Who Am I?

This was first posted on the website http://www.pickuptruckarchitect.com/, provides added background on the PTA, some of which appears on previous posts:

"You'll be a pickup truck architect!" These were the parting words from my old boss at the end of a not so cordial meeting in which I informed him that I would be relieving myself of my duties to the internationally known firm I had called home for 5 years. He deemed me mad for without any real connections, no dowry, inheritance, or prospects that I would be starting a design-build firm in the hinterland of New Jersey. Apparently someone with my lineage was in a caste that was to work for said internationally known architect in obscurity in the hope someday I may rise to Senior Associate level only after enduring years of torment and ridicule during presentations of my work to said internationally known architect. Not for me, no. I took my pride, naivete, stupidity, and sanity and went all-in. Where the story goes from there would take a bit longer to tell but 2 plus years later (a good portion of which the economy has been sluggish) I'm hanging on. More importantly I've had the opportunity to experience a completely different world from whence I came, the world of residential construction. It's filled with modern day pirates, scalawags, and ne'er do wells that they don't teach you about in school. It's also filled with clients and their pets who bring you into their home and slowly reveal their insanity until you can't believe why you ever decided to work for such a monster. Despite all of this, or because of it I've sought solace in the everyday beauty that surrounds us that doesn't typically end up in glossy design magazines. The wilds of the Garden State are a cornucopia of sublime moments, some garish, some weird, and others truly inspiring. The purpose of this website is to document these moments and provide what I think is a unique perspective on the built environment. -The Pickup Truck Architect, Jan. 23, 2009