A Blog is Brewing

I have just spent 4 days working my little feet off at Black Sheep Gathering 2015. I do this every year. This is the first year that I flew up.
I got up at 3:30am, dressed, final packing and into the car by 4am to pick up flight partner. TSA at 5:30 for a 6:45 flight. You have to be there at least 30 minutes before the flight and 45 minutes before if you want your baggage to go, too. We got there early enough.
Flight to Oakland, change planes, stand in line, on to Portland. We got there about 11:15a.
I didn't realize that it would take an hour to check out the car. I suppose that it matters that the office to check out people had only one person and two shuttles to take you to the car area- 15 minute drive. I will remember this for the future- Thrifty is cheaper because no one works there.
The Southwest flight was good. A bit more leg room and seat room than the others and more baggage allowed, but flying is still difficult. Dry air, lots of sitting, cramped arms, exit shuffle. I am tired before I even get there.
So after getting the car, we drove to Eugene, which is supposed to take 2 hours. It is now 12:30p and we have had no breakfast or lunch. We decide to stop partway down and it takes us 10 minutes to find the Olive Garden after leaving the freeway. Signage fail. This is why McD is so popular. Tall signs. Easy to find. After an hour lunch, we again hit the road. Traffic in Portland area is not like L.A. or S.D.  Thursday at 2pm we had slinky stop and go traffic for no reason what so ever. When it moved, it was 60 in a 65 zone and 50 at other times, with 80 mph angry drivers trying to zigzag down the road.  We got to Eugene at 3:15, just a bit rattled and really tired.
I checked into the sale area to start work at 4pm after dropping stuff at the hotel room. Mags was a champion and helped us.
The venue was all new and messed up so I was on the fly the whole time but we made a plan within 15 minutes and we were off and running.  We checked in fleeces until 8pm, then moved all the tables into the secure room. We moved heavy tables with fleeces piled on with no men to help.
RANT 1- where is that famous upper body strength when you need it? Where's the beef? Yo! Guys! Man up and give the girls some help. I will bring beer if it helps.
We were in bed by 9p after a light dinner.
Thursday- long, challenging, unrewarding, at the same time, valuable. It was just the beginning of the Wool Show mania. Stay tuned for Friday.