Month / December 2012

by shannonchance

Christmas Day

We’re enjoying Christmas day at my Mom’s home in Middletown, Pennsylvania, as is our annual tradition.

Here’s wishing you and yours a day full of peace and love!  From Heather, Leslie, Cynthia, Dave, and Shannon.

Christmas breakfast with my sister Heather, friend Leslie Lee, mom Cynthia, and husband Dave.
Mary and Tim Bigelow came to visit during breakfast. Haven’t seen them since October in Dublin.
The famous playwright, Leslie Lee, who recently retired from teaching screen writing at NYU.
Dave catching up on the news.
by shannonchance

You Must Have Had Your Weetabix!

Have you had your Weetabix?

Have you had your Weetabix?

I felt like a reindeer just before dawn on December 15, as I dragged two overstuffed suitcases, a backpack, and a fragile gift bag through the streets of Dublin.

I was headed for the 747 Air Link bus to Dublin Airport and Christmas was in the morning air.

A passing man remarked at the sight of my lanky frame tugging its equivalent weight in baggage:  “You must have had your Weetabix this morning!”

I nodded in agreement, though it took me a half-minute more to figure out what he’d actually said.  (At times, the accent still throws me off, and I’m not quite familiar with the Weetabix brand.)

Arriving home to the States, I found Weetabix in the cereal aisle of my local Harris Teeter.

Unfortunately, this cereal is chock full of wheat and gluten so it’s a total “no go” for me… but the sight of it still made me smile, thinking of my morning jaunt through Dublin and that friendly passer-by.

by shannonchance

More Studio Fun

We're going to move the awning up and add signage. (The sign is not there yet. I PhotoShop-ed in a version to see what it might look like. The sign will have to be approved by the Downtown Design Review committee.)

We’re going to move the awning up and add signage that looks something like this.

Dave’s studio is in the building at the back of the courtyard (in the top photo). In addition to designing and renovating the inside of the building, we also need to figure out how to use his courtyard well.

I PhotoShop-ed a sign onto the photo to see what that could look like.  In honor of the movie, I’ve used Helvetica font here.  (Please note:  No sign is installed yet.  The design Dave selects will have to be approved by the Downtown Design Review committee before we can do that.  It is likely to be much smaller than what I’m simulating here.)

I’ve included a few photos Dan Bell sent from the other night….

Shannon and Dave celebrating the new studio.
Shannon Chance and Jenn White hamming it up.
Raaaaawwwrrrrr!
by shannonchance

Dave Chance Downtown

We haven’t yet started moving Dave into his new photography studio at 610 High Street, but we’re starting to design how he will use the space.  Our friends Jenn White and Dan Bell met us there the other night to celebrate Dave’s news.

Looking north on the 600 block of High Street in Portsmouth, Virginia. Dave’s new studio space is at the back of his courtyard.
Dave in his new space.
Inside the space as it is now.
Jenn White and Dan Bell brought champagne to toast the move!
From the back door of the studio, you see the back side of five houses I designed on Green and London Streets.
We proceeded down the street to the Baron’s Pub.
And Jenn’s boyfriend Landon joined us.
Here’s the nearby St. Paul’s Catholic Church that’s near to our hearts.
by shannonchance

Faculty Lunch Abroad

My last day in Dublin was filled with fun and with near misses.  (I tried to cram way too much into a single day and I ended up missing half of the events I’d planned to attend.)  A high point of the day was lunch with the faculty of Electrical Engineering Systems (EES).

At lunch, I got to joke around with people I had met throughout the fall (like Dave Berber, Colm Murray, Gavin, Kevin, Finn, Dave Dorran…).  I also met Mick Core for the first time, which was a treat.  He came to teaching after working in industry for decades, where he had 400 employees to supervise, so we had fun discussing organizational leadership in relation to college campuses.

I’ve no pictures from the pub where we went after lunch.  But I assure you, we had great fun!  I became too engrossed in conversation with Ted Burke to remember to document the event photographically — before dashing off to an Embassy party that I never found.

I’ve included photos of lunch, though.  You can’t miss noticing the demographics of this group are much different from my department back home!

This is the Kevin Street campus of DIT, which houses Electrical Engineering Systems (EES), among other programs. You’ve seen the glass penthouse in earlier posts.
EES gift exchange…
…in full swing. (Boy is Kevin curious about the manly gift Dave received!!!!)
Colm Murray lucked out with this gag gift.
Colm Murray, Dave Berber, Mick Core, Shannon Chance, and Gavin Duffy.
by shannonchance

Faculty Lunch at Home

I returned to the US just in time to attend the Hampton University Department of Architecture faculty holiday luncheon.  This year the Chair of our Department, Mr. Robert Easter, hosted it. (Thanks, Robert!!!)

We dined at No Frill Bar and Grill off Colley Avenue in Norfolk.  (This was a fabulous selection of places to eat!  Many thanks to prof. Mason Andrews for the idea — I have missed this restaurant.)

The luncheon flew by so fast that I only caught the briefest glimpse of what’s been going on at HU.  It looks like the department has been doing just fine without me, though, which is very good to know!  🙂

Here are some of the characters I spend my workdays with back home:

The Hampton University faculty of architecture…
…at our 2012 Christmas lunch.
The talented, energetic, and creative Dr. Carmina Sanchez.
The woman on whom we all depend, Ms. Deborah Bowers. Notice that she has a halo!
James Ford, a new adjunct who is helping teach first year studio. We can also be seen together on HU’s website.
by shannonchance

Chili with Duane and Kitty Kat

Chili with Dave and Duane last Sunday.

