This, That, and Some More of This and That - LOL

So we now enter the weekend. It's Saturday, a usual day at the shop for us, and then on Sunday I'll have to work from Noon until 4:00 pm for our second of three Sundays open. Last Sunday we had no customers (but we got a lot of computer work done, which was essential). Historically, we don't get many/any customers on our Sunday hours, but it's a convenience for our customers, nonetheless. It also means we can get some more work done on the massive project that DH started about 2 to 2-1/2 months ago - repricing ALL of our precious metals products. That's a LOT of product - everything from earwires and earposts to Sterling Silver wire that we sell by the foot. 

If you're really interested in how precious metals pricing has 
changed over the past 100 years, here's an interactive link 
for you. 
https://www.macrotrends.net/1470/historical-silver-prices-100-year-chart
The big spike in 1979 was when the Hunt Brothers were cornering 
the market, but wee broke through that high and moved back 
down. Now we've been climbing again. Today we're at record highs. 

The metals market has gone through the roof, and for years we've been putting an "adder" onto each sale. The adder would be determined by the daily market price of precious metals. DH knows that during our closing sale, we simply won't be able to do things that way, so he dove into the HUGE task of repricint our sterling silver components, as well as our gold-filled and our 14K gold items. I actually think he's getting to the end of that project, but it's been his nightmare over the past eight weeks or so. 

A certified copy of a court decree can only be obtained 
through the courts and, of course, has to be purchased - LOL. 
I bought six certified copies from the court last week, so 
that I can get my driver's license, passport and social 
security changed appropriately, and still have a few copies 
in reserve "just in case". 

I received my certified copies of my official name from the courthouse yesterday. Now I can set up an appointment to get an updated driver's license as well as get a passport going. I haven't had a valid passport since the late 1980's, and my driver's license is set to expire early next year. I'm not sure I'll have the time to deal with the driver's license until 2026, but DH's birthday is this month, and his license will expire on his birthday, so he actually has to get in. He did as much online as possible, but was unable to make an appointment online, so he'll have to be at the License Bureau as soon as they open in a week or two. As I recall, they open at 7:30 am, so not horrible. 

I'm expecting a questionnaire from Travis that both 
DH and I will have to spend some serious time and 
effort on. All of our publicity will be based on what 
we answer and the history that we provide. We'd better 
be comprehensive. 

We're waiting on Travis to send us the next part of our business closing stage. It will be a lengthy questionnaire, and we should take our time with it, and really fill it out with paragraphs of information, if necessary. All our promotional materials, etc will be based on our responses to the questionnaire. I'm anxious to see what the questions are, and I'm sure DH and I will have different answers to almost all of the questions, but we'll see. 

So, I'm wrapping this up, having a quick breakfast, and heading to the shop. I have a bunch of stuff to do, and need to maximize my time today. Have a great weekend and I'll be back on Monday. Slava Ukraini. 

It's A Quick Post Today - The Pool is Calling to Me

I don't have a lot of time today to post. Because of the snow earlier this week, I pushed off my swimming schedule by one day while I dug the house and driveway out. So ... today is that make-up day. I'll be in the pool instead of on the treadmill today. That means I've got about 10 minutes to get this up before I need to get into the car. 

Sometimes it seems like my life is running around in 
circles - one after the other. But ... yesterday turned into 
a really good day after a somewhat rocky start. 

My international Holiday Cards went into the mail yesterday. I still need to do a bit of work on my domestic cards, so those will be sent early next week. DH has "requested" (more like ordered) me to work at the shop today, so my second "day off" of the week isn't happening. And, of course, we're working on Sundays for a few more weeks. Any "spare" time I had is quickly disappearing. But ... I'll get those cards into the mail ASAP. 

My international cards are now on their way. I'll have 
my USA cards in the mail, hopefully no later than early 
next week. I'm running late, and I apologize! 

I didn't make cards this year - time simply wasn't anywhere on my side. I went for beauty instead, and chose a card assortment of five views in each box. They're all lovely, and what you're getting from me was a totally random choice of which card came up in the pile next. I've already started receiving holiday cards from some of you, and I know that my mantle will look very festive within the next week or so. 

My Mind Matters group yesterday was a real joy to 
attend again, and with my friend Claire (Chickie Mama) 
alongside. I've made some friends in that group and I'm 
going to miss them after next week's final meeting. 

Yesterday's Mind Matters group was actually a very good back and forth of tips, techniques, and observations between all of us in the group. Sue was there again, and things are going much better for her Mom now - a really good development - but we were missing Becky. I suspect she thought it was just too difficult for her to maneuver through parking lots, etc with her walker. Next week will be the final meeting of the group and I'm finding that I'll really miss that give and take. They're really great people, every one of them. 

So, I'm out of here and heading for the swimming pool. Have an excellent Friday and I'll be back tomorrow to wrap up the week. Slava Ukraini. 

