Week Progress or lack there of........ :(

Well it's Shark Week in my life (and I'm deathly afraid of Sharks). To review my ideas... for the slip casting project I am making (trying to) footballs to play with the idea of masculinity being fragile. You are supposed to throw them they are tough and durable until made of ceramic. Now they are rendered fragile and delicate. My thrown project is tribal dolls or ceremonial cups from a fictional culture. I was inspired by African tribal dolls from Chad, the double headed figure, South American ancient art, ex.
Ok so here is where my life really got like shark week... I went to Bailey's yesterday to get straps because I thought it's make my life easier and I really needed them. I get them out of the package, they were both missing the bar thing that they need to ratchet them. I start freaking out, I just can't get ahead, nothing is working out. I try to clamp with whatever sad few clamps are around. I try to plug any loose areas with clay, I pour, and it leaks like a siv. I was devastated. I was there till 11 at night and had nothing to show for it but bruises from maneuvering this clamped nightmare. Also I think we're running out of slip so even though I made an entire bucket myself and made double what others did, and have no time I will have to make that. I think I have to make a new mold. I ant to try to make a two part like I was doing originally. I will just fill in the seams so they are not undercuts anymore. I am beyond freaked out this won't have time to dry and won't work. I have nightmares about this mold. My mom said to me last night, well you can't have any tears left, I just said they just leak of me like my mold, and keep leaking.