All sorts of projects going on...
Finished my Memory Makers projects. Whew. Those were a weight off my shoulders.
Need to package them & mail them.
Need to work on CHA stuff for Michael Miller.
Need to scan/print my portfolio layouts so I can bring something SMALL to share and not my big ole binder.
Need to get my design ideas in a presentable way.
Need (NEED) to fold laundry from the 8 loads I did when we came back from vacation. They are currently in baskets for each person... but they are getting pretty wrinkly that way. LOL
Need to work on more layouts for Memory Makers Masters Book. I have completed 4 of the 17 I need to do. Lots more to work on.
Need to re-read the Harry Potter books so that I can be ready for Book 6, which comes out in less than 3 weeks. Just gotta keep plugging away.
Need to work on Riley's swimming skills... he's finally hit a breakthrough and loves going underwater now. We have to start really focusing on perfecting his kicking skills and his ability to get himself to the side of the pool safely when he goes in. Liane's been a great teacher so far.
Oh and still need to lose 25 pounds ;)
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Monday, June 27, 2005
5 years ago
yesterday, I gave birth to my first child - a daughter. After struggling with an ectopic pregnancy and unexplained infertility, my dream of becoming a mother had finally come true.
And through all the
smiling
crying
nursing
barfing
cooing
pooping
cuddling
late nights
crawling
standing
walking
talking
running
climbing
playing
napping
teething
bathing
learning
sharing
growing
maturing
that has happened in the last five years of *my* life,
I am so thankful.
Happy birthday, Violet :)
And through all the
smiling
crying
nursing
barfing
cooing
pooping
cuddling
late nights
crawling
standing
walking
talking
running
climbing
playing
napping
teething
bathing
learning
sharing
growing
maturing
that has happened in the last five years of *my* life,
I am so thankful.
Happy birthday, Violet :)
Thursday, June 23, 2005
A Lady Azusa Story
When I was a little girl, my grandmother Abu would tell me stories of the most beautiful mermaid in the ocean named Lady Azusa. I loved those stories so much, and I so miss them. Abu is 82 years old right now, and she doesn't tell her stories anymore. But tonight at dinnertime, I believe that Abu somehow shared her spirit with me. I do not know where this story came from, other than straight from the heart of Abu. So thank you, dear Abu, for sharing your gift with me. I will use it wisely, and I will carry on your tradition.
Lady Azusa's Message
Once there was a beautiful little girl named Violet. She was visiting the beach with her family. One night, as the moon was full in the sky above, she took a walk along the beach. She saw a lot of shells, and some of them sparkled a little bit in the moonlight. Just then, a few steps ahead of her, she saw a shell that shone and sparkled like nothing she had ever seen. Violet picked it up and a few sparkles fell from the shell.
She knew this shell was special – even magical – and she held it to her ear. At first, all she could hear was the whooooosh of the ocean. But then suddenly, Violet heard something else – a quiet voice that whispered to her,
“Hello! This is a special shell that has been sent to you from Lady Azusa, Queen of all the Sea. She would like you to come right to this spot on the beach tomorrow morning at sunrise, and there will be a special messenger waiting to take you to see the Queen.”
Violet’s eyes widened, for she knew that this was a very special message that she must heed. She ran back to her house as fast as her little feet could carry her, in the door and up the steps to the bedroom where her daddy was sleeping.
“Daddy!” she cried, “I just got a message from Lady Azusa! She told me I had to meet her tomorrow morning at sunrise on the beach!”
Violet’s daddy was a bit skeptical, because although he had heard stories of Lady Azusa, he didn’t know she really existed. But he agreed to take her to the shore the following morning, and they set their alarm for very early so they could be there at sunrise.
The next morning as Violet and her daddy walked hand in hand to the beach, they came upon a strange sight. There, right in the spot where Violet found the sparkly seashell, a dolphin – with a crown on his head – waited to greet them in the water right where the ocean met the sand.
“You must be girl who received Lady Azusa’s message,” said the Dolphin with a very regal voice. “I am here to take you to meet her.”
