Where's the shell?

1/26

RL once told me the difference between being crazy and being nuts. If you’re crazy, he said, you don’t know it. But if you’re nuts, you know where the shell is. And how to use it to protect yourself if need be. I’m not even sure what that means, but somehow it seems to make sense.

A Saturday facing down serious blues. 

Cara has come in to help me with Sunday preparations. We go out side, I’ve got the broom, she the dustpan. And we do a thorough sweeping of the steps, the sidewalk, getting our entrance clean. We throw away all the stashed cardboard to dissuade any prospective steps sleepers in this weather. 

Inside, we move the meeting table out of the way. Fold up all the folding chairs and get the out of the way. While she sweeps the sanctuary, I get out the green paraments and place them on the communion table. Get out the candles and place the around. Get out the Spanish Bible. My green Jerusalem stole. 

We’re trying to locate all the necessary pieces to a vacuum cleaner. She asks if there’s budget to buy a new vacuum or even a dust buster and I say, what budget? We’re checking out the cleaning closet. Marc has now joined the search when RL appears.

RL needs to have confirmed the availability of a quality keyboard for the after concert for Teddy’s memorial service. Marc begins to describe his Korg. Cara begins to describe her electric piano in her crib in Queens. That of course would require a pick up. Marc has plenty of electric pick ups. No, she needs a pick up truck. Soon everyone is excitedly talking at once, all well intentioned. And wanting to help. What I want to do is just vanish, disappear. (It’s my problem, okay? It’s just their eagerness to help...) But I play teacher and ask everyone to speak one at a time.

RL winks and says and you thought you had to import all these theatre people to bring drama to this place. And I wink back and say, longest running performance art piece on the Upper West Side. I’m still expecting Andy Kaufman at any time. And he sings, Here I come to save the day...and I get it if no one else does. He’s soon describing his Dusty Withers (Famous sidekick!) radio cowboy show recreations. And his wonder mule Mr. Blithers!And Marc is onto Lone Ranger reruns on TV and RL responds with Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels. Cara looks intrigued but puzzled. She wants to give RL a big hug, but I can see it gets him flustered. She is energy.

OK. She will clean some more and then play piano. I promise to ask Jeremy about the keyboard issue. Tomorrow. Right now, I need to head up Amsterdam. And home.