Kaleidofood

The job I'm working on drags on and on and ... Usually, the client sends the articles for the magazine on for proof-reading before I do the page layouts (which is always my preferred approach). This time, though ('because time is tight', the client said), I'm doing layouts and then I have to come back and update the text with any proof-reading corrections -- not the best arrangement by any means. The original deadline was for finished artwork to go to the printer today and colour proofs to be passed by the client on Thursday. Instead of that, I'm still waiting for some articles, and some photos and line-art are still outstanding. As the material comes through in dribs and drabs I have to constantly interrupt my workflow to check it out, contact the client with the inevitable queries and requests for better-quality visuals or whatever, chase this up when there's no sign of anything arriving or replacements are as bad as the originals.

Still, despite all this hassle, I actually had a good productive day today, the proof-reader and I are in direct contact, keeping the client informed of changes/corrections through the excellent Basecamp web-based project management system, and I'm as on top of things as I can be. So, even though there's still a lot of stuff outstanding, I feel it's all coming together as far as I'm concerned, and I'm blameless when it comes to responsibility for being behind schedule. At least there's no need to work through into the early hours tonight.

EDIT: I've changed my mind and replaced the image I'd originally blipped. I couldn't believe how bad it was when I opened the page again. What was I thinking when I chose it in the first place! This one began as this.