Christmas in July? No! Don't Make Me Go!

The Rogue Speaks:
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The Southern Arizona Arts Guild has an annual event called Holidazzle. It is billed as a FABULOUS winter show and sale. Most of the time, it is just that. There have been years when the venue has not been exactly what we expected, and for those years it has been an event where the artists stand around and sell things to each other. I've gotten some really cool art from people whose work I admire, so it has been good for me.
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I was the first exhibition chair of the event 8 years ago, and I have had that job more times than I care to count since. It is a lot of work. You have to line people up to work shifts, and make sure they don't forget to show up, you have to teach people how to use the credit card machine, and how to write up sales receipts so each artist gets credit for sales. No one seems to remember that stuff from one year to the next, because we are programed to create, not perform repetititive work. You have to open, you have to close, you have to reconcile the cash box every night! Whew!! Since I am an artist and not a business administration major, it is a royal pain in the ass!
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The process for Holidazzle usually begins in the early fall, and my BFA and I flew by the seat of our pants to get it put together. We spent the fall months wild-eyed and panting, until everything was in place. We were so tired by the end of the show that we were glassy-eyed and tongue-tied, and swearing that next year we will start earlier, like in the summer.
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We said that, but did we actually mean that? Two years ago, I found a new treasurer for the Guild when my husband, who had been in that slot for four years, decided to retire--actually I think it was just after Holidazzle that he told us. Anyway, our new treasurer, Jane, is a veritable wonder woman! We are so lucky to have someone to keep us artists in place, financially, since we just don't do well with numbers unless we are painting them on something. Jane found us a terrific venue for Holidazzle last year, so we were thrilled to have her do that again. We just did not know that she planned to start looking so early, especially since my BFA and I are co-chairing the event again this year and we had planned to wait until the last f****** minute to throw it together.
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Jane wants to meet with us to discuss the venue, so we decided to get together for either lunch or cocktails, and talk about our options. My first option was to be left out of the planning process, but that didn't go over well. I have just barely gotten the fiascoes of last year's show out of my head, and now I have to start thinking about it again! Waaaaaaa! Not fair!!
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The emails concerning this meeting have been flying back and forth:
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BFA:... when we meet with Jane do you want to do lunch or cocktails??? I'm hoping to cajole her into doing most of the legwork as far as finding a venue for the dreaded "H." We are all in accord that ONE WEEK is max for this event (hopefully shorter.)
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Me: It doesn't matter. Either one is fine.
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BFA: I'll let Jane know we will do Cocktail O'Clock.
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Jane: Ladies, since it doesn't seem to matter what we do Tuesday how about if we do an early happy hour? Do you know what time it starts? I haven't a clue.
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Me: Sounds good to me. It may start at 5.
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BFA: WHEEEE!!! Jane's been a busy little beaver! That would be sooo great if we actually knew our venue before end of November. I cut and pasted the following from Metropolitan's website. Is 3:00 too early to meet? I'll pick Judie up (then dump her on her front lawn when we're done)


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Happy Hour!
Join us in our Lounge
Daily from 3pm - Close

Half Price Appetizers & $1 Off Wines, Well and Beer.

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Me: Please just drag me to the door! Those rocks hurt!
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Jane: What about 4?
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Me: Four is fine for me--five, and I'll be under the table. Oh! Are you talking about the TIME??
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So the meeting is set for Tueday at 4. I will be coming off the golf course a couple of hours before, so I may be brain-dead. I will be clean, though, and I'll have notepaper with me (to practice origami while Jane talks). My BFA will have paper and pen also. She is way better at multitasking than I am, so she will take the notes while creating beautiful artwork around the margins of her paper.
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I don't want to be thinking about Holidazzle in July! I'm hot! and I'm whiny! But I do like the Metropolitan Grill. And I am grateful to have someone like Jane. It makes me and my BFA look really good when the show opens!
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I'll invite you all to the reception. I will be the one behind the check-out table, smiling and staring off into space. Just wave your hand in front of my face. It's only a temporary coma.
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I am already feeling stupid, so if there are any misspelled words in this post, just ignore them.