We were scheduled to have our first Instagram live on the same day work was being done on the driveway; the two events collided. A skid steer began shaping and scraping, complete with backup beeper loud enough to be heard inside with the windows closed.
Kanti was safe behind the fence watching the goings on. One dump truck after another arrived with loads. Greg and I were in the basement trying to do an Instagram live for Grand Dog Essentials Inc., the new family business. Yup, two people over fifty were attempting an Instagram live in a basement where the wifi was questionable. Originally, we planned to be outside where Greg loves to be, the light is good, and the view is pretty. But the dump trucks and skid steer arrived at 10:50 a.m. with their symphony of sounds and life got rearranged.
Picture it. The pre-shoot suddenly became an intense effort to scout out a spot with a suitable backdrop, adequate light, and no intrusive noise from the activities outside. Pictures were taken down from walls and put back up. Locations were quickly eliminated. We ended up in the basement because it was the only place you couldn't hear the trucks dumping and the skid steer beeping.
Greg was sitting on a chair feeling as awkward as a gangly teen meeting his date's parents. We perched a 3M easel on the high chair tray the grandchildren use when they visit. The easel had Greg's script written on it. We were committed to announcing the winner of our first Instagram contest via an Instagram live post at 11 a.m. We had practiced. How hard could it be?
Finally it was time. I think we made at least three attempts before deciding we were beat and needed to go to alternative B. On one try, I forgot to push the video button, so Greg nicely delivered his rehearsed speech and I said whoops at the end. On another we made it live only to have the internet connection drop as Greg once again was saying his part. Because we were under the gun to do this live at 11 a.m., I wasn't filling Greg in on the details of the disasters behind the camera. I was just saying, "start, now!" Or, "oh, stop."
His frustration level with me was growing. My frustrations with the wifi and the subject - him - were increasing. Almost simultaneously, we began to receive texts from ACM our fabulous social media maven, asking, "Are you two okay over there?"
No, we weren’t really okay. We were on the verge of a scrap. I resorted to straight video. We got the deed done to keep our commitment to our wonderful customers. We announced Debbie from Calgary won the prize package. ACM posted the video on Instagram with a comment making fun of the two of us and all was well.
That's life by the swake (swamp + lake) and it's probably life everywhere else too. Our days have the good stuff, the not so good stuff, the unanticipated, and the challenging. It's how you roll that counts. ACM has booked us to do another Instagram live event on November 16 announcing the winner of contest number two. Either she has faith in us or she finds this amusing, we aren't quite sure which.
Love it!
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