I have been wanting to write that headline for a couple of days now because I have been really feeling foolish.

I have had a year–365 days–to get my act together for the 2014 Equine Art Show. The minute I got my 2014 calendar, I marked the date. I have obsessed about my three paintings to send up. I taken them to critiques, posted about them, and tweaked them.

In May, just before my Open Studios of Beavercreek show, I ordered mats for my most likely entries. Last  month I send in the entry forms and other paperwork.

All this time I was figuring on purchasing the frames as the last detail. So Monday, I sat down to order them. It was the last day I could order them and get them before the “SHIP!” date on my calendar. I paid, feeling good about it all, then went to view the prospectus to make sure I had covered everything.

Then I saw it. The “SHIP!” date was the last day they would accept paintings. They changed the timeline from last year. Thus a week of insanity has begun.

By the time I figured all this out, the frames had shipped, so I couldn’t get them speeded up. And because they are custom, I can’t send them back. But they won’t get here in time.

So today I did a Goodwill crawl, trying to find frames that would match. After four Goodwills, I gave up and went to an art store that has some discount frames. I found the frames, but still had to get the plexiglass at Home Depot and cut it.

[image removed]

In short, this whole event took seven hours from leaving the house to leaving the UPS store with my receipt. I’m exhausted and my hands look like this from cutting the plexiglass.

But “Sizing Up the Competition”, “Trackside Discussion I”, and “Distaff Divas” will arrive at Emerald Downs on Tuesday.

Knock on wood.

Next Sunday, July 13, I’ll be heading up for the day to see the show, enjoy the races, and pick up the pieces again. Anyone want to come?

[image removed]