Checks and Balances

As we endure yet another standoff in Washington, I'm happy to report that the checks and balances system is alive and well here at EPQD Scheduling Headquarters, ie my brain. Which should scare us all, as I found out yesterday.

First Disclaimer: I am sharing the following not so that you can all forever assume I am a complete disaster of disorganization (however please don't arrive unannounced for a quilting studio tour), but I share because as a paragon of all things Perfection is Overrated (maybe not really, but I just like the word "paragon"), I find it important to now and again prove to you all my humanity and humility, this time in the form of an Epic Calendar Fail.

Several months ago, Linda Warren, a lovely and talented designer I met when her booth was next to NEQDC's at a show, called to ask if I would like to give a lecture and workshop to her guild, Hands Across the Valley, as she was quite taken by my awesomeness. (I assume, anyway. It's always possible they were just desperate.) She gave me a choice between the first weekend of November or the first weekend of October, and as I had just booked something for October, I decided to share the love with November and chose that month.

Flash forward to the next afternoon, when I was filling in the blanks of the contract I was sending her and to my horror realized the first weekend of November was already reserved for NEQDC to vend at A Quilter's Gathering. For the love. I am an idiot. Strike one for Beth

So I shamefully called Linda back and explained my stupidity, and she graciously allowed me to snag the first weekend of October. Which I then listed on my schedule here on the blog as October 2 and 3. Because the first weekend of Nov is the 2nd and 3rd, and apparently I am unfamiliar with the whole "Thirty days hath September...." thing and how that affects the actual dates on a calendar. Strike two for Beth.

A day or two later, Linda called me back again, letting me know that while her guild usually meets the first weekend of the month, she had just discovered they couldn't have their workshop place for the first Saturday, so could I do the weekend of October 19/20 instead? Of course! Anything for you, Linda! Strike one for Linda (even if it wasn't entirely her fault)

Which I then wrote on my real paper calendar that sits above my head here at EPQD headquarters as October 19/20, and proceeded to turn the page back to July.

A few days later I finally got around to getting a contract emailed to her, and all I remembered was first weekend of October, because it was summer and my brain had melted away our conversation of three days prior. I googled a calendar for October 2013, (Because I was too lazy to flip pages on the one 8" from my head? Because the children had stolen the calendar? I honestly don't know.) and filled in the dates as October 5 and 6. Strike three for Beth

Those who are still with us will note that at this point I had the dates for this event written down as three different weekends (two real, one imaginary) in three different locations. Nice.

Linda signed the contract and sent it back. Strike two for Linda. Contract was filed away properly. Grand slam for Beth

Second Disclaimer: In an effort to assure you that according to many I really am worth the trouble of attempting to schedule a program for your guild, I promise this is the first time in eight years that things have ever gotten this far out of hand and have involved more than one person apparently working on limited caffeine and a prayer, and that is why I am sharing it because I find the whole thing amusing.

Flash forward again to yesterday, when I sent out the invoice prior to our supposed scheduled workshop and lecture this weekend. And then to the panicked phone call wherein Linda and I both about died to realize we had both been doing all we could to sabotage my booking, and finally set the whole thing straight. I love Linda because she totally got me and is happy to share in the blame. Beth and Linda eek out the win.

Now my biggest concern is what to do about the Octoberfest beer and wine tasting at our town library the evening of the 19th. Hands Across the Valley is about 80 miles from home, and I was planning to stay over on Saturday night, but it isn't so far that I COULDN'T come back, and with the lecture not until 2 on Sunday I could even have a good time. So in relaying all of this drama to Mr. QH last night and assuring him that our date should really not have to be affected, imagine my shock when his response was a quick "Oh, don't come back on my account - I'm perfectly okay going without you." What the heck? Straight to Strike three for Mr. QH.

So what do we think? Do I need to hire a secretary? Should I return to have a fun adult night out with my husband, or leave him to go it alone? Does he have a date waiting in the book stacks that I don't know about? How stupid would he have to be to try that, since most of the people there will know us at least well enough to know if he is with his wife or not?