268-4366 CARNEGIE MELLON

So if you've looked at the margin of this page you know I work at Carnegie Mellon - The Carnegie Mellon School of Drama. Also if you've read any number of posts here then you know that I am a technical instructor. That's the preamble.

I really think the people at the number listed above ought to have to have something else appear on my call waiting when they call me. It happens roughly once every other month.

Here I am sitting at home playing a relaxing game of CivIV when the phone rings. Casually I peer over at the display to see the incoming number and I see "268-4366 CARNEGIE MELLON." If you understand that Technical Directors are basically professional pessimists then you might have an idea of what happens to me mentally and physiologically in the next half second.

Mostly I just assume that the theatre building is on fire.

Sometimes I get the feeling that something one of my students built, installed, or rigged has failed in one way or another and several people are on their way to the hospital.

Occasionally I figure some kid has run their hand through the table saw.

Whatever it is, it is usually enough to shoot my blood pressure into the stratosphere and just briefly stop my heart.

The last time this happened was two nights ago. On this particular occasion I had the added dimension that my wife had gone to CMU to see the show on stage. So along with my usual suite of nightmares I had one that something had happened to my spouse and they were calling to tell me that she was on her way to the hospital by ambulance and I need to go meet her there.

Ugh.

Without fail however, upon picking up the phone this is what I hear:

"Mr. Boevers? I'm Joe Student calling from Carnegie Mellon. We would like to talk to you about the alumni giving program."

What do you think the odds are I receive this message warmly when all I see in my head are mars lights on various emergency vehicles? I mean, I know I could do a lot to relax in my life. But really, this kind of help I don't need.