The printer wants the book back on Friday via UPS Ground, otherwise known as camel class (Pony Express is too slow to describe ground service). Because of my headaches, I'm not finished with it yet. I don't have much left to do, but it's enough. Enough to make the notion of getting this puppy to a Mail Boxes Etc. by 7:00pm sort of unlikely.

The other two possible outcomes are unsatisfactory: 1. the book arrives Monday (UPS Ground shipped tomorrow) or 2. the printer pays extra to get overnight service (UPS Next Day Air).

Can I mention here that I'm used to doing everything via FedEx? And that the price jump from Ground to Next Day Air is troubling? ($6.45 Ground to $27.71 Next Day Air Saver.)

Do I suck it up and pay the overcharge myself because the book should have been ready to roll this afternoon? Do I make the printer pay the overcharge and tell him I was delayed (which I have been, by headaches)? Do I rationalize making the printer pay for the overcharge by reminding myself that I'm making next to nothing on this book?

Yes. My last invoice was twice what this one will be, because big sections of this book are reprinted and just need page-throughs to make sure nothing is missing or glaringly weird. I still have to go through all of the pages, but I can skim some of them. My bill for this text will be pretty low. If he wants it on Friday, he can cover the shipping.

And I will have an angry little chat with myself about professionalism. The two golden rules taught me by my mentor:

1. Never promise what you can't deliver.
2. If you have to promise . . . low-ball it.

Unexpected complications arise. That's life. And my unexpected complications were headaches and the fact that the client hadn't planned on next-day shipping. C'est la vie, c'est le guerre, roll with the punches and all that.

Dammit.

I need a shower.

Update: no problem, says the printer via e-mail, send it UPS ground, it arrived a day late at your end last week (true). Cool.