Not in Kansas Anymore

You may have seen recent my FaceBook or Twitter posts, or maybe even heard the screams of frustration winding through the corn fields...

My time with the Wichita Grand Opera was not what I would call enjoyable.  While I left the company with accolades from my employers and colleagues, the daily grind of existing within that company was exhausting.  I won't go into details as I'm just too tired.  Suffice to say, there was no art, no passion, no compassion, no support, no fun and no collaboration.  

Stand by disfunction, and disfunction.....go!

So, I've been gone for 8 weeks. 

The drive home was long - drove through major, and mean MAJOR wind storms, which really take it out of you when you have to fight to keep your truck on the road for hours on end.   I went through 1/2 a tank of gas and only managed 100 miles... 

and when the signs say, "Last Services for 100 Miles" they aren't kidding.

I really put my "E" 

to the test.  And it's true, if you lean to the left and look at your fuel gage, you add another 10 miles to the tank. Even so, I think I really pushed my luck this time around.  I leaned really far to the left.

Devil Duck leading the way, I made my way across Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Arizona and Nevada. When the wind wasn't blowing, the sky was surreal.

I always enjoy these states.  Well, not Kansas.

On with the return home:  I get home, got the perfect parking space out front (SWEET!) and started the unhappy task of unloading my truck.  I get the first load upstairs, open my door and tumble in.  At first glance the place looks good.  I poke into the kitchen and notice that pictures and posters are not hung on the walls.  I do know that the landlord had my place painted a couple of weeks ago.  I was a little shocked that my roommate didn't rehang the things that the painters took down...the painters didn't put anything back up because the paint wasn't dry.

So, I hang up my "Amoroso" painting in the kitchen and notice water on the floor.  I track the water to the side of the fridge where it has pooled.   It also happens to be the place where 2 of my paintings and posters have been stuffed.  So, now my posters are marinating in 1/4 of water, ruined. Turns out my roommate bought me some whole wheat muffins and simply tossed them in the freezer and didn't bother to check to see if the freezer door actually closed.  That was two days ago. So, my freezer has been open for 2 days.

After I called my roommate in tears about my posters I noticed that my ceramic bird that I purchased in Mexico while on a trip with my brother is missing it's tail.

Unable to cope with more disappointment, I go back to unloading my truck.  After 8 trips down and up the stairs, I'm finished with the haul.   I went back to the kitchen to look for the missing tail.  Lo and behold, it's under the stove.  Of course.  Wouldn't you be?

The painters not only broke my bird, lost the tail and used my coffee maker, they left me with a solid layer of paint dust on the kitchen floor.  This is what lead me to find the tail.  I was sweeping.  It took me 2 days of mopping, sweeping and wiping to finally get the floor clean.  Awesome!

The finale:  I get in the shower to get the drive and unpacking off me. Literally as I wet my hair, the power goes out.  It didn't just go out, it WENT OUT.  I could hear the boom of the transformer on the power pole outside blowing.  

What does one do when dropped into absolute darkness while in the shower?  "Hello?"  "Helloooo...?"   

Since there was no answering theme to Psycho, I finished my shower, donned some comfy pajamas, lit candles around the apartment, poured a hearty glass of wine, glued the tail back on my bird, and finally curled up on the floor with my multitude of pillows and dug into the latest Janet Evanovich novel. Day is done. 

Scarecrow, I'll miss you most of all.