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Thursday, August 28, 2008

Swimming Upstream

Flags on Fifth
Photo by myself looking up Fifth Avenue, around 40th Street.

It's been gorgeous out, cool and sunny. New Yorkers suffer through the humid summer and brutal winter for days like this.

The city is overrun with visitors, while many people are out on vacation. It's the last gasp of summer.

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One of the projects I've been working on has been ramping up.

It's a medium-sized apartment on Central Park West, with a couple bedrooms, a study, library, kitchen, living and dining rooms. There are his and her dressing rooms and several bathrooms.

Anyway, the schedule is ambitious, as always. Every client wants their home done right away.

I don't blame them. The design process is involved and emotional. It's a commitment on many levels. You're giving a big heap of money to someone and trusting that it will all turn out all right. Then the first thing they do is demolish your apartment.

The project manager on the construction side, Roger, is the son of the owner of the construction company. All this time we've been waiting for approvals and a permit, so I've been talking to him on the phone.

On several occasions I asked, 'How do you think we're doing with the schedule? If we get all the paperwork next week, will we still make the deadline?'

Roger was repeatedly vague, but expressed 'cautious optimism' that we were still on time. I wrote emails to the client - Roger says this, Roger says that. In Roger's opinion, we'll just make it.

Finally this week I met Roger on site. Roger turns out to be 16 years old! Well, he looks 16. Perhaps he's a youthful looking 17?

Ahhhh!

Related posts: Lower Fifth Avenue, On Eating Chicken Sandwiches in Montreal and Blah Blah Blah Work Blah Blah Blah.

6 comments:

Wayne said...

They start them young in NYC. How's your stress level now Kitty?
The photo is a quintessential Manhattan scene. Nicely captured.

Fashion Schlub said...

Ha, I keep running into that with photography. You follow someone's work on this site or another, and you think they must have years and years of experience under their belt, and then you finally read somewhere that they're a high school junior! Sigh.

Lady Di Tn said...

Thanks for sharing your city and I can enjoy it from afar. I prefer wide open spaces.
If Roger is older than sixteen find out what he is drinking so we can put it in our diet.,Peace

Kitty said...

lol Wayne
well, I have tomorrow off, so I'm trying to decompress.
Thanks for asking!

Hi Islipian
True, age don't mean much for many things. Art is one them

Hi Lady Di
well thanks for coming by. I'll have to split Roger's drink with you, lol

Profile Not Available said...

Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, Breathe out...

Repeat...

Great photo! I really like the flags and also the green of the planters repeating all the way down the street.

Louis la Vache said...

Fantastic capture of what looks to be a perfect day! It's nice to see the flags flying, too!