Friday, Fog and Photographers

I used to sit with the male members of my team, and talk was about horses, tips and odds, beer, the war and football, and now I sit with the female troupe. I have to confess that they do cross stitch! I mean, they are in their twenties, for heaven's sake. Perhaps cross stitch is the same as crystal meth?

One has recently gone off on maternity leave so we have had the pictures and the obligatory visit with the offspring - thankfully I was on holiday - and now one of them is getting married and you would not believe the amount her parents are forking out! Well, maybe you would, but considering all my marriages have been do it yourself affairs, it certainly, as they say, beggars my belief!

Over the last couple of days we have had the Saga of the Photographer. Little L and her mum paid the aforementioned snapper of snaps an £85 as a deposit and have been trying for a couple of weeks to get a receipt and also to book an appointment to finalise the details. The wedding is not until next August, however apparently you need to order early for these things. Considering Hubby and I organised our do in the space of 6 weeks and still managed to have a transvestite Abba tribute band at the evening do, can't understand the panic, but hey!

Anyway, this thing was to cost £2,500. No, not the wedding, the Photographer. Is it just me? OK, I'll shut up then.

So, if they can't manage to send out a receipt, would you be happy with paying them that much for a few photos and expect them to turn up/take off the lens cap/develop the right negatives?

Nor me.

Anyway at the "last" minute, instead of sending the receipt through the post, the firm have sent the deposit back. They have refused to do the gig. No reason given. Cue floods of tears from Little L and, by default, her Mum. This girl is a rottweiler when it comes to project managers not doing their job, give her a wayward Photographer and I would expect her to eat him for breakfast, but as it is to do with the wedding it all goes out the window.

Forget the fact that I have one team member on maternity, another heading that way imminently, (if she burps, you find yourself ordering towels and boiling water), one up for hospitalisation, oh, and me for the same, one resignation, and the rest working flat out to cover these and their own jobs, as well as a Board communication telling me that they have decided they need me to find a fully qualified QA analyst to get this product live by 15th December, no worries, if you need me I'm in the loos talking to a distraught Little L and persuading her that all will be all right on the night, it was meant to be, and don't for a moment worry about it.

Only Friday the 13th after all. Are they racing at Haydock today? That, I can handle.