The IWS had a concert this Saturday -- our last this season in Zionsville. I was putting together a PowerPoint presentation to be shown during one piece to remember the musicians, local and international, who died last year. With that and the concert program on my plate, I planned ahead and took Friday off (up). So I was up really late on Thursday working on the presentation (down), but I still felt pretty nice on Friday since I wasn't trapped in a cubicle (up).
Still, I was up late into the night on Friday working on the presentation and the program (down).
Saturday morning was the dress rehearsal. It went fairly well, and one of the stage crew in particular was very helpful and accommodating (up), which is not always the case because we're dealing with high school students here. After rehearsal, I went to Panera and worked on the presentation some more while I lunched. When I went out to the car, it wouldn't start (down down down). The battery was fine because I was listening to the radio while I waited and stressed, but when I turned the key, nothing happened.
I called the Chrysler roadside assistance number (a small up in this big downer), who arranged towing for the car. It was about 3:15 when the car finally got on the back of the tow-mobile (up, physically), but the dealership's service department closes at 3:00 on Saturdays (down).
So there I was, transportationless. I needed to get over to Kinko's to pick up the programs, and my tuxedo pants were waiting for me at the dry cleaners. And the memorial presentation still wasn't finished! (down down down, though, small up, I managed to peck in all the text that I needed to add while I waited for the tow truck)
Luckily, I have a second pair of tuxedo pants (I coulda been a Boy Scout I was so prepared). My ex-wife, who for once was attending a concert and bringing one of my sons with her [the other was at a sleepover], picked me up, zipped me to Kinko's, and took me to the concert. I got there "on time" (up), but about 45 minutes later than I had originally wanted to get there (down).
The presentation still needed some tweaking (down), and it was to be used during the second piece on the concert, right after an arrangement of the first movement of Beethoven's Fifth. I ended up in the light booth, sitting out that first piece (up? down?) to get the presentation ready.
In the end, I got it "done enough." There were some mistakes, but nothing too horrid. The main problem was that there were 87 people to get through in about 15 minutes, so it had to go along pretty quickly. Still, I've gotten nothing but compliments about it (up).
The rest of the concert went exceedingly well. The second half was completely taken up by a performance of James Barnes' Fifth Symphony -- an astouding piece of work that had me up so high I risked a panic attack from acrophobia. Really, if you ever get the chance to hear it (especially if you can hear it with the requisite 16 different trumpet parts), don't pass it up. If ever a piece of band literature deserved a Pulitzer Prize, this is the piece.
After the concert, I got to go home and crawl into bed (I lay down, but it was an up for me to finally relax).
Sunday: Decompression. I had some freelance copy editing that I had neglected (down, bad 4ndyman!) that I put in some work on. In the afternoon, the ex picked me up and we went to Holliday park, where my elder son's drawing of a fox was in a student art exhibition with 59 other kids' pieces. (up up up) I am really proud of him. I hope he gets the drawing bug, like I have. Back home for more editing and more decompression (aaaaaah!).
Monday morning: Scramble to find a ride to work (downish). Thanks, Virginia. Around noon, I get the call from the dealership. Some electronic part in the ignition system had malfunctioned. They replaced my keyless entry system and the car was ready to go. And it was all under warranty (up up up up up).
And that's where I am now: After a temmpestuous weekend, I and my car are both home, and I'm still riding high on the fact that I didn't have to pay a cent to repair the car, and it got done quickly. And I'm a little tired. Guess I'll go to bed and dream about roller coasters with happy endings.
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