Today’s Rant No. 29: Construction Edition

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nt, from walls to ceilings to even wooden fences.</li><li>Speaking of construction, Hearst Castle might be the nicest home I have ever visited. The property is in San Simeon, which is along the California coast, and had belonged to the famous newspaper publisher, William Randolph Hearst. Designed by architect Julia Morgan, the home covers 68,500 square feet and contains 115 rooms, according to Britannica. My favorite part of the property is the famous swimming pool, which is surrounded by sculptures and colonnades. The place is open for tours. I had last visited it with my wife, Kay, a few years ago to celebrate my 35th birthday.</li><li>I have never visited the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, but it is definitely on my “bucket list.” It was once owned by Sarah Winchester, heiress to the Winchester Repeating Arms Company and widow of William Wirt Winchester, according to the property’s Web site. The home’s design is eccentric with 10,000 windows, 2,000 doors, and 150 rooms. It also includes unexplainable features, such as a room with no floor or ceiling. The reasons for the oddities are unknown, which adds to the mystery of the house.</li><li>Honolulu’s Iolani Palace might be the most underrated mansion I have ever visited. It is in need of more publicity as most folks outside of Hawaii have likely never heard o

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f it. Built in 1882, it was the home of Hawaii’s royal family. Queen Liliuokalani was the last member to live there until she was sadly overthrown in 1893. The palace is open for tours. The first floor is comprised of public recreation areas while the second floor is made of private suites.</li><li>Los Angeles’ Sixth Street Bridge is the most recent landmark I have visited — and a beautiful one, too. The original bridge was demolished in 2016 and replaced with this new one, which opened in July and reportedly cost $588 million. To put its technical aspects into perspective, it required six years of construction with 89 subcontractors, 8,250 tons of steel, and 15,000 feet of steel cable. It is LA’s largest and most expensive bridge, connecting downtown to the city’s historic Eastside.</li><li>Sadly, like many nice things in large cities around the world, the Sixth Street Bridge has already been marred by illegal activity. Authorities have had to close it several times due to street racing, graffiti, and even one report of someone walking on the bridge’s tall arches. Despite LeBron playing for the Los Angeles Lakers nowadays, even his presence has not been enough to save the bridge from mayhem the way he had saved the Cavaliers from obscurity. Sounds like he might need Kyrie’s help once again.</li></ul></article></body>

Today’s Rant No. 29: Construction Edition

When I am not doing my best Bill Shakespeare impersonation on Medium, I work for my father-in-law’s construction business. We do everything, from remodeling bathrooms to installing garbage disposals to patching roofs. I have worked for Albert for three years and find construction to be rewarding, although my journey into the industry had been unplanned…

…Or maybe not. Maybe it is destiny after all. For my first job, I ironically worked for a self-employed salesperson who sold construction material in the San Francisco Bay Area. Drains, valves, and other plumbing products. So, I suppose it is fate that has led me back to working in construction. Kind of like LeBron James returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers — except without needless crying and flopping. I also do not need a sidekick (Kyrie Irving) to bail me out with a lucky three-point shot to win the NBA Finals.

Painting is my favorite aspect of working in construction. As long as you have enough paint and the right supplies (rolls, brushes, etc.), painting is simple, and the results are immediate. I have painted almost everything at this point, from walls to ceilings to even wooden fences.

Speaking of construction, Hearst Castle might be the nicest home I have ever visited. The property is in San Simeon, which is along the California coast, and had belonged to the famous newspaper publisher, William Randolph Hearst. Designed by architect Julia Morgan, the home covers 68,500 square feet and contains 115 rooms, according to Britannica. My favorite part of the property is the famous swimming pool, which is surrounded by sculptures and colonnades. The place is open for tours. I had last visited it with my wife, Kay, a few years ago to celebrate my 35th birthday.

I have never visited the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, but it is definitely on my “bucket list.” It was once owned by Sarah Winchester, heiress to the Winchester Repeating Arms Company and widow of William Wirt Winchester, according to the property’s Web site. The home’s design is eccentric with 10,000 windows, 2,000 doors, and 150 rooms. It also includes unexplainable features, such as a room with no floor or ceiling. The reasons for the oddities are unknown, which adds to the mystery of the house.

Honolulu’s Iolani Palace might be the most underrated mansion I have ever visited. It is in need of more publicity as most folks outside of Hawaii have likely never heard of it. Built in 1882, it was the home of Hawaii’s royal family. Queen Liliuokalani was the last member to live there until she was sadly overthrown in 1893. The palace is open for tours. The first floor is comprised of public recreation areas while the second floor is made of private suites.

Los Angeles’ Sixth Street Bridge is the most recent landmark I have visited — and a beautiful one, too. The original bridge was demolished in 2016 and replaced with this new one, which opened in July and reportedly cost $588 million. To put its technical aspects into perspective, it required six years of construction with 89 subcontractors, 8,250 tons of steel, and 15,000 feet of steel cable. It is LA’s largest and most expensive bridge, connecting downtown to the city’s historic Eastside.

Sadly, like many nice things in large cities around the world, the Sixth Street Bridge has already been marred by illegal activity. Authorities have had to close it several times due to street racing, graffiti, and even one report of someone walking on the bridge’s tall arches. Despite LeBron playing for the Los Angeles Lakers nowadays, even his presence has not been enough to save the bridge from mayhem the way he had saved the Cavaliers from obscurity. Sounds like he might need Kyrie’s help once again.