Just Ghastly

Dear Readers,

I have two posts coming up next that, I want to warn you, are not "glass is half full," enthusiastic endorsement posts in any way, shape or form. So be warned, all you cheerful optimists out there: you might want to have some cute pics of sleepy baby kittens basking in sun rays on the side, bookmarked and ready to go, just in case.

In my experience as editor of Cool Moms Rule!, I have found the vast majority of public relations and media contacts to be delightful people. Talented, enthusiastic professionals, they are passionate about their work. 

Because they are people of integrity as well, they graciously accept that, occasionally, some of us are less-than-enthusiastic about what they're pitching than they are. 

I would liken their reaction, 99 times out of a hundred, to a new Mom's first Girls Night Out with her old girlfriends after having the baby. 

There you are, a new Mom, lovingly sharing for only the second (okay, maybe third) time the miraculous story of the birth, including all 27 hours of excruciating labor and your mangled episiotomy--which, incidentally, you have thoughtfully detailed, complete with annotated flow charts and live video of the birth on your smartphone--when suddenly you find yourself realizing something is not quite right. 

Your friends' eyes have glazed over. Their smiles are stiff and forced. 

And they are guzzling down their drinks like a college student inhaling Red Bull during finals week. 

So you, with your uncanny powers of perception, decide it might be a good idea to talk about something else just now, and deftly shift the subject to Melissa's latest breakup or Megan's promotion.

The professionals I am fortunate to have worked with over the years are are just as expert at 'reading the room'. They have a sense of humor. They all understand that although they love what they do, Tab A doesn't always fit into Tab B. 

That said, I have a job to do, too, and part of that includes letting you all know when something I've been asked to review not only fails to live up to expectations, but fails spectacularly.

My next post is one such example.

And, on Monday, I'll be sharing with you my own personal Perfect Storm: an eagerly anticipated (and expensive) outing gone horribly wrong, and how the cavalier response of the event's staff to customer complaints made me see red.

Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy ride.

~Viv