Industries, Inc. (Symbol: TRN). It was completely on a whim. The only reason was because it is a Dallas based company and I see the headquarters building almost everyday whenever I am on the highway. When I was here for my internship I got a feeling that one day I would have something to do with it -- now I do. After I bought into it, I did research (kinda' backward, I know). Turns out Trinity Industries, Inc. is a multi-industry company that owns a variety of businesses, which provide products and services to the industrial, energy, transportation, and construction sectors. This is perfect. I am kinda' in the construction industry myself. I also believe that train use will be increasing in the near future and, to top it with a cheery on top, they are now producing structural wind towers to blow into the green energy market. Anyways, I know I am not going to become a millionaire only owning 2 shares, but I already made 10¢ I didn't have 1 second ago -- so worth it. LOL.
Invest in the Future
I've always wanted to invest in the stock market, but never knew how -- so I did what I always do, online research! I have been researching the best way to lightly invest. I mainly looked into online brokers, like Charles Schwab, Scottrade, and TD Ameritrade. I discovered that fine print is very important. Some of the companies require balance minimums (of over $1,000), have fees for inactivity (if you do not make a trade in a month you get fined), and minimum share trades. I really wanted to find a simple way to invest a small amount, like around $300.
After a long search I landed on ING Direct's ShareBuilder.com. I have had a savings account at ING Direct for over 7 years and really trust the company. I was very happy to see that ING Direct had entered the investment world. I read every line of small print they had and found nothing I did not like. They have three account types, the base account has no monthly fee and no minimums (the other accounts with fees are for more advanced investors, providing more options).
The account I selected has $4 automatic trades and $10 real-time trades (each for buying and selling when the market is open) -- with no balance minimums, that's really fantastic! The site is also set up to help you make wise investments. It has a calculator to help you earn (or even set up an IRA/401K) by predicting what companies, bonds, mutual funds, and more, you should invest in based on your personal financial situation (you fill out a detailed questionnaire about your finances and future goals) -- a diversified portfolio customized just for you.
So, I'm sharing my information so you can invest in your future too. Also, until April 31, 2010, if you let me know you want to open an account I can use the "Tell a Friend Offer." As an award, if you transfer $200 to open the account (which you don't have to) you will get $50 free (some stipulations, you cannot withdraw it for 90 days) and I'll get $10 for bringing you on board.
Health Insurance Makes Me Sick
I've been thinking more and more about health insurance. I keep hearing about it in the news -- but now I have to do something about it. I have been on my mom's good health insurance for years. The kind of insurance you can go to any doctor (pay a small copay) and the insurance company pays for everything else. The reason I have been thinking of health insurance so much is I turn 25 in a few months -- no more mom's insurance. Why can't my mom keep me on her insurance if she wants? Oh no, no, they want me to get my own plan and pay them the same my mom is paying, so they can make twice the income.
Anyways, so I looked online to see how much private health insurance would cost me a month. First of all, why does it have to be so confusing? And what the hell is coinsurance? Now I need insurance just for my coins? (Get it? Coin-surance?) And why does private insurance only pay a percentage of the bill? Every plan I looked at pays 80% of this or 50% of that. Why are they not paying 100%? Where is the "you pay me $100 a month and I pay for any medical bill" plan? Oh, and don't get me started on the unreal deductibles. Who has $15,000 laying around for medical bills? It might be easer just to put $100 in my savings account every month and use that money as my "insurance." I guess that would work until I get a really big hospital bill.
Right now, with all the quotes I got (and looking at my budget), I can either pay back my student loans or get health insurance. Guess which one will win? I'll give you a hint -- the one that prevents collectors calling me every day. I'll just have to hope I stay in good health -- or win the lottery.
Working and Exploring
Long time no write. Not much to report. I've just been working and exploring Dallas.
Work is going well. I really enjoy what I do. The best part, I have things to do! -- which make the days go by fast. Every task in each project is like a puzzle -- I love puzzles. My boss is good at what he does and it shows. I am glad that I get to work for someone that has a lot of experience -- and willing to share it. In school I never thought about working in high-end residential. But, I didn't realize how divers a scale high-end residential offers. We work with small residential lots (typical 1/4 acre) up to these gargantuan estates. The scale is truly amazing and has so much diversity to offer. On some of my projects I feel like I am designing a park because of the large scale.