Violet looked at her daddy and back at the dolphin. Her daddy nodded at her and said she could go. “I’ll wait for you here, sweetie,” he told her.
Violet stepped up to the dolphin, which looked long and low at her down his snout and said, “Can you breeeeeeeeathe underwater, young lady?”
“No,” Violet replied with a concerned look on her face.
“Then place my crown upon your head, and you will be able to breathe underwater so that you may visit with The Queen.” Violet picked up the crown. It sparkled as soon as she touched it, and as she put it on her head it glowed a soft purple. “Now climb onto my back and we will swim through the sea and the waves to her castle.”
Violet carefully climbed onto the back of the dolphin and held onto his dorsal fin. He turned toward the sea and flipped his tail and into the waves they went. He dove down, down, down into the salty ocean. Violet was afraid at first… she had been holding her breath and needed to breathe soon – would the crown really work? Could she really breathe underwater? She knew she couldn’t hold on any longer – she had to take a breath – she opened her mouth and GULPED! And she could breathe!! Under the water! She looked around with a huge grin as they passed coral gardens and schools of fish and kelp beds as they went deeper and deeper in the sea. The deeper they went, the more sparkly the water became. It shimmered and glowed all around them.
Violet and the dolphin rounded a rocky corner and suddenly she saw the most beautiful sight ever – Lady Azusa’s castle. It rose up from the sandy bottom of the ocean with blue-violet spires that glimmered like jewels. The dolphin let Violet off his back right at the door of the castle. She swam up to the huge door and pulled the sapphire blue knocker out from it. The knock was a loud, hollow sound that echoed in the castle.
The castle door opened slowly, and at first Violet didn’t see anyone there. Then she looked down and saw a little red crab. It was Sebastian, the crab from The Little Mermaid! “Lady Azusa is expecting you,” he said with a smile. “Follow me.” With those words, Sebastian skittered along the floor of the castle to The Queen’s reception room as Violet followed close behind.
As they entered the beautiful hall adorned with sea flowers of all kinds, Violet caught a glimpse of the most beautiful lady she had ever seen in her life. Lady Azusa had a long pink tail that shimmered as it moved through the water. Her hair was long and golden and wavy and it moved as the current moved around her. She had big, beautiful eyes and a lovely smile. “Violet!” she cried. “Thank you so much for coming to see me! I am so very happy to see you!” and she swam over to Violet and gave her a big, long hug.
Lady Azusa took Violet by the hand and showed her to a fluffy flower chair. They sat together and Lady Azusa smiled as she spoke. “Violet… I am so glad you got my message on the beach. I was hoping you would find it! Do you know why I asked you to come down here to meet me?”
“No,” said Violet as she shook her head.
“I asked you to meet me because I have a very important task for you. Do you think you can help me?” Lady Azusa asked Violet.
“Of course!” Violet said enthusiastically.
“Well, Violet, I don’t know if you noticed – but the ocean has been getting very dirty. People are leaving their trash on the beach and they are dropping it off their boats into the water. This trash is hurting the fish and dolphins, and it is making the ocean unclean and unsafe for all of us. I am asking you – dear Violet – to help me by picking up any trash you see when you are walking along the beach. If you did this, it could be the start of something very special for all of us, both on land and in the sea. We could once again have clean, sparkling water for all of us. The beaches wouldn’t be cluttered with trash from visitors, and it would be a safe place for you to play and make sand castles. We want to keep everything clean and beautiful, the way God made it. Do you think you can be my helper and clean up the beach for me?”
Violet said she would. And she would tell all her friends and family to do the same.
“Thank you, sweet child,” Lady Azusa said. “And I have a gift for you. It is a Mussel Shell Amulet, and it will remind you of what I told you. The back side is rough and dirty – just like the ocean and beach will look if no one takes care of it. But if you turn it over, it is smooth and shiny, like the sparking water of the sea. This will remind you that if everyone does their part to take care of our world, we will all have a sparkly, shiny place to live.” Violet humbly accepted her gift from Lady Azusa, who placed it around her neck.
