The sixth day of Christmas: Heat at last, heat at last, thank God almighty, heat at last...

12/30

Another day of racing against the clock. Has Chris deliverd his letter to the DOB? Yes, at 10:30. All right then, has DOB contacted Con Ed? OK, Gale’s on that one. By 2:30, still no word. The hour is getting late. I reach out to Ted who reaches out to his friend at Con Ed. Gale calls, Con Ed will be there by 3:30. 

At 3:30, Chris the plumber and his crew are there. Jane and Tia have arrived. Gale is there. But no Con Ed. It’s beginning to feel  like a local theatre production of Waiting for Godot. We decide to have a pool. Jane says 4:45, I say 4:32. And at 4:30, they arrive.

But it’s not easy. I go back to my office to find Ji Young and Miranda. Miranda is playing the wooden toy piano a young couple from the neighbrhood donated. Complications to be dealt with.  And Jason has issues to discuss. And Dan is popping in and out. And a full crew is intently engaged in the basement.  


And Joseph from England and Fabiana from Mexico have come to talk about getting married.  They bth live in Mexico City now. They're coming ti New York ot get married, midway between England and Mexico. 

Gale has to leave. We go down to check things out, watching closely. At one point, the technician looks up. You guys are literally freaking me out, he says. And I remember the sign at out garage back in Pittsburgh, Labor is $25 an hour, $50 if you help.

 So Jane and Tia and I leave and retreat to the warmth of her office. There’s a boom from below and we rush downstaors ecxpecting  the worst, but all is well. Like a car engine coming on and old pipes breathing again. The Polish plumbers are taking off. We had a good chat about New Year’s kielbasa and pierogies. And soon enough, Jane has to leave. I walk her down the street  to where she’s meeting Katherine for dinner. 

When I get back, Jason greets me at the door. It’s on, he says.At approximately 7:30 PM, December 30th, the heat was back on for the first time in nearly three years.  And I walk in, Tia is smiing, the pipes in office are getting warm. We exchange a high five. Chris the plumber needs to check every radiator. He smiles at the antique one in my office. I collect those he says, but that one  is really rare. 

In the front of the sanctuary he stops and says, The acoustics in here are great. You could do like concerts here, like small operas, like... I tell him, that’s the idea. And we do...

We walk around. There’s a lot of work still to be done. Will have to happen next week. But the pipes are warming up. I’m trying to take in the heat. Trying to take in that it is finally, finally on.  

The fifth day of Christmas: Falun Gong, Con Ed and the Christian Missionary Alliance

12/29

The morning temperature has dropped down to 23 degrees and it is COLD in the church. Zach from #ows is waiting for me when I arrive. He’s there to clean out the fourth floor gym, leftovers from last summer’s Woodshed production of the Tenant and the reamins of the recently dismantled shower lining the walls. #ows will be using the space for community council meetings.  A young woman, Felicia, has joined him.

There are mysterious things around. A large metal grinding machine on the first floor. Work being done in the men’s room. Lights on in the boiler room. Later, I discover that a crew from Chris the plumber has been hard at work. Charles, from Chirs’ crew, comes to my office. He’s waiting for Chris and a Department of Buildings’ inspector to run a test on the boiler. Inching ever closer. 

Then Julie from the Chinese cultural presentation, Shun Yen, soon to be at Lincoln Center, walks into my office. I feel like she has been stalking me for months. Insisting that my congregation needs to have them do a presentation on 5000 year old Chinese culture, destroyed by the Chinese Communists.  I have  kept trying to explain why Advent and Christmas were very busy times and this was not the way we wanted to share the holidays.

What she doesn’t say is that their production is sponsored by Falun Gong, a Chinese new relgion, harmless enough, but seems but deemed a cult in the People’s Republic. They are constantly kneeling in protest prayer in front of the Chinese Embassy. She has this prepared speech she keep going through over and over again, like magazine sales peope or those annoying people from the energy supply companies that say they are connected to Con Ed and want to help you reduce your energy bill. The minute I hear this clearly outsourced phone voice start in with Mister Robert..., I just want to run. 