It Was a Day of Exercise and Frustration - Cards Will be Mailed by the End of the Week

It was indeed a VERY busy day yesterday. It took almost an hour for me to get the driveway and walkways shoveled out, and I was 30 minutes late for my mammogram appointment at the Breast Center. However, the world was also delayed, and they were able to take me right away. I was quite grateful. I won't know the results for a day or two, but hopefully they won't find anything to be worried about. 

My breasts are very dense - rather like the scan on the 
right. My life would have been quite different if my 
breast tissue was less dense like the breast on the left. 
My friend's Mother-in-Law just had a 2mm tumor removed 
from her breast. They didn't find mine until it was 10mm 
in size because they simply couldn't see it. 

DH came home yesterday evening in a foul mood, and informed me that I WILL work on Friday. So, I'll be working tomorrow. It won't stop my getting to the post office to mail my holiday cards (which I labelled yesterday. I think, however, I might have forgotten to actually sign some of them, so I'm extending apologies to all of you if you get one that I missed signing. That's poor form on my part, and I can put that at my door of "Too Much To Do and Too Little Time in Which to Do It". 

DH needs to renew his driver's license and needs to get 
a "Real ID" style. He was trying to fill in the form online 
yesterday, without success. I don't know why it wasn't 
working for him, but he'll have to go to the License Center 
like most of us do. 

I've had a friend at the grocery shop for several years now. Justin first began the friendship while he worked in the Produce department alongside Phil. When Justin got married, there was a freak hail storm and, of course, since it was early Spring, it was an outdoor wedding. VERY bad mojo, which within two months became EXTREMELY bad mojo when his wife was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She died within two years of the wedding, and Justin was on his own again. 

So Justin has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. That 
totally SUCKS! I'll be able to keep touch on how he's 
doing through Phil, but coming on the heels of his wife's 
cancer death, this is not a good thing. 

Now, according to his friend Phil (whom I use to keep in touch with everyone), Justin's doctors found a brain tumor when they were doing a scan prior to a surgery that would deal with his head. Wow ... just WOW. That came out of total left field and left all of us totally shocked. How much bad mojo can one guy have? Of course, we're all pulling for him, but I'd say the "Fickle Finger of Fate" has definitely targeted him. 

So, I'm off to the pool. I'll be swimming again tomorrow since snow shoveling made yesterday's swim impossible. Last year's "Winter that Wasn't" is being seriously erased this year - LOL. Have an excellent Thursday and I'll be back tomorrow if all goes well - LOL. Slava Ukraini. 

Today is a VERY Busy Day!!!

It's a VERY busy day today, and I started out with 1/2 hour on the treadmill before I dressed in my snow gear and went out to shovel the driveway. No swimming today, I'll swim on Friday instead. I had about 2-3 inches of snow to move from the driveway and both walkways, and that took me over an hour. Then I took a quick shower, and now I'll have a fast breakfast and then head over to the Breast Cancer Center for my annual mammogram. They said I didn't have to use my usual location, that I could schedule with them, and I jumped at the chance. They're awesome people there, so I'm pleased to be seeing some of them again. 

I love these people. They might not always be doing the 
most comfortable procedures, but they're super competent, 
always friendly, and always listening to their patients. 

But ... that leaves me with NO time to post today, or to read your own posts, or to respond. At least, not until the afternoon. So ... I'm out of here and wishing all of you a great day. We had probably close to 18-24 inches of snow over the past 24 hours. *sigh* I'm already tired of Winter and it's really just started. Slava Ukraini. 

We're Committed Now - Contracts Have Been Signed and Money Is Being Sent

The day isn't starting out great, but it might change. I know it snowed overnight, that means I need to get out of here in 20 minutes to give myself ample time to shovel before I leave for the gym. After my swim, I'll have a quick breakfast, but then it's time to deal with icy streets on my way to the bank. My shop bank is FAR away from me on the opposite end of St Paul. But we signed the contract with Travis to handle our business liquidation yesterday, and I have to get money deposited to send him a scanned check today. By the time we're done with all of this, we'll probably have paid out approximately the same as a house would have cost a few years ago. That's nerve-wracking, to say the least. 

I got Travis' book more than a year ago. 
I've read it several times, and there's 
almost more highlighter than unmarked 
text. As nervous as I am about this, I also 
think he'll do a great job for us. I'm counting 
on that and hoping he won't let us down. 

Of course we're expecting to get a lot of it, if not all of it and more, back in the actual sale. But that's still upcoming - not until next year. In the meanwhile, we're marking items with proper pricing, stocking things that we know will sell, selling things in other venues that we think won't sell here, and trying to work all of the logistics out without killing each other. If people say a divorce is stressful - try liquidating a business. 

Travis at Retail Sales Pro has been doing this 
for more than 25 years. His reviews are 
outstanding, the book is knockout, and if things 
work out the way they have for others, we'll be 
very happy at the end. Of course, we still have 
to get through to that point, and that's going to 
be difficult, but not impossible. 

