This is why I don't like...

Being associated with parts of the Jewish community.

A short post today, as one child is prematurely up from a nap and the other will soon be up.

Sam is going through separation anxiety at the moment and screams if I leave the room--or really, his field of vision. Syd was not at all like this and it is a little hard to take. He was doing so well sleeping on his own and sleeping through the night, and now he freaks out and screams at the littlest thing. Patience, patience... this too shall pass.

So I've been trying to pin down a simple press release or something for an article I proposed on AroundCinci.com. It's a "Christmas Eve" alternative event for those who don't celebrate the holiday (mostly us Jews, I suppose) put on jointly by two Jewish or mostly Jewish organizations, which I'll call "A" and "B" because I have connections to the community and I don't want to burn any bridges.

Anyway, the only thing I've seen published on this event is a flyer with a piddly paragraph, a photo of the guy who is going to be at the event, and two numbers to call for more information.

Being the quasi-intelligent reporter I believe myself to be, I called one of the numbers and got voice mail, saying "I'll be out of the office Nov. something to Nov. something else and will return your call when I come back..." etc. I left a message and gave the person the benefit of the doubt, thinking that perhaps she hasn't had a chance to change her voicemail. my first mistake.

When several days went by and I didn't get a response, I called a friend of mine who works in a different part of organization A and explained what I was trying to do. He told me that the person for whom I left a message was "no longer with the organization" and that he didn't know who was taking on her programs in her absence. Great. He said he would ask around and have someone call me back.

No one did.

I called my friend again and asked if I should just try the contact from organization B. He said I could, but didn't think I would get anywhere. He said that he would call someone again, and have them call me, as he didn't have the person's cell number handy.

I never heard anything.

Monday, I called organization A again and asked to speak with the person he mentioned. I was told she was out of the office, but that I could speak with a marketing/p.r. person instead. I said fine, and was transferred. I got someone else, as the person to whom I was transferred was out of the office as well. This "assistant" marketing person said she didn't have a release, didn't think that one was forthcoming anytime soon, but she would contact the person at organization B to see what they had and get back to me later on that day or the next morning.

Nothing.

Today, Thursday, I finally get an email from the assistant marketing person at organization A with a photo of the guest attached, and a brief explanation that someone from organization B will be contacting me.

The kicker? Here is the response from the person at organization B:

"I am sorry this is so vague, but we are walking that fine line of having a lot of people who are part of our target audience show up… especially when we get into mainstream promotions. I figure they can call or email if they want to know more. Please call me if you have any questions. Thanks for helping us spread the word. Hope you and your hubby can join us."

To me, that translates into "don't write about us in your 'mainstream' publication because we don't want too many people to come because we can't handle it." I don't understand that "thanks for helping us spread the word." she has given me nothing to spread.

i am now officially more than one week past deadline on this alleged "story" and I'm ready to bag the entire thing, including anything I would propose to cover for either of these organizations in the future.

I can't tell you how furious I am that I have wasted so much time and energy trying to track down this "story" for folk that truly don't seem to care and don't want to have the publicity.

Another kicker?

Earlier in the week, I got a letter from organization A asking for a fundraising campaign contribution.

You've got to be kidding me. Seriously.