Long awaited weekend

I couldn't be happier that the weekend is finally here (well, almost). I have to work tonight, but then tomorrow, I am off to Butler, MO to play some base ball. Butler is celebrating the 150th birthday of the town's founding. So we are heading up there to show them how the boys from Wichita play old school vintage base ball.

That is going to be fun, but not as fun as Sunday. Sunday, I am going to do NOTHING! This is my first day off since we came back from Michigan...which was in August. I can't wait. A lazy day is just what I need.

Work has really slowed down as of late. The fall does that to these kinds of museums. However, it has led to some fun. I realized that I really didn't have any photos of work or me at work. So I brought Andrea's digital camera to work on Wednsday and took some shots.

A self portrait, with the help of a mirror.














Closing time at the saloon.












The back bar in the saloon. Oh yeah, that bar is original to 1871!

I was thinking.....Yeah, I know....Oh shit

As I was watching bits and pieces of the football game tonight (the New Orleans Saints vs. the Atlanta Falcons), everyone and their pets were making a big deal about this game being in New Orleans and it being the first game in the Superdome since Hurricane Katrina struck the New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico area. I couldn't help but think to myself, yeah, people can't stop the weather from devastating buildings and breaking dams and levees and whatnot. But the one thing that was really pissing me off basically, was that they kept talking about how so many people died and lost loved ones, etc. etc.

These people can't blame the government for this loss of life, even though they want to. These people were told that this hurricane was going to basically destroy parts of Louisiana, especially New Orleans. They want to say how the government was slow to help them get to safety and how they didn't care for the people of N.O., you saw it all on the television. But I seem to remember there being tons of reports of how people were told that they should leave...It was in their best interests. But they were stubborn and they were going to do the whole 'wait it out' thing.

Okay people, you live in a city that is below sea level. What the hell did they think was going to happen when the rains and winds came crashing down on them? Did they think it would just skip right over them and go inland. Sorry people of New Orleans who wanted to be tough and wait out the storm, you get no sympathy from me. I am just a heartless man who cares not for stupidity of the masses.

Cancel my suscription to the ressurection

So yesterday at work, I had an interesting (to say the least) conversation with a nice gentleman from Texas. First off, I was sitting in the trader's cabin and he came over so I just started to talk with him (per the norm.) and he said 'My wife was concerned that you guys would have outhouses out here trying to be really really historical and she was excited to see that you had normal toilets'. That was hilarious, I never had anyone think that before, I got a kick out of it. So, I continue to talk to this couple after the woman shows up, relieved, and go on to take them to the Munger House.

So they are walking through the house and the man sees the bible sitting on the table. You know, families had 'bible time' at night right before they went to bed...okay, maybe not, or maybe...we just don't know. Anyway, this guy reads this passage out loud about salvation and ressurection and blah blah blah. And then he looks at me and says 'Do you believe that?'. I looked at him and just said, 'No, not really'. I'm not that much of a religious person anymore, I don't go to chuch (mainly because I work on Sundays) and just, don't find it necassary anymore. There are enough zealous religious people in Wichita alone to cover my laziness to get up and go to church. So after they are done we walk out and the wife walks on but the guy starts talking to me.

'So what is your name?'
'Mike'
'Mike, Michael. I have a friend named Michael.'
At this point I was waiting for him to ask me if I was named after Michael the Archangel, but it didn't happen.
'Oh, that's nice.'
'Mike, at this point, me being older and having seen some of the world, I feel like I should tell you that you should really invest some time into that book that is on that table in that house.'
I just zoned out right around this point, I'm not gonna lie to you.

Our conversation ended on an akward feeling and I just walked away for fear of his health because I felt I would have snapped if he tried to tell me I should go to church to be saved and this that and the other thing.

It really ruined the rest of my day, I'll be honest. It was about forty five minutes until we closed, but it just pissed me off. Who does this guy think he is trying to get me to think like him?

It has been decided.

So, first the good news...Cowtown will remain open next year. The board grew some balls and stood up to both the city and county (both of whom wanted to close it for a year). Now, the somewhat bad news: it won't be open the same hours or the same time frame next year. It'll only be open four days a week; Friday through Monday. Also, the museum will be open only June through October (as opposed to April through October). The board, after deciding this, chose to reveal that the main idea of their proposal for next year will be a focus on historical restoration to the buildings, the collection, and the board walk.

So, with that said...the interpretive staff, the way it looks now, won't get close to forty hours in a week. Unless, they are used to help with some sort of restoration things next year. I probably won't go back to work there, which really disappoints me in the fact that this is what I went to school for, and because the museum can't get the money from either the city or county (both have their hands in on this museum), I have been forced to look elsewhere for work. The good part is, tomorrow, I am going to look into a 'team lead' postion at Target. Basically, a departmental manager. More money, forty hours guarenteed, possible medical benefits (not really sure)...can't really argue with that. And with all three of my bosses telling me I should put my name in the hat, really makes me confident that they see me as a reliable worked. Yeah me.

Work has really slowed down at OCM. Family trips are done for the year, vacationers have returned home for their own jobs, and summer childrens groups are done. However, this has brought forth the real hardcore museum people. The people that go to museums to GO to them. Not to see gunfights, horses being ridden around, and skits being played out. These people make my job wonderful. They make me smile when they walk away and they make the time that I talk with them go by so fast, it is enjoyable.

The fate of the museum is still in limbo...

So, if anyone just read the newspaper or watched the news, they would think that Old Cowtown Museum is in complete shambles and is ready to be shut down. And the board thought the exact same thing mainly because with the exception of two (of 24...honestly, what the fuck does OCM need twenty four people on the board for?) board members, none of them have really made an appearance out on the grounds. So they get some suggestions from John D'Angelo amongst them all was shutting OCM down for 12-18 months. What D'Angelo didn't really think about is that OCM is closed for five months, and work can be done on the buildings for those five months, and also while we are open (it is really starting to slow down out there...prime oppertunity to work on stuff.)

With that said: if anyone reading this is in the Wichita area on Saturday the 9th, at 7:30 in the morning a group of people are getting together to work on some buildings. So come on out if you want to help out the museum. Volunteering is good for the soul. And if you are kicking around the idea, I got two words for ya: come on

The media (I'm not naming names *coughWichitaEaglecough* has almost nailed down the coffin lid on the museum but some public outcry has pryed some of the nails out.