I'm Overtime and Have to Get Going RIGHT NOW

After having finally rescued my Dremel from the shop, I'm taking it back with me today because I actually need it in the framing area. I'll be taking it back and forth with me, however. I don't trust DH to not grab it and use it and have it disappear for a month or two, and I can't take that chance. I need it at hand while I'm framing items. 

This is a bit more modern than my Dremel and case, but it's 
similar enough. The tool changes over the years, but the 
accessories pretty much stay the same, and the case is 
super convenient to keep everything together. 

I also have an attack of sciatica down my right side. I've never had this before, and I'm NOT very happy about it now. Sitting is painful, lying down is painful, and standing isn't too great either. *sigh* I don't have a lot of choice - it is what it is. My clock keeps on running down and time is most definitely NOT my friend. 

I have never had sciatica pain before, and have no idea 
why it suddenly decided to crop up now. I suppose I might 
be leaning differently while working on framing, but that's 
really the only different thing that's going on in my life right 
now. It hurts, and I don't recommend it to any of you! 

But, I'm off to the swimming pool today, and hopeful that I can get my usual workout. Yesterday's treadmill didn't happen because of pain, and I can't stand not exercising. It makes me feel like a bump on a log if I'm not active. 

I have a lot of picture frame chops that I purchased for artwork 
many years ago, but didn't use. When I find a piece that will work 
with what I already have, it's great! It saves us some $, and I 
can work on it without having to drive back and forth to my 
picture supply company. 

I have one frame in the process of being assembled at the shop. I got two sides glued properly yesterday and I'll drill and nail them today, then I'll glue the other two sides and get those drilled and nailed on Thursday (or maybe I'll take a quick run to the shop before opening on Wednesday to wrap up the frame and bring it home for mats and assembly). It's going to be on my King Kuka original gouche, which is a stunning piece and retails for a LOT of money. He was a good friend, and I was happy to support his artistic skills. 

Again, this isn't the piece I'm framing, but it's 
actually close in viewpoint. I adore his work. 

So, I'm off to the pool. Hopefully I can swim without issue and get a good workout in. I need it - when I'm in pain, I actually feel my age and I have NO intention of giving in to that myth! LOL Have an excellent day and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Etsy and Travis - My Stress Boils Over *sigh*

I got a notification from Etsy about a sale yesterday, so I went on with my home computer last night. (Apparently the only way I can access my Etsy sales is through my desktop, not my laptop.) Anyway, the order was for a strand of antique beads that I had sold a few months ago - and it was marked SOLD. So I attempted to contact the purchaser and let them know that it was unavailable and that we did have two other strands that might interest her, but I couldn't contact her. *sigh* I suspect it was a feeler order in any case, not a real person, but it was frustrating to not be able to actually get in touch with her. But I also can't sell what's owned by someone else already, so it's simply not happening. 

Etsy usually isn't a problem, but I have no 
idea how this person was able to even place 
an order for the item she did. It was sold 
several months ago, and it's marked as "Sold" 
on the website. Weird. 

The business sale is moving along and I'm starting to become really frightened about how this is all going to happen and come through. It's just the three of us (and only two on Mondays and Wednesdays), and I'm not at all sure how well this is going to happen. Will we actually be able to sell to the bare walls? That's my goal, and I have absolutely NO idea if that's going to happen. I've spent a BUNCH of money with my RetailSalesPro guy, and I'm counting on him to bring the people through the door. But we're still just three people on the sales floor and if the people flood in, we're sunk. We want and need sales, but I don't need "After Christmas Sale" panic in our customers. I think closing the business is more stressful than treating my cancer was. 

I'm putting my faith in Travis - someone I've 
never met, and may never meet. I've paid 
him a LOT of $, and followed his instructions to 
the letter. We're getting as ready to clear things 
out as possible, and it's absolutely frightening. 
It's really all on us - Chickie, DH and I - to make 
this sale work and clear things out. ARGH!

