Why I'm So Behind

Besides having been hit with the 2nd nastyawful cold of the season, (what the heck?) I have been up to my eyebrows in preparations and projects for a big event.

I've previously posted that I belong to a guild that supports two transitional houses for women in recovery. These women have hit bottom, dried out, often been in the justice system, and have nowhere to go to support their brand new sobriety. The houses give them a last chance, with the structured support they need to get their lives turned around. Some of these women came from middle class homes, with children and families. Some have lost their parental rights and are in the process of reuniting with their children. Some are trying to complete an unfinished or unstarted education, find employment, etc. If you are interested in more about what we provide, you can read an old post here.

This Friday, we are hosting our 3rd Annual Mardis Gras Celebration, which benefits the transitional houses both directly, and through our guild. It also happens to be a blast of a night, with good food, music, dancing and a lot of fun.

For the second year in a row, I am "co-chairing" the event. We are working with a brand new manager at the Country Club we hold it at, which has presented some challenges*, but in the long run will be a very good thing. But it's like starting from scratch again.

*Challenges = New this year - $500 room fee we were not informed of until after committing with a deposit! New management means unhappy employees, like the CHEF quitting! New manager hired! New chef hired! New menu planned! New chef quits! (Quits as in YESTERDAY - did I mention the event is Friday??)

Somehow, because I don't actually learn the lessons I preach, and have no ability to delegate or say no, I am also:

- doing all the posters of photos we put on easels throughout the room (= trying to crop, edit and color correct to make really bad photographs look good when blown up to gigantic proportions)

- printing all the donation cards (= I print 28 thinking no way we need more than that, only to be told others think we need 40. Back to the printer I go.)

- printing the bar signs (= nothing too terrible about that except the PRICE INCREASES from last year)

 -and printing/folding/taping the stand up table cards that thank our sponsors (= OH CRUD I HAVEN'T DONE THIS YET)

- Oh wait! I'm also doing the slide show/video that goes along with our presentation. I got the video to be imbedded in the slide show on MONDAY afternoon. In it's rough form it is FIFTEEN minutes long. I've got to edit it down to 3-4 minutes tops. In the next 2-1/2 days. Yikes!

I'm not complaining. I really enjoy doing it. And at a time when my business is very slow (ugh), it gives me something to direct my energies to. It's just been... a lot all of a sudden.

As a result, I have been negligent, or very late, in reading your blogs, commenting when I do read, and responding.

So please forgive me. I'll be back on my game soon. This is all over come Friday.

***Ally