[103] Screed City

[103]

02/23/2022 Wednesday. Cushioned Stool. Room 410. Room 2 Suites by the Airport. Albany, New York.

No Allan today. He called in with a hurt wrist. From reaming those holes yesterday. My guess is that he was in quite a bit of pain last night. Over-medicated. Then this morning had a little bit of a combo of brown bottle flu with a painful wrist. I mean, I am not talking shit. It might seem like I am, but I am not. It is just how things work. You don't have a job for what? Four months. You finally get one. You feel a little better, money-wise. You celebrate a little too much, you over work, your body is soft. And then it gets to be too much. I mean, it is the nature of piecemeal gig stuff, even if you are union. I mean, we will see if he shows up tomorrow. I hope he does. Today I didn't need him so much. Tomorrow is different. We have 44 doubler pipes to get from the connex to the stage. 21 feet per doubler. I mean, what is that? 150 lbs per thing? 44 times. Getting it from the connex to the stage. And a big storm is a-brewin'. I mean, tomorrow is going to be cold and windy.

We have the LULL at least. Which is an off-road fork lift. The guy, Randy, agreed to drive our stuff first thing. He said both his bosses are out for the next five days. They got covid. I mean, a while ago that would make me nervous, but this time around, I mean, we have almost no interaction with the other crews and the space is still basically like working out doors. And Sally and Billy seem in good health, not that they can't be asymptomatic. I mean, I don't know. I will say that I am not that worried about it though.

Today was a success. We got the lock rail finished. Aside from four missing rope locks. But those just take a few minutes to install and they have some at the shop. I can pick them up on Sunday. The pipe fitters finally got their shit out of the way. So now we have space to put our things. Our pipes. I moved all the stage weight to the second connex. And whatever else was in there. Meaning, the first connex is empty. Not that it matters. But it is. I mean, the Big Boss wanted me to clear those out ASAP. Which I did. I mean, the one. And tomorrow, unless something really shitty happens, we will clear out the second one. I mean, if Allan shows up. If Allan shows up I can have him and Billy down at the connex with Randy. Maybe I will be come along too. Follow the LULL back to the stage. Then have Sally help me unload the shit. Stack it nice in the place that we cleaned up for it today. All the way upstage. I mean, what a difference moving the pipe fitter's shit and giving the stage a good ol' brushing down with sweeping compound makes. It's almost like a new year, new me type of bridesmaid happening. Clean as a babies whistle.

I mean. Sally and Billy actually did a great job hanging the dead hangs today. It took them about an hour longer than it should have, but they did it correctly. I mean, I really should have had the lines terminated with a turnbuckle, but I didn't have it in me to figure the math out. This will probably fuck me later next week, but for now, I don't know, I don't care. But they did a great job. I mean, they did THE job and that is great.

We moved all of are shit from the entrance to the stage to stage left. Out of our way. Plus, we had that extra job box in the first connex that we used last time for tools. This time we filled it with hardware. So we got that going for us. And the second job box is full of tools. The action box is filled with the same old crap. I mean, that box needs some attention. I know that Scott gives it attention all the time. But, I mean, it is funny being the boss now. I mean, I know why Scott gets irritated with people. I have always understood, but it is pretty funny to experience it first hand. I mean, it is all of it just chaos mitigation. What is the science bridesmaids credo? Entropy only increases? I mean, it is also like Schrodinger and his cat. Everything is just fine, just don't open that box! The second you open that box, watch out!

I mean, I hate to say it, but we are way ahead of schedule. I mean, I don't really hate saying it, but these jobs there is always the fear of working too fast. Of working yourself out of a paycheck. I mean, maybe we are just right on time. I mean, once we get those doubler pipes on stage tomorrow, and the stage weight, I mean, we can start finishing the job. I mean, that is crazy! I mean, I don't know how tomorrow will go, I am thinking that we spend all of the morning moving shit. Then we maybe start moving stage weight up to the loading bridge? I mean, that is a full day. Then, when it starts snowing like nuts on Friday night we either just call Friday off or we do a half day getting ready to start running wire ropes? Lift lines as it were. I mean, I don't see any reason not to. Although the second we start doing that the stage is basically off limits to the other trades. Which is good for us, but creates a bit of a log jam for 20 half-hungover cranky racist assholes. I mean, considering the fact that we have spent this entire job dealing with their bullshit. I mean, payback is a motherfucker.

