Day 5 - Training

We worked for 60 hours a week down there in Santa Fe.  It was non-stop.  During the days, we started at 8am sharp and worked until whatever project we were working on was done, usually by 6 or 7pm. 

We worked on classic opera gowns sewing $100/yd fabric, corsets, tuxedos, contemporary opera dresses and even an alien costume. Each group of costumes for each show were divided amoung teams of sewers overseen by the table head.  One stitch out of place and we had to rip out the work and do it again...the right way. 

We had all the characters in that costume shop.  The happy girl, who thought everything was beautiful. The suck-up.  The less-than-cool types.  And the crew...Jerry, Jamie and I.  I think we felt like we were in our own little world, on the outside looking in at this crazy scenario.  We definitely had an understanding between the three of us.  One look and we knew what the other was thinking.  No need for words.  Of course, a little giggle would follow just to validate that the other connected the dots.

In the evenings we worked behind the scenes as dressers, prepping the performers for the show and changing their costumes during mid-performance.  We loved that part.  Right around 8:30, just as the show reached the crisis point and just as we waited in the wings to change the performers, we stood in awe, one with the audience to witness one of God's most beautiful sights...a Santa Fe sunset.  To me, it was simply a heavenly sight.