Wow, it’s so much easier being a writer, compared with being an artist.
So the most I have to pack to take to England (plus clothes and whatnot) looks like maybe this:
And even that is optional.
But Mark has a booth in the art show at World Fantasy in Brighton, which is kind of the whole point of us going to England. I mean, of course we’ve added vacation time, because England; but really, we’re going for him to show art.
So first there was the printing of large display prints of some of his latest work. [insert lengthy and rather dull description of many expensive, frustrating, and time-consuming complications here, all ending with large gorgeous prints]
Then there was the matting and framing of them. [insert another, even longer description of incompetent art-supply stores, frankly wrong information, more expense, mistakes made and recovered from, and a HELL of a lot of time with a mat-cutter and double-sided tape]
But WOW, they looks great.
Wonderful! How does one get such things to England?
Ship them? Ahahahahhahaaa actually no. It would cost notably more to ship them than it’s going to cost to ship ourselves. And they wouldn’t even get fed airplane food along the way. [and insert another long description of the process of procuring this information here, including visits to post office and FedEx, much internet folderol, and phone calls to DHL here and overseas] And even if we could ship them–to whom? The hotel, where the con won’t start for another week after we fly? The con itself, which only exists as a virtual entity until it convenes at the hotel on October 31? Yeah. Not an option.
So, take them on the plane with us? Yes, that does appear to be the best option. (the best of the BAD options) After much discussion with our airline, we feel reasonably certain that we can pay extra to have them checked as luggage on the plane with us.
Though the nature of the information we received left us less than exactly certain. And wow, imagine the absolute tragedy of setting out on travel day, only to be denied.
So today, after Mark had packaged it all up, we decided to drive out to the airport and talk to real human beings, in person. And to give the whole can-we-even-transport-this concept a test run.
The package weighs 63 pounds. It’s nearly 5 feet long, over 3 feet wide, but only a couple of inches thick. (i.e., awkward.)
But we are much encouraged! We first talked to a TSA person, who said they’d have to open the package to inspect it. That’s okay: we expected that, and we’ll bring lots of packing tape to seal it up again. Then we talked to an actual airline counter agent, who not only seemed to think it was possible that this might be able to come with us, he actually phoned up headquarters to make sure that the aircraft scheduled for next Tuesday would be big enough to have the cargo room to take such a thing.
So yay! We can get this big package to England. Probably. Unless they change aircraft at the last minute (but that never happens, RIGHT??), or we get a cranky agent at check-in, or, or, or…. Nah. That won’t happen.
Now….all we need to do is figure out how to get it to our flat in London on the Tube…and from London to Brighton on the train…and from Brighton to Cambridge in the Marquise’s car…and back to London to Farah’s house…and back to Heathrow, and home again….yeah. Oh not to mention getting to the airport on Tuesday.
Well, progress, anyway. Tomorrow is another day.