Listening to Monday Night Football while doing other computer stuff. I have more paperwork to work on. I want to put another contract online for easier signing digitally. The app has a coded time stamp each time the agreements are “signed” (by clicking the approval button). I’ve used the app before and it works very well. www.agree2.com (local developer’s site)

I’m getting closer to opening day, but so many days lately I’m feeling tired. I’m sleeping well and getting up early. There is a lot of work involved in this venture, but I’m not telling all. The show should go off as expected even though there is still a ton of stuff to do. It’s unending…

An online friend posted this image today at American Airlines terminal walkway where we find the public art of Michele Oka Doner (terrazo flooring with cast brass sea forms of plants and animals). It’s not always easy to just drive to the airport to specifically look at art so, we’ll let our friends capture an image or two to share.

He says, “The new AA terminal is great. Finally a serious airport.”

I guess I should also add that by being very connected using various social media applications, I am able to share this. Perhaps, we should reschedule our workshop on “social media for artists.”

Being in any navy should be an interesting experience if you’re out to sea constantly. I remember a friend of the family saying he served in the navy and couldn’t swim, which to my young mind didn’t make sense.

Anyway, the navy whites sure look better than those dark army uniforms. Keeping them clean is another matter. Some men have a difficult time staying clean, period.

That was my Saturday night diversion. Sunday it was back at the gallery, cleaning, moving boxes, sawing wood, dealing with all the crap behind the exhibition walls. The same goes for today.

I went out with the neighbors and their kids. I had fun. I got a few bits of candy. Then, I went to see, “This Is It,” Michael Jackson.

Michael Jackson can certainly dance, and his music is a lot more varied than I had given thought to. Actually, I have to reassess my thinking of him after seeing the movie. His new version of, “Thiller,” was phenomenal. I don’t know how he did all he did in this movie if he was, as has been implied, he was on heavy doses of drugs. Maybe I misunderstood something.

I am still able to walk in the evening, even though I’ve been really, really tired at the end of most days. Honestly, I don’t really like my little pocket camera, but it only cost a low end price of less than $200. Every time I press the shutter, the camera moves hence, camera blur. Oh well…

No details about the past few days, but they have been exhausting. I was working at the gallery this afternoon and just called it quits at 4:00 pm (I prefer to say 1600 hours the way my clocks have been set since the early 80s, not due to the military influence btw).

Ok, my mind is blanking out. I can’t think of anything else to say at the moment.

Paul’s girlfriend is treating him like a piece of crap. He’ll be staying with me in a few days. I hope he’ll be comfortable. He never visited and I gave his old (sleeping) couch away. Now that he’ll be sleeping here all I have is a love seat sized couch and his old ottoman. Oh well, we’ll see.

Time for bed.

Some say the gallery is a great thing. Others think I’m crazy. Others are in the minority but, I honestly respect what they have to say to me. When some of the more important collectors I’m on good speaking terms with note a heavy dose of caution, I listen. When a highly respected museum director also notes some caution, I take it seriously.

One thing is certain at this point, I will not be offering for sale art works in the $50K USD range. My curatorial vision is not based on a dollar amount, but that will most certainly have a bearing on my decision making.

There are things I need to avoid and one of them is to not let reality become a dream. Breaking even for the first two months is my goal although, that’s relative. I’ve spent more this month than will probably make on the November show. There is no exhibition without good walls and lights. Period.

Finally! I finished the walls today. I took some of my old (and not so good) drawings to the gallery today because that’s where they need to be. I have boxes of other flat art to transport there as well. I just had to get an idea of how the lighting looked so I stapled the drawing along the top edge of the wall (where it has previously been stapled as part of an installation with two drawings in chalk on black roofing paper).

The last of the lighting was giving me problems so, I returned to Home Depot to find a solution, which I think I did. I’ll find out tomorrow how well it works.

This adventure is not cheap although, I’m not complaining too loudly. I knew that I had a big job to do when I took this space. It looks like a viable exhibition space now. I have one more small area to patch over, but it shouldn’t be a problem.

Artists should be packing their work for transport to the gallery, and filling out the paperwork I requested. Contracts will be signed when the work is delivered. I asked them to provide a condition report because I don’t want any issues of damage claim. If I see any differences, out comes the camera and it will be added to the report. Is that overly fearful and cautious? Some say, “Yes,” but the reality is that law suits have come from far simpler things than a scratched painting surface. I could let the artists hang their own work, but I’ve worked with an assistant curator to select the art for this show.

Jeeze, I still have to make up a graphic e-blast to send out to my newsletter subscribers. *sigh*