Finally

I had three big shoots this week...finally! I thought we were going to have to start living in a tent soon.

Getting back into the swing of things was slow. I managed to keep the boneheaded things to a minimum in front of the clients and the other photographer. Slipping off a step behind everyone...no one noticed me flailing about. I didn't knock anything over...bumped a rental vase with my backpack but turned and caught it. I'm forever bumping my tripod into doors and walls, luckily I kept that at an absolute minimum, clients don't like seeing you scuff their newly painted walls. Now that I think about it, I'm totally a bull in a china shop.

Of course at the end of the last shoot I was getting ready to put all my gear into my car. I had my keys, camera, tripod, and backpack in my hands. I was tired, sweaty and ready to start my weekend. I managed to unlock the car and open an door. But then somehow slam the door into my hand, knocking my keys out of my hand. I didn't think too much of it, better the keys than the camera. I put the rest of my gear in the car and turned to look for my keys. Couldn't see them anywhere under my car or the car next to me. Then I bent over farther...and noticed my keys way under the car next to me. Of course it wasn't under one of those little commuter cars that I could reach under while still standing up, it was under a huge sedan! To make matters worse, I was wearing a white denim skirt.

I stood there for a minute hoping that someone might have seen my keys go under the car and either move the car for me or even just offer to get them for me. I can totally play the damsel in distress. Neither was going to happen in reality, I was in a fairly deserted parking lot. I also realized I wasn't going anywhere until I got my ass on the ground and started trying to get those keys.

I actually thought about trying to use my tripod to try to catch the keys, but then I thought about all those scuffs I've put on walls. I also tried to picture what the car's owner would think coming out and seeing some dork fishing around under their car with a tripod. I daintily got down on my hands and knees and leaned as far under the car as I could without my skirt touching the ground and without my showing any of my assets to passing strangers. I wasn't even close to reaching those keys. I think the keys scooted farther under there than they were before. I am a little appreciative that I was a little hidden in between my car and the other and not on the street side of the car, but this was a dirty nasty car I had to climb under. I finally knew I just had to sacrifice me and my skirt. I laid down on that dirty ground and scooted under the even dirtier car. Of course the keys were perfectly in the center underneath the car. I scooted half under the car to finally reach them. I hooked them in a finger, scooted out and jumped up before anyone could see any more of my panties.

Wouldn't you know it, my skirt didn't get dirty at all. However, the rest of my was absolutely filthy! I dusted off and thought, who cares. I get to go home, rinse off and start my weekend early. Plus, despite being a bull in a china shop, all the shoots went well and I should be getting a nice check next week!