a whirlwind...

New Year’s Day in Philadelphia is a tradition.  A drunk, feather and sequined tradition.  It is called the Mummer’s Parade.  With friends in town we packed ourselves off to the parade and got there early for a good spot.  Sadly, what I forgot from more than 35 years ago, is that early isn’t what you want.  What you want are the string bands in their full costumed regalia.  They look good and they sound good.  What you get early is drunk, drunk and drunk. They are called the comic brigades and they don’t give a hoot about the audiences of onlookers.  They are just wandering down Broad Street with a beer in one hand and a whacky costume bit in the other.  It was fun but so different from my long ago childhood memories.

Fast forward.  Last week was flat out crazy.  The week started with what should have been a simple office medical procedure which turned into a stressful day-long visit to the hospital and ended with four work days with the server down.  Nothing wrong healthwise, just bureaucracy gone awry.  Something seriously wrong technologically, but it turns out that there’s little that money and time can’t fix.

So of course technology comes under General Management. You had to know that was coming.  Hell, if there’s bad news at the theatre, it always comes under GM.

And in the name of everything happens at once, I had three tenants in the building next to our construction site all up in arms over a bizarre smell in their apartments at the same time as the crash.  The property manager in the building happily gave everyone my name and phone number and informed them that she was sure it was emanating from the construction site.  Thanks.

Of course, it wasn’t us and I told everyone who would listen.  I toured the property manager through the construction site and even her contractor.  After a few not so veiled threats—that would be her threatening me -- they located some open paint cans in an HVAC room of one of the apartments.  Hmmm. Funny thing, the call to tell me that officially took a lot longer than the calls and emails with the threats and accusations.  Is this a Philly thing or just a rude person thing?  Or dare I ask, are they the same?

Meanwhile, back at the crash site, the entire theatre was at a standstill.  We were able to peel off our ticket sales and keep them up and running, but no email in or out and no access to any of our shared files.  And we all use the shared file for storing data.  Oy.  Double oy.  This was bad.

It is this very kind of situation that makes you realize how utterly dependent on technology we have become.  Okay.  No email, so I’ll do this.  Nope.  Okay, I’ll do that.  Nope.  I literally had to remind some folks that they could still use the phone to talk to people. That was funny.

So when all else is lost, I cook.  I’m trying to stay away from baking for the moment, as the results are hard to resist.  So I made a curried carrot ginger soup.  Yum.  A pork loin, definite yum and for absolutely no good reason, I bought myself a slow cooker.  I’ve yet to use but I keep you posted.  All it took was an article on vegetarian and vegan slow cooker recipes and boom! I’m sold.  Literally.  Haven’t cooked a thing yet, but I’m ready.

I’ve also been knitting again.  It is a great way to keep my hands busy at night while I watch tv.  I made a scarf, didn’t like it and ripped it out.  I’m on my second one and I think I’ll keep it.  It is way more the doing than the final product, however, so you never know.  I need a good scarf so we’ll see… or maybe I’ll rip it and start over.  Anyone need a scarf?  I’m not good for much more.  Maybe a blanket. Nothing complicated or my lack of skill becomes too obvious.  I once made a hat for a friend undergoing chemo. It was pitiful.  Made with love, but sort of hilarious at best.  My artistic skills are clearly more in my head than in my hands. So sad. Don’t make me tell you about my attempt at a cut veggie turkey at Thanksgiving.

But all things come full circle.  Yesterday we managed to get the server back up and running.  Things are slowly starting to return to the new normal.  So I just had to laugh over not one but two separate emails today.  First, an email from an old patient (on my personal email) asking me to set him up with an appointment.  Uh, actually, I can’t help you with that any more.  Then, later in the afternoon came one that actually made me laugh out loud.   An email from Ford’s asking me if I could recollect a document and suggest any place to find it.   How flattering. Don’t they know I can’t remember what I had for breakfast yesterday? 

It’s all in a day.  Stay on your toes and you never know what will turn up in your inbox… that is if you have one.

So what’s going on in your world?