“I do not want to keep you from your daddy too long, but please join me for a little Mermaid Tea before you have to return to land,” said The Queen, and Violet of course said she would. They dined and snacked for a short while, and then Violet knew she must go. With another hug, Lady Azusa bid her new friend Violet farewell.
Violet climbed onto the dolphin and they swam back to the surface together. When they broke through the water, she saw her daddy waiting for her on the shore. Violet took the crown from her head and placed it back on the dolphin’s head. “Thank you for my wonderful ride, Sir Dolphin. I shall never forget it!” she told him, and waved as he returned to the water.
Violet ran toward her daddy and showed him her gift from Lady Azusa. The necklace sparkled even more out in the sun. She told her daddy how she now has a task when she is on the beach. If she ever sees trash, she is to pick it up and put it in the trash bins, so that the oceans and the beaches are clean and sparkly for people, mermaids, and all the creatures of the sea.
And with that, the two of them walked along the shore, picking up things to put in the trash cans, so that Lady Azusa’s dream of a beautiful shore would come true.
The end.
Copyright 2005
By Jessie Baldwin
Lady Azusa's Message
Once there was a beautiful little girl named Violet. She was visiting the beach with her family. One night, as the moon was full in the sky above, she took a walk along the beach. She saw a lot of shells, and some of them sparkled a little bit in the moonlight. Just then, a few steps ahead of her, she saw a shell that shone and sparkled like nothing she had ever seen. Violet picked it up and a few sparkles fell from the shell.
She knew this shell was special – even magical – and she held it to her ear. At first, all she could hear was the whooooosh of the ocean. But then suddenly, Violet heard something else – a quiet voice that whispered to her,
“Hello! This is a special shell that has been sent to you from Lady Azusa, Queen of all the Sea. She would like you to come right to this spot on the beach tomorrow morning at sunrise, and there will be a special messenger waiting to take you to see the Queen.”
Violet’s eyes widened, for she knew that this was a very special message that she must heed. She ran back to her house as fast as her little feet could carry her, in the door and up the steps to the bedroom where her daddy was sleeping.
“Daddy!” she cried, “I just got a message from Lady Azusa! She told me I had to meet her tomorrow morning at sunrise on the beach!”
Violet’s daddy was a bit skeptical, because although he had heard stories of Lady Azusa, he didn’t know she really existed. But he agreed to take her to the shore the following morning, and they set their alarm for very early so they could be there at sunrise.
The next morning as Violet and her daddy walked hand in hand to the beach, they came upon a strange sight. There, right in the spot where Violet found the sparkly seashell, a dolphin – with a crown on his head – waited to greet them in the water right where the ocean met the sand.
“You must be girl who received Lady Azusa’s message,” said the Dolphin with a very regal voice. “I am here to take you to meet her.”
Violet looked at her daddy and back at the dolphin. Her daddy nodded at her and said she could go. “I’ll wait for you here, sweetie,” he told her.
Violet stepped up to the dolphin, which looked long and low at her down his snout and said, “Can you breeeeeeeeathe underwater, young lady?”
“No,” Violet replied with a concerned look on her face.
“Then place my crown upon your head, and you will be able to breathe underwater so that you may visit with The Queen.” Violet picked up the crown. It sparkled as soon as she touched it, and as she put it on her head it glowed a soft purple. “Now climb onto my back and we will swim through the sea and the waves to her castle.”
Violet carefully climbed onto the back of the dolphin and held onto his dorsal fin. He turned toward the sea and flipped his tail and into the waves they went. He dove down, down, down into the salty ocean. Violet was afraid at first… she had been holding her breath and needed to breathe soon – would the crown really work? Could she really breathe underwater? She knew she couldn’t hold on any longer – she had to take a breath – she opened her mouth and GULPED! And she could breathe!! Under the water! She looked around with a huge grin as they passed coral gardens and schools of fish and kelp beds as they went deeper and deeper in the sea. The deeper they went, the more sparkly the water became. It shimmered and glowed all around them.
