04.01.07
Scrapbooking Party
… Gone Bad. But let me start from the beginning. I have a group of girlfriends that I used to scrapbook with all the time. We typically got together at least once a month and either met at someone’s house or went to scrapbook stores that held all night scrap booking parties. Well we hadn’t done this in probably over a year and I had told a couple of friends about how I created a website. This sparked some interest in getting together like old times.
In all five people showed up around dinner time. After eating, we caught up on all the latest happenings in each others lives. Everyone got their scrapbook stuff out in the downstairs finished basement. It is only half a level down from the main entrance and it’s carpeted with a TV, computer, kid’s toys/playroom.
We had worked for about an hour when someone asked about my website, so I logged on and showed them how to create a post. They were amazed at how easy posting pictures was and wanted more information on possibly creating their own website. I started to point out the link to http://www.gadooney.com/ when I noticed that I had some new incoming links.
For some reason I really obsess about new incoming links and always check to see where they are coming from. At this point two of my friends said something to the affect of, “hey lets just get back to scrapping”. I said go ahead, but that I was going to stay on the computer for a little while longer. Well after some quick research and clicking through links I realized that a good deal of my content was basically getting “stolen” and posted on other people’s websites.
Luckily someone had seen the originally content on my site and posted a comment and link to my site or I would have never known. There isn’t really much I can do about it so I decide to poke around the site and see if I can contact the author on the site and at least get credit for my craft works. Imagine my surprise when I read the bio and it is my friend Lindsay, who is sitting in my basement working on scrap book pages.
I quickly check the other site and low and behold it’s Jennifer who is sitting next to Lindsay looking very nervous. Now these are the two people who I originally emailed to take a peek at the new website I had created. At first they both said they were just experimenting in how to post stuff and didn’t have any content yet so they borrowed mine. Well after a little more shouting and accusations it became quite obvious that they had stolen my content with the intent on passing it off as their own.
Even the other 3 people who had unbiased opinions thought it was fairly obvious that they were posting stolen content. Well I think it would have ended right then and there with them storming out, but Jennifer decided to get in my face and when I backed up I knocked over card table that had a couple of drinks on it. These drinks spilled all over the 4 pages that I had just spent the last hour creating. In addition to the pages, the pictures that I had just printed off at Walgreen’s were completely ruined.
I think we have all had that feeling before; you know the one where you don’t know whether to be really mad or want to cry. I think at this point I completely lost it and immediately started to scream and headed straight for the both of them. What happened next was like slow motion. As Jennifer backed away she tripped over Lindsay and fell backwards. Her left arm flailed behind her and her elbow went straight into the TV screen.
Now let me explain something very important. This TV is a 42” LCD flat screen that my husband saved and saved and saved for. We just got it after Christmas time so he could have a super bowl party and invite all his guy friends over. No sooner had we all stopped and stared with our mouths open, he came downstairs to see what all the fuss was about. There was no hesitation as to whether he would cry or be mad, he was just plain angry. Especially when he heard what started the fight in the first place.
The cops were called and as I explained the story I started to feel just plain embarrassed. It was like we were a bunch of high school girls that got drunk and lost control. However, it was a good idea that we called the cops because Dave (Jennifer’s husband) showed up very pissed off. The cops warned him to go home and that nothing was going to happen (it wasn’t like we could sue them to replace the TV). Dave was too stupid to leave and ended up getting arrested right there on our front lawn. This of course left Jennifer in tears and now she blames us for calling the cops.
What a night, I still can’t believe that it all went down like that. Needless to say I won’t be having anymore scrap book parties and hopefully my husband can realize that this wasn’t my fault and will start talking to me again. I guess if I had to give anyone advice about having people over to scrap book it would be this …
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As if it weren’t obvious APRIL FOOLS!