It never ends

8/1

There's a cardboard bed to remove.  Edward? Mark?

Just when you think....so it turns out there’s one  more asbestos covered pipe. How waas it  missed?  Our asbestos man's a bit sheepish about all of this. It will be  taken care of. But it feels like its never over. It never ends. 

A  day for writing. For catching up, for plannning.  Working on the business plan.  At the end of the day, I’m heading home. On the corner of 87th, there’s Edward, bumming a cigarette. A bottle in a paper bag in his hand.  

8/2

Clear away the cardboard. A bag of empties.

Danielle and I will be working right up to the last minute on the business plan. 

Elise joins  me in the back yard.  Her first day of vacation, a tragic death brings her back to the city. A funeral awaits.  It never ends, she says. We talk about the need to bring our various fundraising efforts together. Politicians, neighbors, clergy and church folk...there needs to be a comprehensive plan and soon. I do make it clear to Elise, however, just how much I’m enjoying what I’m doing right now. And how much I appreciate her support. 

Mim has come in from the Berkshires.  Danielle and I catch her up on everything that has been going on. We’re soon joined by Marsha. And Hope. And we bring Ted in by speaker phone.  Lots to review in the contract proposal by Mark and Sarah. Lots of questions.  As usual, a lot focuses on money. Not wanting to get into unplanned for expenses. 

We’re expecting the AC to arrive at 6:30. And then we realize that Woodshed will be using the whole buidling for their stumble through, the first actual run through of the play.  We need to figure out a plan. I decide that the best idea is the backyard. I go down to do a quick sweep up and wipe the tables while the others work on a response to Mark and Sarah.

As the AC members begin to arrive, the whole Woodshed Collective, 23 cast members, 70 volunteers and staff are gathered in the sanctuary. It is impressive. I show the AC members Norm’s archival display and then lead them down the back stairs to the backyard. AC and session members fill the tables and chairs. Mim stays with us too, to reperesent the Center. Answer questions if needed.

There’s a lot on the agenda. The business plan. (I've never done anything  like this before.) They are impressed that we have thought all this out.  Danielle has done a good  job on the figures and speaks intelligently to the money side of all this.  Emphasis on work in progress. 

Talk about evolving life of the Center, it’s relationship to the church.  Then tougher things, like progress in the lawsuit, negotiating the payment of an unexpected legal bill.  It never ends.  From Capital Hall, the Goddard-Riverside SRO above our yard, a voice cries out to us, Hey can I bum a cigarette?  Later, as I’m about to say something important, a light goes on, a man begins undressing in front of the window. I stop. Catch my breath. And laughing say, I love New York City. 

We talk about communication. Better relationships. It’s been a long, tough, good meeeting. We escort the AC folks out. Earlier , when Mim had left, JC had looked at the grill and said, You ought to fire ths up, cook up some burgers, sell some drinks. And I smiled to myself. Good idea. 

The session remains.  Some business items to wrap up. Our response to the AC offer re. the legal bill. Not done yet. More to negotiate. I hate that. First car I ever bought,I paid what they said the price was.  What did I know? Third world market places give me headaches. This is like that. The session response to Mark and Sarah. Most of our session has never been in our backyard before. It was pretty unusable for most of these last 15 years. In the cool end of the evening, with the small lights glowing, it’s pretty pleasant.

Everyone else has left. Stephen comes out. Offers me a cold one. We sit and review our long and full day. He’s happy with his first run through. It’s going to be fucking  great, he says, smiling. 

Outside, Edward and his lady are settling in. It never ends.