It's almost midnight and this place is so alive

6/21

Danielle and I are starting to plan concert wrap up and follow up when Amanda and Aaron come in and suggest a celebratory pint before moving on. So to the "office." That works for me. Then its back to everything that needs to be done.  

Steven and the Woodshed folks are hard at work, cleaning spaces, getting ready to open their speak easy this weekend. (We’ll split the profits on that.) RL is back to check in on his bathroom project. Miguel is outside on the steps  with all his wrldly belongings. I talk to Goddard Riverside Reachout and they’re familiar with Miguel. Sorry to learn their drop in facility is closed. There is no place to drop in anymore. Not in this neighborhood. Miguel is sent down to the east side in the 30’s. Later he returns, he’s got a place for the night, but could we store his things?  Of course. 

We don’t have enough for a full Session meeting, but Hope and Marsha and I take time to talk through our strategy for the next meeting with the AC. Our next money challenge. I wish at least one member could have been here to see us full, alive, at our best.

I spend an hour on a conference call with my national friends from Presbyterians Affriming Reproductive Options, one of the  PHEWA networks.  

Take my guitar to Amanda and Aaron at P&G then head to the church to open for Marc and a photoshoot. When Marc arrives around 11:30 PM, Amanda and Aaron are practicing in the sanctuary. This is so cool, says Marc, it’s almost midnight and this place is so alive. 

The lighting crew arrives and heads up to the gym to set up their equipment. Rachel finally arrives nearing 1 AM. We order pizza from Famous Ray’s. Rachel changes. Then climbs and wraps herself in the fabric. For the next hour she moves, climbs, slides, stretches, poses, body stretched, taut, extended...is it circus? Gymnastics? Who cares?  It’s beautiful. And it’s art. The photgrapher snapping away. Flashes of light in the dark gym.

We finish the shoot. Finish the pizza. Shake hands all around. That’s it for tonight.

6/22

To church after lectionary with my neighborhood colleagues. Thank thise who came to the concert. Talk with Elise about follow up.

On the steps, Deacon Linda passes by. What was going on here last night? She wants to know. There were flashes of light. I thought it was lightning. Then maybe the church was on fire. What was it? So I explain all about Marc and the photo shoot.  She says, Oh then, and heads off to her volunteer work at Westside Campaign Against  Hunger. 


Working on evaluation. We have to get ready for our visit with Arlene Simon about  pigeons.  Danielle and I go outside to look at the tower. Note how many broken out glass panes there are.  Spaces for the pigeons to invade. There's one view we can't get to. Danielle thinks she's seen a way to check it out. It will be one more unexplored space.   We go up into the space between ceiling and roof. Stretch out across a gap, find an opening, find a flat space, a ladder. A door above us. Danielle climbs up. I follow. She struggles with the door. Finally pops it open.We both go through, stretching across empty spaces. Onto the roof. But its not the view we wanted.  Another perch high above the ground. Empty bottles up here. What's up with that? Another adventure in urban exploration.  Arlene finally arrives with a crew to evaluate the pigeon situation. This may be more complicted than it seems. 

We have to find a way to build from this Bridge concert series. The process of using this experience to move us forward looms ahead. We want to make sure not to lose the opportunity. Not this time.