Dichroic Reflections

maybe I could use some black and white after all.

In that previous entry I praised complexity; I think I've gotten my comeuppance already.

The Arizona outlaws are sponsoring the Arizona State Junior Rowing Championships, meaning Rudder is doing a lot of the regatta organizing, a few of us will be volunteering at the regatta, and we bought a perpetual trophy last year and the first-place medals this year. In addition, She-Hulk is running a silent auction on the day of the regatta to raise some funds. Some large prizes have already been donated. I said I'd make a pair or two of earrings to auction off. She-Hulk suggested that a necklace might be easier to sell. Good thing; since volunteering to make the necklace, I've been looking for rowing charms. (The necklaces will look something like the bottom photo here, probably in the colors of the crews participating in the regatta.) That's been harder than expected. Given that I've bought charms for $5 or less, I figured I could find some online. No dice - I found ones for $$12 and $15 and $20 and up, which could get a bit expensive if I try to make a necklace in each crew's colors.

I knew that I'd bought the charm on my necklace from Whirling Girl - their own charms are more expensive (though very nice) but at some regatta I'd been to they were selling several someone else had made. I emailed and asked very politely if they could put me in touch with that person, and they did, promptly and graciously. (I tried as hard as I could not to sound like I was taking away business from them. They were so nice as to make me want to buy something, and as it turns out they have some hand balm I may try.) They sent the charm-maker's email. I emailed him. He replied and said he'd be out of town for two days and would email when he got back. I emailed again four days later. He asked for a phone number. I sent that back - that was Saturday. Today I sent it again, in case the mail had gone astray. He called, we discussed, he promptly sent me descriptions and pictures of his charms. Only one major problem: he's in Mexico and shipping would be $30 by UPS (these are $5-10 dollar charms, and I only need a maximum of four, but decided to order a few more to have on hand). So that cost is high enough that it would keep me from ordering.

Only then I thought to ask if he'd be at the big regatta early next month in San Diego. He won't but will be in San Antonio in a couple of weeks. I'll send him a check there and he'll mail my charms from there. So victory has been snatched from the jaws of defeat, but man. All I wanted was a couple cheap rowing charms to make necklaces for a good cause. This is all way too complicated.