Down here on the range in Study Butte, Texas. It’s been a very excitin’ day if I do say so myself.
Woke up with a serious hangover. And I was tired. Together they were kicking my ass. I didn’t mention in my post last night that we had been drinking for about a million beers last night. It started with just a couple of us and I think by the end there were about 10 people in my room. I was having a great time. And since I’m the one with the fridge, I’ve become the keeper of the beer.
So what’s new to tell you. Got to Study Butte yesterday around 11:00 a.m. Went straight to the house to drop of my one piece of luggage. I say one piece because it seems that one piece was missing when I got to Study Butte. Did you guys know that American Airlines flies to Study Butte? So I was told that it had been put on a different flight and would be in at 2:30. On the way to the house we stopped and grabbed lunch and I came back and got settled. I wanted to take a nap but there was no time. By the time I finished lunch and chatted with my best friend Kelly, it was time to head to the doctor.
I had another orthopedist appointment yesterday here. I had decided that I hated the boot that they put me in and that I wanted to get the cast put back on. The doctor yesterday said that in the time that he’s been doing this NO ONE has ever come in to get the cast put back on, everyone wants it taken off. So I headed to the doctor and it was a very long experience. They insisted on taking new x-rays even though I had just had them shot on Thursday. Then I talked to the PA. And then the doctor. This doctor was a little more clear about what was going on. Yes, my foot is healing fine. No, there is no reason for concern. But no I won’t be walking on it anytime soon. I have to go back in two weeks for new x-rays. At that time they’ll determine whether the cast comes off and whether I can start walking. Even if I’m allowed to start walking, I’ll be in a boot for six more weeks. The place thats broken is very delicate and has to heal completely or it’s going to give me nothing but grief the rest of my life.
While at the doctor I got a lovely blue cast. It’s really pretty and I like it so much more than the old one.
Here’s a picture of the PA that was with me most of the day. He was dreamy.
After the doctor, which took two hours. I headed back to the house. There I met bunches of new people and waited for my friend Kelly to get home from rehearsal so I could get the keys to her car. I was on a mission to get everything I needed for six weeks in Study Butte, Texas.
Luckily Study Butte, Texas has a Bed Bath and Beyond. Who would have known? At BB&B I had to get the little foam thing you put on two twin beds to make them a king size bed. No twin for me this year. I also wanted to get champaign flutes and martini glasses for Kelly. It took a while to find the bed thingy and being on crutches didn’t help any.
Then it was off to Target. I needed to get a prescription filled and then pick up all the other things I needed for my room. First, sheets. I wanted the cheapest king size sheets they had. Unfortunately they were still expensive for disposable sheets, but what can you do. Then I needed a blanket, since the air conditioning runs at full tilt not that I mind. Well wouldn’t you know that the cheapest blanket they had was almost 60 bucks. But they did have king comforters for only 25. I was going to buy the blue one, but then I was persuaded to go into a different direction.
Here’s a picture of me on my new comforter.
Sexy!!!
After target we stopped at the local liquor store. In Study Butte, Texas you can only get real beer in a liquor store. If you go to the Kum & Go it has less alcohol in it. And god knows we need all the alcohol we can get. Actually last year I kind of made it the habit that I supplied a lot of the beer that my crew consumed. I get paid a lot more than they do and they work hard for me so the least I can do is give them beer once in a while.
I’m already helping them get rid of it.
And then I took my Master Electrician and Asst. Master Electrician out for dinner. I’ve tried to do that on all the shows I work on. I treat my crew to dinner and it gives us a chance to chat about the shows, the process and what I expect of them. We had Mexican food that was YUMMY!
Then it was back to the house to drink and chat. I think I got to bed around 4:30. Tipsy, VERY tired and ready to hit the sack. Of course I had to be up at 8:30 for a production meeting so I was a bit tired today as well. Luckily the four hour nap I took this afternoon took care of that.
And to end tonight. I’ve mentioned on here that I’ve had trouble getting the information I needed from the scenery designer to start my designs. I’ve sent many emails, and made pleas for information. Each time I was assured that I would get what I wanted, and well it never materialized. Well the scenery designer had a deadline today that she met. And so I got to work this evening figuring out what was what and trying to make sense of it all. I realized almost immediately that there were some mistakes. Then I realized there were many mistakes. So at around 11:30 p.m. I got together with the two technical directors who are building the show to try and make sense of the drawings.
I could stretch this out, but about an hour into it, something clicked and I clearly saw what she had designed for the first time. And in that same moment realized how fucked we were. She had made the mother of all design mistakes with a piece that’s already been built that’s 26 feet tall by 10 feet wide. The mother of all mistakes. So as soon as I realized what I was seeing I pointed it out to the 2 TD’s. They were like — OH SHIT! So we continued looking and realized that there were a series of these mistakes that should have and would have been caught a month ago if she’d actually turned her designs in on time.
So tomorrow (Thursday) at 2:00 p.m. here in Study Butte, Texas the scenery designer is officially being relieved of her duties. After we discovered these series of mistakes I called the artistic director and told him what we had found and then just told him, that it was time. She had to go. He’s been putting up a fight about it all night but he realizes he’s fighting a losing battle. The only person willing to give her another chance is him. The rest of us are ready to get rid of her. And so we are going to meet with her and let her know what the problems are and that we’ll try to honor her design as much as possible but that she is, as on now, relieved of her duties.
Of course I’ll have complete coverage of all the festivities here in Study Butte, Texas.
A Maddog In The City 