I have worked on projects where the house is established and the existing/new owners just want to update the outside. On the other side, I have worked on projects where the lot is a clean slate because the house hasn't been built. I have had the opportunity to design pools/spas, fountains, courtyards, terraces, motor courts, cabanas, vertical green/planting walls, outdoor kitchens, recreational courts, butterfly gardens, herb gardens, even designing unique stainless steel pots (just like an artist). I think my favorite thing to design are pools/spas, whereas my favorite work task is tied between coloring and cost estimates (they make the time go by so fast!).
I'm enjoying Dallas too. It has a lot to offer. When I was here for my internship two summers ago, I did not have a car -- I really didn't get to explore. Now, true, you don't need a car in Dallas with the vast bus and expanding light-rail system, but I didn't ever think I was going to be here again -- so I didn't even try. And, all I've heard about Dallas, since I moved to Texas 7 years ago, was from people not from Dallas (from rival cities). Needless to say, most did not have good things to say, such as, "Dallitude," "Third World City," and "Self-righteous pompous rich queens." Living here for 5 months, I have come across maybe one "self-righteous pompous rich queen," but that's hardly enough to say the city is full of them. It comes down to this, either other people are wrong or I fit in nicely (and I promise I'm not a "self-righteous pompous rich queen"). As for Dallas being a "Third World City," it upsets me when people think diversity is a bad thing. Okay, maybe I have noticed something you would call "Dallitude," but that is expected from every big city. You wouldn't necessarily call New Yorker's warm and welcoming, would you?
I have not lived in a big city for a long time. I forgotten how nice it is to have culture, arts, diversity, big events, multiples of the same store -- if they are out of what you want, just head over to another one. Oh, and the restaurants! It's almost like being back in D.C. -- almost every type of restaurant you can think of. For some time now, I have been compiling a list of restaurants in cities I visit. If I have visited it, I give it a rating. If it is still on my to-go list, it has an asterisk in front of the name. I have decided to make it public so you can view my restaurant guide.
Speaking of food. I have started to cook again. Two reasons why, I feel like it again and I needed to -- to help me achieve my New Year's resolution to lose 15 pounds. Which, by the way, I have lost 5 pounds, 10 to go. When I say "cook," I mean something that takes over 15-20 minutes to prepare. In the image, I was making my mom's Tomato Zucchini Pasta. It's one of my healthy comfort foods -- and only takes 15 minutes. She makes it vegetarian, I through in cubed chicken. If you would like to see what else I love to make, check out my online cookbook -- also, feel free to send me some recipes you want me to try.
Ok, ok, back on topic. I am still finding all that Dallas has to offer. I think my next stop is the Dallas aquarium. What is fantastic, is once I am done exploring Dallas -- or get tired of exploring Dallas (whatever comes first) -- I can go explore Fort Worth! That's what is so nice about a big city. All big cities I like have another big city near by -- Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin/San Antonio, Los Angeles/San Diego, Cologne/Bonn, New York/the whole east coast, so on. That's just something I have noticed. Anyways, talk to you later.
Small World, Money, & 90 Days
If you read my previous blogs, you know I have a few New Year's resolutions. Well, you'll be happy to know I am working on all of them. I even got a chance to use one stone for two birds (make a Dallas friend/workout).
The other week I made an acquaintance that has had a personal trainer for over 7 years. We made time where he would come over to my apartment's gym and help me setup a workout program. After he showed me how each exercise is to be done and in what order, we went up to my apartment. The first thing he saw in my apartment was a picture of Meryl and me on my nightstand. He looked at me and said, "How do you know that girl?" I responded, "Oh that's one of my best friends, you wouldn't know her. She is in Houston right now." He answered, "Is it Meryl?" Needless to say, my jaw dropped to the ground. Turns out he was Meryl's psychology professor a few semesters ago. Small, small world. Go figure!
