Hidden Costs

Most people have no clue about what goes on in the background, behind the scenes, the hidden costs involved in getting things made.  

My schedule is a tad full at the minute as I juggle a bunch of different things, each with their own hidden agenda and out of pocket expenses.  My dining room table is a microcosm with the rubble of several deadlines.  

My cheque book and deposit book that need to have entries made in my ledger (sight unseen).  Bills starting to pile up, needing paying.  

Boxes of new hang/care tags, to be attached to inventory, piled in boxes on the floor nearby.  ($360 worth of tags...no they aren't free and have to be paid for out of the selling price of the textiles they are attached to.)

Class manual with some of the many handouts, needing photocopying.   Binders freshly purchased from Costco, into which the manuals will be installed, still in their shipping box. 

First warps for the students have been pre-wound for them and ALL of the skeins have been wound onto cones to save time doing that in class.  (Say 'thank you, Doug!' When you see him, students).  

Warp for group warp is wound and will be ready to weave on when students arrive.  

Water colour paint boxes purchased along with a new colour wheel because I couldn't find my old one.  Which insures it will appear, no doubt after class is finished. 

And on it goes.  

Even though I have taught this level before it was for five days. We have six here in PG (a good reason to take the class here...extra time to complete the class, an extra day with moi?).  So, I spent an hour reviewing the manual, then listed all the learning exercises as a Check list for the students, then made up a six day schedule - a tentative one because much depends on how quickly everyone completes their work.  If they are whiz kids, we could potentially do more.  

Teachers do so very much more than show up on the day...

Currently reading The March of Folly by Barbara Tuchman