Professional Packer

If I could come up with any crazy job in the world and get paid for it, I would be a professional packer.  Yep.  I love to pack for a trip.  And perhaps part of this is because packing means GOING somewhere.  Right?  But seriously, when I know a trip is coming up I start the piles and most importantly the lists.  And rarely ever do we leave anything behind.  Heck, when a car road trip is involved you should see the micro-studio I pack and take.  No wasted time ever! 

And then there are the flying trips.  We don't have many of these in the Horne house, but when we do it usually involves just me flying to take art classes or teach art classes.  And this week has been all about packing for teaching at Art and Soul in Virgina Beach.

Now, unfortunately several things happened to mess up the natural order of my packing and preparing for this trip. 

1.  Phillip the framer didn't get my frames ready prior to winter break, even though I ordered them about 2 months ago.  (I know, right Valerie...?)  Instead he hand-delivered them to me Monday PM.  After UPS was closed.  Sigh.  And I still had to clean them and black gesso the boards for the class.

2.  I had NO boxes at the house large enough to fit the 20 frames and inserts at the house.  And it's Monday night.  And I am freaking out a bit.  Because I work during the day now, and can not get to UPS in time to get them shipped out without having to sell Mailey on the black market.  And we have BB team practice Tuesday night and I have to be in Atlanta Wednesday night for a fancy dinner.  GEEESHHHH....

In the photo below you can kind of see the enormity of the pile.  I even tried putting them in a suitcase...hahaha..They measured 17" stacked on top of one another.  Not gonna work.

So the kids and I threw a frame in the car on the way to BB Team practice last night and headed to the UPS store where thank goodness Brandi was working.  I explained the quandry and together we came up with a plan to get these suckers on the plane with me so my sweet students would have their frames and boards to paint.  We measured, weighed, measured and weighed again.  Careful not to go over 50pds and 62" in total l+w+h.  Oh, and to add to all the drama I should add it's monsooning again in Newnan.  Geeeesh...

So as you can see the boxes are humongous.  I am going to have to tip the sky cap guy a $20 no doubt. Here's a better look at their size below:

She'd probably go with me if she could.  Love that doggie of mine.  So back to the packing.  I got all the frames and panels snug as a bug in their boxes then went and got the scale.  I weighed myself without the boxes (depressing) then with the boxes.  42 pounds each.  Whew....and then the large orange suitcase full of paint and other teaching goodies...42 pounds!!  (which btw I packed up Saturday...)  So I am taking literally 126 pounds on the airplane.  Which I find hilarious.  Oh, and we haven't even packed our clothing yet!  But the important stuff is by the door and ready to go tomorrow.  I can not wait!!!!!