OK, so DHL clears our packages through customs after figuring out what GENDER the fabric is. ha ha ha. Mark B got mad at me because I told DHL it was 50/50.

So Now we have delivery and we have to sort and ship back orders.

We are supplying a Theater on the west coast that is doing a production of Brigadoon and they have been killing us because they are getting ready to start dress rehersals... NOT ONE of their kilts was a standard drop of 24 inches and half the waist size were halfs (32.5, 44.5, 31.5). Everyone was custom waist and drop! All their kilts are here (Buchanan Moderns, Royal Stewart, Black Watch, MacKenzie, Hunting Stewart,Wallace.....) Accept one -a waist 40 with a drop of 23-all we have is a 40/24...what do ya do-at this stage we can never get the other one in time-we toss in the 24, an extra kilt, a kids set of pipes and few freebies and cross our fingers they are accepting and forgiving (we email them and let them know)

We have now cleared out about 90% of our back orders accept for a few pride of scotlands-

So we get all the boxes open and and sorting things by tartan- we end up with 10 13 oz kilts we have no idea what they are, so we start flipping through books (and checking lindacliffords) because they are not something we requested (or so we thought)

It is always fun to sit around holding up a tartan going "wait this yellow stripe is next to a blue not a green. stop stop go back is that it, no that one has 2 white lines next to a blue"

Ends up it is a Macdonald Red Modern-we had order before and never received.

Then the "hey where are the __________" "We order 10 __________"
this happens every time.

My Dream is to have 10 of every waist size in every tartan we carry.

Then we are in the middle of sorting and get a call - "do you have a 36 waist pride of Scotland" - we have a several other sizes but not the 36 - "How about a Scottish National" thats a no go..so tomorrow somebody will be getting an order for a 36 Pride of Scotland. (I hope it is another XMARKS Sponsor)

They tell me it is good to have back orders-it shows you are growing and business is good-BUT I HATE MAKING customers wait-even when we tell them 5-8 weeks.

Then we have the "Is this a scarf or a fly plaid" (in the package they look the same)

oh and the wonderful relief of getting in 25 yards of a tartan that is back ordered like crazy.

And the surprise at the end...4 sporrans we never ordered and that are unlike anything we have ever carried. I am sure they will make wonderful prizes to some xmark person that wins our next contest.

So that was our evening... oh and we just got invited to an Irish Fair

FYI- We have MATERIAL-
15 yards Minnesota State Tartan
10 Yards Clark
5 Black Watch
10 MacPherson Ancient
10 Buchanan Modern
7 Hunting Stewart (we have 10 but had 3 back ordered)
15 Royal Stewart
5 Wallace

Will give Xmarks folks first crack and then list it on ebay