Monday

Every day so much gets accomplished and yet it's all just a drop in the bucket because there is so much to do. I"ll recount what went on today. Woke up late at 8:10. Unheard of. Had a breakfast meeting with Modelle at 9:00 at Irma's. Wanted to show her the exhibition space and all of its quirks so she can assist with the process of getting a 90 day occupancy permit from the city. The electrical contractor is to be there this week to take care of the list of requirements given in the inspectors' report. Hope everything gets done the first time around.
Breakfast, of course, was grand. Love the migas and I covered the whole plate with Irma's salsa. Wasn't hungry until nearly 3:00 p.m.
After a tour of the Second Seating space, we drove over to Corporate Outfitters where, months ago, I saw two French looking chairs that would have been perfect for Bayou, Bay, Beach, had I purchased them when I first found them.
Eli remembered them and my wish to buy them for the show. But gone they were, sold, and I could kick myself for not ever calling him, not getting myself there in a timely way. So now I need to rethink chairs for that table that will be surrounded by thousands of oyster shells and trash.

A good thing about this particular tableau? I am now collecting plastic tubs of oysters shells from a seafood restaurant. Bought three tubs and will rotate them as they are filled with shells. They asked me today just how many tubs I'd need. I did not say that at least 50 tubs would be grand. I couldn't even lift the first tub into the back of my car. Poured the shells all out by the side of the garage to be picked over by ants, flies, rats and whatever other small animals might like to clean them for a snack. Need to pour a little bleach over them too. Smell is awful. However, I am more than delighted to have found a willing source for shells and we have time enough for them to dry out before they're needed. And collecting these shells for Second Seating is a good idea? I tend to see an image in my mind and have no idea what it takes to make it real. If I were a painter, would it be easier?
After lamenting the missing chairs (I'd even photographed them months ago), Modelle and I went on to the Harrisburg studio to gather the white tablecloths that were rolled and strung with filigreed Clorox bottles. Moving that chandelier around and letting the ends of the tablecloths drift along a dirty floor or two messed them up. As I have no clothes dryer (and that is a story for Rockbridge Times), Modelle will wash them and then I'll reassemble the entire chandelier, perhaps right there at Irma's in the space itself? When we are installing the show. Not a bad idea.
Modelle and I were so hot, with sweat running down our cheeks, that we dashed across the street to the East End mangement district offices for cold water. Found Sherri Oldham reviewing all of the photos we'd taken over the years of district activities and projects. Martin has very neatly cataloged them all on our server. Just this weekend, I'd decided to ask if I could peruse these district photos, many of which I've taken. Decided that the collages for Second Seating needed more than food images. They need East End images and there is no sense in retaking what I've already photographed. So will get there perhaps on Tuesday afternoon and wander through those digital files.

At the right, for instance, is a photo of some of the folks who attended the celebration for the completion of Jesse Sifuentes' mural on the side of Rex Supply on Harrisburg. There were almost 100 people at that reception.
Came home and spent time with emails, called folks and made an appointment to talk more about the parrot chandelier. Then headed over to Jesse's to see the progress on the coffee mug buffet. And progress, there's been. He's leaving on a vacation shortly so it won't be complete until the end of July, but I can see how it's going to be when finished. It's a mural that continues on down the sides of the table and somehow it reminds me of folk art. It will be quite wonderful.
The top of the buffet opens up so one can store coffee urns and cups inside the piece. Each side of the buffet is covered with coffee mugs and Jesse is putting each cup in with great thought. Colors blend with the bits of mural that run from the buffet top down each leg. He's got stencils of an old Model T Ford along one edge as a reminder that that great coffee plant on Harrisburg was once a Ford Assembly plant back in the day.
Back at home, Catarina worked on the fabric covered chandelier attaching drop crystals first with pins and then with thread. Haven't gotten a good photo of that piece yet, but here is a detail.

So, is it a waste of time to catalog the day when I could have been out mixing and matching for another collage? This does give me time to think, though I am truly thinking about Second Seating about 90 % of my waking moments.
Also working on text for the show. Found snippets that I wrote last February for the Clorox table. How nice to find these words and they still work and will be just fine.
Melissa is emailing me oyster facts and figures so we are on our way to text for Bayou, Bay, Beach too. Adding to the an ever longer list of all the people who are contributing their time and talents to Second Seating. I am continually amazed that so many are willing to play a part in this expanding effort. Perhaps I should post some names?
This is twelve hours of Monday.