I am officially not a spring chicken. If a day spent sitting on a chair in the heat can cause the type of tiredness that caused me to pull off on 270 and “rest” then I am officially an olde fogey.
The day was exhausting. Here’s why:
- Staying up until 3 a.m. to print out postcards that I should have sent to VistaPrint 3 weeks ago is officially a dumb move. Who knew that “free postcards” if not ordered 3 weeks in advance would cost $25 to ship. Live and learn and get postcards to printer sooner.
- When you know you need to print postcards, don’t wait until 11 p.m. to create 4 different designs for 4 different pieces needed for your booth.
- If you wait until 11 p.m. to work on your designs, you will not be ready to print until 2 a.m.
- If you print at 2 a.m., the following will happen…you will need to find paper, you will spot a flashing light on the printer, you will need to fiddle with the trays, turn off the printer, reboot, scream, reboot, fiddle, change the magenta cartridge, fiddle again, scream, and finally give up.
- You will resign yourself to only have 50 postcards for an event where 3,000 were expected. In your defense, you would not have purchased 3,000 postcards from Vistaprint, but 250 would have been a reasonable number.
- Oh and 2 a.m. is officially not a good time to learn how to print doublesided. “Which side goes up?” “Oh, that’s right I need to put the other side up.” “Huh! What just happened?” “[scream]”
- Don’t make a list at 3 p.m. and not look at it until 3 a.m. to see if you have everything.
- Going to bed when all seems hopeless is a good idea. Waking up — or being woken — at 8 a.m. is officially soul-destroying.
- Coming downstairs after your shower to find your husband has saved the day with the printer..rocks! He has the Midas touch. Everything he touches…prints! Go, Coach Dad.
- Telling your first grader you can’t attend his game as you have to print the rest of the postcards and start on the business cards is not fun. Coach Dad took him, but I could tell he was disappointed. Next Saturday…I will take him! HATE letting the kids down!
- Arriving at an event early is an odd feeling. So this is what the rest of the world feels…not rushed, calm as a cucumber.
- Walking to Celebrate Mama in downtime Bethesda, I staggered under the weight of 4 bags, a box, and a beach umbrella. I ditched the cooler in the car. I was fine until a 20-year-old asked if I needed help. Suddenly I felt like a creaky senior citizen. Don’t mind me I have crazy strong arms from carrying two huge toddlers…I know I just look as though I might keel over, but I’m fine. Thanks!
- Arriving at table for check in and realizing that I can’t find my contact person. Now, my bags were feeling heavy. Table and check in person were soon found.
- Table set up was a toughie as I had to secure the flapping table cloth, cut up the postcards, create two signs, set up the raffle…not that I left anything til the last minute or anything. You would think since I was up until 3 a.m. that I would have been ready. Ha!
- Thank goodness Rachel arrived to save the day. Rachel is the other half of DC CityMommy.
- Rachel and I manned or mommed the DC CityMommy table. We held a Maclaren raffle with a prize of a Maclaren gift basket of Beginnings products for moms.
- Met many very sweet moms-to-be and new moms, but the day was looooonnnggg. Many brought tents. I had my trusty, very rusty beach umbrella, but no way to secure the umbrella to the table. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a stand from the restaurant behind me. I snagged the stand fully expecting someone to say something. None of the waiters noticed. Yay for shade.
By the 4:10 when I left I was exhausted. I was spent. As you can imagine I was not happy to be trudging around the Elm Street parking garage looking for my %$&^van. Not a good way to end the day. After taking the elevator down a third time I abandoned my box of samples and the &^%& beach umbrella to walk once again to find my van. I felt like the mom in Joy Luck Club who abandoned her twins under the tree…not that I am comparing my beach umbrella to a baby, but you know what I mean. The umbrella and box were heavy…especially after walking up and down the garage.
All in all it was a successful if tiring day. Met many potential members of DC CityMommy. Talked to vendors about running ads. Met my Co-Leader. Good day, but happy to be home. Napped for two hours!
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