This got me to thinking about our other trips to the United States this year, and I can't believe how much stuff I've misplaced while south of the border. When we popped down for a tour in May, I left my credit card at the first hotel we stayed in. It was a three hour phone ordeal trying to get someone - ANYONE - to mail it back to me - and of course since we were winging where we were staying from night to night, I didn't actually have an address where they could send it. Eventually a kind woman from the hotel wrapped it up in a box, then in another box and then in brown paper and mailed it to the hotel we feverishly booked on a whim. No real harm done, except of course, feeling dumb.
The next trip was in July. We were in Maine for less than two days - two sleepless, run-ourselves-ragged kind of days - when I left behind my carry-on suitcase. I should mention, that I had never before lost anything on tour, or if I did it was meaningless or unimportant because I can't remember it. But in that carry-on bag, I had my journal, my Bob Dylan book, some CDs, some t-shirts, my sandals. Raetha, from the Ossipee Valley Festival, was so kind as to bundle my bag into many garbage bags wrapped in duct tape, and mail it home to me in Toronto. I am so grateful for both of these helpful women.
So, fast forward to last weekend, in Seattle for the first time for a mere three days. I was in charge of the rental van keys - a task I quite enjoy. But after our show Sunday afternoon, after being shuttled to and from the venue in someone else's van I couldn't find our keys anywhere. I could remember thinking on the way to the show, whatever you do, Kerri, put those keys in your bag before you set them down and lose them. And then I guess I set them down and lost them. The recovery process involved bothering the head tech at the theatre named, Ryan, who had left work early to be with his wife who is eight months pregnant. He lives about an hour away from the theatre and was thrilled to get my call begging him to come back and search the van for my rental car keys and then deliver them to me since I was, you know, locked out of the van and couldn't go pick them up myself. He was pleading with me to wait until the morning, but I just couldn't wait, our flight was early the next morning and I just wouldn't have been able to sleep not knowing where they were. (Add to this the fact that I called Enterprise and asked them what would happen if I lost the key, to which they replied, I would pay a $208 fee to replace the key, then they would tow the car to the nearest dealer (another fee I'd have to pay) and I'd still have to find my own way to the airport.) Imagine my delight when Ryan called back to say he had found them. The least we could do was buy the guy a drink and shove a wad of money in his pocket when he wasn't looking. He was so kind. Without the kindness of these strangers, and new friends, I would be so much worse off - I am so thankful.
As for Sue, she had barely taken a bite of her Thai lunch when the entire container flipped upside down and landed in one clump on the sidewalk. She took it like a champ and even let me snap a photo to commemorate the moment.
Caroline sat by while this all happened snacking on a cube of rice - she didn't order it this way, it just kind of came like that. She let me know yesterday that she thinks she left her makeup bag behind, which is a real tragedy as she "really needs it." (Her words not mine.)
In other news, we flew from Seattle to Dallas, Texas to Toronto last Monday - stopping over for just one hour in Dallas - that was our first trip there.
Until next time,
Kerri O
for the Lovelies
