Tech Week

I love tech week. Sometimes.

When an intricate plan comes together, it's the best. When tech becomes the necessary evil or worse, the enemy, it sucks.

In that vein, I'd like to offer seven ways for directors to make the hottest creative blood run cold ...

1. Keep the big picture to yourself.

That way, no one will know what you really want.

Keep ‘em guessing. It’ll drive them to distraction.

2. Don’t bother with designers or department heads.

Just draw a floorplan on a cocktail napkin and call it a set design.

Ask the actors to bring in some things from home to wear.

Settle for “whatever”.

3. Treat everyone like they don’t know what they’re doing.

They don’t.

They’re too distracted by trying to figure out what you'll want next .

4. Hold everyone accountable, but don’t tell them for what until they screw up.

That’ll teach ‘em a lesson they’ll never forget.

5. Keep the schedule TBA until the last possible minute.

The anti-plan. Exhaustion is great for high stress.

6. Berate, humiliate and belittle.

The trinity of toxic creative environments.
Can't you just taste the contempt?

7. When it’s all over, act like you never met any of them.

You didn't need them anyway.

Break a leg.

2006. Lesson Learned.

My most excellent summer

Well, I'm back. It's been quite an adventure and I'm happy to report that today, everybody's happy.

Success.

The folks are independent once again. Dignity restored. Medical and care team in place. All in all well done. Thank God there are four of us.

Youngblood has surgery tomorrow. Our household grew by 2 cats. Here's what the living room looks like. That's Thad on his virgin adventure downstairs.

Unhook yourself from the future.

These last two weeks I've moved to the burgburb. It's rural, it's quiet and it's a busy place to be.

I keep reminding myself that not knowing is a good thing. It's ok to just trust that small inner voice and keep putting one foot in front of the other.

I needed to step back. Now I have. Onward.

My heart sank

We don't have an occupancy permit. Talk about a hotel for the weekend, or setting up the beds and taking them up again so as not to be caught in violation of the code. In other words a lot of gyration because someone can't schedule properly.

The day for joyous packing turned into a stupifing waste of time. Again.

This will be over, sooner or later.

I broke another tooth at dinner.

Life goes on.