Help!

THIS ECONOMY IS KILLING ME!

Mr. P and I own a small business.  It is a Photography Studio/Production House.  We do Photography and Graphic Design.  Anything you want - brochures, catalogs, websites - soup to nuts.  Photography, Graphic Design, Typesetting, Printing . . . you name it.

To toot Mr. P's horn, he is very good at what he does.  He is reasonably priced and has one of the best eye's for design and a great reputation to boot.  Most of our business is Word of Mouth.  That says something for Mr. P.  His clients love him - actually, everybody loves him - he is one of those guys that you never hear anybody badmouth.  And I'm not saying that because he is my Dear Hubby.  Our friends and I have a joke . . . Whenever anybody is talking about Mr. P, I think they say, "Mr. P, what a great guy, but that X@$% of a wife!"  I digress.

This economy is killing me.  You see, usually, in a downturn of the economy, people want to advertise more and we make a killing.  I used to always laugh because when the economy is good, Mr. P and I are struggling to make ends meet, but when there is a downturn and everyone else is "tightening up the belt straps", we are doing very well.  Not this time.  I have discovered that in this "recession"/economy such as it is, the first thing that has gone for many companies is not necessarily advertising and packaging, but "NEW" advertising and packaging.  

You see, Mr. P is one of the few photographers that gives up rights to his work.  If we do work for you, you own it.  Most photographers "own" their images and charge a royalty EVERY time it is used.  Not Mr. P.  He only asks that he be allowed to use his images as well.  Strictly as samples of his work.  None of our clients have a problem with this.  This is such a big thing, because it saves our clients a tremendous amount of money.  When they are doing new brochures/catalogs, they can still use old images without the added cost.  If they are still carrying a particular product or really like a particular image, they can use it in the new catalog along with the new work and not have to pay extra for it - it is theirs for life to use whenever, however they wish.  This is VERY unusual in the advertising industry.  (At least in our neck of the woods)  The problem with this for Mr. P and me is that although it is a great selling point for us, we are now officially losing money.  Because of the economy, our clients are just reprinting older catalogs or using what they have for advertising and packaging.  Hence, no new work for Mr. P.  

I knew that this would happen with our Mom and Pop Shop clients and even a few of our bigger accounts.  But the realization of the dire state of our economy came to me recently when I realized that even our largest of clients are doing the same thing.  We have some pretty big names on our client list and as we went through it and did the emailing, letters and phone calls, most everyone gave us the same answer.  "Not right now, but hopefully soon".  Yes, hopefully soon.  Because if it is not soon, it might just throw me over the edge!  Don't get me wrong, Mr. P has steady work.  Small brochures and catalogs and a few photos of new items here and there.  But our 200+ page catalogs have come to all but a screeching halt.  What I would like to know is Where Is Our Bailout?!  Is this going to end anytime soon?

Mr. P, ever the optimist, with his mantra of "This Too Shall Pass" has become a bit more frugal and is in the midst of reeling in clients with discounts and deals.  He is a budgeting maniac and can make $5.00 go an awfully long way.  I, on the other hand, am having quite a hard time with the budgeting, non-spending, coupon-cutting, discount-searching ways.  I am not frugal.  I am not a saver.  I am not meant to discount shop.  I buy what I like and have never given thought to whether it was $1.00 or $1000.00, or whether I REALLY need this or that item.  I simply don't know how to do this.  I am trying, but it does not seem to be working out to well.  My $5.00 no sooner hits my pocket then it's gone.  On what?  I couldn't possibly tell you.  Coffee?  Candy? Dog Treats for Miss B?  I do not know, I think there might just be a hole in all my pockets.

This economy is killing me.

My belt strap is already too tight.  Where is my bailout?

Why I Am Here

I am sure you all know the people that are constantly in search of their mission here on earth. They believe that they are here for some reason, for some greater good, to make a difference or a fingerprint on Society before they die.

