Howdy, howdy......

Okay, now check this out.....this just in.....(I feel like I'm swooping down into my bat cave with the batman music playing)......

Yesterday, evening, while I was "practicing" on an upcoming cake for next month, I hear my door bell ring a ling.....After I gated up my LARGE dog....I saw it was my nutty neighbor with someone....I thought to myself, "guess she couldn't wait til Friday".....so after opening the door and being polite and saying hello.....she tells me this is the friend? of hers who wants a cake done by me.....I told them both, I was right in the middle of something and really could not be bothered at that time..But her friend,, who was very very nice and very very persistant not only asked for my card, but asked to see an album of mine and that she would not take up alot of my time..The nutty neighbor just left (guess she figured I was not going to let her in my home again....)

So, after bringing my LARGE dog upstairs and gate her close by in case I needed to get her, I brought this very nice lady to my cake room office. She saw this cake I was working on,,( it was a dummy practice cake) and I was so floored when she ooogled and wowwed it and said, she really really liked this design? WHAT? I am saying to myself,, I was "hating" the design yet alone working on the thing.....(this was the first time, I ever "hated" working on something that did not make me happy with the design, etc..)(guess that's why we practice, practice....) I just hated the whole thing overall.....(I will post some pics on this horrible thing in a bit).....
So, to make a long story short,, this very nice lady wanted this ugly looking cake for a party for early next month.
So, there I am in the pickle jar wondering what to say to her, yes, or no....I told her how much it would cost and she said she will return the following day to pay in full...I didn't know if I should have told her the problems I have had with her nutty friend, my neighbor.....so I kept it zipped....BUT I did tell her, I will only speak directly with her on this cake order etc...So I guess I will be doing this "ugly" cake for her and NOT (I hope, I hope) have to deal with "that" nut......
Please let me know your opinion(s) on this ugly cake pic that I will post in a bit....Anyone ever have one of those times when you just "hate" the cake whether it be a dummy cake or practice or the real thing your working on??
Thanks for everyone's support and your funny comments to this continuing saga........

You need to write a book........Cakes, Decorating, and Assorted Nuts! LOL!! This story just keeps getting better..can't wait to see if the lady comes back with money (don't do anything til the check clears!)

Just make sure you get a contract signed and payment before you do anything

Wow,,,,,I was so surprised at myself,,,,the nice lady who wanted the cake I was practicing on (the ugly cake),, came by this am with a check and I requested that she sign a cake contract..

She liked to have drop to the floor and she told me, "I don't do contracts", "don't worry, my money is good".. So...........I told her "I don't know if her money is good and no project on the cake would begin until the check clears which takes about 7 days and I always have clients sign a cake contract."

Then she told me she needs a cake by next Friday ( 5 days away) and to go ahead and cash the check, but she still did not want to sign a cake contract. I then noticed she made the check "directly" out to me and asked her if she would change it to "cash" so I can go directly to her bank to speed up the process of the check clearing since she needed a cake early. She then tells me she would not do that because she "didn't want ME to take out more $$ than what the check was written for". I couldn't believe what I just heard,, so as my face turned purple with anger, I then just handed back her check and told her that since she was not going to sign a cake contract and imply that I was a thief to her banking facility, I told her I could not help her and then "threw her out of my home".

She then told me she would have her neighbor, (the nut) come up to talk to me to get me to do a cake for her.....As the door was slamming in her FACE, I told her don't bother.......
I then told my husband "what nerve, what nerve" this woman had!!! And I was upset because I felt that I lost the opportunity to do one of my cakes and probably she too would tell "her" friends not to order cakes from me. My husband gave me lots of hugs and support and a great cup of coffee and told me it was her loss, that there are just people out there who are like that and to just keep remembering, it's nothing personal, it's business.
So, after crying for a spell, and drinking my good cup of jo,,,I felt a little better.....

Any friend of the nut is bound to be a nut.
You're probably lucky not to be doing the cake, you might not be making the money but she was bound to have something to complain about so she could get her money back.

you've got to stick to your guns... the contract is a good idea and there's no way that she should've balked at signing it. She doesn't "do contracts"? So she's never signed mortgage papers, or a lease, or a credit card receipt.
I say, good riddance to bad rubbish! It's probably a blessing if she tells all her crazy, like minded friends not to order cakes from you... then you don't have to deal with a bunch of people who are going to jerk you around!
Hope you're feeling better... you did the right thing!

All I can say is I am sorry you have to deal with all these NUTS!! I think you did the right thing too.

Also, what town do you live in??? So I can be sure to never ever move there.....there are lots of crazies there!! The nutty neighbor, the neighbor's nutty friend and lets not forget the nutty lady at the craft store!! LOL, I read your other posts to "catch up" on this nutty neighbor of yours!!

Oh my goodness...does planters have a nut plant near your home??? You should call them and let them know that there must be a crack in their wall and to please come gather up their rotten nuts...You did good, now just sit back and wait for a nice client to come over and fall in love with you "UGLY" cake.

Wow. Some people are amazing. I just could never even imagine acting that way. I don't even have THOUGHTS of acting that way. It is so irrational and STRANGE. I hope your husband succeeded in making you feel better about saying no. I'm glad you stuck to your convictions. Her not wanting to sign a simple cake contract and then making the check out to you directly IN SPITE of your direction not to...that all just raises huge red flags. You don't need her as your customer - or any of her other nutty friends!

She doesn't sign contracts? for a cake?? something was up with that nut job. I guarantee you that check would have bounced. You got yourself out of a sticky situation quick...and next time...let the dog loose!

