With the press of a button

I had to run some hard copy images to the printer’s today for work. There were two images for the newsletter that I didn’t have digital scans of– so I swung by the office, picked them up, and then headed over to the printshop. I was irritated because I got the message right after I’d picked Jack up from school so it wouldn’t be a quick in-and-out errand but now I’d have the car seat buckles to contend with and a somewhat cranky Jack who only wanted to go home and eat something. 

I used to take Jack to the printshop all the time when he was smaller… They have an Easy Button. It was a gimmick they got from their Office Dept (or was it Staples? or Office Max?) supplier. You press it and it says, “That was easy!” It used to keep Jack busy while I met with the designers to go over layout issues/learn InDesign. One of the designers is a mom with boys. She and I could carry on lengthy conversations while over and over in the background there was a constant refrain of “That was easy! That was easy! That was easy! That was easy!” We could tune it out. The other designer is a man. I don’t think he’s married or has children. But he seemed unbothered by it, too.

Anyhoo. Today the side entrance that goes directly to the designers was locked so we went through the front office. The receptionist there is super friendly and she let us go the backway through the actual print shop where all the machines are clattering and whirring. Jack loved it.

“It smells like an office!” he declared.
I love that smell– ink and paper and solvents. It reminds me of my Dad.

It was a great little field trip. The man-designer was there and showed Jack around the designer end of things. Jack admired all the big computer screens and the red-lit room and the really big copy machine… But all of it was eclipsed by the sight of his old toy– the Easy Button.

He pressed it for old times sake.

Making Jack happy was easy. I’m glad that it worked out that he went with me.