Violet and the dolphin rounded a rocky corner and suddenly she saw the most beautiful sight ever – Lady Azusa’s castle. It rose up from the sandy bottom of the ocean with blue-violet spires that glimmered like jewels. The dolphin let Violet off his back right at the door of the castle. She swam up to the huge door and pulled the sapphire blue knocker out from it. The knock was a loud, hollow sound that echoed in the castle.
The castle door opened slowly, and at first Violet didn’t see anyone there. Then she looked down and saw a little red crab. It was Sebastian, the crab from The Little Mermaid! “Lady Azusa is expecting you,” he said with a smile. “Follow me.” With those words, Sebastian skittered along the floor of the castle to The Queen’s reception room as Violet followed close behind.
As they entered the beautiful hall adorned with sea flowers of all kinds, Violet caught a glimpse of the most beautiful lady she had ever seen in her life. Lady Azusa had a long pink tail that shimmered as it moved through the water. Her hair was long and golden and wavy and it moved as the current moved around her. She had big, beautiful eyes and a lovely smile. “Violet!” she cried. “Thank you so much for coming to see me! I am so very happy to see you!” and she swam over to Violet and gave her a big, long hug.
Lady Azusa took Violet by the hand and showed her to a fluffy flower chair. They sat together and Lady Azusa smiled as she spoke. “Violet… I am so glad you got my message on the beach. I was hoping you would find it! Do you know why I asked you to come down here to meet me?”
“No,” said Violet as she shook her head.
“I asked you to meet me because I have a very important task for you. Do you think you can help me?” Lady Azusa asked Violet.
“Of course!” Violet said enthusiastically.
“Well, Violet, I don’t know if you noticed – but the ocean has been getting very dirty. People are leaving their trash on the beach and they are dropping it off their boats into the water. This trash is hurting the fish and dolphins, and it is making the ocean unclean and unsafe for all of us. I am asking you – dear Violet – to help me by picking up any trash you see when you are walking along the beach. If you did this, it could be the start of something very special for all of us, both on land and in the sea. We could once again have clean, sparkling water for all of us. The beaches wouldn’t be cluttered with trash from visitors, and it would be a safe place for you to play and make sand castles. We want to keep everything clean and beautiful, the way God made it. Do you think you can be my helper and clean up the beach for me?”
Violet said she would. And she would tell all her friends and family to do the same.
“Thank you, sweet child,” Lady Azusa said. “And I have a gift for you. It is a Mussel Shell Amulet, and it will remind you of what I told you. The back side is rough and dirty – just like the ocean and beach will look if no one takes care of it. But if you turn it over, it is smooth and shiny, like the sparking water of the sea. This will remind you that if everyone does their part to take care of our world, we will all have a sparkly, shiny place to live.” Violet humbly accepted her gift from Lady Azusa, who placed it around her neck.
“I do not want to keep you from your daddy too long, but please join me for a little Mermaid Tea before you have to return to land,” said The Queen, and Violet of course said she would. They dined and snacked for a short while, and then Violet knew she must go. With another hug, Lady Azusa bid her new friend Violet farewell.
Violet climbed onto the dolphin and they swam back to the surface together. When they broke through the water, she saw her daddy waiting for her on the shore. Violet took the crown from her head and placed it back on the dolphin’s head. “Thank you for my wonderful ride, Sir Dolphin. I shall never forget it!” she told him, and waved as he returned to the water.
Violet ran toward her daddy and showed him her gift from Lady Azusa. The necklace sparkled even more out in the sun. She told her daddy how she now has a task when she is on the beach. If she ever sees trash, she is to pick it up and put it in the trash bins, so that the oceans and the beaches are clean and sparkly for people, mermaids, and all the creatures of the sea.
And with that, the two of them walked along the shore, picking up things to put in the trash cans, so that Lady Azusa’s dream of a beautiful shore would come true.
The end.
