Hello all!
I have been shamefully negligent of A Man, A Jeep, No Real Plan. I mean yes I have been busy, but also I have been drained at the end of every day.
You see, when I started DRS I received the most honest congratulations possible from another rigging company in the area. It simply read, “Congrats, this business really sucks!” And friends I have news for you… it does suck you dry.
Don’t get me wrong, DRS is amazing and I truly believe in the vision I have for it. We are currently collaborating on a Rigging Seminar through the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) that is currently scheduled for January 2021. Dad and I did an interview for a popular industry podcast that will be released tomorrow (TECHnically Speaking). We are working on developing a free online training resource called One Shot Training that will be rolling out in January 2021. We are developing a more in-depth paid online training that doesn’t have a roll out date yet (but sometime in early 2021). AND on top of that I am reaching out to every public school system in the area trying to educate them on the importance of training and getting their systems inspected. Most systems are just as unreceptive as you would imagine. Some have been open to the conversation, but no one has gone, “Oh my god, yes we need this in order to lower our legal liability!”… I am starting to think maybe I should start pitching to the school’s attorneys and let them explain the reasons that you really do want to follow ANSI codes… actually that might not be a bad idea…
I’ve digressed… at any rate, we have done some onsite trainings, and spent one very long shift doing rope access to change light bulbs for a school in the area. But so far it’s been a lot of work towards the future and not a lot of pay out. So I’ve also been taking every stagehand call I get offered to keep the lights on so to speak. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not dire over here by any means. Compared to most entertainment workers I am still very comfortable, but also like all of them, there is a lot of uncertainty in the future. Hence my working every possible angle at once
I also am trying to make sure both Grant and Caitlyn feel like they are priorities. Which means trying to make sure I spend at least a few hours a day doing nothing but hanging out with the Tiny Terrorist and Pretty Lady. That is definitely the best part about not being on tour anymore, family time.
So in conclusion, Pretty Lady is probably going to keep posting more than me for the foreseeable future. Not because I’m not having adventures, but because I’m burning the candle at both ends. That being said, rest assured, I and DRS is alive, kicking, and we are already making a mark on our industry.
Until next time, enjoy all the adventures in your life, and expect Pretty Lady to keep you up to date on ours!
