MJ told me that she needed to help a friend and had volunteered my help as well. We're kinda like that. We've worked on many projects together through the years. So, shrug shoulders, no sweat. We arrive to help her friend at 8:30 AM, which is, according to my brain only 6:30 AM since I was 2 time zones removed from my home. It seems that MJ's friend is an event planner and she has several huge events to set up for the weekend. So MJ and I jump into large-scale event decoration grunt work. This requires carrying loads of stuff from the vans and trucks into the hall. Poles, rolls of fabric, lots of decorated foam core boards, ladders, aluminum flashing, heavy metal bases for the poles, tool boxes and various boxes and bags carrying various odds and ends. We begin by setting up fabric curtains to cover some pictures and to provide a backdrop for decorations. Some of the curtains needed to be ironed - they were 60" wide and over 15 feet in length. We ironed on the floor, on our hands and knees. Once ironed, we went up and down ladders to set them up onto standards and cross poles. Later (6 panels later) MJ's friend showed us how to do them without ladders! Oh, we are so ready to be event decorators now! Then we had to trim poster-sized photographs mounted on foam core to fit various frames in the event hall, dining room, the hall ways and the entrance. These pictures were mounted into the frames using tape or T-pins. MJ and I made 9 large centerpieces by attaching sports equipment to poles. We covered the poles with skateboards, ski boots, balls, tennis rackets, skates, golf clubs, swim fins and more.
We hang things from wires, like these huge tennis balls in front of a 4' X 8' tennis court layout. All hanging from the black drapes we had set up and from wire strung near the ceiling.
No, we didn't need to carry in the sound system or the lights - that job belonged to some other lucky folks!
We met MJ's friend at another club in the morning and set up there, returning to our original venue to complete our work. This was a huge party; a bar mitzvah and anniversary celebration rolled into one. The decorating involved 4 other people in addition to myself and MJ and took about 10 hours to convert the staid country club hall into an exciting sports studio. Chandeliers were covered with flashing to give them a new look and a recording studio, complete with flashing lights and labeled director's chairs were part of the scene.
That evening, and into the early hours of the morning, MJ, her husband, her son and I undid all of the work we had done in the previous two days.
Both MJ and I had a lot of fun. But, the greatest fun was being handed a check that more than covered my flight to Michigan! This was a total suprise - I had been employed and didn't even know it!
Hey next time your in Michigan, especially so close to Detroit you gotta swing across the ol bridge for a visit to Canadaland. I am only a little country drive away from Detrot.
ReplyDeleteGreat! That will give me an excuse to go back!
ReplyDeleteActually, I've already told MJ that if her friend needs help again in a few months, I'll come up for an extended weekend...and get my trip paid for! Certainly we can find time for a bit of a road trip!