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On the way back from Maker Faire Bay Area 2008, my luggage went missing. Because I was traveling with so many “suspicious” things like electronics kits, batteries, components, wires, etc., I chose to check these items in my luggage for a speedy experience through security. My luggage didn’t show up at the other end in Phoenix. US Airways flight 570 was direct from SFO to PHX. It should be noted that everyone I’ve spoke to has been very nice and polite to me. I have also been very polite; these people are just trying to do their jobs.

The most disturbing thing is list of “Items Excluded from Liability” on the US Airways Passenger Property Form if my luggage is ultimately lost. Here’s the list (you can read the form yourself here):

• Currency
• Spirits
• Optics
• Keys
• Blueprints
• Jewelry
• Silverware
• Precious Metals/Stones
• Natural Fur Products
• Antiques/Heirlooms/Collectible
• Artistic Items
• Lifesaving Medication
• Negotiable Papers/Securities/Documents
• Books/Manuscripts/Publications
• Sound Reproduction Equipment & Related Items
• Photographic/Cinematographic Audio/Video Equipment & Related Items
• Computer Hardware/Software & Related Items
• Electronic Components/Equipment & Related Items/Business Samples/Equipment/ Documents and Irreplaceable Items

What can you think of that is worth any money and not on this list (Besides expensive clothes)?

Now you may easily see why this list is very troubling. Almost everything of value in my suitcase is on that list. Copies of the new Maker’s Notebook (modded and not), electronics kits (boarduino and loud objects noise toy), power and data cables for phone, camera, and electronics, my travel case of electronics and embroidery components and supplies (chips, connectors, LEDs, etc.), my skeleton cardigan (which took at least 80 hours to construct), sample embroidery projects from my demo at the Faire, contact info from the nice people I met over the weekend, and my toy Thingamagoop robot by Bleep Labs.

The replaceable stuff: Embroidery supplies, 1 pair jeans, 1 velvet jacket, 5 shirts including a hand-printed souvenir from Bizarre Bazaar, a kitchen apron, also from Bizarre Bazaar, which I had purchased as a gift for my catsitter, 2 leathermen (juice s2 and squirt e4), socks and underwear, the suitcase itself, my toiletries bag and its contents, my boyfriend’s toiletries bag and its contents.

Here’s a chronology of events:
Monday, May 5, 8AM, SFO: Check in at US Airways counter and check bag at the same time and counter as travel companions.
Monday, May 5, 9:20AM, SFO: Board US Airways flight 570 direct to PHX.
Monday, May 5, 11:07AM, PHX: Arrive on time and proceed to baggage carousel 5.
Monday, May 5, 12PM, PHX: After baggage does not arrive (although checked bags for travel companions do arrive), proceed to US Airways baggage office.
Monday, May 5, 12:15PM, PHX: After baggage is not located, depart from airport with afile reference number and a lost baggage claim form (which can be mailed in if my bag doesn’t show in 5 days). Gave identifying details about appearance and contents of bag. Ronald suspected it would be in on the next flight from SFO, putting it out for delivery by 4pm.
Monday, May 5, 6:20pm: Called PHX office, since they had not called me. They said the bag was not on the next flight from SFO, but might be on the following one. Bag would then be out for delivery by 8pm.
Monday, May 5, 7:48pm: Called PHX office, line busy. Continue trying until finally get through at 7:53, no bag. Suspected it may have “overrode” (stayed on the plane), which was going to Tampa. Next flight from Tampa was due in the next morning.
Tuesday, May 6, 8:13AM: Called PHX office, they informed me that the Tampa flight would get in at 9:30 and they’d call me when it did.
Tuesday, May 6, 10:25AM: Called PHX office, got put on hold then disconnected, but they called me right back, said the bag was not on the flight coming in from Tampa. They “sent out messages” to SFO and Tampa, took more identifying details about bag.
Tuesday, May 6: 12:12PM: Called PHX office, got put on hold then disconnected, but they called me right back to say that SFO had not returned their message but that Tampa had, saying they did not have record of the bag. Asked if my name and address was on the bag, if there could be any other luggage tags on it, etc.
Tuesday, May 6, 1:25PM: Called PHX office, line busy.
Tuesday, May 6, 8:43PM: Called PHX office, line busy, got through at 8:47, no new information.
Wednesday, May 7, 9:27AM: Called PHX office, line busy, got through at 9:34, expressed concern over list of excluded liability items, no new information.
Wednesday, May 7, 2:10PM: Called PHX office, told them my cell phone battery was almost spent, so I’d have to get a new charger, asked if they provide coverage for this, they said no.
Wednesday, May 7, 3:30PM: Mimi at Main US Airways office calls (they, too, are located in Phoenix), asks me for a list of identifiable items inside the bag, tells me they’ll send out messages to many places and call tomorrow to check back in.
Thursday, May 8, 3:14PM: Called PHX office, they verified that messages have been sent out to many airports, they’re still waiting to hear back.
Thursday, May 8, 5:31PM: Mimi at Main US Airways office calls, says there’s no word yet and instructs me to start filling out the passenger property form.
Friday, May 9, 10:51AM: Main US Airways office calls, instructs me again to start filling out the passenger property form, I asked how long it would take to process my claim, they say 6 weeks.