Jane walks in as Julie is going thorugh her speech. Sees that i’m about to lose it. I am beginning to sympathize with PRC bureaucrats. Jane throws Julie a question about the Cultural Revolution. Julie is stopped for a second but soon back on message. I take it you weren’t a supporter, Jane says. Somehow, we move her on. We may still wind up with a presentation on Chinese culture, like it or not. 

I’m wondering how my friends from the picket line in front of Saigon Grill, back again today, would handle this. I stopped and visited with them today on my way to  work.  Exchanged holiday greetings. With them, I would share the holidays.

Jane’s here to tell me there’s a confab going on in the boiler room, so we head down there.  There’s Chris, at least two Polish plumbers, Charles, and a neatly uniformed DOB inspetor. The news? We have passed the inspection. According to Chris, all that is needed is for the DOB inspector to enter his report  on the DOB computer which will talk to the Con Ed computer which will send a Con Ed hook up crew. Sounds simple enough, but I see too many holes there. Call Gale, says Chris. She’s got to help us through one, or two?, more hoops before the heat comes on. Jane goes out to to call Gale. 

Dan is in and out doing various volunteer activities. More #ows volunteers are showig uo, heading to the fourth floor. 

I thought Jane has left,but she’s still here.  I am trying to share a song with Jane, guitar, frozen fingers and all, when two smiling young people push thier way thrugh my door. Hi, can we come in? No, says Jane, we’re almost finished. You have to wait. The interruption has thrown me off.  

Turns out they’re  from the New Mission Korean Church. Yet another church group having to leave the public school where they have been worshipping, due to a Suprme Court ruling on separation  of church and state.  They had called earlier . I told them to call Danielle, make an appointment. But they show uo an walk in anyways. I want to ask if they’ve been trained by Falun Gong. But no, just the  Christain Missionary Alliance.  But I do give them a tour.  Sigh. 

Zach wants me to see what’s been accomolished. In the fading afiternoon light, I can see he’s done a great job directing his crew. It looks..and smells...good and clean. 

I am too cold. It’s time to leave. 

The third day of Christmas: A full box of two dozen jelly donuts

12/27

A full box of two dozen jelly donuts. These would be sufganiyot, Israeli donuts left over from the last night of Hannukah. 

Someone is waiting when I arrive. Are you Con Ed? I ask.

No, I’m waiting for Con Ed, comes the reply. And after all these weeks, for the first time, I meet Chris the plumber. We wait and we wait. Finally, Chris calls. Ten thirty, ten thirty they say. Another hour. I’m going out, I’ll be back. 

A large man named Joe is leaning in the doorway. Pastor, I want to know, can I stay here? I’m with Occupy. They kicked me out of SPSA. Two women said I was haraasing them. Lurking, they said. I didnt even know they were there. How could I lurk? But they said I had to go. The one, she was only there because I stood up for her. Then she does this. And they they said they found me with other people’s stuff. I was only trying to help, you know? I just don’t know. I just don’t know. Can I stay?

Well, no. Unless there’s a community....I can’t.

He looks sad. While I’m trying to resolve this, someone else walks through the door. Looks like he could be a cousin of Chris the plumber. I’m Con Ed, he says. It’s not yet 10:30. So I walk him downstairs, start to show him around, hoping Chris will show soon. The longer I stretch this out, the more anxious I become. Finally, as Con Ed is getting ready to leave, Chris shows. The one time, he says, the one time, they're on time...

So I leave Con Ed and Chris alone together because Dan has come in. Needs to rehearse  his DJ routine for his upcoming New Year’s Eve gig.

And a young Asian woman named Alice comes in. Wants to see the art gallery. I take her to the chapel where the New York Realists  are. No, she says, this isn’t it. So I take her upstairs to Mc Alpin. There, her sister, Peggy Chiang, has two sculptures and an image on exhibit. I leave her with her sister’s art work.

On the steps, Anthony and Gary are watching the street. I stiil have no idea what happened with Chris and Con Ed. All the donuts, and the box, are gone. 

A green sweater. A copy of Gray’s Anatomy. And two jelly donuts.

12/23

A green sweater. A copy of Gray’s Anatomy. And two jelly donuts. 

