I delivered a wedding cake yesterday morning and I was ready to strangle someone! The problem was not the bride, the mother, the cake, me, or any such thing... it was the horrible woman who holds the key to the reception hall. (An American Legion) She met me at the time I was told by bride's mom, I was 15 minutes early because I was warned that she 'wouldn't wait'. She pulls up, I step out of the delivery van and very brightly say, "Good morning". She won't even make eye contact. She is a woman of perhaps 50, she has with her a daughter, and her daughter's two girls. They proceed to run around, darting between us as I am carrying in the parts to the cakes. Then they are hanging on the side of the table as I am assembling. The mom and grandma are sitting at a table watching me, letting the girls do this. I finally ask them to step away, THEN grandma tells the girls to move. This whole time she hasn't made eye contact with me or even acknowledged that she knows I'm there. So, the table we are using is crooked so she picks up the corner (while my stomach is doing cartwheels) and shoves some #@$% napkins under the leg. Then she sits back down and she and her daughter start to say in voices that are not loud enough to be speaking to me, but loud enough for me to hear, that the cake is crooked. There was one corner on the middle tier that was a tiny bit lower just on the corner, but I hadn't put the border on yet, and that totally hid it. It was one tiny spot!! So, they sit there on their fat @#$&% critiquing my cake, shooting me nasty looks the whole time. I finish setting up the cake and start arranging the flowers. The whole time shaking partly because it is less than 50 degrees in the hall, and partly because I am so angry. I was having trouble getting my hands steady, (and there was no hot water to run them under) but I got it worked out. Anyway, by the time I left I just wanted to choke this woman and the three with her. I have never been so insulted in my life. The cake is the most recent one in my pix... the one I call the largest wedding ever. I talked to someone today who was at the wedding last night (I am doing her son's wedding this coming weekend) and she said people were buzzing about the cakes. She even added more cake to their order! I haven't heard from the bride or her mother, but I don't expect to for at least a little while. I am not concerned. I just wanted to vent about Cruella DeVille and her brood of miscreants.
Sorry you had to encounter the key master from hell. 
I think you handled yourself professionally. I also took a peek at your pic and I think the cake is beautiful!! 
Heehee... it's funny that you said that because I kind of did. I did my work slowly and thoroughly, not too bad like it was obvious or anything, but then when I was done I started taking pictures and I was just fussing with a leaf here and snapping a few pix, then moving a piece of greenery, and a few more pix, then put the camera away so she thought it was over, then went, "Oh no... I wanted to take a pic of blah-blah" and got the camera back out and started snapping again. Then I took three trips around the area making sure I didn't 'leave anything'. I wasn't being really outwardly rude, or giving her a reason to rag, but I was not lighting a fire under my butt to work on HER schedule.
Ok guys... just got a call from the Bride's mother... they were thrilled. She said they were all pleased with how the cakes turned out and that everyone there was raving about the taste, etc. I am SO PLEASED!! Not to sound vain, but I knew there wouldn't be a problem with taste, and I knew that what I made was what she wanted, but after that *shudder* WOMAN sitting there and critiquing, I felt a little nervous, like maybe the cake was a little lopsided or something. I wasn't really worried, just that stupid little person in the back of your head that sometimes tries to whisper in your ear, things like, "You know... you're not that good. I've seen better at Wal-Mart" *Insert picture of me with extra long Q-tip shoved in my ear saying, "I'll get you, you little @#$%&!!" 
Oh, I have a question with regard to this wedding, but I'll make a new post because it's unrelated to this.
Edited to add: If you're interested, I will call the thread Maple Leaf Idea.
Glad to hear it all worked out. I had a similar situation with a wedding cake I delivered to our american legion. Maybe it is listed on the qualifications, you must be mean to manage the legion. LOL
Haha MaraCarter!! But the part that irks me is that she is the maid essentially. She comes in and cleans after parties and that's why she has a key. She's not like the boss or anything. Ergh. Oh well... forgotten!! (Now that I was able to vent it!!)
It makes me wonder if they are war widows and they are just bitter. If that's the case, then I feel bad for her, but there is no reason to take it out on the innocent bystanders. 
I was SUPER nice to her. Hmmm... maybe that was the problem... maybe she hates 'perky'! 
Sorry Melvira, I forgot to comment on your cake. Beautiful-You did an awesome job.
I grew up in the northwest corner of Iowa. Where are you located?
Hey Mara, thanks for the compliment!!
I'm located on the eastern edge of Iowa, just under the 'bump' that juts out into illinois! Just a hop, skip, and a jump from the Quad Cities. I live in a small town now, where I was born, but I was mainly raised in Davenport (after the divorce, of course ) but after my Grandma (my best friend) passed a few years ago, DH and I decided to buy the house and keep it in the family. She needs lots of TLC, but she is beautiful, antique stained glass windows, amazing woodwork, etc. Diamond in the rough, to be sure!! 
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