It was 2:00 on Saturday, and the gallery owner who is driving up from Charlotte to see my studio and take a few pieces back, called to let me know she had stopped off to get a Subway sandwich and would be about 15 minutes late. Our appointment was for 2:00. I decided to go ahead and get down to my studio to meet her. I went to get my keys which, funny, weren't in the usual spot. I told Shannon with a laugh "wouldn't that be just my luck" and of course it was just my luck. My keys were no where to be found. I began to panic; you see, my keys are the only way for me to get into my studio on the weekend. No one is in the building, the office is not open, and picking the lock is a no go (believe me, I've tried).

So now it's 2:11, said gallery owner has driven two hours and is expected any minute, and I have no way into my studio. What's worse is I figured out that my keys were actually inside the studio locked up tight - the night before, I took Shannon to drop off a few pieces and inadvertently set my keys down, a great mistake, and left them.

In a state of deer-in-headlights panic I raced the whole way down to the water district where the studio is because maybe, just maybe, someone was there who could HELP ME. The doors were locked, as I knew they wood be, the office is closed as expected. I had Shannon call another artist who works in the building...On vacation! The graphics office one floor under mine was open and an artist who works there was in. I asked if they had a key by chance to the third floor. He said no but maybe I could ride the freight elevator up and get into the third floor...if it wasn't locked...which it was...and now the gallery owner was, luckily, 10 minutes past expected time of meeting. Meanwhile I called Shannon to call another artist and then call me back. The graphics guy called the owner and was on the phone looking under every can of ink on a shelf saying" I'm not seeing it...Which can...On the left...No...The grey rack...Third shelf which can...Oh here it is.

HALLELUJAH!!!! Spare key!! And right as the gallery owner drove up, I kid you not.