Yesterday when I was talking with Anthony and Gary, a little woman walked up with a big bag. Took out a Metropolitan Museum bag. And tied it to our door. And walked off. Inside were dozens of Christmas cards, that is the front of each, the signed part cut off.  She was goin gdoor to door doing this. 

Today will be a race against time. The last workday before Chirstmas Eve. Last chance to get the heat on.  Teddy and Kiran are here to work on the door. To see what needs to be done with the showers. I’ll be busy all day long in an endless circle of phone calls between Con Ed, Chris the plumber, Councilmember Brewer. I’ve reached out to Ted to reach out ot his friend again. 

Later Jane and her husband Mike, visiting from California, will stop in to check on the status.  No. Not yet, I say. Waiting for clearance from the DOB. (Among other things, the old stop work order still hadn’t been lifted.) And apparently, our expeditor headed into the bull pen (where expeditors wait) not realizing a call to our councilmember woud have opneed a clear path. Now the issue is can we get our expeditor into the DOB before 2 PM? We’ll claim that, says Jane. We’ll think good thoughts. 

Leila has brought some of the  scarves and jewelry she has created.Some last minute shopping for family. Her crafts are always beautiful. 

Latest word from the council member is that connections have been made, details are being worked out. 

One of the mothers of an occupier has come back again. To check in on her son. To see what might be possible. Before Christmas.

A Polish plumber/electrician is downstairs in the boiler room working. Con Ed is coming, he says, Con Ed is coming. 

I go to do an errand. On the way back, almost to 86th Street, I see RL. We shake hands, exchange greetings. Back inside, in the office, I see he’s left two bottles of wine, one for me and one for Danielle. Bless you, RL. 

Another plumber has been sent by Chris to waith for Con Ed. We wait. And we wait. At 4:45 PM, the phone call comes. They’ve all gone home. They won’t be coming. 

Curse you, Con Ed

12/22

Dan the DJ is waiting for me when I get to the church. Last night was a better one. Just wants to drop soem things off before heading out for his day, a possible job out there. 

Teddy and Jeff are the next to arrive this morning. Teddy’s here to work on plans to repair the front door, damaged the first night of Occupation when someone tried to break in. Jeff is there to continue our conversation, our negotiation, about putting together a more sustainable Occupy community at West-Park. We’re talking about budgets and money, repair work to be done. 

Meanwhile, anxiety about the boiler continues. Curse you, Con Ed. Chris my plumber is beside himself. It’s been over two days and no word whatsoever. So I have to go higher. Call in Councilmember Brewer. Let Ted know so he can contact his freind in management. It’s just too close to Christmas. And again, it’s warmer outside than in. It’s madddening. 

Diaan Ainslee has called to check out our space for her acting classes. Turns out she’s an old veteran actor, director. Decades ago on Broadway, recently directed a regional Jesus Christ Super Star, and then Vagina Monologues for the JCC. Clearly passionate about her work, her students. I show her all the rooms, all the spaces. She can imagine teaching in all of them. Loves the session room, the expanse of Mc Alpin, the Balcony Theatre. I can see in her mind’s eye, she’s already working here. They call me Hawkeye, she says, I don’t miss a thing. 

Two AFA guys have arrived to check out the fire alarms. I show them down to the basement. It’s hard running things without Danielle. Another Polish plumber has arrived to run the pressure test on the boiler. Does that mean we’ve heard from Con Ed? Chris gets upset just hearing the question.

Hope comes in so I can go to the Met with my family, but phone calls keep coming. Councilmember Brewer, Chris the plumber, and yes, as I’m about to enter a gallery, Con Ed. The call of course drops before I can get it and that’s it.

Back at the church, Jason comes by. His new cell phone has arrived. We, of course, are his address.  

Hope goes home. I lock up. Though I will be back. I’ll be back. There will  be more phone calls....an Occupier's mother, a congregant on the verge of eviction...

Pre-occupied

12/21

Teddy, Jeff, Jason and Dan from Occupy are all here. Teddy is here to work on the door that was damaged. Long conversation with Jeff and Jason about working out a longer term realtionship. We again do a full tour of the building to talk about best sleeping, eating, meeting places. 

