She Lives
So the Creativ Festival (still think that name is icky, but does give my bad spelling an honest platform) is over for another year! Happily everyone survived, altho by Sunday night, there were a couple just holdin' on fer dear life.
Despite my fears we would be hopelessly lost in the wilds of downtown Toronto, the trip truly was an easy one. I won't mention the little trip on the escalator going no where or the panic attack I had following M to some secret side entrance in Union Station. I had enough wits about me to dutifully note the way we came ...and lay down a trail of bread crumbs...incase it turned into yet another factory tour. I won't mention any of that...nope not me! I did learn the art of pushing and shoving politely...one you must master to ride the train, and I also learned that the train is a place where no one talks to no one...everyone engrossed themselves in something...be it a book, a computer game, newspaper...whatever... it seems the goal is not to make eye contact with anyone and no matter how strangely the people in the seat across from you act... you pretend not to notice. I got that quickly!
The first day there was for set up, which at first glance, you couldn't imagine happening any time soon what with the sea of boxes and supplies dumped everywhere. Slowly and surely it all came together...despite the fact we were almost all without the now required steel toed shoes.(Do they make steel-toed stilettoes...cuz I'm not complying until that happens!) I truly think steel fingered gloves would have been more appropriate, what with all the nails I broke. I
seriously think the health and safety board needs to re-examine that issue for the love of Gawd!
We were set and ready to go for the opening the next day. It was steady, but not nuts...I got cocky....this was surely going to be a piece of cake....I was expecting the madness of the tent sale the shop has but it didn't really happen...that day anyway. Little did I know...that was Friday.
They all came outta the woodwork that day!
Everybody wanted something at the same time that day....and the line up at cash ...I swear was never ending. I gotta say tho, apart from one or two itty bitty meltdowns things moved along well. I took my first trip to the parking garage with a customer's purchase. That was interesting. She couldn't remember what elevator went to the parking garage and ask if I minded slugging this heavy awkward box up the escalator.....my lips said no I didn't mind....the little voice in my head...well I can't repeat what it was sayin. We went up three escalators, back down one...then trucked clear to the other side of the building. A security guard finally pointed out the right direction, she is muttering the total trip about not remembering coming this way, and I'm sweatin. We finally get to the garage...she doesn't recall where she parked...but luckily finds a piece of paper, where in a shinning moment of intellegence, she had written down where she parked. S 8.....we were at B 2. I prayed all the way to S 8 that she would remember what kind of car she had come in...and thank you Jesus... she did. I remained pleasant....just thought rude things. She was blonde.....I'm just sayin'.
I did meet alot of nice people throughout the weekend. There were some really cool customers, very happy and grateful for the help they recieved, some very obviously talented, some alittle less so, some who taught me something, some who made me say hmmm....and okay...to be
honest...the lady who brought her doll to the show...well she creeped me out a bit. I enjoyed talking to the professional demo team who did our irons...guess I never stopped to think there were professional demonstrators (is that what they're called?) who go around doing demos for
whatever.
And then there was Jim...or Mr. Golden Threads as I prefer to call him ... a very nice man, here from Chicago....with his wife.......who apparently gave the girls I work with some ammo to tease me about. I am not sure what went on in my absences (an Lordy..do I really want to know?) or where these girls came up with their interesting theory...but I'm just thinkin their delirium was fueled by late nights and alcohol!!
And then...we wrapped it up.
I must say it goes back in the box quicker than it comes out...again without our steel-toed stilettoes. M and I were the last to abandon ship, not without guilt at leaving the captain standing in a sea of boxes, armed with only one cold drink to finish the job. Trains wait for no man....or woman...and certainly not for the likes of Frick and Frack. Payback for cuttin' out early...a train full of crying babies.
Not that they kept M awake. And the naughty...not knotty....part of me...so wanted to just get off the train and leave her sleeping there...wondering how many return trips the train would make before she woke...I'd of sat there laughing my butt off everytime the train pulled out....but in the end, I'm too good of a friend to do that...and besides...she knows where I live.
