Weekend Catch Up

Let me say that I don't think there will ever be a dull moment during my tenure at the DHM. Honestly.

Before I begin my saga, let's just say that I'm a native Detroiter. I'm not stupid about my city. I know where to go, where to stay away from, and to always use an extra layer of caution. I was also three weeks away from graduating when Columbine happened. It is in my mindset to be cautious and to question suspicious activity. September 11 brought this out in all of us to an extent. Those of us who still remember still act this way. I can't help it and I don't think anyone else from my generation can either, it is how we grew up and it is just how we think. And I don't think I'm going to far out on a limb when I use the collective "we" either. So with this in mind, let me begin....

Because it was the Festival of the Arts in the Cultural Center this weekend and the main was well staffed, I was stationed to the Dossin. This museum is on Belle Isle. I got there about 10:15 Sat morning, after having gone to the main to pick up the necessary items needed for the weekend. Fine. I got there and there was a man in a red Ford pickup truck in the circle drive. I thought it was odd. I waited for a minute, kept my car running, and had my cell phone in my hand in case I needed immediate help. Then, he backs up his truck and blocks me. Thoughts running through my head were: take the money and the laptop, I don't want to die, I'm going to die, and I am so quitting this job. He slowly came up to my window, which I just barely cracked. He asked if the building was opening and that he was Mr. Dossin and needed to work on Miss Pepsi. History lesson: The Dossin family owned the Pepsi packaging company in the Detroit region. Miss Pepsi is the famed Hydroplane that won countless races on the Det River. Dossin also funded the Great Lakes Museum that has his name. I said the museum opens at 11 and Miss Pepsi would be open around that time. I wasn't going to go running to open the Pepsi case. Any fool can tell me they are Dossin and are there to work on the boat. After he left, I turned my car around. Quickly hurried inside the building with all of my crap. Turned on the lights and exhibits with shaking hands and a pounding heart. I was most uneasy about opening the curtains in one of the halls. They are glass windows right on the River and I was expecting CTU units to be there ready to blow through the glass. (I know, too much Bauer for Amy.) At the very least, I thought he would be there with a gun pointing toward me or something. Seriously, it is not often I get thrown of my tracks like that, but after I called my boss to clarify that the Dossin family comes to maintence the boat and grounds (he cut the grass too - makes it look less like a haunted house and more like a running business), I felt slightly more calm. When he backed his truck up and blocked me in, it scared the shit out of me. I won't deny it. Talk about an asshole. Even when he came back inside the building I felt like kicking his ass. I figured it might not be such a good idea. His namesake and all...

I spent the day counting inventory for the gift shop. I got through one cabinet because I was counting and entering data onto my computer. And then I kept finding things that go together in separate places. This is a problem I fight with at the store also. I just don't understand what is so difficult about keeping everything together. It is beyond my ability to comprehend that. If there is already a spot with outdated calendars, then for pete's sake, keep them all together. It's not rocket science, it's simple organization. Is it really that difficult?

At 3:30 more excitement at the museum. The power went out. Luckily, no visitors were in the building, so I didn't have that to deal with. I called the Main and let them know what was going on. I turned the breakers off and locked up as I normally would. Knowing that there is no lighting available makes it a much scarier place in the dark than it normally is when I can just flip a switch and ta-da, let there be light. By that time my boss' boss was calling to check on things. She happened to be on the island and said the whole island was without power. We had an issue with the alarm, but through her being on the phone with Guardian, we got the building set and everything was okay to go. I got out only about a half hour early and had a nice evening afterward.

Saying goodbye not only sucks, it's not fair. And I don't know when it's not going to stop not being fair. Eventually, maybe.

I was rushing and speeding through St. Clair Shores and the Grosse Pointes on a Sunday morning because I thought I was running late (speeding through the City does not bother me...knock on wood). Well, all the rush for nothing. Still no power at the Dossin. And my VSA didn't show up until 10:35-40. I know it's only five minutes, but when I'm going nuts trying to figure out my next move, it's really annoying to keep running to the front door to check to see if she's there. If there is one thing I cannot tolerate on the job, it is tardiness. Especially now that I am in charge of people. They will know this pisses me off. And they will learn to be on time on the weekends. So anyway, the Dossin was closed today as well. In an attempt to learn if the entire island was still in the dark, I wanted to call the police. Apparently the Det Police on Belle Isle keep an unlisted number. As do the rest of the businesses there. And had I known that DTE had no report of the power being out on Belle Isle, I would have gladly called the company myself, instead of the Museum Director doing this. I just didn't occur to me because since the whole island was out, I thought that maybe something on their grids would have indicated a major problem in the area (again with the too much Bauer) and they would work on it without having been notified by the businesses on the isle. Why didn't the police call? I don't know. It was a mess, and it showed them how ill prepared I am and the building is to handle an emergency. If this had been a normal weekend, a lot of people would have been pissed off to be bothered on their days off.

And instead of being sent home after I brought things back to the Main, I had to work the table under a tent and try to pitch discounted memberships and raffle tickets. I got a few, but I was not ready to work. I would have worn pants and brought a sweater had I know I was going to be working the Festival. Oh well, I lived to tell about it. Just another day in historyland.

If they give me a chance to speak during the meeting tomorrow, I'll have a lot to talk about.

If I don't have a heartattack by the time I turn 25 either, I think a portion of Hell will freeze over. I'll update on my health in two months. Ha, would you look at that, today is the 11th. Hm.