I seem to be a magnet for stains here in Aberdeen, Scotland.  Traveling for a year with only two suitcases, which I practically packed with lots of American snacks and toiletries and very few clothes, does drastically limit my wardrobe.  And after just one week I've managed to stain the majority of clothes.  It's actually verging on a running practical joke, and I'm beginning to just get used to it and/or ignore it.  

The latest stain I received at breakfast today when I began peeling what I thought was a hard boiled egg.  The shell was sticking pretty hard, so I applied a little pressure and (cue fart sound effect) runny egg yoke all over my shirt and pants.  After the initial shock I laughed for about ten minutes and dipped my napkin into my water glass and attempted to fix the situation.  


Shawn, my friend who was lucky enough to witness my breakfast snafu, stared in awe as I casually went back to eating after wiping off my clothes.  He was a little surprised that I didn't rush to my room to change before catching the bus to work.  That would have been ideal, but I was pretty sure that any other choices in my suitcase would have the same issue...stains galore.  Not to mention that my actual suitcase it's self is stained.  

A few days ago I went to the grocery store to stock up for coffee stand (a little side business I run making snacks and meals for everyone on our show at the venue).  I knew I'd have a pretty hefty load, so I unpacked one of my suitcases and rolled it along the cobblestone sidewalks to the store with me.  And of course of all the coke six packs I could have chosen, I picked the one with two leaky cans.

  

It wasn't until I reached my hotel room and had created a coke trail throughout the hotel that I realized my suitcase had been leaking brown liquid.  I followed my trail back to the lobby and encountered a hotel employee with a mop.  To my surprise he wasn't too upset when I turned myself in and said he was happy to have something to do (I'm sure that also included making fun of the crazy American girl with a suitcase full of groceries later that night at the pub). 

 

So now my suitcase will always carry the faint sent of coca cola.  "Always Coca Cola!"  And I've learned that my new best friend on tour this year is my tide stain pen which I faithfully use each day after work to erase the visible signs of clumsiness.  Needless to say, I was close to tears when Vonn, head of our wardworbe department posted a laundry sign up at work yesterday.  I can practically hear my clothes screaming that ten a.m. Wednesday morning couldn't come any sooner.