I am not one of those people. I am quite clear as to why I was put on earth. The reasons are as follows:

Why I Am Here - According to Dear Hubby and Children

To do laundry
To clean the house
To bring home some of the bacon
Fry it up in a pan
And never let Dear Hubby Forget He's A Man
To purchase above fried bacon on a weekly basis
To find missing articles of clothing
To find missing electronics
To purchase above electronics and clothing immediately upon request
To maintain and keep in safe place any and all items that may or may not be needed within the remainder of hubby and cherubs lifetimes
To fix electronics or bring them to store to be fixed immediately upon malfunction
To serve as local bus service to cherubs and all 10000000 friends
To send any and all monetary and/or tangible donations cherubs' school may need
To outfit entire Middle School with necessary supplies on weekly basis
To referee all arguments and ugliness cherubs feel necessary
To satisfy all wants, needs and go gets upon demand
To maintain proper sanitary conditions in cherubs' bedrooms and baths on daily basis
To act as Office Manager, Administrative Support, Secretarial Pool and Custodial Engineer in Dear Hubby's Office
To be private liaison between cherubs and friends
To act as full-time dog walker, house sitter, mail carrier and doggy doo remover
To handle all Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable and Sales Calls for office and home with aplomb
To stay awake last and wake up first - just in case someone may need something at some point
And finally to run the immediate world of brood smoothly and circumvent any and all mishaps prior to their happenings

I am sure that I have probably missed some of the missions I am on this earth to do, but I feel that I may have inadvertently been given missions that were not meant for me. I was just wondering if anyone out there would happen to know where I can file a grievance or at least ask for a yearly review so I can get an increase in pay!

Reminders All Around Me

I had my annual physical yesterday.  And it made me laugh.  I love my doctor.  She is always very thorough, doesn't rush me and is (or at least pretends to be) as interested in my emotional and financial states as well as my physical.  It is also great because it is like one-stop shopping.  I can get my physical, pap and most everything else all done within the hour under one roof.  No multiple stops, doctors or appointments.  But that is not what made me laugh.

You see, the irony occurred to me as I lie on the table, clad in a beautiful and truly fashionable paper gown.  The doctor had gone over the usual stuff.  Weight, height, breathing, blood pressure, questions about my emotional state.  She was in the process of that ever dignified procedure of the pap smear and was babbling on about her cold hands when she said, "You know, you are going to be 40 this year."  Like I actually was NOT aware of this fact. 

"Um, yeah."  

"Well, I'm going to give you a script for a mammogram."

"OK"

"And I want blood work done - you can do that today, right here, after you get dressed." (Again, the joy of one-stop shopping)

"Mmm-Hmmm"

"And you should really start seeing a dermatologist regularly.  Oh, and I'm giving you a script for an epipen - you have some food allergies and you know, just to be safe."

"Ok" was my response, but I was really thinking, "What?  An epipen?  I've had allergies since I was a Sophomore in college and you never found the need to prescribe me an epipen before!"  But I didn't. 

And with that, she screwed my DNA infested Q-tip into the little canister to go to the lab, said "You can get dressed at your leisure," and shut the door behind her.  This is when I laughed.

You see, I realized that after spending most of my free time searching out the anti-aging creams, the fashionable clothes, shoes and accessories that will make me feel young and thin, the makeup that will cover age spots, under-eye circles, crow's feet, laugh lines, discoloration, and all but my nostrils so I can breathe - Putting it all together just so - And then finally stepping back, taking a look and feeling youthful and fresh and glowing - there is always the reminder.  The reminder that I am aging.  

This is what my doctor's appointment did for me.  Instead of the quick exam, the "Everything looks great, I'll see you next year," I got the litany of all the appointments, referrals, tests and prescriptions that are usually reserved for the aged in our society.   And it hit me.  One more reminder in my world full of reminders that I am getting old.  

Well, maybe not old, but older.  Old enough to jump up to the next box on the age bracket line when filling out forms.  Old enough that I haven't been carded to buy liquor in about 10 years.  Old enough that young women and men at CVS, the grocery store, pumping gas, etc . . . call me "Ma'am.  And the worst of all, old enough that when I am walking through the mall or down the street with my 22 year old, blond, blue-eyed niece and men and boys alike stare, I know that it is definitely not me they are looking at.  These are just a few of the reminders in my everyday life that aging happens.  And it made me laugh.  Just realizing all this.  I laughed.  

So, I tell  you now, that I have decided to embrace my age.  I will still buy the fashionable clothes and accessories that catch my eye.  And I will still search for the perfect creams and makeup.  But I will no longer do it with the expectation of turning back the clock or the despair that comes with realizing that my new $150.00 "Miracle Cream" is really no miracle at all.  I will do it so I feel good about me and how I look at 40.  I will do it to accentuate my age and not hide it.  And I will laugh while I do all this, because if you ask me . . . I look pretty darn good for 40!

FRIDAY THE 13th

ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE!