Some Problems

Pegi wants to show the Cirque movie to a group of kids, but she hid her copy and can't find it, She calls the film's maker, but Liza can't find a copy either. It exists in an on-line archive, but it's HD and we need a lot of horse-power to access; can't make a copy, so has to be a live feed. James and I try every combination of projectors and computers, finally, on the last try, using a separate mono sound system, our best projector, and the main-frame from the photographic archives, we get it to work. Most of the day gone, but success, and I get the glasses finished for the fund-raiser. I had to go over to the University and beg a decent projection screen, because their was just one place in the museum where we had the proper inter-net connection and our small screen was too small and we couldn't get the large screen up the stairs. Logistics. Get home, finally, and pour a stiff drink, the phone rings, Pegi, from the museum, and the back door lock is broken. This is the door that we use, the staff, and I know from what she says, that the tumblers have failed and the problem will require a locksmith. Thank god for doors that open out, I immediately think of the wedge-and-jamb principal, tell Pegi to go to a certain place in the basement storeroom where I stash lumber and find a slightly bowed 2x4, 8 feet long, and to slide it under the pushbar and across both sides of the jamb, set the alarm, and go out the front door. I've always felt it was those years in theater that so well prepared me for a world in which things go wrong. Do a thousand performances and you're pretty well up to speed on the myriad ways things can fuck up. No two shows are exactly the same, you really need to stay flexible. Booked my rental car for the trip, it was comical. I'm in their computer as a Southern Ohio Museum person, and they want us to use us more, so I use that to cut a good deal. I never actually have to say that this isn't museum business. I get a discount, I get an upgrade, and I get some extra miles, which I'll need. $697 for a Malibu with cruise control, AC and a CD player, and their insurance. I'll listen to some Bach, I've started a pile, 3 versions of the Cello Suites. I've done this trip a dozen times: from western Iowa to the Rockies, the Cello Suites are perfect. Personally, I like some Cowboy Junkies, maybe threading my way through Bloomington. And I've set aside several bootleg recordings, The Dead in Colorado and Greg Brown at a small club in Iowa City. I think I'm kind of ok. I don't want to leave but I need to go away, do some things, be a particular person. Samara's father, Rhea's father, which I am, of course, but living close to the edge, I'm aware of some things and not aware of others. I think this will be a difficult trip. I've called in some help. I can handle the writing of things, but you have to read me.