But, somehow, we'll make it through. Not easily by any stretch, but we'll manage. I tend to land on my feet, generally, so we'll see if my cat comes through for me again. LOL In the meantime, I have a driveway full of snow that I need to take care of. So, I'm cutting this short and heading out to shovel. Have a wonderful Tuesday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

It's Monday - Hopefully I Can Be On Schedule This Week

In two hours (more or less), we'll be talking with Travis again, and hiring him to help us close the store. I'm terrified in many ways ... this is a HUGE decision, and it's a VERY costly one. We'll be paying him $1000's of dollars by the end of all of this, but I think he'll be able to run the sale the way I really wanted to - without the dog and pony show of my previous contacts. The downpayment alone is more than the cost of my first new car. *sigh* 

It's always a bit scary for me when we're making large 
financial commitments, and hiring Travis to oversee our 
End of Business Sale event is one of those expensive 
commitments. I'm hiring him because I think he can do 
the job better than anyone else I've investigated and/or 
interviewed. 

We're also open on Sundays now - two Sundays remaining. We rarely get customers on those days, and had nobody yesterday. It really all depends on the weather more than anything. Yesterday was clear, but it was damned COLD (and I suspect this Winter will be a cold one, based on our first few days of the current cold snap). I'm still trying to get my holiday cards sent. If you normally receive a card from me but have moved to a new address over the past year, please message me and update me ASAP. I'm hoping that all cards will hit the mail no later than the end of the week. 

I'm late getting my holiday cards into the mail, and I 
apologize for that. I'm hoping to get them into the mail 
this week. I'll be sure to let you know. 

I'm already looking forward to the pool tomorrow. Rumor has it that Meg might be able to return to swimming soon. I'm hoping that's the case - we usually share Lane 2 until Rosemary finishes her workout, when Meg moves over to her lane and my lane-mate is open for the next swimmer - usually Joleen. We're a little family, in a way, gathering at the doors before they're unlocked, swimming together, then getting dressed and heading out for work or whatever. We run into each other at the grocery store or the local discount shopping store (usually Target), and it's a bit like an extended family, in a way. Sisters of the water, or maybe, Sisters of the Sweat - LOL. Ir's hard to tell that you're sweating while you're in the pool, but I'm quite sure I do.  

Even if we're swimming, I'm pretty sure we're still 
sweating at the same time - it's a workout! LOL

So, I'm wrapping this up. It's going to be a busy day and I'll be relieved/terrified when we've agreed to pay Travis his fee and get this "Closing the Store" show on the road. It's going to be a hell of a next six months. LOL

 

Decisions - We Have a Lot of Them and They're Never Easy To Make

Yesterday's Mild Cognitive Impairment group was very fun. We were a smaller group than usual, but it's the holiday season, and things crop up. Sue, a woman I really enjoyed who had been missing the past two weeks, was finally back again. I was really happy to see her, I'd been a bit worried - with good cause, as it happened. She and her family had been involved in a trauma with their mother, whom they were trying to get into a memory care facility. 

Sue's crisis revolved around getting her mother into a 
memory care facility. It wasn't a smooth transition, and 
her mother ended up in the hospital for two weeks before 
finally moving to a different facility. The family is 
working with some advisors who are apparently really 
great. Hopefully things will be resolved quickly and 
life can continue onward. 

I totally understood the difficulties - I went through something quite similar when I had to put my own mother into a facility. There are always residual questions - "Am I doing the right thing for her?", "Is this the right place for her, or should I look elsewhere?", etc., etc. The questions don't actually end, but decisions have to be made, and then sometimes re-made again at a later time. 

Memory Care was not an option when Mom needed extended 
care. There was only a single facility that had a wing for 
memory care, and, fortunately, they were able to take her 
on very short notice. Fortunate for me, at least, but probably 
not - initially - for her. I felt like I had abandoned a puppy, 
but she couldn't live alone any more with safety, and I wasn't 
anywhere nearby. It was still one of the hardest decisions 
I've ever had to make and it still makes my heart hurt. 

Yesterday's topics were stress and sleep patterns. I'm pretty sure that all of us have been affected by nights when we simply couldn't fall asleep easily, and others of you have had stress affecting your lives in other ways. Stress is a constant in our lives. We don't live with it 24/7, but we do live with it far too often. Stress places some strains on the body that take a few weeks to clear out. Living a life of stress is completely unhealthy, but so many of us do these days. 

We're moving ahead with getting the store closed. We spent 
quite a long time on the phone yesterday with the guy 
we're hiring to help us with the sale. I'm comfortable with 
him, DH is a bit less so, but we both agree we need some 
serious assistance in getting this moving next year. So, 
we'll speak again on Monday, probably sign some virtual 
contracts on-line, arrange for a transfer of funds, and lock 
Travis in for our scheduled time next year. 

I'm going to cook some stuffed peppers today that I didn't have the time to do on Wednesday, and I'm still in the market for a new phone, so I'll pick that up once again. I have a pile of things on my desk that are all calling for my attention, and my tea is growing cold while I write this. I think it's time to wrap it up and call it done for today. Have an excellent Friday and I'll be back tomorrow to wrap the week up. Slava Ukraini.