Blessings

Unless you're in the publishing business, you may not grasp this. But here goes: A publication is costed at X number of pages. This one, ATR, is supposed to have 144 (9 signatures ... a signature is 16 pages). In making corrections today I discovered a pagination problem. We have 2 of pages 93, 94, 95, 96. We are over 4 pages. Can't just go in and add 4. It has to be a signature. OK, you can do a 1/2 signature, but it is expensive. But we're late in the game. This is due to the printer on 7/8. Next Tuesday. We haven't got time to waste.

So I'm all afternoon trying to get hold of a buyer and/or analyst to recost this product. No answers. Left messages. Are these people in meetings or seeing my number on caller ID and sensing a problem? FINALLY got hold of one analyst. Before I could finish explaining the plan, she interrupted: "Bad idea. A half-signature is a really bad idea." And she explained why. So I'm back and forth on the phone with the EIC who was out flying his plane but I eventually reached and with the graphic designer, who came back to the office AND brought the triplets with him. They will be 5 months old tomorrow.

CHAOS. Random chaos. Not even organized chaos.

Finally Jon and I agreed that we will work on the assumption that the 1/2 signature will be approved because the EIC insists on it. Jon's added the pages. He'll take care of 2 in the leader guide and I'll take care of 2 by stretching session. Sharon, one EIC available, won't touch it with a 10-foot pole. She dumped it in my lap. I think she's scared of the manager, who finally came in, by the way. We talked and he seems to be OK with how we're handling it. He's all for the 1/2 signature too, so maybe since we have his blessing, the analyst will approve it. If not, back to the drawing board.

In the meantime, Jon and his wife are there with the triplets and it is snack time. Jodi was feeding one, Jessie held one, and I held one. I ended up with Ms. High Maintenance, who was NOT happy. But she had some killer gas and after several poots and a good burp, she seemed happier. Who wouldn't? And dry pants. So I'm holding her (and loving it by the way) and trying to converse with Jon on this pagination problem.

Anyway, I finally got out of there at 4:30 instead of my usual 3. Ten minutes can make a big difference in N'ville traffic, so guess what 1 1/2 hours does. More traffic. More congestion. But once I got past the loop over the river and back in I-65N it was smooth sailing.

All of this has left me with the screaming meemies. There are sumo wrestlers in my stomach and they are having one heck of a match. I'm in no mood to cook or even eat. I called Ed before I left the office and told him I'd be late. God love him, he said, "Let's just go out." Don't really wanna do that either, but it beats cooking.

At least we can still wear capris. What they need to do is put a length of skirts. I'm tired of seeing women wear them up to their, well, too short. And anyone with tree trunks for legs, no matter what age she is, needs to lengthen her skirts. No one wants to see THAT! I'm also tired of seeing panties when women sit down and their low-cut pants ride even lower than their thongs or even Big Mama drawers. 

The code also details things such as guys must wear their shirts tucked in (try enforcing that), no visible tattoos, no body piercings (other than women's earrings), no tennis shoes, guys must wear socks. I mean some of it is just ridiculous. But because there are adults of all ages who don't seem to grasp the difference in appropriate and inappropriate business casual, the clothes Nazis have to come down with their rendition of The Ten Commandments According to GQ.