So swimming today will be a relief. I need to work out some of this stress. It's a good thing that I lost my hair years ago, I'd be tearing it out (or it would be falling out on its' own) from the stress. Have a wonderful Tuesday and I'm off to the swimming pool. Slava Ukraini. 

Happy St Patrick's Day!

Happy St Patrick's Day to one and all. I celebrated the day when I was a child, but nominally. On the sidelines. Sometimes Mom would make a corned beef, but only because it was on sale, not because of any special holiday. Then I married into an Irish/German Catholic household and things changed - radically. My in-laws celebrated and were involved in St Patrick's Day in numerous ways. They didn't march in the parade, at least not when they were getting older. But they were involved in a lot of the different events, etc. 

This is a prior year's St Patrick's Day Parade in downtown 
St Paul. I forget how many miles they walk, party and 
celebrate, but it's quite a few, making their way from downtown 
towards Minneapolis. 

I enjoy the holiday - it's always fun to have a good time, and when we have good weather, it's even better. Up here in the Frozen Northlands, it's been everything from really warm Spring days to days with heavy snow in the years I've been living up here. You never know what St Patrick's Day will bring, but the parade will go on. I recall seeing the signs for parking and alternative ways to get to the clinic last year when I was doing Radiation Therapy at this time of the year. Ov course, at the hours that I had my appointments, there certainly was no parade - LOL. 

I totally realize that Corned Beef & Cabbage is NOT a 
traditional Irish meal. But it is the meal most associated 
with St Patrick's Day in my part of the Universe. I'm not 
making it this year, no real time to cook. But, we might do 
it on Sunday. Just because it's pretty tasty. 

But yes, this nominal German Jew ended up marrying into an American Irish/German Catholic family - it caused a lot of people to go a bit ballistic on both sides of the family. But here we are ... lots of storms behind us, and probably a few in our future, but still together after more than 45 years. 

Tomorrow night we have an appointment with our tax 
accountant for our personal income tax returns. That 
usually goes pretty easily - we have our financial information 
in pretty good condition and I think I've remembered to 
print out everything necessary. But, I can always drop paperwork 
off to their office later in the week if I've missed something. 

Tomorrow we have an after-hours appointment with our accountant for our personal income tax return preparation. I think I've finally finished printing out all of the possible paperwork he might need, and if I am missing anything, one of us can drop it by his office later in the week. I don't think we'll have any surprises pending, but one can never know for sure until the numbers have been crunched. 

So, if you're celebrating St Patrick's Day with a toast of 
green beer, lift one for all of us who can't celebrate today. 

So, enjoy your Green Beer and celebrations today. St Paul will be celebrating alongside you, and the parade will go on, as always. It's going to be cold, but I don't think we'll be getting any snow, so that's at least one positive thing. Hopefully everyone marching will dress warmly. I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

I'm Very Upset with ETSY Right Now *sigh*

I'm in the middle of fighting with Etsy. It's frustrating. I got a notification that I have an order to fulfill and ship, and I'd love to do exactly that. But, I can't escape from my personal account (I had been looking at a couple of things I might want to purchase for myself early last week). It won't even acknowledge that I have a business account, and, of course, there are no human beings to talk to in "Customer Service" (a total misnomer, if there ever was one). Do any of you have any ideas for me? I'm trying to get logged into my business account, but it's sending me to my personal account every time. *GRRRRRR*

Most people are just purchasing from Etsy. I'm 
both selling and purchasing from two different 
accounts, and it's not letting me switch from my 
personal account to my business account so that 
I can fulfill the order that was placed. GRRRR. 

On the Travis end, I managed to get everything finished on Sunday. It was supposed to be in his hands yesterday, and I uploaded everything, double and triple checked everything, linked the photos to the page and gave him permission to view the photos, and everything should be working well. The store has never looked cleaner, but we're already messing things up because we are an active entity - we actually do sell things, order products and interact with customers. What a concept! LOL

It's a good picture of Travis, isn't it? I'm quite 
sure he looks nothing like this now, but it's 
possible. In any case, it's to his advantage to get 
every dollar out of the store that he can because 
his fee is based on our sales numbers. When we 
do better, he does better. 

