Balls!
It's that time of year again. Just 6 weeks in which to come up with evermore fabulous and original raffle prizes. I have no idea how I got roped into this. Every year I vow it will be the last time, that my schedule is already full enough without having to take on responsibility for raising the spirits in an attempt to raise even more dosh for charity. This is my 5th consecutive year.
I don't have any signed and framed Shearer or Newcastle United shirts, nor a tea-towel signed by the entire Emmerdale cast yet. I've got an autographed Mitch Benn CD and some IKEA meatball vouchers so far. I'm going to have to do some serious blagging if I am to pass muster with the Raffle Police ( aka Winterton Lions' Wives).
Collecting decent donations is normally the least of my worries. There is always the stress of having to sell spare tables or fill empty places at last minute but that is nothing compared to the major problem. How to find a date willing to accompany me. Only a couple of years ago, I was on the point of placing my spare ticket on eBay rather than be the only girl with an empty seat beside her.
Every year a new problem presents itself, unexpected and quite brilliant in its ability to mutate and defy conventional methods of prevention. I've got the whole ticket sales thing off to such a fine art now that I have sold ALL of them a full 2 months early. Paid up, printed and delivered. There's even a waiting list. The venue is booked to capacity. I don't have to worry about being unaccompanied. I just have to work out where I am going to sit. I really have sold ALL the tickets. Friends normally in my party are having their own already-full tables. Each assumed I would be sitting with another. There's no room for me and I didn't save myself a place, wrongly assuming I could just squeeze in an extra table. I may have to resort to taking a deckchair and a cushion-bottomed tray. I have an idea how Cinderella felt.
posted by Cherrypie at 1:35 am
6 Comments:
First, take a pat on the back, I know all about organising functions and then trying to fill the seats I assured the hotel that I would ....
Then choose the table you'd most like to sit at and squeeze another place in...
That way you won't need a date (whom you've had to take care of anyway if he didn't know the crowd), won't offend anyone who expected to be at your table, and you'll have the flexibility to move around once the meal and speeches are finished!
...and who knows...you might meet a likely lad in your travels! ;-D
Once, some colleagues and I were covering a rather fancy to-do with the governor of our fine commonwealth. This story shouldn't reflect on him, since he's a pretty stand-up guy (I just complimented a politician?)
The event organizers had our reserved seating: chairs lined up along a side wall; no tables; no provision for even basic rations (water, sugar packets, nada).
The governor came by and noticed the situation and offered to get us situated, to the embarassment of the organizers. We pleasantly declined, saying we'd be too busy to eat. Then we organized a ration party with sufficient change to ensure we'd all have a can of soda and a pack of vending machine crackers as we took notes and typed stories.
Moral? Hang with reporters. We're a pleasant lot with a great sense of public revenge >;^D>
Don't go. No problem about who to take. And as everyone's got full tables, they'll all assume you're on another one.
No nasty after-effects of overeating/drinking.
Curl up at home with a nice mug of drinking chocolate.
I know what I'd rather be doing.
I'm with mise on this one - look for the table with the top talent and squeeze in.
Well done though on all that organising, you are a star!
Mise - that was my plan too although there's not much chance of finding anyone "likely". I've systematically scoured within a 25mile radius and can safely say that anyone with an ounce of potential has already been tested and found wanting.
FE - I'd invite you over to cover the event if I thought I could offer you a seat.
Dave - that crossed my mind too but I couldn't bear the thought of missing out on something even if it's tiring and thankless.
Ziggi - I've spent the best part of the afternoon using a combination of pleading and flirting with the events manager. I think I might just have fixed it.
We won two raffle prizes at a pub night last week. You can have the University of Nevada in Las Vegas rugby shirt, but I'm keeping the gift certificate to the Thai restaurant.
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