Chili with Dave and Duane last Sunday.

Duane Wilson has been feeding Dave and me for the past 13+ years.  Duane was president of the Port Norfolk Civic League when we move to the neighborhood.  There weren’t many others willing to take office at that time; he clearly needed some help.

I was immediately drafted to serve as recording secretary and corresponding secretary (little did I know, these were two distinct and labor-intensive jobs). Duane was thrilled to have help and he has thanked us hundredfold over the years.

He lives just three blocks from our home and he phones us at least once a week with an invitation to head to his house for dinner.  Dave and I have learned to anticipate a call on Sunday night, when Duane is prone to be “cleaning out” his refrigerator.  He didn’t call this week, so we rang him and asked if he had any leftovers on… and by golly, he did!

He’s such a generous person that, in addition to feeding us, he has also:

  • Installed (with Dave and sometimes me) all four copper roofs on our house.
  • Let Dave paint the porch flooring in his garage.
  • Hosted our wedding shower at his house.
  • Taken us along to his daughter’s wedding (as his date — hee, hee!)
  • Thrown my 40th birthday party at his house.
  • Introduced us to dozens of his friends over the years.

Duane and I have learned yoga and opera-appreciation together. Our attendance at the opera is due to his girlfriend Julie; we all enjoy our time with the opera crowd.

It’s wonderful to have Duane, Julie, his Kitty Kat — and others from his group like Ann, Clara and Jimmy, Ken and Sally, Eric and Ann — to count among our friends.

My view from aside the fireplace at Duane’s house.
Dave chatting with Duane and Kitty Kat.
Ms. Kitty checked me out…
…and decided I was still okay!
by shannonchance

Wrapping up the College Year

gathered together to hear the College Dean/Director, Dr. Mike Murphy.

gathered together to hear the College Dean/Director, Dr. Mike Murphy.

Last week was a swirl of activity, with DIT’s College of Engineering and the Built Environment wrapping up fall classes and me getting ready to spend five weeks back home.

At an end-of-year College Forum, the college’s Dean recapped recent successes and helped crystallize a shared vision for the future of the College.

At the event, I caught up with a few friends (including my planner friend, Ela). And I made a few new acquaintances as well.

Than, I rushed out to do some last minute Christmas shopping. After succeeding in that endeavor, I was headed home laden with bags.

But I bumped into prof. Jim Roche on the sidewalk in front of the Black Sheep Inn.  I accepted his invitation to hang out for a while with the students from his studio who were assembled there. I particularly enjoyed talking with Robert Burns, because he has a clear passion for photography and was excited to learn about the studio we’d just purchased for Dave.

I also got the chat with the Dean, who had passed us on the street and who we’d managed to rope into the Inn.

Shortly later I headed down the street a just few blocks, to Jack Nealons pub, where Ela was assembled with friends who I wanted to meet.

Low and behold, my friend Joan Cahalin was there. She’s been planning to go looking for me at the Cobblestone, but fate must have know to send her here instead!

Faculty of the School of Engineering and the Built Environment
The planners — Ela Krawczyk and Shannon Chance.
A quick stop at the Black Sheep Inn to chat with the Third Year Architecture Technology teachers and students, including photo enthusiast Robert Burns.
Ela, Ann Marie, Shannon, and Joan at Jack Nealons pub.
by shannonchance

Revising and Rewriting

Gavin's curious five year old...

Gavin’s curious five year old…

Writing can be such a painful process. A few hours ago, I received critique from my two co-authors.  They recommended an entirely new structure; so I feel as if I’ve got to start over from *zero* with just two weeks until our deadline.

Such is the life of an academic.  The rug always disappears from under you at some point when you’re writing a journal article.  You just never see it coming in the way the way it actually arrives.  When it does, you have to I hang on for dear life — by whatever threads are left — in hopes that someday that paper will be good enough for people to want to read.

The notes I received were a bit cryptic, so I rang up Gavin, using Skype.

The best part of the call was that was I got to meet Gavin’s five-year-old son — yay!  Seeing how curious this little guy was reminded me that I can’t wait to see my five nephews next week!

…It’s just that I’ll just have to squeeze in lots and lots of paper writing in the meantime….

...interested in hearing about our work.

…interested in hearing about our work.

by shannonchance

Fetching Zeke

Dave and Zeke at the intersection of Mount Vernon and Detroit... home of the lovely Port Norfolk Church building.

Dave and Zeke at the intersection of Mount Vernon and Detroit… home of the lovely Port Norfolk Church building.

We have some fantastic neighbors here in Port Norfolk, particularly the ones who live next door.  Thom’s an architect and Beth teaches school.  We’ve known them since our college days at Virginia Tech.

This past weekend, Dave had responsibility for walking Thom and Beth’s little dog, Zeke, and feeding all their pets.

Pinot is one of the only cats I’ve ever met who doesn’t like Dave.  At all.  (In an unusual twist of fate, he tolerates me fine.)

The two chickens are partial to Dave, as they seem to love any hand that feeds them.

And then there’s the scruffy little bundle of energy, Zeke, who needs to walk at least twice a day.  He’s a cute and friendly little dog.  But he goes completely ballistic when anyone walks or rides past — which can make for some truly embarrassing moments!

Playing ball with Zeke.

Playing ball with Zeke.

The extensive (and growing) list of things that make Zeke act berserk.
Feeding the neighbors’ hungry chickens.
Florida Avenue at dawn Sunday.