Big thanks to Tony!I ended up taking an expected day off work yesterday to try one more time to put the tarp up. My neighboor Tony and I came up with a sheme of holding the tarp to the walls by wrapping it around a 2x6 and sandwiching edge against the building. This way tension will be distributed over the whole length of the tarp rather than just at the eyelets, which are mostly ripped out anyway.
Since it was raining and windy, the work was cold and brutal. Big thanks to Tony for sticking out the harsh conditions to help me out. I'm not forgetting the many people who've helped me out with this thing.