Friday, May 16, 2008
Art Car Tour 2008 - Leaving is hard
LEAVING FOR THE TOUR
Some people like to say that they work better under pressure. I think that is an excuse used by those of us who work only under pressure. It is a habit that needs breaking. I have cancelled a lot of plans in the past because I used them as deadlines and I had to put off the start of this trip as well. I had planned to be at the Baton Rouge Art Car Parade on Derby weekend but I left a little too much work until the end. Part of my new plan for 'taking care of business' was to call them as soon as I knew that there was a problem and 'fess up. Amazingly, if you call people in advance and tell them you screwed up they often thank you for keeping them informed.
I put in some crazy time in the shop and got my work finished and delivered Tuesday (the 6th) and I spent the evening finishing my rack and mounting the figure-head. Wednesday morning I gathered up all my clothes and toiletries at the house and headed into the shop. There I packed a couple of toolboxes and gathered up my mast, sails, lights, and other accoutrements. I actually managed to pack everything into plastic tubs that made an even ten inch layer over the bed of the truck. This made it possible for me to put my air mattress back there without the need to unpack anything. (Urban camping in future installments)
On my way to the shop I saw a rental truck that had hit a railroad overpass and sheared the entire top of the box. There was a huge accordioned piece of metal in the middle of the street. It was pretty cool.
I left for Houston at 5:11 pm Wednesday night. It was a pretty sure thing that I was not going to arrive in time for the Welcome party at eight that night. I did make it as far as Alabama, where I slept very securely at the Welcome Center.
That is my little truck beneath a big rocket. The air mattress worked great.
Some people like to say that they work better under pressure. I think that is an excuse used by those of us who work only under pressure. It is a habit that needs breaking. I have cancelled a lot of plans in the past because I used them as deadlines and I had to put off the start of this trip as well. I had planned to be at the Baton Rouge Art Car Parade on Derby weekend but I left a little too much work until the end. Part of my new plan for 'taking care of business' was to call them as soon as I knew that there was a problem and 'fess up. Amazingly, if you call people in advance and tell them you screwed up they often thank you for keeping them informed.
I put in some crazy time in the shop and got my work finished and delivered Tuesday (the 6th) and I spent the evening finishing my rack and mounting the figure-head. Wednesday morning I gathered up all my clothes and toiletries at the house and headed into the shop. There I packed a couple of toolboxes and gathered up my mast, sails, lights, and other accoutrements. I actually managed to pack everything into plastic tubs that made an even ten inch layer over the bed of the truck. This made it possible for me to put my air mattress back there without the need to unpack anything. (Urban camping in future installments)
On my way to the shop I saw a rental truck that had hit a railroad overpass and sheared the entire top of the box. There was a huge accordioned piece of metal in the middle of the street. It was pretty cool.
I left for Houston at 5:11 pm Wednesday night. It was a pretty sure thing that I was not going to arrive in time for the Welcome party at eight that night. I did make it as far as Alabama, where I slept very securely at the Welcome Center.
That is my little truck beneath a big rocket. The air mattress worked great.