Things are in his ballpark now, however. He needs to review the items we'll have available for sale - things OTHER than product, in other words. He's working with the big things - the display cases, furniture, and equipment. I think I ended up with almost 90 items on that list, a good portion of it being various types and ages of metal shelving from the warehouse area. We have a LOT of metal shelving. Some of it is quite old - inherited from his father when we bought the business. His Dad opened his business in 1954, and it's quite likely that some of the shelving dates from that time period. 

We have a LOT of industrial shelving that spans almost 50 
years. It nowhere close to this neat or uniform, but it all 
serves the same purpose - displaying product. We have a bunch 
on our main floor holding our product, and a very large 
bunch in the basement for warehouse storage. I'd estimate 
we have at least 40 shelving units, although it certainly 
could be up to 20 more than that. 

But there's still a LOT to do. And we're actually still buying some product - we're out of a few very specific things that we really do need to have on hand. So, we'll be placing an order with one of our suppliers within a day or two to get back to normal on things that we're sold out of. After all, black beads are essential, and we're actually sold out of black beads in size 11 right now. 

Black seed beads are getting quite low on stock, and 
it's something we know we can sell - no matter what. 
It's an important color, and we really can't sell out of 
it until the last minute, so we're actually ordering 
some more. *sigh*

On that note, I'm heading to the swimming pool. I'm just a bunch of tense nerves, and the treadmill is helpful, but the water and a good audio book can work wonders. Have an excellent Tuesday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

It's Tuesday - I'm Heading to the Pool

It's a Tuesday, and I'm back to the swimming pool today. I'm wearing the skin suit that's most stretched out and I really wanted to order a new replacement. But, there aren't any sales going on, and I simply can't afford the full-price of the suit. I don't know how much longer I can wear this one, however. Right now it would easily fit someone 20 pounds heavier than I am, which means it's VERY baggy. Baggy for a skin suit really doesn't work well. But, I'm tight on funds. 

I really like Slipins divesuits. I wear them 
for my pool days. The one I'm wearing right 
now, however, has stretched to the point where 
I'm not happy wearing it. I checked their website 
today, but just missed out on their latest sale. I 
might be down to two skinsuits. *sigh*

DH spent the day in the warehouse yesterday, assembling a shelving unit for photographs. We finally got the last screws into it after I had locked up and ended the day on the sales floor. It looks good, he did a good job. They're a total bear to put together with a single person, but he managed. 

DH got one of these assembled yesterday. It was 
a serious CHORE. It stands either 80" or 95" 
tall (I don't recall which), and the shelves are 
the heavier weight - the industrial instead of 
the commercial. It took him ALL day working 
solo to get this together. 

I've got a couple of household bills in front of me, I suppose I should get those paid this morning since I'm running slightly ahead of schedule. It'll be one less thing to have hanging over me, right? I also should try to get back to the lawyer I contacted last week. I might have a chance to give him a call later today. 

I have too many things on my "To Do" list. I suspect 
that many of you are in the same situation. LOL

Well, that's about all I'm inspired about this morning. Not all blogs at 3:45 am will be pithy and great fun, but that's also life itself. I hope you have an excellent day, I'm wrapping this up and heading for the swimming pool. Slava Ukraini. 

We're Drowning In Metal - Shelving and Desks

Yesterday was a grind - I did get the next check sent off to Travis, but DH spent a rather unproductive day dealing with the metal shelving we're overwhelmed with. We've got two types of metal warehouse shelving - industrial and commercial. The difference is the quality of the actual shelves - the amount of weight they will hold. The side braces are almost identical, and the shelf difference is slight, but it does make a difference if you're putting a lot of weight onto them. 

