For the time being, I’ve decided to dedicate Fridays to Friends! Mostly writer friends but anyone’s eligible–all you have to do is ask! Anyway, this is about getting to know writers as people not about book promotion. Though, I’m hoping you’ll at least give their books a look over to see if you might enjoy them.

Anyway, my very first friend is Ane Mulligan. She is the president of the award-winning Novel Rocket and is a multi-published playwright, humor columnist, and a three-time Genesis finalist. Her debut novel, Chapel Springs Revival, releases Sept 8^th, 2014. You can find her on her website.

Wow, Ane! You sound busier than me!

What’s With Greeting Cards These Days?

 

Yesterday, I read a cartoon in the newspaper that reminded me of a mentor/buddy, and needing a break from writing, I went to the store to pick out a funny card to send with the cartoon.

I browsed the card section, enjoying a good chuckle—until I turned one over. Have you priced cards lately? $3.50! For a piece of paper with a joke on it? Not that my friend isn’t worth $3.50, but come on. For $3.50, it should come in chocolate.

I could do better for half the price; I’m a writer. Right? I marched out of the store and drove straight to Office Depot. In the computer section, I chose greeting card software for $29.99 and a 15-pack of Avery premium cards and envelopes for $11.99. I’d create a customized card for my friend, and have the supplies to create all my card needs for years. I was on a roll.

At home, I loaded the software, chose a funny greeting, tweaked it for my buddy, and loaded the card stock in the printer. Then I hit print. The software said to print a test page. Our printer isn’t in my office; I share it with my husband, and it’s in his office. Across the house. I walked to the printer, added a sheet of plain paper for the test, went back to my office, and clicked “okay”. Then I walked back across the house to the printer to check the test page.

I noted the direction of the arrow indicating how to put it back in for the second side, went back across the house to my office and clicked “okay print.” I then went back to the printer to see my card. But instead, it’s printed page two of the test. On my good card stock.

Sigh. I reloaded 2 sheets of regular paper on top of the card stock to repeat the exercise, walked back to my office, hit print again. Back at the printer (I’m beginning to wear a path in the carpet), instead of another test page, it’s printed my card—on regular paper.

Gritting my teeth and thinking that a three dollar and fifty cent card was looking better by the minute, I reloaded the card stock, stomped back to my office and clicked print. The card printed. On the right paper. YES! I put the sheet back into the printer in the direction according to the test arrow, ran back to my office and clicked “print card inside.”

Back at the printer, I removed my wonderful, customized card. I folded it and read it. The front was perfect. I opened it.

The inside was printed upside down.

I mailed it anyway. Stupid card cost me $35.94. She had better like it.

 

Funny story, Ane! I know exactly how you feel.  I go through bouts when I make greeting cards with my stamps and stuff. I know they don’t look as good as the store ones–but I hope they’re more meaningful. At least, that’s why I tell myself.

Thanks for sharing your story.

UNTIL NEXT TIME…GOD BLESS & GOOD WRITING!