It is absolutely amazing how much difference there is between the haunted, obsessed Maggie and the EUREKA WOOHOO Maggie.

First of all, I realize I have not exactly been up to my usual self and it shows in my last few posts. The problem is that I have a terrible one-track mind.

As easily distracted as I can be under ordinary circumstances, once I get really into something, I cannot distract myself until I find the solution. And that's how I've been for the last few weeks while I've been looking for that elusive booking software.

I feel kinda bad; everyone has been so forthcoming with so many suggestions. And so many people are so absolutely satisfied with the system they're using — and I come along and "bah humbug" y'all. I bet most people think I haven't even looked into their suggestions, huh?

But I did. I looked and looked. At one point I was managing five — FIVE! — different appointment books in five different software systems! My clients kept coming in and saying, "Geesh Maggie! Were you worried I was going to forget my appointment?" — because every system sent e-mail and text message reminders.

I actually passed frustrated and started worrying about myself. Was I really expecting so much more than what was reasonable?

If a program isn't going to support recurring appointments, I might as well go back to paper and pencil if I have to enter them all in by hand anyway. That was one of the great advantages of going electronic to begin with. We discussed the text message thing, and the integrated contact thing. But then I started thinking about all these web-based systems and their mobile apps — what would happen to my appointment book if I lost Internet connection?

So I checked. *POOF!* Gone. Couldn't even view my schedule. So that's when I decided my system had to sync with an external calendar and/or have offline read-/write-ability.

Wow. I really am picky. I seriously started considering going to Office Depot and buying a book ... or seeing if Windows 7 would run my old Palm software. Man do I miss that thing!

Oh yes, and there are, indeed, some options out there that did all these things — but cost considerably more than scheduling software is worth to me.

Anyway... I found it, for now anyway. I'm currently using Fullslate while I wait for the rest of the booking software universe to catch up. (I like the reports and stats features that many of the salon-specific systems offer.)

Now I feel like I can finally go on with my life — and my business! AND I just got the latest issue of NAILS Magazine... and I know how Hannah loves it when I "bite the hand that feeds me" but I have got to rant about these covers!