So now I can say...I been there...done that...and frankly...am glad I did!
Despite my fears we would be hopelessly lost in the wilds of downtown Toronto, the trip truly was an easy one. I won't mention the little trip on the escalator going no where or the panic attack I had following M to some secret side entrance in Union Station. I had enough wits about me to dutifully note the way we came ...and lay down a trail of bread crumbs...incase it turned into yet another factory tour. I won't mention any of that...nope not me! I did learn the art of pushing and shoving politely...one you must master to ride the train, and I also learned that the train is a place where no one talks to no one...everyone engrossed themselves in something...be it a book, a computer game, newspaper...whatever... it seems the goal is not to make eye contact with anyone and no matter how strangely the people in the seat across from you act... you pretend not to notice. I got that quickly!
The first day there was for set up, which at first glance, you couldn't imagine happening any time soon what with the sea of boxes and supplies dumped everywhere. Slowly and surely it all came together...despite the fact we were almost all without the now required steel toed shoes.(Do they make steel-toed stilettoes...cuz I'm not complying until that happens!) I truly think steel fingered gloves would have been more appropriate, what with all the nails I broke. I
seriously think the health and safety board needs to re-examine that issue for the love of Gawd!
We were set and ready to go for the opening the next day. It was steady, but not nuts...I got cocky....this was surely going to be a piece of cake....I was expecting the madness of the tent sale the shop has but it didn't really happen...that day anyway. Little did I know...that was Friday.
They all came outta the woodwork that day!
Everybody wanted something at the same time that day....and the line up at cash ...I swear was never ending. I gotta say tho, apart from one or two itty bitty meltdowns things moved along well. I took my first trip to the parking garage with a customer's purchase. That was interesting. She couldn't remember what elevator went to the parking garage and ask if I minded slugging this heavy awkward box up the escalator.....my lips said no I didn't mind....the little voice in my head...well I can't repeat what it was sayin. We went up three escalators, back down one...then trucked clear to the other side of the building. A security guard finally pointed out the right direction, she is muttering the total trip about not remembering coming this way, and I'm sweatin. We finally get to the garage...she doesn't recall where she parked...but luckily finds a piece of paper, where in a shinning moment of intellegence, she had written down where she parked. S 8.....we were at B 2. I prayed all the way to S 8 that she would remember what kind of car she had come in...and thank you Jesus... she did. I remained pleasant....just thought rude things. She was blonde.....I'm just sayin'.
I did meet alot of nice people throughout the weekend. There were some really cool customers, very happy and grateful for the help they recieved, some very obviously talented, some alittle less so, some who taught me something, some who made me say hmmm....and okay...to be
honest...the lady who brought her doll to the show...well she creeped me out a bit. I enjoyed talking to the professional demo team who did our irons...guess I never stopped to think there were professional demonstrators (is that what they're called?) who go around doing demos for
whatever.
And then there was Jim...or Mr. Golden Threads as I prefer to call him ... a very nice man, here from Chicago....with his wife.......who apparently gave the girls I work with some ammo to tease me about. I am not sure what went on in my absences (an Lordy..do I really want to know?) or where these girls came up with their interesting theory...but I'm just thinkin their delirium was fueled by late nights and alcohol!!
And then...we wrapped it up.
I must say it goes back in the box quicker than it comes out...again without our steel-toed stilettoes. M and I were the last to abandon ship, not without guilt at leaving the captain standing in a sea of boxes, armed with only one cold drink to finish the job. Trains wait for no man....or woman...and certainly not for the likes of Frick and Frack. Payback for cuttin' out early...a train full of crying babies.
Not that they kept M awake. And the naughty...not knotty....part of me...so wanted to just get off the train and leave her sleeping there...wondering how many return trips the train would make before she woke...I'd of sat there laughing my butt off everytime the train pulled out....but in the end, I'm too good of a friend to do that...and besides...she knows where I live.
So now I can say...I been there...done that...and frankly...am glad I did!
posted by Nad at 10:07 p.m.
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