Crazy Day!

Ok, so I knew I was a flake, and took in the slides a touch pushing the deadline last Sat., with the knowledge they'd be available Tuesday noonish, but then to forget about them until too late Tuesday! Flake-O! Yes, the slides needed to be in today, but I didn't panic and knew I could pick them up this morning at 10:00 when the camera store opened, select the best 2 slides of my paintings of choice, and hand deliver them, still making the June 1st art show jurying deadline.

So, it's raining, my initial plan to walk & pick up the slides slipped away with the drizzle, so I hopped in the Subaru & arrived 5 min. later, no problem, slides were in. Paid happily & headed home, arriving 5 min. later---all's good, or so I thought.....

The slides of multiple paintings (it was a roll of 36, so probably at least 15 or more paintings represented on the roll) were all real weird looking....they were not positives, they were negatives!!! What the ????? I began to doubt my film---it was slide film wasn't it? Ok, maybe it was old film?? Debated about just calling it quits, then remembered a local photo shop used to develop slide film in a day, so called to verify-YES, so hopped back into the trusty Soobie & arrived at previous camera store to show them slide film and ask questions.

She called their developer & discovered they'd probably run the film thru the wrong machine (great, my luck...!!) She said they'd give me a free roll of slide film & offered to develop it for free. I said fine to the film, but mentioned I'd have to take to a competetor's photo shop to get it developed in one day. That was the processor they send their film to!! Oh, great... She said to let them know of my issue and that they'd not charge me & would reimburse her for the film she gave to me. I zipped home, took a roll of film of several different paintings on the front porch with the rain pouring down, finished in 45 minutes then zipped the film to be developed, explaining my issue & getting the cost credited, all before their noon deadline.

Ok, deep breath... After a quick lunch, I headed to my hair cut appointment, not realizing Jo Anna was running late (guess she'd called, but in my rush in & out of the house, never noticed...). As I sat there for 10 minutes w/out anyone talking to me I was beginning to doubt my schedule---was my haircut today??? (notice a pattern here---why am I always doubting myself?!) The hair salon is in an old house, so the waiting area is a small living room area separate from each hair cutting station---Jo Anna finally came out & apologized to me for running late & mentioned she had called. I was supposed to be at the gallery to work in an hour, and had hoped to take a quick shower after the hair cut to wash away the pokey neck hairs... She loved the photo I'd brought in for an example & quickly went to work, washing my hair, then chopping it off. Probably removed about 4-5 inches, bringing it down to 1-2 inches long! Shortest I've ever had it---will put in a photo as soon as I get one :).

Well, had just enough time to fly home, take a quick shower & fly to the gallery where I relaxed an hour or 2 before having my daughter come baby sit the gallery while I ran to pick up the slides at 4:00. It was just 2 blocks away. Returned with the slides, selected the two I needed for the show then remembered I'd not gotten that cool aluminum tape you can use to cover parts of a slide you don't want to show in a projector...Dang! Sent daughter back to photo shop to buy some, while I filled out the jurying forms, & she returned saying they have it, but don't sell it--I needed to bring in the slide & they'd let me use some of theirs!! Augh! The art center where I needed to deliver these closes at 5:00, and I needed to have my envelope there before they closed---it was pushing 4:30 so I zipped quickly back to the photo shop, borrowed their tape and light box, (cool---I've never used this tape stuff before...!), zipped back to our gallery, checked in w/daughter then drove to the art center to drop off the envelope---barely 20 minutes 'til closing. *Phew!!! I'm happy to report, as I got back into my car, another woman was walking in w/her little envelope of slides in her hand, so I wasn't the last to turn in mine!! (We've only had these notices of the jurying date for 2-3 months...) I am probably the only one with the date "May 31, 2006" on my slides though....

So whether I get in the show or not, I feel like a winner already for not giving up! Looking forward to a less hectic day tomorrow....