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Welcome to todays diary entry! Ah, pack-down day. Always feels like a marathon after a long weekend on your feet – physically, emotionally, and spiritually knackered. But somehow, today went surprisingly smoothly. And – dare I say it – we even managed to get everything packed away without getting soaked. That in itself feels like a miracle considering the forecast had been threatening biblical rain all morning. We timed it just right between the bursts of drizzle and the gusts of wind that have been haunting us all weekend. A small victory, but I’ll take it.
Now, of course, we had the usual challenge: the van. Or rather, the van-shaped game of sardines we always seem to play at the end of a show. I honestly don’t know how we accumulate so much stuff. Every nook, cranny, and spare centimetre was bursting at the seams. We packed it so tight I’m surprised the windows didn’t bulge. By the time we’d finished jamming it all in, it was clear we weren’t getting everything home in one go.
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Cue the Cadac cavalry. We had to call in reinforcements and get some of the stock dropped off separately, which is slightly embarrassing but entirely inevitable when we bring half the shop on the road with us. Lesson not learned – because let’s be honest, we’ll probably do the exact same thing next time.
The real kick in the teeth, though, came when we got back. Normally, the post-show tradition is sacred. You park up, unload just enough to breathe, and then collapse into the motorhome with a hot pizza and a cold drink, reflecting on the weekend while mentally promising yourself a full day off tomorrow. But not this time.
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Nope – because the body shop manager needed the van back at 7am sharp the next morning. No delays. No “I’ll do it first thing.” It meant the whole van had to be completely emptied the moment we got back. Honestly, there are very few things in life I loathe more than emptying a show van when you’re already running on fumes. It’s right up there with wet socks and tangled fairy lights. All I wanted was to sink into my seat, peel off my bra, shove a pizza in my face, and fall into a coma. But instead, it was box after box, dragging ourselves through the motions while grumbling about how this part is never fun.
And of course, because I apparently enjoy living dangerously, I floated the idea of having tomorrow off. Just gently put it out there, like, “Hey… what if I didn’t come in tomorrow and, I don’t know, slept past 6am for once?” But no – Dodge wasn’t having it. The look said it all. So, business as usual tomorrow. Another day back in the shop, pretending we’re full of energy and not held together by caffeine and adrenaline.
Still, there’s a little glimmer of hope – I’m aiming for Wednesday off instead. That’s the new goal. A midweek breather. And the good thing is that Scott and Ellie are finally feeling more confident holding the fort on their own. It’s been such a relief seeing them settle in – they’re smashing it, actually – and it’s starting to feel like I’ve got a little more breathing room if I need it.
So, another pack-down in the bag. Another van successfully emptied. Another pizza postponed. But the end is in sight. The holiday countdown is well and truly on now, and even if the weather turns out to be rubbish, I don’t care. I’ll be horizontal with a view and a drink in hand, and that’s enough for me.
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