What, no elves?

I see the elves did not come and finish my story yesterday, but I'll give them one more day because I have another story to tell. This story is not of any more importance, but it did happen more recently (today) and I feel compelled to tell it while it still amuses me.

While delivering patterns last Thursday during the LNS stitch-in, the LNS owner asked for more copies of Le Tour Septieme. Ok, I'll have those to you by Tuesday at the latest, I said, since I knew that Tuesday the LNS is open late (and it is closed on Sunday and Monday). I went on my merry way and didn't think much of it because I knew I had a bunch of these "bicycle" patterns in my inventory from an earlier print run. On Saturday, I got a follow up call from the same LNS owner wanting copies of "the cat pattern" - this would be the now famous Post Modern Cats. Ok, I say, I'll bring those on Tuesday as well. Now I'm nervous. I know I don't have any Po Mo Cats in inventory. I just finished printing up a bunch of them for a new distributor and shipped them off on Friday. (aside: Yay! New Distributor!) Why am I nervous? Because in doing said print run for new distributor, your intrepid designer started to get really low on (1) paper (2) yellow ink (3) cyan ink and (4) black ink. In fact, we are so low on black ink that the line on the printer is blinking constantly. Luckily, the printer will keep printing until it completely runs out of one color of ink. Then it will refuse to print until it has been topped off. So I'm nervous because I'd really like to print the Po Mo Cats for the LNS owner without incurring a rather expensive trip to Office Despot for more ink. This also means that I'm holding out in the paper department as well. Anyway, being me, I completely forgot to do my printing on Sunday, and yesterday saw Mr. Migraine cut out any fun activies for the evening. That means that the printing job now had to occur over lunch (1) because I do have to go to the day job and (2) in case I ran out of ink/paper, I would then have one last chance to run out for supplies. And so the scene is set.

I get home. I eat. (Who wants to face this kind of trauma on an empty stomach?) I scrounge up enough paper for the patterns (whew). First: The covers, because if anything, I'll run out of ink printing the covers. They use the most ink. I make it through the covers. (Are you feeling the suspense yet?) Then the back covers. Done. I start the print job on the patterns. I can't just sit there and watch the printer, so I go into the other room to stitch and watch TV. After a few minutes, I don't hear the printer going any more. Is this it? Have I run out of ink on the patterns themselves? No, just a paper jam. Clear it, keep going. Back to the other room to stitch. The printer gets quiet again. I check - out of ink? No, the paper has shifted and it thinks it is out of paper. Put the paper back in place. A miracle happens - the print run finishes with out running out of ink! I merrily go about collating the patterns and bagging them. Then I stitch for a couple more minutes before I have to go back to work. Finally, I think, better get those "bicylce patterns" together as well. I go to the inventory. I have half of what the LNS owner wanted! Oh no! I have to coax a few more patterns from the printer! Will the ink last? Nothing to do but try. Covers. Done. Backs. Made it. I'm really sweating now. All that's standing between me and sucess is a few pattern pages. Ok, print and go. Yay! The story does have a happy ending after all. The ink lasts. How many patterns do I think I can still print? Better not to press my luck. Now I have to hurry up, bag these and head back to work.

I just realized I left the order form at home - now I have to go there before going to the LNS. Good thing they are open late tonight!