I mean, my point is, we could be done with this job 10 days from today. If everything goes well. And there is no reason to think it shouldn't. I mean, the layout that Chris and Danny did is a little worrisome, but I mean, I think the tolerance is within tolerating limits. As long as there is no cheek rubbing or binding, I mean, if anything the head blocks might need to move slightly. Which is something that I am not wont to do. I mean, we'll see. I really don't know how much play the arbors have with relationship to the head blocks. I mean, if the idea is that as long as they are within the J wall spacing then we are good. If that makes sense. I mean, you don't know what the hell I am talking about. I mean, even I barely do. All I am saying is that as long as there is not binding or rubbing we will be golden. I only have one question about it. Do I just stack the stage weight on the loading bridge next to the arbor side-walls, or do I stack it stage-side? I mean, this is something I need to ask Scott or the Big Boss. Because I have seen it many different ways. And I know the idea is to keep the bricks from falling down to the deck, but also, you need to be able to access the bricks at the same time. I mean, also, some bricks need to live on the deck as well. How do you decide that sort of thing? And where do those bricks live? I mean, we had to pad out the lock rail. Meaning, the floor is not finished yet. Meaning, we can't just leave bricks on the deck. And maybe they should never be on the deck? That is a possibility. I mean, it is nice to have bricks on the deck when you are working with the rigging, but so what? Maybe that is always a no-no as the bridesmaids say, but because of ease of operation maybe people just ignore protocol? I mean, you should be over-riding arbors unless you really have to. But what constitutes "Really have to?" I mean, if you had like a heavy drape that needed to be rigged in the air, you would want to have bricks on the deck so you could weight it properly, but then again, maybe that is just shitty rigging. I mean, I really mean, there is always a right way to do things and a wrong way to do things. I mean, not in life, but in stage rigging. And I guess what I mean is, how do we discourage the wrong way of doing things? Does that mean just putting all the stage weight on the loading bridge and not allowing anyone to make a decision? I mean, in some of these theaters there is also a way to add weight in the middle of travel. But not this one. The I beams are at 40' feet. A small distance of travel with respect to stage rigging in a relative sort of way. I mean, it is what it is, kind of rigging. I mean, it is a high school for fuck's sake. A high school with 22 line sets. Medium-sized. I mean, give it a year and probably half the extra weight will be on the deck irregardless of what we do. I mean, crammed in between floor blocks and the lock rail. Maybe they will have an entire arbor just dedicated to storing stage weight?

I mean, I am not the moral compass for stage rigging. I can only do what my heart tells me to do. And my heart is telling me to put all that stage weight on the loading bridge. They will finish the floors at some point. After we are done. Hopefully before we hang the curtains. But, I mean, there is about a quarter inch of dust on the arbors already. Those have been there for barely two months. I mean, even if the curtains are flown out completely, I think they plan to have a wooden deck. I mean, there are two conflicting informations about this. One information is that it will be painted poured concrete. The other information is wooden decking. Either one will make a shitload of dust. And even if the curtains are flown out to high trim, I mean, they will get Springfielded as the bridesmaids say. Dusty Springfield.

It was nice just having two boobs today. Sally is funny. She just really doesn't like to work. And I don't blame her. She is older. This work is hard on you. Kneeling down on concrete all day. Lifting shit that is heavy as crap. I mean, it is the job, but so what? The way we reward people in American Capitalism for a lifetime of work. I mean, she also has one hand smaller than her other hand. Which makes things even worse for her. Plus all the years of chain smoking. I mean, I don't know, you can't fault the canary in the mine for passing out, right? And Billy, I don't know what to say about Billy. His racism is problematic, but as a worker, he is kind of un-fatigue able. I mean, Allan can barely do anything without me thinking he might just have a heart attack and die. But Billy, he is full-boar? Full-bore? The second he gets to work until the second we are done.

