Anyhow, this is the opportunity for the other six designers to know their role. Andrea tells Goil that she'd like to see his etchings -- he'll be the design foreman. Ryan is responsible for the floor graphics; "If we run out of time or if he's not in the right frame of mind, it would kind of sink the project," Andrea says. "It would be a big disaster." That's probably not a good risk to be taking, considering that Ryan's as likely to start painting "anarchy!" and "down with the Man!" all over the garage floor as he is to do what you tell him. Michael and Erik are in charge of the fabrics and the stage -- Michael seems to be leaning toward purple, prompting my wife to ask of no one in particular, "Again, with him and the purple?" Andrea seems to be tentatively all right about the purple, so long as it's not too mauve-y. That leaves Matt and Carisa; the former will handle organization while the latter will design the home office area. "I do not envy Matt and his day tomorrow," says Andrea, thinking back to the Bell's Mt. Crapmore and how all that stuff so haphazardly strewn about the garage is so vital that the thought of somehow winnowing it down is actually hateful. The tasks are assigned, the marching orders, are given -- I smells me a shopping and assembly montage.

Which is exactly what we get. Matt and Carisa hit The Container Store, or, as it's known around our home, The Place That Gets Its Fair Share of Our Discretionary Spending. The Container Store is doing a brisk trade with Matt and Carisa as well -- they're loading up on plastic bins and bike racks and other accoutrements of containment. At the Pacific Design Center, we've had this week's Pindler & Pindler sighting -- Michael is here to get dark purple and a charcoal grey ("colors that Andrea gave me," Michael points out, for those of you playing the hot new Top Design game I just invented called "Who Will Get Retroactively Blamed For This Week's Failures?" Michael would like you to know he would have gone for more primary, light, saturated colors "to brighten up the space.") Back in the workspace, Ryan is helping the carpenters saw and paint. And say what you will about the "You Squares Just Don't Get It, Do You" attitude, the guy's not afraid of putting in the work. Of course, the same could be said for John, and the fact that most of you are probably struggling to recall who I'm referring to tells you all you need to know about how far a healthy work ethic will get you.