Just-in time

Talk about just-in-time delivery.
Many of us who have office based jobs order a bunch of business cards when we start the new job, uses a few and then bins the rest when we change jobs. At least that is what I am used to. Same last time, I ordered them back in 2010 when I started working for NSN (Nokia Siemens Networks), my name was Sissi Bergstrand and so was my e-mail address. My phone number was Swedish.
Since then, my company (still NSN) has changed name and logo, I have changed name and email address and I have a new phone number. Did it ever occur to me to order new business cards, no - as I have been working with the same customer and the same people for almost 2 years.
However, here in DC, I attend a lot of networking events and business cards are really necessary, if you want people you talk to, to remember you and get your contact details in an easy way. I realized this a few weeks ago and set about ordering new cards. It was a complicated process as it is in most large companies with the added complication that I am employed in Sweden but live in Washington, DC and needed cards delivered here.

Tonight, I am invited to the IMF, International Monetary Fund (Internationalla Valutafonden) "spouse after-work mingle". One of those events where business cards are necessary. I was hoping and tried to monitor my business card order, but still yesterday had no idea about delivery date (they could easily have told me when shipped, with a tracking number and that would have made my life so much easier. So I resorted to researching where I could get some temporary ones made up, but the last few days have been very hectic indeed so I never got it done. I found out there are some instant printers around which will make me some simple black-and-white ones more or less instantly, so decided to leave a bit early for tonight's event.
Early, is after mailman arrives though, and when next door neighbours dog started to bark I stuck my head out the door. Flag on mailbox was up and in between a pile of junk mail and bills, I found 250 new business cards, with correct name, company name and phone numbers.
So, I am off in 2h to hopefully get to know some interesting people.