Um. WOW.

Like my mother says to me, "How do you FIND these people?!?" and my response is always, "Mom, they find me."

But seriously.......doesn't use contracts and is afraid you will take more money out than she wrote the check for? Is she new to personal banking? How would you even do that?

CRAZY!!!!

Good for you for sticking to your guns! And this lady and all her little friends seem nuts. For them, you are booked until at least 2079. Or the 5th of never. Whichever comes first!

It's recess at the funny farm and you must be their playground!! Next time someone approaches you in a white "shirt" "hugging" themselves.....RUN!!! I don't think I'd want the referrals from any of the crazies anyway so don't worry. You did the right thing by sticking to what you believe and what keeps you safe.

WHOA! Total nut job!!! How on earth WOULD you take more money out than she wrote the check for anyway? What are you going to use "white out" on the check and change the amount??? Like the bank wouldn't notice that anyway???? And heck, even if you did - she could call her bank and ask to see the check and then say it was tampered with - the bank will probably side w/ her b/c she is their customer- AND you get paid.... so really the bank loses - but still I don't understand the concept at all...

And "I don't do contracts"? Guess she's not married then either huh?? And yeah she's never owned a home or a car or anything - you know the problem is she probably doesn't READ contracts and so she just decides she won't sign any..........wow

DOn't be upset you got rid of these nut jobs - it's a blessing - you didn't love that cake design anyway - and if she doesn't recommend you to her friends - ANOTHER blessing - b/c these nuts seem to stick together and it just sounds like you could be putting yourself through hell to try and please her and her friends and your wacky neighbor next door - and you'll be so busy w/ them you'll miss out on the GOOD clients!!!

Good luck in the future and stay away from the nuts!

I saw the pic of the cake and I liked it. See nuts cluster togather. I don't think I would answer my door again.

GOOD FOR YOU! The simple fact that she wouldn't sign the contract would be a red flag. You did the right thing. She most likely would have brought you more trouble than new clients. There will be plenty of others who will treat you with the respect you deserve.

btw sounds like you have a good supportive DH

PLease print this thread out and post it somewhere prominent in your cake room to remind you WHY you don't do cakes for this woman and her friends.

Sorry to hear about all the nuts in your neighborhood.

I thought if you took the check directly to THEIR bank and cashed it...it didn't matter if your name was on it or if it was written out to CASH. You get your money right away and how are they going to get come after you, especially if you don't even have an account with them??

I have had people write bad checks returned to me and I hang on to them for a week or so and then call their bank and ask if their is money in their account to cover the check. The bank will either say yes or no. If the answer is yes I scoot over their real quick and cash it, no questions asked.

also, you can always call to confirm that their is money in their account to cover the check. Again the bank will only say yes or no. So you could always call when she hands you the check. You just say something like "Oh, thank you for the check. It's my policy to call and confirm funds available, it will just take a moment."

I think its a good thing that you aren't doing her cake and are not associated with the nut or her nut friends. SO what if she tells her friends not to order from you, as someone else said any friend of the nut is a nut too or something like that lol.

hockeygirl658 wrote:

OMG!! I was laughing so hard at this....I was thinking the exact same thing! Run! Run as fast as you can from these people! The whole thing seemed a little shaky from the start, you probably just saved yourself a world of trouble by saying no to this person. Hopefully, the nuts will stay away now, although the nuts in your neighborhood seem to not have a clue....

OH MY DEAR GOD...

what in the world is going on over by your house? maybe you need your local pastor come by and cleanse your doorway? lol

It was fine to give you a check for a cake for next month..but a cake for this Friday? NO WAY. You could've asked her for cash when she balked at the check thing...

Next time someone wants to give you a check..you can tell them...if you make it out to

"">>>> cash only<<<<""

Don't worry, you may lose a few calls for now..but you keep on making your cakes and pretty soon, people will come by for your cakes to make up their own minds.

And besides...it JUST may work n your favor, maybe a LOT of people KNOW she's a nut case and just may be curious enough to come by to see the woman NUTSO is talking about..lol

take care,

even a bad thing can be a good thing!

WOW! I have to say I'm sorry for your misfortune, having to live next to the NUT and now being harrassed by her NUT friends. But I will say this little saga has been almost as entertaining as an episode of Desperate Housewives. Good for you for sticking to your guns. I wouldn't worry about her telling all her friends not to buy from you, chances are they all come from the same tree and your better off. Your cakes are great and eventually the great (normal) people will be at your door blocking out the bad seeds...I mean NUTS

It takes all kinds to make the rest of us appear normal.
I love the topper for your "ugly" cake. I will have to hit my dollar store for other ideas like that.

Here's my two cents worth----Next time let the Large dog answer the door.

You did the right thing! I probably would have given in which would have been wrong! I cant believe she told you she didnt have enough money in her account. What did she think, you were going to do it for free?

I have two quotes about that nut next door.....

"The two most common elements in the universe are hydrogen and stupidity. But not in that order.
Brian Pickrell"

"There is more stupidity than hydrogen in the universe, and it has a longer shelf life.
Frank Zappa"

Yeah Zappa - dead on.........

It's funny how she seemed willing to inconvenience you for HER needing a cake so soon. 5 days? Who is she kidding? If she wanted it bad enough (and truly intended to pay for it), she could've said, "Ok, well I don't do contracts, but can I go right now to an ATM and come back w/ cash?"

I think you would've done the cake, made a little (probably very little) money, she would've been happy, and that would've been that.

People always amaze me. You did the right thing.