A Man, A Jeep, No Real Plan

Amazing Stories and Adventures

2023

2022, The Year that’s best told in Pictures

by

Some stories are best told in pictures. 2022 is one of them.

January 1st, 2022. The truck breaks down 125 miles from home on a 1000 mile drive. Sometimes the Universe speaks loudly.
In 2022, I still climbed on things that I shouldn’t have. Gravity is only a theory.
We also got a dog… the Cats did not approve this.
OK, 3 of the 4 cats don’t approve… Tubby is keeping an open mind.
Grant however found a partner in crime. If one goes to time out, the other does in solidarity.
Unfortunately only one of the criminals could be pressed into hard labor for their crimes.
Grant also got to enjoy some live entertainment this year. Jurassic World Live and Blippi The Musical!
Oh yeah, Grant also started Kindergarten. Here is the obligatory first day of school photo!
DRS started the year by running an 8 week long online course for USITT
We also were one of the Largest sponsors of their 2022 Annual Conference.
Instead of getting a booth at the conference, I opted to walk around with a bag of swag.
I also was featured on USITT’s Technically Speaking
DRS also was a minor sponsor of the New World Rigging Symposium
I also was featured by Technicians for Change during their Rig Safe Day
Things picked up in the summer and travel day Bloody Marias became a thing.
The first adventure was Eric Church for a week with Dad. His ability to sleep any where any time is impressive.
Then Dad got DRS sucked into Rolling Loud Miami. 3 days, 5 stages, 200ish acts, and 120,000 party goers. It was a thing…
After Rolling Loud I got to slow down a bit. DRS was the largest sponsor of the Midwest Rigging Intensive, and I did a 4 hour long seminar on rigging inspections, twice.
I also spent a couple of days as an instructor for the Jay O. Glerum Intro to Rigging Class.
My last big travel for the year was moonlighting for Post Malone. I was their Pre-rig Rigger from September to November. It was honestly the perfect schedule, DRS Monday through lunch on Friday and then fly out to Post Malone for the weekend.
Caitlyn continues to be hard to get photos of. She is killing it at work, and when her boss was out, she ran her branch for 6 weeks and they met all of the branch goals under her reign… something they don’t usually do.

OK folks, some of the things that aren’t pictured include:

  • DRS’s Gross raised 400% from 2021
  • DRS has added two new full time team members, Chris Berg and Bob Brown
  • Lots of weekends spent working as a local for 4 different IA Locals (no one has enough riggers)
  • Lots of training sessions for private groups
  • Lots of rigging inspections
  • Lots of Rigging Repairs
  • More than twice 2022’s gross already approved for 2023
  • Progress was made on the house, still not even close to done
  • A massive garden that got abandoned midsummer due to being too busy

I keep telling people I have all the right problems!