Teacher flustered by flux during demo. But the show goes on!

Friday night I gave a free demonstration of soldering at my publisher's booth at Bead & Button.

We packed up our supplies, the tv and video camera and rolled into the booth. I set up a big screen with a live, magnified view of the demo, huge up close images of solder flowing, just like I use in my classes at our studio and when we travel. Students love it. They can actually see exactly how it works! Smart.

As the clock ticks 5 on the dot and I do a final check on my tools and materials, I realize that I'm missing my flux. Oh yeah, do you need flux to solder? Did I write a book about soldering?! Not smart.

Anat rushes back downstairs to the classroom but the door is locked. She somehow manages to find flux anyway, borrows a jar of it and runs back upstairs. Meanwhile, Tania from the camera crew (yup, this flub is live on film too for the show website), manages to borrow another jar simultaneously from one of the vendors at the show. Now I have two jars of flux and the show goes on. I think it took 5 - 10 minutes to sort out, while I stalled for time. But those were 20 of the longest red faced 10 minutes in my life. Can't wait to see the movie!

The rest of the demo was great, btw. But the gaffs are way more interesting to read about, aren't they?