Lots of issues re.housing. The idealistic goal of building new communities running into human reality. The Eden time of Zucotti didn’t last long. And now that we’ve entered into an extended time, long debates as to how to do this. Realities bumping into ideologies. For example, at SPSA, Dan has had two back packs stolen. Even more frustrating, he had received a beautiful hand woven winter hat from a craftsperson at the festival as a gift. Gone. 

Issues of safety, security, safe space over against those who resist any authority, any rules. Yet with no rules, ther can be no humane sense of security. Learning community building from the ground up. And without these kind of agreements, we can’t move forward. Sanitary issues, privacy versus communality. Jeff had wanted large communal tents, not smaller individual ones which gave more privacy, but less security.  How will we accomplish that in a church?

We’re dealing with what one writer has called the US Poverty Diaspora. Young people put on the road voluntarily or by parents. Unemployed or unemployable. Queer youth aged out of shelter systems. Mentally ill, homeless. The marginalized, the rejected. Pushed into or attracted to the movement. And the movement has collectivley tried to respond morally, humanely and functionally. Out of this, new realities will grow.

And this church is the only Presbyterian church housing people and the only church in Manhattan seeking to develop creative and sustainable working relationships. Like I said, you need us....

The conversation goes on. Nan arrives to work on financial issues with Hope. Get those thank yous and year end appeals out. A plan has been made. 

Sarah arrives to review the gala, talk about next steps. As a young businesswoman, she too, sees a system that no longer works and a liberal establishment that can no longer provide a moderating alternative. Gone and bought into the corproate class driven paradigm. Real workig reforms not possible. A committed capitalist who believes what was is done. She looks at West-Park’s relationship with Occupy as the most important work we’re involved in. 

It’s cold in the building, we go for beef borscht at Popover’s. Then I pick up the thank yous at the Bengladeshi print shop. Sit and sign them all. Deliver them to Hope on the picket line. Outside, it’s almost balmy, September like. Mim will pick them up, finish the job.

The CD with pictures from the gala has arrived. Seems like a long time ago now. 

Two days, forty eight hours no word from Con Ed. One simple question to be answered. Size of meter pipe to be installed. That’s it. No answer. Con Ed hell again.

Later sons Dan and Nate will walk with me. We’ll cross the street, talk with Pascal, get a tree. No free one this year. The free one went to Occupy. Walking home, carrying our tree, we stop and talk with the pickets at Saigon Grill. Nate wonders how anyone can still go in and eat there. Some coming out do stop and talk with the workers. 

Still later, I get a call from Dan. Issues. I head to church to meet him. The Mexican can and bottle collector asleep on the steps. 

Con Ed is here and ready to go to work

12/19

To the church early. Mystery: when I left last night, I thought all the lights were off. They were on as I arrived. And someone had left three food platters from Gourmet Garage inside the church. I find this somewhat disconcerting. Con Ed is here and ready to go to work. Into the basement. All over the boiler. And into the ground. The jackhammers are digging under the sidewalk. Soon pipes will be being laid down and connected. Ted the Polish plumber has arrived and is turning valves and adjusting things. Work is underway. We’ve cut through six weeks worth of red tape in six days. Thanks to Gale. Thanks to Ted. In the end, as always, it’s relationships. And it’s beginning.

I’m catching up on my writing. DJ Dan has taken down the brown paper sign and the Craft Fair banners.  Amanda and Aaron stop by to say good bye on their way out of town. She leaves her New York guitar with me for safe keeping .John H walks in to talk through strategies re. the upcoming meeting on air rights and is glad that I seem to have a hold on the legal parameters at hand.  

Danielle comes in. Her last day of work before she heads home for the holidays. There are acknowledgement letters to get out. Year end requests. All the grind it out work needed to keep going. Tonight there will be a meeting of the Center’s Executive Committee. Budgets to be created. Financial reviews. We’re still on edge.

And Marsha and I meet Mitch from the coop to the north. They want to help. They actually supported us in the landmarks struggle. But they want to also lease air rights. Air rights that range from valueless to invaluable depending on how things shake out. A proposal will be drawn up. We’ll see.

And still there is the question as to how to rebuild a viable congregation out of all this.  It is a living, breathing church. But still so far to go.....

When I left to go to the Eecutive Committee meeting, we put the food platters on the steps. By the time  leave the meeting with Mitch, they’re all gone.