Friday 19 July 2013

a sad farewell to a pair of good friends and an apology

there have been only three times in the last decade that i have cancelled a professional engagement. it isn't something i do lightly or without a great deal of consideration.

the first time occurred when two emails arrived; the first from the workshop host telling me that although the class was booked out he would only be paying me half my fee due to "unforseen financial difficulties" [meaning that not even my airfare would be covered] and the second was from a student-to-be in that same class telling me how excited she was to be sharing a room with me for the duration of the event. gulp.

the second was for private reasons, too complicated to be listed here.

the third; my taking advantage of the clause in the contract that allows either party to cancel the agreement at any time up to 30 days prior to the event, took place over a month ago after i had wrestled with flight bookings for the MISA class just passed and realised that there was a very real chance of finding myself stranded somewhere in the dark instead of arriving in good spirits and fine form ready to teach at Lopez Island in September.

now that i have actually been to Madeline Island i am glad i listened to my inner Border Collie. 
the island is very pretty and reminds me strongly of Latvia. lilacs and peonies abound, the road verges are bursting with wildflowers and strawberries, fireflies and owls bring entertainment to the dark, the dyepots produced amazing greens and my students were a joy to spend time with : but the process of getting there tried me somewhat. delayed inward flights, no less than three gate changes at Minneapolis airport [B to C to D - i think i've had the full tour now] before arriving at Duluth and a long journey in the back seat of a shuttle [during which my knees informed me that i'm not the spring chicken i once was] have vindicated the decision. [ my preferred mode of surface travel is in a car with me at the wheel and with a stop for wandering and wondering and leg-stretching about every 45 minutes ]
 
i'm truly sorry for the inconvenience and disappointment the cancellation has caused those students who signed up for the Fall class but when push comes to shove, the Lopez Islanders did book me first and do have a right to expect me to arrive on time and unflustered. just to get back to Minneapolis took more than half a day...and i had only allowed a day to travel between Madeline and Lopez. with not one but two ferries and three or four plane trips involved i could see disaster looming large on the horizon. all it takes is one good storm or one missed connection and it all goes down the gurgler. my fault entirely for wanting to accommodate as many folk as possible and for over-estimating my capabilities.
 
 the folks at MISA asked me to write to students and explain myself
- i figured it was best done here where it wouldn't get lost in translation.  

+ + +

and what is that picture of the boots about?
 
they became infested with a breeding colony of chiggers during my stay on the island and i was forced to abandon them in San Francisco. squirting the insides with insect repellent didn't quell the libidinous enthusiasm of the tiny terrors and so i had to leave my trusty friends behind.

sadly my command of Spanish was not adequate to explain to the kindly housekeeping person at the Kabuki that these boots harboured unpleasant surprises. i do hope she didn't try them on. if they sit in a Goodwill sorting shed for long enough, maybe those chiggers will have shuffled off this mortal coil -  i really couldn't risk bringing them home and introducing a new pest to Australia -
i'll spare you the image of what they've done to my leg but i can assure you i won't be exposing the bare flesh of my calves anytime soon.

...we don't want to frighten the children...

15 comments:

  1. chiggers (shudders) got my girlie once when we visited a pool.... they were living in the astroturf (another reason to toss out austroturf)

    ps - I'm pleased to see that you've listened your your inner border collie -- one must always listen to their inner (or outer) border collie....

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  2. india, sometime traveling becomes nightmare. 14 hours + to get to my colorado residency, where i did have to cancel a second engagement. is something in the ethers? or is it just too complicated? and a huge chuckle for libidinous chiggers.

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    1. I'm thinking its the whirled reminding us to slow down

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  3. I made a trip to Dallas over the 4th of July, and had forgotten about chiggers... I brought bites, but not live ones (not that they would thrive in the desert in New Mexico). I can also relate to the travel nightmare... I remember when flying was FUN! Not so now, sigh...

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  4. Stay healthy and in good spirits. Your decision was thoughtful and explains the whole enchilada. I am particularly picky about pests, the loss of your boots because of them is sad.

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  5. Almost changed my registration from July to the fall-so glad I didn't have to.

    Traveling in the USA has become a nightmare for everyone-a consequence of greedy deregulators and ignorant deficit hawks.

    Again, Thrilled I was there for the July class, have an order in for "Second Skin", gathering local flora....

    Happy future travels.

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  6. Could you have wrapped windfall and cloth around the boots and boiled them? Might have killed the chiggers and given some interesting colors??

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    1. it's a nice idea but boiling the boots would have turned the leather into jelly after which it would have dried in a stiff and crunchy state...
      i suppose i could have steamed the insides but
      i wasn't confident i'd be able to kill each and every one of those little blighters!

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  7. Gut feelings are usually accurate so just as well you cancelled. I had to google chiggers and I'm scratching as we speak. Pity about the boots!

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  8. Thanks for the public explanation. So glad that I was able to share this experience with you. The class proved beyond my expectations, and was worth all the aggravation of getting to and from that lovely place. I'm so sorry about your boots because I envied them quite a bit.

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  9. I live in Minneapolis and wanted to sign up for the class soooooo bad, because I would love, love, love to take a class from you...BUT I couldn't get past what it would take for me to get there...and I live here in the state! I completely understand. That said, how about a class in Minneapolis? Would still love to take a class with you someday.

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    1. i'm exhibiting in Minneapolis in November next year...

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  10. border collies are wise beings, inner and outer :0)

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  11. ps.... you might like to check out www.deborahwilliams.com.au xoxo

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    1. I checked out Deborah Williams as an avid dog lover I was very impressed, as an art student blown away.Thanks

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