In which a Bridge is Built, and JD begins Hoovering in the Background

Predictably enough, Jerry and Katie the WLEX Designers, are politely unimpressed. The general response seems to be why would anybody spend so much time elegantly drafting crap?

Some design and shop chitchat starts to uncover a mystery wrapped within a riddle, and no doubt if we dig a little deeper we'll unearth an enigma: Seems the word is out around WLEX that We are Troublesome Artists; but there is also counterword that We're OK, Just a Little Weird. Huh: so far as we know, we've only had dealings with two people from WLEX -- Bill, and long before Bill the remote video guys recording The Nutcracker at the Opera House. I thought the tapings went pretty well -- they were pros, had to deal with a show that was staged and lit for people in the audience and not teevee cameras and did not order up tons of additional light for broadcast but fixed things electronically -- and I dropped the names I remembered. No longer with, oh well, then where are these Outed Words coming from, anyway?

Well, it would seem that Bill's nose is out of joint (oh, well), but our hidden champion is JD.

Excuse me? JD? About 40, about my height, from St. Louis?

Yeah. You know him?

Um, yeah. JD was one of three Vice President of Keeping the Students in Line during my college years, who accepted the position the year that said students decided to host their own college revolution, as seen on teevee. JD, along with Julius Hunter and Ed Rollins, were tasked to, um, manage the revolution somehow. Double-plus unfun times. JD was also the official advisor to the campus filmmaking club, where he rode herd on our assorted zany artsy-fartsy hi-jinx; and while the lot of us had vey different tastes, he never overrode anybody's proposal as long as the proposal showed a semblance of structure and budget. He saved his fire for the screenings, where he would rip the product, but only if you went off the approved plan. His critique was in essence What you put up on the screen is your business; your production values are my business. I expect to be able to see what you photographed, hear what you recorded, and follow what you edited. Beyond that, you're on your own.

A while ago. So he's here now, huh?

Katie n Jerry allow that he is indeed, as a recently hired Vice President in Charge of Just About Everything, including Bill; and that while the company jury was still out on him he seemed to know his stuff, and he thinks you probably know what you're doing so we should humor you.

Interesting. So ... you gonna humor me with this set?

Oh, sure. We see what you want. It's ... interesting. Could be fun. Don't see how we can get it done for your taping. And you know, we don't have a teevee or a chair you can use.

I just happen to have a solution for those items that won't cost you anything except some time. Interested? Do you have a truck, or can you get a truck? Why don't you drive around the neighborhood south of Loudon Avenue late Sunday afternoon. People are going to be putting their trash out for Monday morning. Just drive around, and pick up the nastiest, rattiest looking chair and console teevee you find on the curb. Pick up anything else that looks interesting, while you're at it. We only need the chair and the teevee for Thursday night. Anything else you can give me is gravy.

Katie n Jerry look at me, and I see the beginnings of smiles at the corners of their mouths. Katie speaks for Jerry: "That ... would be fun. We can do that."

Hump cleared here, boss. We establish that the sketch should be used as a concept drawing, not a final plan. They suggest some adjusts -- some are minor, some aren't; and I tell them to do whatever they think is right. I tell them again that I'd rather have a piece finished for show than rushed for rehearsal. They say they think they can get the center part completely ready for Thursday, tweaks n all; if they think of anything else, they'll call me. I say if you think of anything else, just do it and surprise us.