Ye Olde Folks

It has been...a week.

After the debacle of the nasty bride and her nastier mom, I was feeling a wee bit of stress (to put it mildly). I had another dress that HAD to be finished, that I was delayed on due to nasty bride and her nastier mom. Not only that, but I had to head out to my grandparents in California. Grandma had to have surgery to clean out a major artery and someone had to stay with Grandpa while she was in hospital.

So, Sunday morning, I hopped in the van with Mom and The Small One and headed out. Mom drove for the first few hours while I worked on the wedding dress. The whole of the dress was covered with hand sewn appliques and I was not quite done. So, whilst Mom drove, I sewed. And sewed. And sewed. And still did not finish. We stopped that night in Vegas, wandered around a bit, forgot to have dinner and returned to our hotel. Where I sewed and sewed and sewed some more. Then undid some of the things that didn't look right and redid them. And then I was done. Well, almost.

We arose the next morning, piled into the van and off we went to Los Angeles. I have been running out of lace and whatnot for some time and needed to get to LA to replenish the stock. However, this trip was not terribly successful. I found a few things that I needed, but the prices on some of the other things weren't really very low and I couldn't afford to spend that much all at once. Especially when I could get it for less with a coupon at Jo-ann. What a bummer. After a few hours in the fabric district, back into the van for the drive up to the grandparents.

Long drive, that. I had to do all of the driving from Vegas on. Mom doesn't care to drive and then at night, she can't see, so there wasn't any other option. Around 7 I started to get very tired and cranky, so we stopped for a bite to eat. And then on again. We arrived at the grandparents about 1:30 am, utterly worn out.

And, here we have remained. With brief trips into town (or surrounding towns) for a bit of shopping and simply to get out of the overheated, overloud, undersized home which my grandparents inhabit.

I had been communicating quite frequently with the hopeful owner of the aforementioned wedding gown and when I got to Salinas, I went over to the post office to post her dress. Express mail, you know, with tracking. She sent me a few emails about her excitement to receive her dress and then, I got the notice that it was received and...silence. Nothing. I have heard nothing from her end. Nor did she make her final payment as I thought she had. Awesome. She has now had the dress in her possession for three days and not a word, not a payment. As of right now, I have offically been stiffed $650 in two weeks.

So, that kind of added to the stress I have been feeling of late. I am sure you understand.

Stress from a nasty bride and her nastier mom, stress from a long drive with The Small One, stress from cleaning grandparents house (oh, you have no idea!), stress from trying to keep Grandpa happy whilst Grandma is in hospital, stress from the incessant noise of a VERY LOUD TV and the level of heat the old folks prefer, stress from the inability of The Small One to go out in play in the yard due to the very real possibility of her being dismembered by falling on something that normal people do not have buried in the weeds in their yards (possum in a cage, anyone?) and her consequent rowdiness in the house and STRESS from another bride who apparently does not want to pay.

Good times, I tell you. Good times.

It kicks one's confidence down when one has but one client who is displeased with one's work. Although in that case, it was the Mother of the Bride, not the Bride, but still. But, when one has two clients who are displeased? Ugh. I feel...lousy. Unable to work. As though I really am that sucky at my job. Last time this happened, I took a year off. I don't know why it does me in in such a major way, but it does.

We leave for home in the morning. I cannot begin to tell you how glad I am of that.

East, West, Home's best.