I mean, I let Sally and Billy go twenty minutes early today and they both stuck around to talk about the future of the project. About what to do next. How to do it. Billy even had a good idea about getting weight up to the load bridge without adding extra work. I mean, if he knew what was coming I think he would have just kept his mouth shut, but still. His points were valid. I mean, his idea was to use the arbors to take the stage weight up to the loading bridge with the motor hoists. I guess instead of just lugging them up on the scissors lift. I mean, if it wasn't for the railing on the off-stage side I would have agreed with his assessment. But the problem with his thinking is that we would have to do twice the work. Putting the stage weight into the arbor we would use and then taking it off again. As opposed to just putting the heavy-ass bricks into the scissor lift and then transferring them to the loading bridge. I mean, the funny thing is that he had an even better idea about it. To make sure that the ass-end of the scissors lift was on the side of the loading bridge and therefore the scissors lift would act as a shelf when we got it up to height. But he couldn't let go of the idea of making it more complicated. I mean, I tried to tell him his first idea was better, but he wasn't having it. And, I mean, that is what we will do tomorrow, or whenever we do it. It will be me and another goon on the loading bridge. One goon manning the scissors lift and one goon putting stage weight into the scissors lift. I mean, the real goal, the only goal, is to get that heavy shit up there. And it needs to happen one brick at a time. Globally speaking.

I had chicken salad for lunch. With hot chips and Girl Scout Cookies. The Sally lunch. It was nice. I ate alone in the van. Then I was falling asleep and had to force myself to get up and go back inside and do some foreman shit so I wouldn't be miserable. I mean, I was miserable anyway. Today was counting minutes. I mean, you can lead a foreman to water, but you can't make him give a fuck. As the bridesmaids say. I mean, I don't know what I mean. I had to go to the Home Depot on my way into work. To get a 3/8's inch drill bit. It cost $15 dollars. I mean, the cheap ones were sold out. And I know that was highway robbery, but what can you do? It was the same with the tire yesterday. I mean, what can you do? Really? I mean, the lie of Capitalism is that things get cheaper because of competition, but when everyone is desperate at all times, you really have no choice. I mean, what do I do? Drive around on a flat tire until I find a reasonable tire-fix? Especially when it is a work van? Do I drive all over Albany looking for a cheaper bit? I mean, it is the whole laundry conundrum all over again. If you have money you pay for somebody else to do your laundry. When you don't have money you spend hours doing your own laundry to save a few dollars. I mean, Capitalism works if you have money. If you don't have money it is the worst. And therefore. when you are at work, working for people that have money, you just buy the shit at whatever cost. Which just drives the cost up because people that have money and are making money from this work will pay for the more expensive shit. Which means that the bigger the company the less hit they take. Which means, the prices go up, which means that people like us, like you and me, that can't spend $15 dollars on a 3/8's drill bit, we have to spend hours and hours chewing through metal with rocks and elbow grease, while the people with money cruise by in their Camaros heading to Red Lobster because work for them ended early because they could afford the more expensive drill bit. I mean, the shit isn't so much rigged, it is just dis-balanced to a degree that being poor becomes a full-time job. I mean, whatever. I got paid $75 dollars an hour to buy that bit, so who am I to complain, but really, that only proves my point further. I mean, if it was me, my job, I don't think I would have bought that bit. But since I had choices and a company to reimburse me, I didn't give two shits.

Whatever. Working-class millionaire. I mean, all I have to do is finish this job without getting anyone maimed or killed and I will be heralded as the golden boy of BMI. I hate to say it. The bar is about as low as it can get. And I am set to meet that goal. And it is almost ironic. Because it shouldn't be me. It should be Jayboo. He should be doing this job. Instead he is in Buffalo with Brook and Conrad. Doing podunk work. Five hours of travel. Piddle-style stage refurb. But then again, I think he would be nervous about this job. Mostly because he takes this shit seriously. Which, good for him! I wish I hadn't been jaded. I mean, I know the work, so that part is easy. Jason knows it too. But he lacks the shit attitude that I have. He would never in a million years take the goon-boobs aside and tell them exactly what is going on. To say to Billy:

"Hey, I need you to talk to this guy, Randy for me. I don't know the politics and I don't want to fuck it up." To which Billy said to me:

"Don't worry, I got you."

