Jamais deux sans trois!

There is a French expression: Jamais deux sans trois.. which means, never twice without thrice. It is used when talking about luck.. usually about bad luck. Tonight was one such night.

Nothing terribly bad happened... but it's as if nothing would go right. Actually it is all pretty funny.

Normally, last week I was to take individual pictures of all the members of the troupe for our coming production. The weather last week was pretty horrendous so I put off taking the pictures until this week because I didn't want too many people that would be missing.

To start off with, I'm going to blame all this on my periods that I started today. I guess there was not enough blood going to my head and I bungled a bunch of stuff up.

I was scrambling to get ready to leave and wanted to make sure I had fresh batteries in my camera. I had done a photoshoot a few nights before and still had on the piece with a screw that allows you to attach your camera to a tripod. I 'll call this piece the "whatchamacallit" because I don't know it's proper name. So, of course, to exchange the batteries, I had to take this whatchamacallit off. I did so. Put in fresh batteries.. put my camera and another set of fresh batteries (just to be on the safe side) into my camera case.

I have alot of things to bring, my camera in it's case, a tripod, an envelope with forms for members that weren't there last week to fill out, a pen, a bottle of water and of course.. in case I get finished early enough.. a binder with music. I decide I don't want to juggle so many different articles so I'll put several in a bag. I put everything except the camera and the tripod into this bag.

I'm thinking I'm well organized and everything will be fine. I will go up 4 flights and take the pictures of all the girls... then go down 5 flights.. take pictures of the guys.. then go up 5 flights.. and join rehearsals and then go down 4 flights and go home. Sounds like an aerobics class doesn't it?

Anyways.. I get to the hall.. and take off my coat.. start taking out my forms..and ooh.. bungle up #1: I hadn't pressed the top of my water bottle properly.. and half of the bottle of water emptied into this bag. All the music in my binder has wet edges, my forms are safe since the envelope they were in saved them. This is actually pretty funny to everyone.. I just smirk. take everything out.. place it to the side.. and empty the bag of it's water in the bathroom. A few people are making stupid jokes.. as they should have as it was rather funny.

Of course the best time to get up in front of a crowd (when you are shy to begin with ) to explain the procedure you would like them to follow is when you have just done something incredibly dumb.

So while everyone is warming up, I will have them come 4 at a time, and then they will send more people back. I set up the tripod and when I want to put my camera on said tripod.. I realize that the "whatchamacallit" is not in my camera bag. It is certainly at home on my computer desk. I call home so my hubby can bring it to me. In circumstances such as this, he immediately becomes blind and cannot see anything. Fine, I will do without. I decide I'll have to just stabilize my camera on the tripod head.. but I know someone is looking at me, thinking.. what is she doing? Anyways.. that would be bungle up #2. As I said, never 2 without 3.. so something has got to give right?

At first everything is going well.. I have almost finished taking all the pictures of the girls.. everyone is in a good mood.. fooling around, smiling large for the camera. I'm almost finished taking the girls pictures.. only 3 more to go.. out of 30 girls.. I 'm very happy. I've made a numbered list to match up with the photos so I don't mess up anyone's name.. and that number is cross-indexed with the forms they have brought back. It is still very early, I will have plenty of time to rehearse with the everyone.

I'm going to take the picture of the 3rd last girl.. and another one of them starts passing by under my camera.. twice. This causes the girl that is standing waiting for her picture to move around and talk to her.. This was not a problem, I'm quite laid back and so is the session.. So I just say, stay there one more sec.. and I'll delete this pic and take another one. Why delete it.. I could have just gone on and taken another.. but I didn't. Do you see what is going to happen a mile away? Obviously I didn't .. Should have hit FUNCTION: Erase ... but no.. I hit MENU .. ERASE ALL. I look dumbfounded as I see the status bar of the erasing happening.. it's only taking 2 seconds.. and yup.. I have erased every single photo I have taken in the evening. Yes, dears, that was my bungle up #3.

Of course this is not the end of the world.. everyone will get back in line, the list is already made.. so all I have to do is take them in the same order and all will be fine. The only thing is I have to go back into the hall.. look at everyone with this "oops, sorry" sort of smile.. and tell them. Let's just say that I was a bit embarrassed. Everyone was great and I redid the shoot of all the girls.. went down 5 flights did the guys.. and had plenty of time to finish rehearsals with everyone.

All in all, it was a fun evening... I just thought you guys might enjoy sharing my evening of maladroitness with me.