Drumming Up

Vivian's a drummer and she can do just about anything with drums. When she needs to be brilliant, she gets on the drums and drums up brilliance. She drums up the skills and knowledge she needs. She drums up calm, or anger, or amorousness, or willpower, or focus, or wild abandon. When her porch door was broken she drummed up building skills, and when her obnoxious aunts were in town staying with her she drummed up her late grandmother for advice and perspective. She works remotely as an Ajax engineer and she's self-taught; she learned most of it on her own, but when she needs it she can drum up more coding. She drums up friends and connections and good restaurant tips. When I was looking for a good vegetarian burrito she drummed up local reviews. She drums up medical knowledge and enthusiasm and interior decorating skills. She doesn't need to order pizza anymore - the pizza store downstairs recognizes the beat of her hunger and just brings it up.

The drums are in the center of her loft, in front of a well-worn comfortable chair. Her drums are her center console, replacing phone and computer and bookshelf. The rest of the room is bare except for a cushion in the corner.

Vivian's a drummer and she can do anything with drums. The only problem is she's also my next door neighbor. Give it a rest sometime Vivian! Sometimes I need to sleep.