We have close to 50 units of steel shelving, most of which have 
eight to ten shelves. That's a LOT of shelves to make sure are 
all assembled with the same types of shelves per unit. I think 
that's a waste of his time - we're not going to get a massive 
amount of money on the steel shelving, but at least the 
photos for the main room's furnishings are complete. One step 
at a time. 

The boxed sets are easy - but the assembled shelves are a mismatch of what was at-hand at the time they were first assembled, and what was at hand when they were reconfigured to fit one place or another. I think DH said we have approximately 60 shelving units, some still in boxes, but most already assembled. Since both types of shelf fit onto the same brackets, it comes down to figuring out which shelves need to be switched out to make it one type of shelf or the other. I think it's a tremendous waste of time. We won't get that much for them in general, and he's spending days tearing his hair out trying to get them configured correctly. *sigh* I'm VERY annoyed. 

The difference between heavy-duty and industrial steel 
shelving is the amount of weight they can bear. Our shelving 
is a mix of both, and we also have extra shelving - some 
of which is still boxed in the original packaging. We've run places 
with metal shelving in the warehousing for decades. It's a lot 
of steel that we need to sell. 

I'm also annoyed at Verizon. I've been trying to get my bill paid with them for almost a week now, and I'm having all types of difficulties. I pay my bills on-line all the time. It's only Verizon that gives me grief, and I really can't afford to be without my phone. I'll try again at the shop today, but it's very frustrating. 

All I want to do is pay my Verizon bill. But it's becoming 
an impossible dream. I don't know why I can't get it paid, 
but their website is bouncing me off time and again. Can you 
say "Frustrating!"? 

I'm getting things together for Travis - I sent a lot of things over to him over the past few days, but it occurred to me in the middle of the night (because that's when things can creep up, as you well know), it occurred to me that I hadn't done anything about the desks, etc on the main floor - the ones we use every day. Those have to be included, and we've done nothing with them. We need measurements and photographs. I'll have to put that onto Sunday's agenda because I'll have to clear the tops completely and that's a chore. They're working desks, not ornamental - LOL. 

We have four industrial metal desks that we use - one is 
in the main room, one in DH's area, and two downstairs 
in the warehouse area. They're heavy and bulky and probably 
would survive the Apocalypse. I can't wait to get rid of them.

So, I'm leaving to swim off some of my frustrations. I'm hoping the exercise will help me unclench my teeth and breathe a bit deeper. At any rate, I can work off a bit of the three pounds I put on last week. Shame on me! Big thanks to Samtyr for the wonderful "Year of the Horse" shirt she sent to me. It's fabulous and I'll wear it happily when the weather gets warmer. *hugs* Have an excellent Tuesday and I'm off to the swimming pool. Slava Ukraini. 

It's the Year of the Horse - and Olympics, of Course

Happy Year of the Horse. It's Chinese New Year, and we're celebrating (at least in our own ways). I'm a bit off-schedule today. I awakened at 2:00 am instead of when my alarm would go off at 3:00 am. I tossed a bit, but gave up and started catching up on my morning meditation routine. By the time I was finished with that and headed downstairs (since I had extra time, I indulged a bit in some extra "me" time), it was already almost 4:00 am and I leave for the pool at 4:30 am. *sigh*. So now I'm running a little late - LOL. 

This New Year is the Year of the Horse. I was born in 
a year of the Horse, so it's going to be MY year - if I 
can just survive the next few months - LOL. 

I hope you're all enjoying watching the Olympics if it's your thing. We're happily watching as much curling as possible, and a lot of the ski competitions. Basically, we both adore the Olympics, so when they're on, we have it turned on. I don't know, or care about, the medal count, but I'm sure the USA is doing just fine. 

The USA Men's Curling Team is quite young (most of 
them) and they're REALLY good. They're fun as heck 
to watch. Some of the shots they're able to make have 
been nothing less than incredible. Bravo! 

