IS ANYBODY OUT THERE??? I NEED TO VENT!!!

Well, all of the people that I would normally call and VENT to are not available, and I've already vented to the kids. So now it's your turn, blogosphere!

I. Am. So. Ticked. Off.

You might remember our ill-fated trip to JCPenney portrait studios way back in October, thinking we could get a nice family picture for Christmas cards and gifts. And then none of the photos turned out even remotely good enough, so we didn't get any that day and planned to return at a later date.

As time went along, our schedule was getting tighter and tighter, and the 3 hours that would be spent going to and from JCP seemed like too much. So, luckily (Ha!) I found out about a local photographer. I saw her work and although it wasn't as nice as some of the better photography I have seen, it was nice and I felt like she could probably do a decent job for us. The big plus here was that she would take our pictures only 5 minutes from our house, thus making the whole shebang a whole lot more doable. AND she was going to be able to get our pictures back to us in plenty of time before our trip.

SO, we went. We got pictures taken. She had us go outside and freeze for pictures that were only destined to stink due to the temperature and the wind.

The proofs came back to us 3 or 4 days after she told us we would have them. Fortunately, some of the shots taken indoors turned out quite well, and so we placed our order. She assured me that the photos would be back and in my hands by Monday. As in, 3 days ago.

And so, Monday comes with no pictures and no communication from her.

Tuesday comes with no pictures and no communication from her.

Wednesday comes and I go into her business to see what's up and she tells me that some of my pictures are 35 miles away, and the rest are 100 miles away. But, no fear, she'll have them the next day. Well, not day exactly. Evening. Um, like, could I come and get them after 6?

Yes, lady, that's *just* what I want to do. Interrupt my fervent packing for a Christmas trip in order to shlepp out in the freezing temperatures to get my pictures that you promised to me days ago.

I think my expression must have given my thoughts away because she then offered to actually bring them to my house, which was smart of her.

So today is the day I have to pack for the trip that I am leaving on tomorrow at noon. My husband is working his second 24 hour shift in a row. My kids need homework done, baths, etc. And of course, I need these pictures not only because they are for gifts for the people I will be seeing on my trip, but also to send as gifts to grandparents, etc. And so I am already under the gun way too much because now I have to not only get 3 kids to and from school, pack a van, etc. etc. but also make a quick trip to the post office to mail out the photos that I do not yet have. Uh huh. I needed one more thing to do tomorrow.

And so does she show up around 6pm? Or 7 pm? Or 8 pm? No. 8:30pm is when the knock comes at the door. Great. I have been putting off getting kids to bed and showering and other stuff, all because I was stuck waiting for her to get here and I am the only adult at home.

So, she apologizes, tells me that when she got to the printing place they didn't even have the prints done so she had to wait, the traffic was terrible, blah blah blah. And so she leaves.

And then I look at the prints.

And there they are.

The biggest one NOT the size I wanted. And too dark. And cropped badly.

ALL the 8x10s blurry! And with blotches on some of the faces.

ALL the wallets blurry!

The 5x7s of the boys with blotches on the faces.

In short, only 4 photos, none of which were for gifts, came out the way they should have.

(Can you hear me scream and stomp my feet?!?!?!?!?!)

And so now I have $150 worth of crap photos and NO PHOTO GIFTS for my family and nothing to send to some people for whom the photos were the only gift.

PLUS, of course, now I get to go in to see her tomorrow and show her this crap and get her to get them reprinted or give me my money back or both.

I. Am. Not. Happy. About. This.