2 a.m. - I'm emailing pictures to my Power-Point client. 9 a.m. - Ring, ring - me: Good Morning

client: "fantastic job. listen, because of snowdates, I have another day before the presentation. Can you do another picture?"

me, thinking that I have a 1:30 appointment at the spa, and a 3:30 appointment with my trainer, and I'm on to cook dinner for company tonight....: "Sure. What do you have in mind?"

client: "one face leaning forward on muscular arms......" My client is UP. Talking faaaast. Snap snap, so many ideas...... "Good Morning......"

We hang up, I go to wake up, morning routine..... Luckily I didn't start the picture yet, when,

Ring, ring - "Hi! What's up?"

client: "Could we make that a 2-person Caricature? The first guy leaning over a brick wall. He's in the U.S. - talking to our associate in the U.K - You'd have the Atlantic Ocean in there, and a phone in his hand ..................... ......................... ........................."

then later, middle of the night - I draw the picture first in pencil, then in marker. While erasing the pencil for this upbeat picture, I flip on a movie - Ahhhh "Escape From Alcatraz". Point, Counterpoint.

Crazy day, Wild night, and I'm just sitting here alone. It's a good life:

Oh to feel special. To have someone care. So often I see how regular people are considered so special - how they have others caring about them, fawning over them, loving them. It seems so simple, yet it's so special. To get that. I see it all the time because I work at Parties. Where people are invited. For the good things in life.

Sometimes I feel remorseful - In my personal life, I do have people to love. But it's not always smooth sailing. Or we're not always intensely demonstrative. So being in these situations, seeing people's personal relationships, sometimes at quite important milestones, caring for each other - If it's one of those times when I'm not personally 'walking on sunshine', well....

BTW, the clients and guests that I draw are usually quite kind, appreciative, and caring for me too. But it's different of course, since I only know them for a few minutes, a few hours at a time. Working with nice people, while quite valuable, isn't the same as a personal relationship.

Oh I like my job. I get to watch people, how they behave. It really comes out so clearly because I watch how different people as they walk through the same situation. They're all so cute, so interesting. Many are surprised to see the picture. some are really strict trying to be so good. Some are very self-conscious - either shy or controlling. Some are so so very happy - they let loose their party excitement.....

9 pm, a quick glance at my phone during my evening event - Hmmm, a message from my Power-Point Client. Niiiice.

10 pm, a break during my evening event - I listen to the message: Hey Alison, can you give me a call?

What? No accolades? I thought he was going to be saying Thank You for the excellent job I had done. "Can you give me a call" doesn't sound wow happy excited as I expected him to be... me, stressed as I go back to the event - What could it be??? I did an excellent job for him. And on such little notice...... what could he expect????

The first chance I get, I call him back. Paraphrased, of course, but here's the gist of the conversation:

client: fabulous. It's a pleasure to work with you. excellent work. listen, something about postponed trip to Washington D.C....... and...... we have another day. I want to go ahead with the photo manipulation I mentioned previously.........

whew - now, that's more like it. Happy to be appreciated, but I'm wondering When I'd be able to do another picture today. I Prefer at least a week for each face. But I want the job. I need the money, I like the work..........

But I'm scheduled to be at a Face-Painting job before 10 a.m. - Got to find the place, set up........... Then, a personal appointment that day. So, well, I figure I'll do the job when I get in at night. But the client keeps talking - he's so excited. Makes me smile to think...........

And now he's talking about another Caricature. Manicure, pedicure, diva, lingo, Chanel suit (ummm, what's that??? I heard of them, but I don't think I ever had one....)

So now it's 2 pictures. Today. Oh, will the fun never cease?

There's so much going on in everyone's lives. So many people so active. Presentations, Office Events, Engagement Parties, Birthday Parties, the Yearly Bar-b-Que..... and me. Thrown into it all. Running between the Yearly Corporate Party to the Power-Point-Presentation with the 34 people in the Office to the 5-year-old's Party with 45 kids at the Gymnastics Place and back to the Power-Point Presentation, my own exciting life in between with friends and love and relocations and renovations......

Here's what I did:

BTW - along with posting this funny picture, I want to make it clear that it was just a joke - a person caught in a candid photo. He's actually a valued member of his team.