Every once in a while you just have a day that won't give you an inch. Today was that day for me.
We had an event for work (main stage music event on Tuesday - VERY successful, main stage theatre event started on Wednesday that I haven't seen yet but still had a very decent bit of prep work, this was the third event), and crazy complications reared their ugly head... yesterday.
Months ago, I cleared with the Office of the Dean of Student Life and building proctors, etc. about having a band in our courtyard. At least 1.5 months, maybe 2. Still, much planning went into having this event in the courtyard of our building. Yesterday we found out that the building doesn't have any AC power outlets. Yesterday.
So we move the event to another space we control, which is (thankfully) free. Free both in availability and price. Massive overhauls are required to make this work, but it works. I'll take it.
The downside is that the new space has a capacity of 72. The faculty host of the event has invited her students from multiple classes... some 600 students. Now, we know that not all are going to show, but many of them need extra credit (this event gets extra credit in her classes).
I laid the groundwork to have the event stream to the monitor outside the small theatre... and found out today after lunch that the person I contacted about that (and the only one who knows how to do this) has left the university. For Dell (a fantastic career move on his part: go Jason!) in Austin. We try to hook a projector up... less than an hour before the event starts. Can you see where I'm going with this? That solution isn't going to work. Now it's 3:30pm (event starts at 5pm).
It doesn't work. Either the camera isn't sending (the bit plug/cable was one significant variable), one of the multiple RCA video cables we have chained is inoperable, a connection is loose (it's not, I checked), or the projector isn't liking the signal, or SOMETHING, but the projector doesn't work. Now it's 5:05. The event has started.
The overflow students (and there were at least 100 of them) have to listen to the band, but can't see anything. We establish an intermission where students switch out.. Leftover students got extra credit for coming and putting in an effort, and promptly left.
The band was FANTASTIC, and those who get to see them are thrilled. The space worked (for the 72 who could fit), and all is going OK. No one is mad at me (I've tried ridiculously hard to make things work), but I'm still unsatisfied. I'm a bit of a perfectionist, and I like things to go well... this event has gone horribly (in my eyes, and pretty objectively as far as I am concerned).
Then I go to my office to pack things up. I pack up my things and get ready to go...
And my keys are locked in my office. I have no way to get into my car, I have no way to get back into the administrative suite, better yet my office. There's no way to get those back until Monday (without calling facilities services on the emergency line, waiting for hours to have them break into the office, and getting my keys out; a coworker and close friend of mine gets in at 7:30 every morning, so I'll be able to get in on Monday, I'll have keys on Monday). I call Alli to see if she can pick me up.
Allison hardly EVER has anything to drink, but tonight she drank a Smirnoff. She doesn't feel ok to drive. So I walked home... luckily I live close.
My lovely wife had dinner prepared for me, and I mixed myself a Margarita. The band from tonight and former guest of the department are playing at Revolutions tonight, and I really want to go... but after the ridiculousness that was this day, I think I'm done. I'm out.
I've been listening to the band from tonight (who was AMAZING live) on Spotify. I highly recommend them. They are both The Invincible Czars and Invincible Czars on Spotify: check their entire discography out for free!
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