Did you happen to catch the prime time Women's Monobob bobsled run? An absolutely wonderful woman from the USA won that one - and they had done a feature on her earlier in the evening. It was lovely to meet her family - husband and two kids. The kids are both quite young, and they're both completely deaf. So she speaks fluently with her hands to them, while speaking orally to others. Typical woman - juggling multiple tasks at a time - LOL. She finally got the Gold, however, and I'm so very pleased for her. 

Did you know that the Monobob competition is the only 
competition in the Olympics that is restricted to women 
only? I wasn't aware of that either - LOL. Congratulations 
to Elana Meyers Taylor for winning the Gold in this year's 
competition. It's a gorgeous track, I'd love to try it out 
sometime. 

So, I'm wrapping this up, and diving into another day of a million tasks. We have a firm schedule that we need to stick to for closing on time, and there really isn't any wiggle room at all. DH has been working massively hard to get things going - photographing shelving units, cabinets and display cases. Everything has to go. It's a job!! Have an excellent Tuesday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Curling - It's a Minnesota and an Olympic Thing

Curling is a strange sport. People pushing smooth rocks across a sheet of ice to push the rocks of their competitors out of the bull's eye. It's not a quick sport, and not an immediately understandable sport, but it's a Minnesota sport and a Scandinavian sport. To do curling you must have ice, and the Duluth area of Minnesota, in the upper part of the state next to Lake Superior, has a LOT of ice. 

Duluth, Minnesota, sits next to the far Western part of 
Lake Superior in the far North of the state. It gets REALLY 
cold and gets a LOT of snow, and having a sport that is 
ice related makes sense. We have curling clubs all over 
the Minnesota area, but the Duluth club is considered one 
of the best. 

So, since we have a lot of ice, we do curling. There are curling clubs and venues throughout the state, but the club in Duluth is considered the best, and they're doing marvelously in the Olympics. We're going to the Gold Medal round now in mixed doubles, and I'm so very pleased! Thus, I'm running a bit late today - I stayed up to watch the match last night and got moving a bit slowly this morning. Still, it's a swimming day, so I have to be in the car in a bit more than 20 minutes. 

I'm giving you an extra large photo today so that you can take a look at 
what curling is all about. Is it a sport? Well, it's not a sweat fest like 
skiing or flash like skating, but it's quiet skills appeal to me as a resident 
of Minnesota. 

The Olympics in general have been absolutely fantastic thus far. I adore the Winter Olympics - even though I despise the cold and I'm not a great fan of snow (especially when I have to shovel it). Still, I live in a land of ice and snow up here in the Frozen Northlands, and even though I don't have the skiing mountains of my youth, there's plenty of ice to keep me occupied. The figure skaters take all the bling and audiences, but there's just something about curling that really appeals to me. And now we're actually going for the gold. Yeah - Minnesota's Duluth Curling Club did well in their choice of team to send to the Olympics. 

The Duluth Curling Club is a large structure with at least 
seven different lanes for curling. That's a lot of real 
estate, a lot of heating bills, and a large membership. 
People interested in the sport who are very good at it, 
come from all over to play here, and the Olympic teams 
are generally chosen from the membership here. 

So, since I'm running late, I'm wrapping this up and heading to the swimming pool. No frozen sheets of ice for me today, liquid water only! LOL Have an excellent Tuesday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

No Time!

Sorry guys! I'm completely out of time today to post. I'll be back tomorrow with, hopefully, a bit more time to chat. Have an excellent Tuesday. 

Slava Ukraini. 

I'm Terribly Late, But I Have Heat Again!

We have heat, and it was quite the saga. I'll try to tell you all about it tomorrow, but I overslept by 45 minutes on a swimming day, and have to be on my way to the pool in about 7 minutes. So I'm just doing a quick check-in telling you that after more than a day of VERY cold temps in the house, my furnace guy (who is a total miracle worker) managed a fix and we're once again in business. We were first on his list for fixing, and it took him more than two hours to get things going. Apparently he replaced a lot of things that were worn out, and even had to leave and pick up a part that he didn't have with him in his van. Bless him. It took a while, but the house is once again livable. 