Copyright 2005
By Jessie Baldwin
Saturday, June 18, 2005
Leaving in a few hours
for a much-needed family vacation to the beach and Disneyland! Can't wait to come back and tell you all about it.
Today Melinda and Luke arrived and we had a little open house/party for them at Mom & Dad's. Even Matt got to come over and hang out for awhile! I was pretty excited about that, since I was completely convinced that he hated us.
Anyway, we'll be back on the 26th. Talk to you all then!!! :)
Today Melinda and Luke arrived and we had a little open house/party for them at Mom & Dad's. Even Matt got to come over and hang out for awhile! I was pretty excited about that, since I was completely convinced that he hated us.
Anyway, we'll be back on the 26th. Talk to you all then!!! :)
Thursday, June 16, 2005
I found the perfect Father's Day gift!!
Just think... sitting out front of your trailer in this puppy while cleaning and cocking your guns and spitting your chew into the old coffee can... I can see it now... LOL
Happy Birthday, Rick!
32 Years....woooooooooooo!
We had a great time at Spring Mountain Ranch last night watching Seussical. No cake for Rick, though. His request was "brownies... made by Liane." :)
We had a great time at Spring Mountain Ranch last night watching Seussical. No cake for Rick, though. His request was "brownies... made by Liane." :)
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Just made plans
for our 10th anniversary trip.
No, it's not to Europe, like we originally planned a few years ago.
No, it's not to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, like we planned a few months ago.
And, though we really wish we could go there, it's also not to New Zealand.
For our tenth anniversary, we will be revisiting our honeymoon destination - San Francisco, CA. And it will be so much fun! We will be staying at the McKnight's house and traveling by BART into town. And on Sunday, we will be seeing WICKED at the Orpheum Theatre! It will be perfect - relatively inexpensive (no hotel costs), relaxing (no kids - woooo!), and romantic (who doesn't love the San Francisco skyline?).
So - you could say we ARE going on a second honeymoon! How fun for us! :)
No, it's not to Europe, like we originally planned a few years ago.
No, it's not to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, like we planned a few months ago.
And, though we really wish we could go there, it's also not to New Zealand.
For our tenth anniversary, we will be revisiting our honeymoon destination - San Francisco, CA. And it will be so much fun! We will be staying at the McKnight's house and traveling by BART into town. And on Sunday, we will be seeing WICKED at the Orpheum Theatre! It will be perfect - relatively inexpensive (no hotel costs), relaxing (no kids - woooo!), and romantic (who doesn't love the San Francisco skyline?).
So - you could say we ARE going on a second honeymoon! How fun for us! :)
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Bob & Tiffany... the engagement
Have I mentioned yet how great it is that Bob had the waitress take pictures of the whole thing? I am just so dang happy ;). Here are a couple of great ones :)
"Tiff, will you marry me?"
"YES!"
The ring fits beautifully :)
Aren't they cute?
"Tiff, will you marry me?"
"YES!"
The ring fits beautifully :)
Aren't they cute?
Sunday, June 12, 2005
Bob did it!!
He & Tiff are engaged. They called and shared the news. Tiff said it was like in a movie. They even got photos!! (Go BOB!!) After ordering their dinner, Bob excused himself to go to the restroom... but really it was to secretly talk to the waitress into coming over to take photos of the process. So after his "potty break," he sat down with Tiff. When the waitress came back to ask if everything was okay, Bob suggested that they get a photo of them on their date. Waitress gets the camera, the two of them pose arm in arm and Bob says, "Wait - this isn't right..." and turns to Tiff, gets down on one knee, and asks her to marry him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She cried and said yes and everyone around them clapped and cheered! They kissed and hugged and they have a TON of great photos of the engagement. She was so cute telling me the story, too... she was COMPLETELY caught off guard, and has been floating on air ever since. They couldn't even eat their dinner, they were both so giddy. I can't wait to see the pics (Tiff said they got a LOT of great ones). They are coming over for dinner tomorrow - I am gonna see if I can download the photos and put a few up here :)
Saturday, June 11, 2005
Friday, June 10, 2005
Thursday, June 09, 2005
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Three more days...
till Rick's brother Bob proposes to Tiffany. (ooooh don't tell!!)