Currently trying to gather receipts…

Local event plug: I’ll be at the Phoenix Indie Craftorama this Saturday from 10-4 representing Craft Magazine (mags, box sets, t-shirts, etc.), and there will be book signings, demos, and crafts for sale and giveaways from all the fantastic craft collectives around Phoenix. The Crafty Chica has organized the whole thing and I’m sure it’ll be loads of fun!

Groups include:
The Phoenix Fridas
The Phoenix Craft Mafia
The AZ Crafty Burritos
Las Bandidas del Arte
Conspire Phoenix
The Purdy Girls
Calaca Cultural Co-op
and me for Craft Magazine

Saturday, April 26th, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.,
Phoenix Duck and Decanter, 1651 E. Camelback Road
FREE!

I just finished up a first composition using the LilyPad Arduino, entitled “LilyPad Embroidery: A Tribute to Leah Buechley.” Check it out over at the project page, and/or come see it in person this Friday at 7 at the Cartel Coffee Lab in Tempe, AZ.

I just added this to the Projects page:
I’ve been working on a project where I knit sweaters to go from gadgets to your body. They’re supposed to be a fun commentary on how attached and concentrated on technology we are, and to highlight the lack of movement that happens when we’re engrossed in our laptops, keyboards, PDAs, etc. I plan on making many more, and would be curious what ideas fellow crafters and technologists might have for different iterations. the one pictured above is for privacy, warmth, and concentration in public spaces while using a laptop.

I recently had two short papers published at the SIGCHI conference on human factors in computing systems (CHI) in Florence, Italy. My colleague Lisa Tolentino went to present our poster on the Sensor Squid Relation Game. One paper focused more on the squid, entitled Sharing the Squid: Tangible Workplace Collaboration (download PDF) and the other focused more on the game and overarching situation, entitled Creativity Interventions: Physical-Digital Activities for Promoting Group Creativity (download PDF). Above is a picture of Lisa talking about the project at the conference. Photos by fellow attendee Ryan Spicer.

My recent CRAFT pattern and video podcasts are about my Skeleton Cardigan. It’s a sweater with a ribcage and spine knitted into the back panel. - project page

I’ll be sitting on a panel discussion about turning your craft hobby into a business at Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, AZ on March 14th. Description from the site:

Join “Crafty Chica” Kathy Cano Murillo and a panel of professional crafters for a discussion on turning your creative hobby into a profitable business. Panelists include Linda Young from Art Unraveled, Craft magazine’s Becky Stern, and Laboratory 5’s Cyndi Coon, whose line of handmade greeting cards recently launched nationally. Moderator Kathy Murillo is a syndicated columnist who appears regularly on the DIY Network. She has a line of wallpaper borders and accessories available at Lowe’s Home Improvement stores, and her Crafty Chica product line is set to be released in stores in spring 2008. Her latest book is Crafty Chica’s Art de la Soul: Glittery Ideas to Liven Up Your Life.

The talk will be from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. More info at the Changing Hands website - Link.

UPDATE: My travel plans have been tossed like a salad, and I won’t be making it to speak at this panel. But you should go anyway!

Michelle Kempner and I are hosting a party for the release of issue 6 of CRAFT Magazine, for which we both write. Details:

VENUE: Make Workshop

195 Christie St., Suite 502

(btw Stanton & Rivington)

New York, NY

PH: 212-533-9995

DATE: Sunday, March 9

TIME: 12-4pm

We’ll have materials there for you to make the plush felt monsters on the cover of the issue, plus door prizes and snacks. If you’re in LA, Milwaukee, Portland, Chicago, or Atlanta, there’s a party for you, too. More info at the CRAFT blog - Link.

My colleague Lisa and I have just launched a project website for the Sensor Squid Relation Game, a project we’re working on together in Arts, Media and Engineering at ASU. It’s a plush tangible interface squid and community-media game. Check out the AME project site and my mirror site. Oh, and it’s open source. Like this project? Digg it.

I just got a new Adafruit Industries TV-B-Gone v1.1 kit (Thanks, Limor!) over the holidays, and decided to embed it into my tampon case. I never needed to carry around that many tampons, anyway! It still holds two, plus the electronics. I pulled out the switch on the PCB to the outside of the case so it can easily be activated while holding it, but also by items on a table! I find one of the most useful places for the TV-B-Gone is in restaurants. The button points slightly downward, so you can slyly press it by moving it up against something on the table, like your wine glass, flatware, etc. TVs don’t always bother me, but now I can turn them off during my most irritable time of the month. I made a Flickr set of the construction.