The house temp was in the low 40's by the time my 
heat repair dude showed up. We're finally back in 
the right range now, almost 24 hours later. What a mess! 

So, I'm off to the swimming pool, and ready to start my very rushed day. At least one thing went right, LOL. I'll be back tomorrow, hopefully with a bit more time. Slava Ukraini. 

Mixed Up Days and Time

It's hard to be running behind at 4:00 am, but I'm succeeding in that difficult task - LOL. It's the first of my three swimming days today, and I need to be in the car, heading for the gym, in less than 30 minutes. I do have a little bit of fudge room if needed, but I like to be early, not late. I've always joked that I must have been an eight-month baby because I always want to be early. Was I in real life? Who knows? 

I always joke that I must have been a premature 
birth because I despise being late for anything. 

Are you like me in this? Do you like to be early for appointments and events rather than on time or (heaven forbid) late? Were you the one waiting for the bus as the first person on the corner? Or were you the person running for it to catch it quickly before it left for the next stop? If I have my preferences, I'll always be early. I can always sit and read a book or do a quick puzzle on my phone. I'm usually on a rather strict time schedule and don'e have a lit of wiggle room available. To get my swimming in before the next group of people start arriving to share lanes ... it's important. 

Of course, if you're catching a bus, train or plane, you 
always want to be early. They're scheduled, but they 
also run late or, sometimes, early. 

I have Wednesday in my head today. Have you ever had that feeling when you think of the day as one day but it's actually another one? I don't get those often (that's lucky since my days are crowded at best). When I get them, it messes everything up. Last week was messed up. I put the garbage and recycling out, but it wasn't a recycling day. The calendar provided by the service is less than readable. So, I had to leave the recycling until tomorrow which means my bin is EXTREMELY full and I'm stashing some recycling until after the bin has been emptied tomorrow. 

Sometimes I need a signpost like this to keep the days 
straight. Holiday times, especially, mix the days up - 
holidays in mid-week, days off other than Sunday. 

So, I'm going to get this moving and head to the swimming pool. I hope you have a fabulous and a bit less mixed up day. I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini! 

DAMN - Another REALLY Short Post

I've managed to misplace something very important to me and I'm posting, but I'm going right back to hunting for it for every minute I have until I leave for the swimming pool. Have a great Tuesday and I'll be back tomorrow - hopefully with the lost item recovered. Slava Ukraini. 

Catching Up - It's Been VERY Snowy and Happy New Year (Early)

Since we're closed tomorrow and Thursday, although I will be posting quick Happy New Year posts, this is really my final post of substance for the year. We were dumped on for snow on the 28th-29th, so when I awakened, I did 1/2 hour on the treadmill, then got dressed for shoveling and started moving a mountain of snow. I cleared the walkways, then started on the driveway, and I had half of it cleared before DH came out and tackled the remainder with the snow blower. I was quite grateful for that, since that included the snowplow scree from the plows running back and forth along my street. 

Although my street is urban, the amount of snow on each 
side of this photo is just about what we were dealing with 
yesterday morning. Thank goodness Kevin had been kind 
enough to snowblow our front out. It made things much 
easier for me to deal with when I got into the shop yesterday. 

My acquaintance at the shop, Kevin, the Anishnabe guy who clears snow for the coffeeshop next door on the corner, had cleared his single pass that he does in front of my store as a kindness. I'm always grateful to Kevin, it means I have less that I have to clear, and people have a safe way to walk by my shop to get to the bus stop and the coffee shop. I still had plenty of snow that needed to be shoveled, but it wasn't solid  and didn't take me long. The drift that the snowplows had cast up in front of the shop were easily more than 4 feet high, so I now have an impressive barrier to the street snowplows. They'll be cleaning up for a day or two more, so I'll have to do touch-up shoveling, but I think my castle walls are in place for the remainder of this winter (unless we get an unusual warm snap that causes some serious melt-down). 

