Norman Checks In

Another disturbing glimpse at a day in the life of pitiful bumbler Norman Krasner. Returning home from a business trip, a visibly weary Norman must negotiate the baggage check and an airport parking lot. Mundane tasks for most, but for Norman a blank canvas soon to be smeared with failure. This time Norman does rate his own theme song, in the form of a bored singer-songwriter droning out the humdrum details of Norman's life.

Norman Krasner, to all appearances an average businessman, finds himself taxed to his breaking point by a simple trip to a public restroom. Is it merely a combination of bad luck and incompetence, or has fate itself taken a hand? Will Norman even survive?

Set in some affluent, Edwardian part of the United States, a father congratulates his son on graduating from Harvard. The father soberly points out to the son that a certain tradition must follow, a tradition dating back through the family, a tradition dating back to Sir Charles. The son must drink from a chalice.

Just before quitting time Norman's boss makes the fateful decision to delegate tomorrow's big presentation to his least accomplished and most accident-prone employee. Norman works on his speech throughout the night, despite several interruptions, but the next morning he delivers it with typical Krasnerian results.