I am trying to figure out how I can sneak onto the balcony at Mon Ami Gabi and hide amongst the topiaries to take candid shots of the moment when he asks her to marry him. He's so cute. He's been calling me a few times to ask about stuff... what kind of ring to get her... where would be a good place to propose... I can't wait to hear the story. I wish I could see it too :)
I am trying to figure out how I can sneak onto the balcony at Mon Ami Gabi and hide amongst the topiaries to take candid shots of the moment when he asks her to marry him. He's so cute. He's been calling me a few times to ask about stuff... what kind of ring to get her... where would be a good place to propose... I can't wait to hear the story. I wish I could see it too :)
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
More Summer Reading...
I recently finished a book called A Dedication by John Zaiss. Excellent, inspiring read for anyone who has been a student or a teacher, been a teenager or has teenagers. It's a story of frendship and redemption and overcoming tragedy. Just wonderful. Cried for hours. Apparently I need a cry once in awhile.
Check it out at Amazon, read all the reviews, and get it if you wish. You will be glad you did.
Check it out at Amazon, read all the reviews, and get it if you wish. You will be glad you did.
Monday, June 06, 2005
Alicia's Story
Alicia is a dear friend of Stephanie DeJarnett, Val's red-headed step child ;), and she is going through cancer right now.
Read her story. It's a 7-part feature, running in the San Francisco Chronicle all this week.
http://www.sfgate.com/alicia/
If you get a chance, read the comments, too. Very inspiring. I have been crying for the last half hour.
Read her story. It's a 7-part feature, running in the San Francisco Chronicle all this week.
http://www.sfgate.com/alicia/
If you get a chance, read the comments, too. Very inspiring. I have been crying for the last half hour.
Changed my settings
So if you aren't on blogger you can still post a comment! Apparently there are a few of you out there! Please stop in and say hi! I'd love to know who's out there reading my ramblings! :)
Sunday, June 05, 2005
Argh. Sam's Club Photo.
Don't get me wrong. I have always loved Sam's Club 1 hour photo. I have used it since before Violet was born. I have had at least one roll developed there every week for the past 5 years. That's THOUSANDS of dollars on prints, reprints, enlargements, and film.
And they've always been great. I've had a couple of minor mishaps here and there, but nothing that couldn't be fixed.
Until now.
I am mad. And not just angry. But a little crazy, too.
(Don't worry, Tint. They didn't lose your negatives.)
I have been working on my sister's wedding album. I've already finished a smaller, 40 page, 9x9 album of photos from the wedding and reception, but I wanted to do a formal album for her, too. Like Mom has... with all the 8x10s of the best shots from the day. I picked out 26 great photos. I took the STACK of negatives, all clearly marked, to Sam's on Friday, and told them to give me 8x12s of all of them. (I do this cause I didn't want THEM deciding where I wanted my 8x10s cropped. It's just easier to get the 8x12 and crop it myself, and it's the same price) The manager wasn't there, just one of the worker ladies. But they all know me and they know what I expect of them. No problem, they'll be done by 6 p.m. YAY!
Valerie picked them up for me and paid for them. 55 bucks.
I saw Val on Saturday and she gave me my photos. I opened up the package. I notice a couple of dust specks on the first couple - great. I'll need to get those re-done. Then a photo of them was backward - like the lady put the negative in the machine wrong. I was starting to get annoyed. THEN I GOT PISSED. The photo of the two of them at the waterfall was COVERED in dust specks - like all across their faces!! Gimme a break! You would have failed photo 101 for that! And that was when I turned to the family photos at the bottom of the stack. ALL 6 OF THEM had a pair of huge scratch lines running the length of the negatives - across the people's faces and bodies. This was not a dust speck. This was total negligence on behalf of the lady who ran the negatives through the machine. She did NOT make sure it was clean and free of debris before she sent the negatives through and she damaged them.