The same with Sally. I mean, I understand what makes her golden and I am using it to my advantage, but so what? I mean, the advantage is that everyone is happy, the work will get done and nobody gets pissed or annoyed. I mean, it is a tale as old as the hills. As the bridesmaids say. The reason people like Scott, and Brother Luke and Jayboo are the best workers but get shit on at every turn. They are treated like tools. Everyone else, the hungover assholes, the racist know-it-alls, the loud mouthed liaisons, they get the easy work while Scott, Brother Luke and Jayboo do all the work. I mean, if is wasn't for some moral thing that we all have gotten ingrained in us since birth, I mean, them, meaning me too, we would just slide through life like everyone else and nothing would ever get done. And that would be fine. Because the real truth about everything is that nothing ever actually needs to get done. This Albany job could go on for years and it wouldn't make a bit of difference. BMI would do just fine. I Weiss would do just fine. The Union would do just fine. It is the guys that make the shit happen that would suffer. Mostly because they would make sure the shit actually happened. And, I mean, I am going to get promoted after this job. To what, I don't know. But I won't be the sketchy dude creeping around the Art Museum anymore. I mean, something tells me I will be brought into a million dollar job from day one very soon. And then what? I can switch the green shoe-string I use to hold my hard hat on for a nice soft leather strap. Maybe change my hard hat from yellow to white. I mean, right? It will be all electronic mails and phone calls for me in the future. I will get paid twice as much and show up to work one third of the time. Maybe even delay things weeks at a time just because I am out of town. In Colorado maybe? Hitting the slopes. I mean, and soon after that, I will get a job as some Senator or something. Eating caviar with the Sunny Bono Memorial Highway Assault Rifle Lobby. The Guns For Roads Committee.

I mean, I went to G's school after work. We had dinner at Jimmy D's. I got the mushroom, blue cheese burger. Rare. They got the chicken souvlaki. Like last time. It was very nice. I mean, we had a good time. Awkward in the middle aged dad and teenage vibes sort of way. We talked about Hilarious covers and school. About going to Portland next week and t-shirts. I mean, whatever happens, I think we have a good relationship. A relationship, I mean, I know it is projecting, but a relationship I wish I had with my dad. I didn't. And that is that. But I know that we share the same kind of mind, so that must be good for them to at least have proof of that. I mean, we disagree on almost nothing. They don't hide things from me because they know that I won't judge them. I mean, we are working on projects together so we stay connected. I mean, I wish they could come up to visit more often and I think their relationship with their step-father is almost too awkward for words. Which I find hilarious. But still. They seem healthy and seem like they are enjoying life. I mean, they are 14 so things are constantly vacillating in their life. But things seem normal and sincere. Which is the best I can hope for. I hope to see them again next week. In the middle of the week. And then we drive to Portland on Friday to see PegLeg and A. As well as Brother Luke and his family. I mean, things are good. I won't lie. I mean, this job is all encompassing, but what can you do? I mean, you can only pull yourself up by your boot-straps for so long before you become the thing you have been avoiding your whole life. Which is a guy that just works at a job and makes money and tries to have a good relationship with the person you owe your whole life to because you brought them into this fucking world without their consent. And maybe, just maybe, at the end of the day, you can write about it and share it with the world. I mean, politics aside, things are going quite alright around here.

PS. Sally let me on to a thing about air in your tires. I mean, I paid $2 dollars to fill the tire yesterday. Then I got a service charge of $2 dollars. Which means I paid $4 dollars to fill that fucking tire up with air that just leaked out. I mean, I saw it on my bank statement. Because I was paranoid. So I looked. But she told me that Stewart's had free air. Then she gave me directions to the place. The place she went to with the other union boobs during lunch yesterday. Which, she said they weren't smoking pot. This guy Johnny just needed some snus. And she got lottery tickets just because she was there. I mean, I went there. Free air. But the thing was broken and I ended up putting 66 lbs of pressure into the tire. Then I had to leak it out. An old man came over and started to use the thing before I was finished. I tried to warn him that the thing was broken. He didn't listen to me. Either way, though. I got the tire pressure correct in the end. I mean, we will see. I will probably have a flat tomorrow. I mean, I really don't want to have to think about the work-van tires. But I guess I have to. Now that I am the foreman. I mean, being the foreman suuuuucks.