Thursday, February 17, 2011

And So We Begin

I flew to Tacoma, Washington yesterday morning* to teach at the Madrona Fiber Arts Winter Retreat, which kicks off in just an hour. I'm so excited I could pee, and have.

It's a honor to be here, and heaven knows I love to travel; but when you do it a great deal–as I lately have–confusion sets in.

This is the sort of note I now customarily leave for myself on the bedside table before I go to sleep. It helps immensely when I wake up in a cold sweat and can't remember where I am, or why I'm there.

Note to Self

Speaking of travel, wanna go to Iceland with me?

*Dolores flew in later because there were no seats left in First Class on the early flight. Yup, First Class. She also has a rider in her contract requiring a chocolate fountain in her hotel room. I got a granola bar.

49 comments:

Anonymous said...

If Dolores is getting all that stuff, you might want to contract with her agent. You are worth all that at the very least!

mamagotcha said...

This note makes me think of the guy who wanted to see how conscious he was during his dental procedure, after he heard that part of the anesthesia was an amnesiac. He got as far as scribbling "Just started, doing fine" on his hand before all his pens were confiscated.

One Sock Short said...

Speaking of that last question, Good Lord, Yes!

*mutters to self* How can I make this happen? Can I make this happen? Think think think...

Unknown said...

I can remember waking up in a chain hotel and not knowing where I was -- all the rooms looked the same. Wish I had thought of this :-)

Anonymous said...

Yes, want. But work so gets in the way. LNE
p.s. admiring your printing very much

Samina said...

Perhaps the "keep calm" should be at the top of the note?

Anonymous said...

Even if I can't go with you, I want to go to Iceland! Been there once, longing to return.
-- Gretchen

RagdollDesigns said...

I hear you. I once had to ask the bag man walking me to my room in the Paris airport Sheraton where I was?

p.s. That hotel is FABULOUS - right on the airport, quiet (don't know how they did that), clean, great work space and the best beds in the entire country.

Mary deB said...

Iceland... I'd love to! But March would be better for me than October. Darn.

anne marie in philly said...

have a great time...and we expect alllllll the details and pix!

Kitchen Mama said...

Sounds like you could be some kind of high flying spy, confused and exhausted from all the "assignments" required of you and your carbon fiber "needles."

Elissa said...

I DO want to go to Iceland with you! An indie music fest and knitting!? I think it was made just for me :) I assume anyone else going on the trip would be a kindred spirit.

Mary said...

I'm with Doris...First Class and chocolate.

roxie said...

So about this granola bar - does it contain those tiny bottles of rum and gin?

Voie de Vie said...

Have a good and grand Fiber Arts Festival.

Iceland? Hell yes!
A Backpacker? Not so much.

Sheeri K. Cabral said...

Quantum Leap would have been much more boring if everyone wrote these kinds of notes :D

Ella said...

Yes! Do come to Iceland! I'm here already ;)

Ella

Jenny said...

When you mentioned a granola bar, I pictured something similar to a taco bar and got very excited.

I have a fever.

Oraxia said...

Your handwriting really is stunning :) When I'm just writing notes to myself, my handwriting always looks 10x worse than if I think anyone else will see it!

Jody said...

the only consolation for NOT being there is the package that arrived from Blackthorn today...thanks Franklin, for the TIPS!!!!!

lostarts said...

If you know anything at all about The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, you'd know that you should have written "Don't Panic!"

I you DON'T know anything about the guide, you should. It's one of the funniest things ever written!

Anita said...

Oh yes, I want to go to Iceland with you. But I think my partner and kids might have something to say about that....

PS And such a word for verification - smote - which is what I did to myself upon the head after reading the tour details.

Mari said...

I completely understand that type of note! I would love to come to Iceland, I was there 6 years ago and absolutely loved the city and the landscape.

Question is will I have bought a house by then or not??

Anonymous, too said...

This is the first time I have ever heard of a bawdy roadhouse providing First Class airfare for its "entertainers".

gnat said...

ummm Iceland? YES.

Marcia in Austin said...

That note? Oh, yes. When working on a film our call times change from day to day, and that coupled with the typical rest-deprivation can make for confusion & anxiety when one wakes addled in the night. So in addition to setting the alarm I put a note by the bed that tells me what time I need to get up and what time I need to be out the door.

Rae said...

Welcome to Washington!

Wool Free and Lovin' Knit said...

Oh, ICELAND -- so loved that place!! Sounds like an awesome trip you have planned. I'm sure you'll be sold out in no time flat!

Patti said...

I've always wanted to go to iceland, I mean what knitter who lives in CA wouldn't??? I could finally wear some of my handknits! but alas, I just booked New Zealand next winter, a hiking vacation, not a knitting retreat, except for the knitting I will have with me.

Ed said...

That Iceland trip sounds hella fun.

LG said...

I am really really tempted about Iceland...

Karen said...

Oh my God, I want to go so badly.

AgTigress said...

Notes informing oneself of where one is, what one is doing (and possibly even, who one is...) are a great comfort in those moments of stress-induced total blankness.

Jamie said...

And this is where I met you! So exciting. Thank you for all the signing.

laura gayle said...

I'd be delighted to serve as your sherpa and bouncer for your Iceland tour. However, if you want to retain my services for Dolores too, I have to contact my legal counsel.

Anonymous said...

What Jo said about "The Hitchhiker's Guide..." It explains the feelings of frequent travel hillariously. I once had a large, friendly button that said "Don't Panic" from the computer game...my own Mr. Ex...

And what everyone said about your handwriting - excellent penmanship!

Anonymous said...

Franklin, you were wonderful! The lace edgings class was fine -- even though I couldn't knit much, it left me some opportunities to think! What a treat that was.
And last night's banquet talk was just great. Beautifully balanced and we all learned stuff.

Leslie said...

Hilarious!! And so true if one travels a lot. I've been known to put my hotel room # in permanent ink on my hand (hotel name sometimes to) as well as make, model and level I parked the car.

Oy.

Mona said...

Loved the lace edging class, my husband liked the pasties idea for the snowflakes!

Gerri said...

I've always known where I am (yes, just so far) but once when I got home, I didn't know what baggage carousel to go to because I didn't know where I'd been.

Side trip to Faroes from Iceland?

Diane said...

I would love to go to Iceland with you. Alas, it is not in the budget, so I will have to content myself with being an armchair traveler.

littleredyarn said...

Or, maybe...

"Keep Calm and Knit On!"

My verification word is "hicatress". I'm not sure if that's a hybrid between "hiccup" and "mattress" or the sound my cat makes when he yorks up a hairball. ;)

Adyksterhouse said...

I just heard you on Om Point. I just rediscovered knitting last week. Here is my blog about it.

http://adventuresinalyssaland.com/2011/02/zen-and-the-art-of-knitting-in-alyssaland.html

CeltChick said...

Iceland yes, backpacks no -- back issues preclude carrying anything over about 15 lbs. Music & knitting, a match made in heaven. If the Romney fleece is along on the trip I'm bringing Vapo-Rub.

Anonymous said...

If you were in Tacoma, Washington, then you should have written "Keep Clam." See Ivar Haglund:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivar_Haglund

Elizabeth said...

OMG. That is a great rate, Airwaves is a huge deal! I am REALLY excited about trying to go to that.

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