We had nice numbers from our sale on the first two 
days, but yesterday was a real disappointment. The 
snowstorm really kept people away (and I couldn't 
blame them for not wanting to drive through although 
the roads were mostly cleared). 

It was the third day of our four-day END OF THE YEAR SALE, and, as sales go, it was a disappointment. Of course, just getting from Point A to Point B in the snowstorm seemed to be a serious issue - there were at least two cars stuck in the drifts alongside the road during the day. One, they had to call a tow truck out for, the other borrowed my shovel to get himself extricated. I'm sure my little corner wasn't the only one affected along my street, the snowplows had cleared the driving lanes, but hadn't cleared edge-to-edge yet. 

I'm extremely grateful for Kevin who is hired to snowblow 
the walkways around the corner coffeehouse, but extends his 
path past my store for a single up and back sweep. It's a 
kindness he does for me and I'm very thankful for it. 

I have to start today out by going to the bank for our final deposit of the year. We're closed tomorrow and Thursday, so it's my last chance to get money into our account. It's a bit nerve-wracking - it's a LOT of cash to be carrying around. Still, it's not like I'm wearing a placard stating "Rob Me". LOL I'm sure I'll be fine, it's not the first time I've had to do a deposit like this. 

We're a legacy customer of Deerwood Bank. Our original 
bank, which had been less than a mile from the shop, now 
is the location for the spectacular metal loon sculpture on 
the northwest corner of a redevelopment of green space for 
the urban scene. I adore the loon, but on days like today with 
roads the way they are, I would really prefer my old bank. LOL

But I'm starting the day out at the swimming pool. I won't be swimming the remainder of the week, so I absolutely need to get my one day in. I'm going to catch up on some sleep over the next couple of days, and we'll have to go into the shop for at least a short time for reports. We also have the rescheduled family get-together on Wednesday afternoon. So I won't be housebound. My posts will be short, however, for the 31st and the 1st. I wish all of you a safe and happy New Year and I look forward to sharing with all of you in 2026. Slava Ukraini. 

In Case You Missed the Memo ... LOL

In case you missed the memo ... Christmas is coming - LOL. I do hope you're ready for the holiday to come. I'm almost ready - not quite, but about as good as it can be. I'll be at the grocer tomorrow to get things I'll need for the next few days, but I have my lettuce, I have enough fruit for my breakfasts, and we've been eating down a huge ham, and have both a prime rib and a pork roast in the refrigerator waiting for me to cook them. I'm hoping I have all the ingredients I'll need on hand, because I'll have a quick trip to the grocer tomorrow and then, radio silence. 

This looks like a really cute book to read. It's a 
pop-up too. I didn't have books like this when 
I was a kid, but I know I had some Christmas 
books to read - all non-religious, of course. 

I don't feel as if I've gotten sufficient gifts for DH - it's always hard with his birthday being so close to the holiday. I have to apportion things between the two days, and I think his birthday always gets the short straw. But, I've done the best I can. After the holiday we dive into our after-Christmas sale and then I can concentrate on closing the business. I'm already super stressed about that, but there's nothing I can do about it. It has to be done, so it'll get done, and hopefully it will get done well. 

I'm hoping that hiring Travis to help with our 
store liquidation won't turn into a problem. I'm 
just hoping ... it's really all I can do. After the 
holiday is over, I can concentrate on getting this 
accomplished. The contracts have been signed 
and we've sent him a LOT of money. This better 
turn out good! 

There may well be some days upcoming when all of the posting you'll get from me is a quick acknowledgement that I'm still alive and kicking, and positive wishes for the day. I'm just taking this opportunity to warn you - I know some of my long-term friends worry if I'm not posting every day. I don't usually miss. But next year, at least the first half of the year, will be one of the most challenging times I'll have lived through, and there might be times when I'll miss a post, or they will be minimal. It's NOT because I don't care about everyone who reads these posts and comments (or doesn't comment - commenting is not a requirement after all - LOL). It will just be life getting in the way. 

