I feel like I have been negligent in writing on this blog. I console myself with the idea that everyone is busy too and will still be here when I write something. So for that I say thank you for still being here.
I really haven't been negligent though. It takes a lot to produce this calendar. As soon as I finish one year I start on the next year. So all this year I have been making quilts and planning photo shoots. As soon as one photo shoot is done, we are off to the next one. It sounds so easy now, but trying to schedule my time, the photographers time and the venue's time was very challenging.
This year I added a framer into the mix. Since the glass on the frame reflects back with a glaring flash from the camera, I had some of the work framed without the glass. Rushed to take the pictures and then back to the framer to have the glass put in. Did I mention that when the quilt is big, there is at least a two week wait for ordering glass and mats to fit? I wasn't expecting this to be so time consuming.
When I started on this journey last September I was sure that I would make my deadline. I didn't. I pledged to the photographer that we will do better this time. He reminded me that we did better this year than we did last year. That should give me some consolation.
I spent countless hours on the computer. I set up all the number date pages and watched my son organize the photo pages. I learned to make a PDF document. Then the moment came when I thought I would just upload the file to the printer. At first it looked like my computer security was attacking the file, that was when I called the security company and chatted online; to no avail. Then I called the printer and got someone who obviously didn't know anything about technology. At least he was honest when he said, "I don't know what to tell you." So I called my daughter, my son, my brother. They all made some good suggestions.
Then I called the printer again. I got someone different. He said did you flatten all the documents first. I remembered that my son did that for me last year. He also added that I should load it in Acrobat 4. Wow, he had some solid answers. Tried all of that. Stayed up until midnight trying to send it. I called the printer again. Got the same person. He suggested that I reduce the size of everything. Still didn't work. They were telling me the file was just too big. Too big? It's a big calendar, 12"x12" and I want the highest quality photos that I can get. I was thinking, if you are a printer, how could you not have the capabilities to handle large files.
Frustrated to death, I called again. I got someone else. I asked for the previous helpers. I think the other helpers I had been calling were waving their hands saying, "no no, I don't want to talk to her again." The new person asked me the million dollar question. "Are you on a computer that is using wifi or is it a hard line?" He explained that the wifi connection was not strong enough to carry such a big file. I plugged in and it loaded.
I texted my son, "And the heavens opened wide. The sun peeked through and painted a rainbow across the sky." He knew that the storm had finally passed and I had Finally uploaded that monster of a file.
Today is the first day of Kwanzaa, so I greet you with Habari Gani. It means what is happening. The answer today is "Umoja". Umoja is unity. Kwanzaa consists of seven principles, one practiced each day of the seven days. The principles are Umoja, Kujichagulia, Ujima, Ujamaa, Nia, Kuumba and Imani. Have a Happy Kwanzaa!