(Melinda, don't panic. This *can* be fixed with a little help of a REAL photo finisher - whom we know - and some photoshop techniques. I promise!!)
So my plans of working on the album at Saturday's all day crop were thwarted.
I called Verna, the assistant manager, right away. She first apologized for not doing the negatives herself. Then she tried to tell me it wasn't the machine at all, that it might have been my negatives... I told her that it was most definitely the machine. We had the negatives processed by our PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER at Ritz Camera. They were fine till we had them run through the machines here.
So here's what I think happened. I know I used the negatives in question as my example to her for what I needed done. So they were likely on the top of the stack. She started ruining them through and printing the photos, probably getting through the first 6 before the prints started coming out. When she stopped to check on the prints, she noticed the scratches and realized her mistake. By now it was too late, but she cleaned the machine and tried to reprint them anyway - to no avail. Then she pulled out the next negative strip (the one with Melinda and Luke) and was so concerned about the cleaning of the machine that she didn't bother to blow off the negative which is why it ended up covered in dust specks. Finally, she started on the next roll and vowed to get it right... cleaning the machine, but in doing so likely got specks of crap on her gloves so when she handled the negatives, even though she cleaned them, they ended up with specks on different spots of the photo. As these photos came out, since the specks weren't obvious (on people's faces), she breathed a sigh of relief and kept on printing, thinking that what she was doing was fine, and hoping (for some odd reason) that I wouldn't notice what she did. She was trying to get these done quickly for me, and she got careless.
This is why I think this happened:
1. I know their policy of cleaning the machine, because I have dealt with scratched negatives in the past.
2. When I confronted her today, she was VERY defensive - overly defensive - saying it wasn't possible for the negatives to be scratched because she followed all the procedures.
3. When I showed her that it was clearly a problem with that roll and those specific strips, she had no clear answer for me.
4. Like I mentioned before - It is likely she got careless because I asked her to do them in 6 hours instead of overnight.
5. I didn't wait for the manager to just do it. I trusted this clerk, and she's not the brightest bulb in the bunch.
I returned the photos (all of them) and got my money back. I will be speaking to the photo manager and Sam's Club general manager on Wednesday (they are off until then), and I will be requesting that Sam's Club pay for the photo finishing fees it will take to restore the damaged negatives from this roll. I will also get the other photos printed at a photo finishing lab so that I know that they will be handled correctly, although I won't make Sam's pay for that (unless the specks were actually damage and not just dust particles). I don't want to get anyone fired, or anything like that. But I *do* want to be sure that they find out what is causing their machine to scratch negatives (which only happens when I ask them to reprint 8x12s). But I think I am totally justified in making Sam's Club pay to fix the ones that were ruined by their machine and their negligence.
And they've always been great. I've had a couple of minor mishaps here and there, but nothing that couldn't be fixed.
Until now.
I am mad. And not just angry. But a little crazy, too.
(Don't worry, Tint. They didn't lose your negatives.)
I have been working on my sister's wedding album. I've already finished a smaller, 40 page, 9x9 album of photos from the wedding and reception, but I wanted to do a formal album for her, too. Like Mom has... with all the 8x10s of the best shots from the day. I picked out 26 great photos. I took the STACK of negatives, all clearly marked, to Sam's on Friday, and told them to give me 8x12s of all of them. (I do this cause I didn't want THEM deciding where I wanted my 8x10s cropped. It's just easier to get the 8x12 and crop it myself, and it's the same price) The manager wasn't there, just one of the worker ladies. But they all know me and they know what I expect of them. No problem, they'll be done by 6 p.m. YAY!
Valerie picked them up for me and paid for them. 55 bucks.
I saw Val on Saturday and she gave me my photos. I opened up the package. I notice a couple of dust specks on the first couple - great. I'll need to get those re-done. Then a photo of them was backward - like the lady put the negative in the machine wrong. I was starting to get annoyed. THEN I GOT PISSED. The photo of the two of them at the waterfall was COVERED in dust specks - like all across their faces!! Gimme a break! You would have failed photo 101 for that! And that was when I turned to the family photos at the bottom of the stack. ALL 6 OF THEM had a pair of huge scratch lines running the length of the negatives - across the people's faces and bodies. This was not a dust speck. This was total negligence on behalf of the lady who ran the negatives through the machine. She did NOT make sure it was clean and free of debris before she sent the negatives through and she damaged them.
