Check list.

Morning!

Early morning, between 1 and 7 a.m.:

Double ear infection for the polliwog.

Flu-like virus and nightmares about losing Nemo for the bug.

Hugs and coffee from my amazing spouse.

Keys? Wallet? Phone? Nursing equipment? Bus pass? 

Drop off polliwog. Give instructions to give only one bottle if possible. Use jar food.

Wait for bus. Board bus. Bored on bus? Not a chance.

Morning, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.:

Contracts to financial.

Bios and cast list to marketing.

24-hour essay to marketing to replace not-being-written director's notes. (Note on this note: I never researched and wrote so much so fast, even as an undergrad!)

Packages to the office.

Emails to the production team.

Emails to the other production team at the evening job.

Stop by the dean's office. Smile. At least I'm working.

Keys? Wallet? Phone? Nursing equipment? Half-full bottle for the polliwog for tomorrow?

Wait for bus. Board bus. Breathe on bus. Dismount.

Get the polliwog. Plus two (!) empty bottles plus blown-out poopy clothes.

On-route meditation:

Copies of tonight's plans? Printed for cast and crew?

Crap.

Boy sleeps. Girl naps. Mother types like crazy, fixes food, cleans up bottles, tucks in sleepers...

Lovely begging email to husband, with attachments...

Keys? Wallet? Phone? Nursing equipment, newly cleaned and assembled? Extra bottle? (of gin? if only...) Dinner just in case?

On-route meditation:

NPR. Fund drive. (Curses! Fund drive during tech week!)

Nope, hip-hop for energy. Nope, adult contemporary for relaxation. Nope, jazz for positive attitude.

Silence.

NPR. Wait for fund drive to end. Pull into parking lot just as they return to headlines.

Evening, 6 to ?? p.m.

Props off stage, in place, for top of the show.

Liquids in bottles.

Monitors on.

Crew in places.

Actors in places.

Boards on and running, equipment tested (patience tested?).

GO, go, go.

Hold!  Fix.

Designers taking 1,001 notes.

Go from...

Lights. and End.

Notes. notes, notes, notes.

Evening meditation:

Please, God, no deer on the road.

How fast was that guy going?

Have the cops reached their speeding quota on the highway for the month yet?

Wash face.

Brush teeth.

Stumble into kids' rooms to hug and nurse good night.

Snuggle exhausted almost-asleep spouse.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

Three days to opening.