Poor Mom K

Well, she's now stayed long enough to experience 'real life' with a Bay Area couple. This week we are BOTH slammed.

I'm involved in designing a pitch for the bo0th for a gam1ng c0mpany. We (the creative department) thought we were totally on track to deliver. We met with our in-house strategist and account lead before brainstorming to agree on the deliverables. Then we spent two days brainstorming and worked over the weekend conceptualizing. Yesterday we met with the bigger team to report where we are at, parts of it went ok. However, they didn't like the 'theme'. In fact, at that point, the whole meeting began to degenerate into a feeding frenzy slice and dice. No fun.

Unfortunately, the creative solution is completely dependent on theme. The booth structure/solution seemed to be great for everyone in the meeting. It involves giant sphere5 that are actually 5creens for play1ng vid3o. Well, I can't base creative on just 'sph3res'. What's the metaphor? Lights, orbs, globes, planets, eclipse, sun, star, eyeball, donut hole? Each would have different elements. So...I know have less than three days (five if we count the weekend, which is obviously going to be necessary) to create branding around a concept that doesn't yet exist. And then layout a 70-100 page document based on that creative. Due Monday. AAAAGGGHHHHH. Panic. Mayhem. Stress. Backbiting. Terror. Bitchy-ness.

Jrex found out yesterday that a microscope he needs is booked for the next two weeks starting Thursday. Which means that he has to fit in microscope sessions on top of his normal 'easy' schedule.

Normally, I'd go home, walk the dog, eat a bowl of cereal and then go into my home 'office' and keep working. Well, the home office is occupied, so I get to stay at work.

Mom leaves Saturday morning, and I don't think she'll see much of us this week.

She's willing to walk the dog, which is a big help. This morning I took her out for a dog-walking tutorial where she did the actions with me coaching her. Now, this might seem like a silly bit of 'crazy dog-owners', but... we have a lovely mutt who is smart enough to milk whatever failures she can find in the system. As soon as she saw that Mom K was 'in charge', she did everything I don't let her do. She bit into a garbage bag, lagged at EVERY. SINGLE. BUSH (not even to pee, just to linger), ate every bit of garbage she could find on the ground and tried to wander across the street. I tried to teach Mom K to say 'Let's go!' and tug the leash. But she says 'let's go' in the same soft, sweet voice she says 'thank you', so the dog had no idea she was being corrected. Mom's tugs were tiny little movements. She also kept grabbing the rope on the retractable leash which is VERY dangerous. If the dog bolts while the rope is wrapped around Mom's fingers, it could amputate her finger. Anyway, by the end of the walk she was getting the hang of it. Jrex laughed when we told him about the walk, "Mom, you have to get mean!"

Between the miscarriage, my sore knee (can't help, must lie down) and now work, I've managed to either stay holed up in our room or busy at work for much of her visit. I guess it all worked out in the end! (insert maniacal laughter)

[Just found out the new theme. It uses the sph3res to show images, but has nothing specifically to do with them. Three days of work out the window...]