(Melinda, don't panic. This *can* be fixed with a little help of a REAL photo finisher - whom we know - and some photoshop techniques. I promise!!)
So my plans of working on the album at Saturday's all day crop were thwarted.
I called Verna, the assistant manager, right away. She first apologized for not doing the negatives herself. Then she tried to tell me it wasn't the machine at all, that it might have been my negatives... I told her that it was most definitely the machine. We had the negatives processed by our PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER at Ritz Camera. They were fine till we had them run through the machines here.
So here's what I think happened. I know I used the negatives in question as my example to her for what I needed done. So they were likely on the top of the stack. She started ruining them through and printing the photos, probably getting through the first 6 before the prints started coming out. When she stopped to check on the prints, she noticed the scratches and realized her mistake. By now it was too late, but she cleaned the machine and tried to reprint them anyway - to no avail. Then she pulled out the next negative strip (the one with Melinda and Luke) and was so concerned about the cleaning of the machine that she didn't bother to blow off the negative which is why it ended up covered in dust specks. Finally, she started on the next roll and vowed to get it right... cleaning the machine, but in doing so likely got specks of crap on her gloves so when she handled the negatives, even though she cleaned them, they ended up with specks on different spots of the photo. As these photos came out, since the specks weren't obvious (on people's faces), she breathed a sigh of relief and kept on printing, thinking that what she was doing was fine, and hoping (for some odd reason) that I wouldn't notice what she did. She was trying to get these done quickly for me, and she got careless.
This is why I think this happened:
1. I know their policy of cleaning the machine, because I have dealt with scratched negatives in the past.
2. When I confronted her today, she was VERY defensive - overly defensive - saying it wasn't possible for the negatives to be scratched because she followed all the procedures.
3. When I showed her that it was clearly a problem with that roll and those specific strips, she had no clear answer for me.
4. Like I mentioned before - It is likely she got careless because I asked her to do them in 6 hours instead of overnight.
5. I didn't wait for the manager to just do it. I trusted this clerk, and she's not the brightest bulb in the bunch.
I returned the photos (all of them) and got my money back. I will be speaking to the photo manager and Sam's Club general manager on Wednesday (they are off until then), and I will be requesting that Sam's Club pay for the photo finishing fees it will take to restore the damaged negatives from this roll. I will also get the other photos printed at a photo finishing lab so that I know that they will be handled correctly, although I won't make Sam's pay for that (unless the specks were actually damage and not just dust particles). I don't want to get anyone fired, or anything like that. But I *do* want to be sure that they find out what is causing their machine to scratch negatives (which only happens when I ask them to reprint 8x12s). But I think I am totally justified in making Sam's Club pay to fix the ones that were ruined by their machine and their negligence.
Thursday, June 02, 2005
Preschool Graduation
Violet graduated from preschool last week... their little ceremony was so hysterically cute. They sang little songs (and Violet of course put in her own dance moves). The kids wore little paper mortarboard caps and went up to the podium to receive their little "diplomas" and tell the group what they wanted to be when they grew up.
Some kids said they wanted to be firefighters. Or police officers. Or artists. Or Engineers.
Not Violet.
She wants to be a CHEERLEADER when she grows up.
Nice. LOL
At least, on the scale of "what these 4 and 5 year olds want to be," she was a little higher than her classmate who declared he wanted to be "a lion named Simba."
Some kids said they wanted to be firefighters. Or police officers. Or artists. Or Engineers.
Not Violet.
She wants to be a CHEERLEADER when she grows up.
Nice. LOL
At least, on the scale of "what these 4 and 5 year olds want to be," she was a little higher than her classmate who declared he wanted to be "a lion named Simba."
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