Hi Linda, because the kiln is (much like the laser cutter an expensive piece of equipment with many ways to go awry, we typically have had a designated person or people who do the firing. At the very least we should have a way of tracking usage. Generally we try to run it full, it's more efficient and from what ive read, behaves better thermally when it's full.
as for cookies, properly glazed items fired at the correct temperature/schedule should not run or crawl, however cookies are a great way to protect the kiln furniture from errors. They're a good use of scrap clay and leftovers, I like to also make trays with edges for small items to avoid having to handle them individually.
I'll get my butt over to glaze my pots this week, if you don't mind waiting a day or two.
Also- I know I had mentioned to some others that it would be good to have a clay-space members meetup now that there are more than a few of us, this is a great reminder to schedule that.
Amanda