In other news, I filled my 2009 tax return yesterday. I was pleasantly surprised to discover I am getting a $700 refund. I love e-filing. I should get it in 10 business days, directly deposited into my checking account -- oh, the magic of technology. Of course 10% is going to savings (10% of all my income goes to savings). I am thinking of spending 40% on apartment stuff and upcoming wedding gifts, and then 50% goes to either credit card and/or student loans.
In upcoming events, next Tuesday (Jan 26, 2010), i'll have lived in D/FW for 90 days (3 months). I guess this means work is keeping me and I'll be getting business cards soon. I am happy with my job, residence, and Dallas. I am still getting over being homesick and so far from all my friends. I'm not going to lie, it has been hard being alone and getting used to a new city -- especially with the events that are happening with some of my friends. I feel so helpless, distant, and don't know what to do. Sometimes I wish I had all the answers, sometimes. Yet, part of the fun in life is trying to figure them out, right?
Forbearance
It finally happened. My student loans found me. As of last week I finally got all my bills for all my students loans. I was expecting 112 monthly payments of around $275 (at the max.) Oh no, no, no, no. Boy, was I foolish. The total of my monthly payment was over $500 -- way out of my budget.
So, I figured I need to consolidate my loans. The thing about consolidating is that you pay more over time, but get a lower monthly payment. Right now I have 6 loans with interest between 2.4 and 7%. I am consolidating with the Department of Education and based on the calculator, it looks like I will get 4.2% interest with 220 monthly payments of around $240. That fits in my budget -- but I will end up paying an additional $18,000 in the long run.
Oh, and as my loans are consolidating, I don't need to make any payments because I put them all into forbearance. It does feel good to finally get this all taken care of. At least now I know I can make the payments and not worry about defaulting.
Where I Work
I have been getting a lot of questions about my new job. So, I am going to tell you about where I work and a typical day. I am intentionally not putting the name of where I work because I do not want this entry to come up on a Google search above the new office's website. I work for a landscape architecture design studio specializing in high-end residential landscape projects. The majority of our work comes from homeowners, architects, and builders with whom we have had the pleasure of working (and yes, I built the website -- released it November 30, 2009). Most of our work is within the Dallas/Fort Worth Metro Area. We work on high profile, well known, people's houses -- just so you know, I will never write about our clients/projects on my blog -- so don't get your hopes up. But, I will tell you the average cost of the houses are $1 to 5 million.
In a typical day, I wake up at 7:30am. I shower, dress, do normal morning stuff. At 7:50am, I head to my apartment's clubhouse for free breakfast -- I get orange juice, a pastry, and either hot chocolate or tea. I then drive to work and arrive at 8am. I unlock the office, turn the lights on, and eat while I fill out my timesheet from the pervious day. I usually start my day with just general administration work. Then I continue working on things from the previous day. My boss arrives around 9-10am (he does morning client meetings -- sometimes he doesn't even arrive until after lunch). When he does arrive, he gives me a list of things to work on; usually red lined site/planting plans (changes to make), design concepts, and more recently, pool concept drawings.
When noon rolls around, I drive back to my apartment and have lunch. I usually watch my DVR-ed Price is Right or some show I did not watch from the night before. I get an hour for lunch, so I head back to work 5 min before my hour is up. Once I get back, either of two things happen. One, I continue working on red lines/concepts/the office website, or two, my Boss and I go drive around the D/FW metro area for site visits/Client meetings. A site visit consists of going to the site, making sure it is being built like we drew, and solving issues that arise (usually last minute changes). If we go for site visits, I normally get back to the office and then head home around 6pm. If we stayed in the office, I head home at 5pm -- unless I stay longer to get something finished for an early client meeting the next day; then I end up getting home at 7pm.
Once I get home, I eat dinner, do housework, watch TV, play on the computer, write blogs (duh), and chat with friends. Sometime when I know a good show will be on, I will go to my apartment's fitness center. The cardio machines all have personal 13" flat screen with cable TV. It makes working out so much more enjoyable. Just flip on the show I know I am interested in and work out -- it makes the time go by really fast. That is the one thing I hated about the REC at A&M, I like to work out for an hour, but I would run out of things to keep my mind occupied. Anyways, back to the main topic. At 10:30pm I get ready for bed and fall asleep around 11pm. That's it -- that is a typical weekday for me.