Sometimes life gets in the way. And other times ... well 
life still gets in the way - LOL. Right now, my stress 
levels are through the roof, and I don't expect that to change 
for the next few months. I'm going to try and enjoy 
having two days off this week, and just take things 
one day at a time. 

Like right now - we have a leaking pipe in the floor just past the lower bathroom entrance. DH is going to tackle things today as much as he can, but I'll probably have to call in a plumber ... at Christmas time. I suspect my friend Jack has finally retired, or might even be deceased by now, but if DH can't fix things today, I might have to have a holiday visit or as quickly after the holiday as possible. *sigh* Household ownership ... it's always something or other - LOL. On that note, I'm off to the pool for my swim. I think I desperately need that today - LOL. Have an excellent Tuesday and I'll be back tomorrow. 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 December - An Update and a Lot of Things to Do

I can easily tell that it's Winter up here in the Frozen Northlands. Aside from the fact that we seem to be back to a normal Winter with a snowfall every few days, my electronics are getting a workout - LOL. When I entered the computer room this morning, my mini-snow blower battery was charged at one plug of my multi-plug, and my heated vest battery was also charged from a different plug. I have holiday gifts that need to be wrapped and shipped or placed in the living room on the floor to my left, and my  holiday cards waiting for addressing and postage on my right. Too much to do! Thankfully, it's only December 2nd, but still, I'm running a bit late for cards this year. Bad Me! 

Holiday cards in the mail ... mine aren't there quite yet, 
but they'll be joining the party quite soon, I promise. 

I'm not hand-making holiday cards this year - I'm sure you can understand why, but I apologize in advance. I did try to find something really pretty to send to all of you, and I think I found the perfect card for this year. I'll try to get them into the mail early next week, and I'll let you know for sure so that you can keep an eye out. It's just been one of those years - starting with my cancer diagnosis and going to hell in a handbasket ever since. LOL I purchased three boxes of 18 for a total of 54, and I usually send out 50, so I'll be fine on the numbers at least. 

My mini snowblower isn't this exact model, mine 
was shipped (poorly) from China, this one is at 
the local Home Depot store. But, I call it a success. 
It will be a great help to me at the shop, and it's 
small enough that I don't have to keep it there, I can 
actually keep in with my snow shovel, in my car, 
and just bring the batteries inside to recharge overnight. 

I used my mini snowblower at the shop yesterday and it worked like a charm. Since it easily fits in the back of Minnion, I'll just keep it in there and bring the batteries inside for recharging. My oldest niece, Catie, also came by the shop shortly after we opened yesterday for a meeting with DH. That turned into a great chat between them, they were closeted together catching up with this and that for more than an hour. It was great to see her again. She's having hip replacement surgery at the end of the month, so she'll be laid up and house-bound for a while. But winter is her least active part of the year, so it was a good choice for her schedule. 

I've also set up an appointment at my local Verizon store to buy a Pixel 10 Pro on Wednesday. They're offering a very good deal, and my current Pixel is stalling out, requiring reboots, several times a day. I've been wanting one of the newer Pixel 10's for a while now - took a hands-on look at the State Fair, but really didn't like our salesperson, and I wasn't quite in the mood to purchase quite yet. But now, with my phone glitches, it's time to upgrade. It's a lot easier than it used to be - I've had a cell phone for decades now and they're always getting better and better. 

I'm interested in getting a Google Pixel 10 Pro, 
as seen in the photo. My old phone is starting to 
die, and I can't be without a phone. I've got a 
3:00 pm appointment at Verizon tomorrow 
to take a closer look (again - I've looked at this 
one before). The price is right. It'll end up 
costing me less than $10/month for 2-1/2 
years. I can do that. 

So, on that note, I'm leaving for the pool. No snow overnight, so at least I don't need to shovel the driveway before heading to the gym. And it's a Tuesday, so no trash to the curb until tomorrow. Things are falling into place ... slowly - LOL. Have an excellent Tuesday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini.