anxiety inducing....

If you read the story about making strawberry jam, and were amused, amazed and astounded at how much anxiety I had over the whole process - this is a 're-play', but without the sticky floor. I have told a couple of people the jam story, remarking on how surprised I was that it was so difficult for me to get started. How much time I managed to devote to avoidance techniques: pretty impressive number of things I could find to occupy my time instead of getting the project done.

I was at work Tuesday morning, doing my little thing: making salads. If I make all the salads it takes to be 'in business', all of the varieties and the quantities necessary to start the day, it takes 2 1/2 to three hours. Then another couple to make fresh fruit yogurt parfaits, including prepping of fruit: lots of strawberries involved in this too. So around five hours, plus time to clean up afterward.

While this was going on, I had to stop several times to help customers in the floral dept. One being a woman who came in and wanted to place an order for a funeral offering. Her dad had died and she wanted a 'blanket' to go on his casket. I quoted  her an outrageous price, that, as it turned out, was pretty much in line with what the funeral homeworker told her it would cost. So she asked about a spray, which is one of those large, flat, oval designs on the wire stand you see at a service or standing around a grave site. She ordered, without even knowing the price. And I took the order without even knowing if we had the necessary items to fill it. Which, as it turns out, we didn't.

So I called another florist, sent a manger to pick up the flower holder (a plastic box-like affair that has a block of wet oasis inserted for fresh flowers) and the wire three-legged easel. Then did everything I could to avoid making the spray. Ran out of piddling tasks and finally had to 'cowboy up' and put it together. It's been perhaps ten years since I have done this - so it was a very anxious time while I was deciding what to do and than how to go about doing it.

 It took several calls to my co-worker for moral support and advice, but it really turned out well. The customer was pleased, and I am expect pleased with the price. The store manager saw it when someone helped her to her van, and commented on how nice it looked - so all the people who 'count' found it acceptable.  I was pretty impressed with myself!