Elgan speaks
...and her words thunder across the land

Wherein I don�t talk about what is really on my mind.

Wednesday, Apr. 28, 2004
10:37 a.m.
There are things afoot that disturb me, but I am not allowed to talk about them. So that will have to suffice for now.

I have just spent a span of time measuring Hubby�s guitar so that he can order a case suitable for taking it on an airplane as luggage. This guitar costs as much as a car, new. The airlines are being real sticklers and are not allowing musical instruments on board as carry-on luggage. Well, maybe a flute or a violin, something that will fit in the overhead bin or under the seat, is allowed, but certainly not a guitar or a cello. Definitely not a double bass, ha ha. I count myself as fortunate that I never have to worry about transportation and handling of my instrument. It goes where I go, wears what I wear, and hopefully does what I tell it to do.

I�m really looking forward to this trip out west. We�ll be staying in a luxury hotel, the Lethbridge Lodge, which has a pool, 24-hour exercise room, fine dining, after-hours bar/lounge and well-appointed accommodations. Provided I don�t have my period (I never know these days) we could have a really fun time.

The plan is to fly into Calgary, rent a car, drive to Lethbridge (we�ll be arriving terribly late) and take the next morning to sleep and catch up before registration and the opening conference activities. A dear friend of ours from Memorial will be there, and I�m really looking forward to hanging out with this guy. There are presentations I want to attend, but we also want to take advantage of our car and go to Dinosaur National Park and hunt us up some dinosaur bones. Yep. We�re also going to a banquet, and I�ll need fancy duds for that as well as our concert. Unfortunately, our recital is at noon, and I never know what to wear for those. Evening wear I understand, afternoon dressing is beyond me. Don�t worry, I�ll work something out.

This whole business with the guitar case has been a bit of a pain in the derri�re. Once upon a time you could bring your expensive guitar on board, and we have actually done this. But with the new rules, it makes traveling for musicians more complicated. My first thought was that we could send the guitar by courier for next day delivery. The guitar dealer does this all the time. I called Purolator and found out it would cost approximately $125 each way. However, when I spoke with Edward, he advised against it, saying that he�s had one bad experience with FedEx and that was enough to make him rethink his whole shipping method. Their insurance never reflects the real value of the guitar, and with a guitar this valuable, we don�t want to take any chances. However, it would be convenient to have it delivered right to the hotel, and then shipped back the same way.

But there are these carbon cases that come from Croatia (there�s another brand from England, but it�s not quite as sturdy) which our friend R�mi uses. He�s always flying to give concerts and putting his instrument below. Hubby has been in touch with them and they emailed a form to record the measurements. They are expecting a new shipment tomorrow, and if there is one that fits this guitar, they can send it out and it will arrive within five days. It�s expensive, about $1400 Can., but in the end, if Hubby ends up doing a lot of touring, it will be worth it.

Now, totting up all the expenses involved in this conference, we are going to beggar ourselves. First there�s the registration itself and the flight for two, the cost of the case (which is more than the flight, but it will outlast this particular usage), car rental, hotel and meals. We are performing for free. This is not, technically speaking, even a holiday. Hopefully we can recoup some of our expenditures through the professional development funds available to Hubby and me. I have never accessed this money before, but I am assured in the new collective agreement that it is there and I can apply for reimbursement. So I will. But we have to spend it first. Thank Visa for credit cards, that�s all I can say!

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