Murphy...let me be free from your grip.

A Camilla show~

Another funny Murphy story. I got to Albuquerque last Tuesday, flying from Bradley in Connecticut, going through Chicago. While on the ground in Chicago I witnessed the luggage handler to be harder than usual on the luggage, lifting it higher, letting it fall harder. As he drove his cart away I observed some of the white destination tags left behind. Pondering this, knowing that these particular bags would probably not make it to their destination, I felt for their owners. Landing in New Mexico I went to baggage claim to wait an extraordinary amount of time to recoup my bags, they both showed up, but the backside of my favorite suitcase that I had acquired in Japan was destroyed. It appeared as if it was dragged behind the plane, perforated, friction burned, abused. The Southwest Baggage office was right there so I took it into them and they readily, warmly offered up a brand new case so I transferred my gear and left. This just adds to the list of why I love Southwest! As this is really a tale of suitcases I will skip ahead to the next experience in this new suitcases short life with me. My trip's purpose was to get to Santa Fe to teach 3 classes at Beadfest. I had completed two of the three classes using the suitcase as storage under a table, lifting the lid and sliding things into it to be properly packed at the end of my duty. I opened it to add more to the maddness to see that an aerosal can of olive oil had 'detonated'. Yellow, foamy oil filled the insides of this new member of my suitcase arsenal. The reason that the valve was vulnerable was the fact that this abusive luggage handlers affects included a broken lid on the can, I had thrown it away. Somedays it is really just a crap shoot whether or not you get out unscathed. I realize in the scheme of things this really has no bearing but what it does in my micro view is makes me consider which shoe, when, will drop. You see, this isn't just a suitcase tale. My first class was a class in FastFire BronzeClay, the 'fast' part of this is the important part, class was 8 hours from start to finish. I got to the convention center in plenty of time to set up and be prepared for the clases beginning at 8:30...only to realize that the clay that I had was the original formula...it takes a full 9 hours just to fire. This is the stuff that a teachers nightmare are made of. I immediately called Rio Grande with a plea and a question, was anyone coming up to Santa Fe from Albuquerque? Claudia, the lovely customer service woman, didn't think so but she got my # and I went onto putting my plea out to a group of possible prospects for getting the material to me in the shortest time possible. Students were starting to filter in at this point, me trying to be calm and welcoming. My decision to proceed with using the original formula seemed to make the most sense, figuring that if the FastFire showed up we could switch gears. I was so touched, people heard my plea, all of my feelers came back with solutions, from dispatching a husband to go and get it, to my friend willing to cut her vacation short to go do the round trip for my sake to the final solution which had a couple of Rio employees come and drop it off. I sit here on Sunday morning reflecting on the chaos and challenges of the weekend and am warmed by the kind willingness of people to set their agendas aside to help a friend in need. Thank you all for your spirit of generosity. It is lovely to not have to do a thing today, to bask in the non structure of the aftermath. I hope that your Sunday is just the way you like it!