It's Going To Be A VERY Busy Morning

We're working very hard to get the inventory accounted for to sell it, and there just aren't enough hours in the day. I've already given up my Friday's off, and I have a feeling my Wednesdays will soon follow and I'll be working 7 days a week. EXCEPT, I really can't do that. I have a crammed schedule today, for example. Not only do I need to make my next batch of baked fruit, as well as tonight's dinner and three loads of laundry, I also have a 9:30 am appointment to get my enhanced driver's license. The website quite pointedly states that I have an appointment that guarantees me a spot in the line, but not the actual time. I'll be there early - probably much closer to when they open at 7:30 am. If I'm going to waste time on my phone, I might as well waste it there - LOL. 

I filled out the pre-application documents this 
morning. It's a good thing I couldn't sleep, because 
that took almost an hour of filling out the form and 
finding the documents they're requesting. *sigh*

I did double and triple check my envelope to make sure I have all of the things I'll be called upon to have - bills that have my name on them, for instance, and of course my Certified Copy of my legal name change, which is the whole reason I had to go through this in the first place. I couldn't just renew the way I've done for the past 20 years. Now the drivers licenses are specialized, and I plan to want to travel abroad once I've finally put the shop behind me. I can't do that without the highest tier driver's license, the one that I have to ring all the bells for and blow all the whistles. *sigh* I guess it's actually a good thing, though. It pushed me to finally get the name change (and deal with DH's complete anger at my doing that). 

It's a good thing I did fill out the pre-check in forms. I 
would have forgotten my income tax return, and there was 
one other thing I needed that I would have had to go 
back home for. 

Among that, and grocery shopping, and making my next batch of baked fruit, I also have three loads of laundry to do. For some reason or other, I think I'll be just a bit busy today - LOL. It's a good thing I can take some of my frustration and anxiety out in the swimming pool this morning. There's nothing like a good workout to start the day out right. Hopefully our roads won't be icy. We had a small storm come through yesterday leaving a lovely coating of ice on everything, including, of course, the roads. Really NOT a good thing. 

We had freezing rain yesterday morning, but it started right 
after I got to the shop, and was gone by the time I left 
last night. I'm hoping things didn't ice up a lot today, though. 
I have too much to do for icy roads and walkways. 

So, as you can tell, it's a busy day for me today. I hope all of you have a day that's a bit more restful than mine will be, and that you go to bed tonight feeling accomplished and pleased with how your day went. I'll be back tomorrow - hopefully with only good things to report about my crazy Wednesday. 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 Monday and We're Back to a More "Normal" Schedule

I found my opal-embellished crystal and gold chain, so I'm breathing a bit easier today. It wasn't too far from where the pendant was found, but for some reason or other, I simply hadn't found it in my first run-through (or 2nd, or 3rd - LOL). Whatever reason, however, it's all back together again. 

What was lost is now found. I'm quite relieved, my 
Lady and the Moon, amethyst crystal and gold 
chain is quite important to me. It's all together once 
again and I'm very happy. 

I worked yesterday - we were photographing items that we couldn't take care of during the business day. But we got them done. DH needs to send them to me, then I'll get them into the format, and our photographs will (mostly) be complete. We got home and decided to have Chinese for dinner - Moo Shu pork - yummy! Of course it put two pounds on me for this morning, but I consider it worth it and those two pounds will quickly be gone. 

I do love my electronic bathroom scale. It's just about as 
accurate as my previous mechanical scale, but it's quick 
and easy and has large numbers so I don't have to wear 
my glasses. LOL - The perils of growing old. 

I stayed up late to watch the closing ceremony for the Olympics. We were still working at the shop when they were originally broadcast, so I caught the redo. Since I stayed up until 10:00 am, I decided to skip my treadmill today and sleep in until 5:00 am. I can't be late to the shop - I have too much that has to be done before I open the doors this morning. 

I adored that the closing ceremonies were held in an 
amphitheatre that is 2000 years old and still used today. 
Think about it, those of you who live in the USA. Two 
thousand years old and still being used! Fabuloso! 

So, I'm cutting this short, hoping that all of you managed to catch some of the Olympics (which were absolutely MARVELOUS to watch), and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

I've Lost Something Dear to Me and the Olympics (of course) - They're Winding Down

I lost something very dear to me last night. Fortunately the part that mattered most managed to me is still with me, but ... I had a very bad night's sleep and I'm going to leave for the shop very early to check the parking lot for the other two items. I have always loved jewelry and enjoy wearing it. Yesterday I was wearing my favorite gold chain with two dangles - my 24Kt and Sterling Silver Lady and the Moon, and an amethyst crystal with an opal inset. Apparently the chain broke at some point, because I found the Lady on the carpet in my computer room. I checked everywhere and still haven't found the chain or the amethyst. But, they can be replaced, if necessary. The Lady and the Moon was custom made for DH by a dear friend of ours who was operating a jewelry store at the time. That isn't replaceable, so I'm relieved that I at least have that. But the gold chain was a heavy chain - it's WAY more than I can afford to replace at the prices of gold these days. 

My Lady Riding the Moon is very similar to this one, 
except my Lady is white gold, and my Moon is 18Kt 
yellow gold. It was a custom order that DH made with a 
dear friend who was running a custom jewelry store at 
the time. I treasure it and wear it often. It was on a solid 
24Kt neck chain, that must have broken. I had been 
wearing it all day, and wear it often. 

But, I'm still a bit heartsick at losing that chain. I'm VERY grateful that I still have my Lady and the Moon pendant, but I'm not very happy. I'm going to grab a very early breakfast and then head over to the shop to check the parking lot. I already checked the garage and the entryway to the house - nothing. If it's lying on the ground on the parking lot, it's a 50/50 chance of finding it. We have a lot of homeless people in the general area, and that could be a real find for them. I just need to find it because with today's gold prices, I can't afford to replace the necklace. 

The price of gold has gone through the roof over the past 
few years. I can't afford to replace the chain, so I'm 
hoping I happen to come across it in the parking lot at work, 
or in the store. I'm extremely grateful that I didn't lost 
the pendant - that is irreplaceable. But the chain is a 
serious problem too. 

So, the Winter Olympics are winding down. Only two more days of competition and they're over and the torches are doused. The next Olympics will be in Los Angeles in 2028 - that will be a summer games version. We'll be in the French Alps for the next Winter games in 2030, and down south in Brisbane, Australia for the next summer games in 2032. 

We had already been awarded the 1976 Winter Olympics, 
but the populace of the state decided it would be death for 
our mountains, so we put it to a vote and voted it down. The 
Olympic Committee had to pull away from the decision and 
they had to find a different venue - Innsbruck, Austria. 

I have the pleasure and distinction of being one of the many who voted AGAINST holding the Winter Olympics in my state while I lived in Colorado. We were one of the finalists for the 1976 Winter Games but we rejected it in a 1972 referendum, forcing Denver to withdraw it's bid after it had been awarded the games. We didn't want to spend the money, and we especially didn't want to deal with all of those extra people on our ski slopes. I am still totally behind that vote - it would have changed my mountains in a way I really didn't want. They've still changed over the years, but it's been a more controlled growth than quickly making things "proper" for a major sporting event like the Olympics. 

So I'm wrapping this up, having a quick breakfast, and then heading over to the shop to check out the parking lot in hopes of finding my gold chain. Have a great Saturday and weekend, I'll be back on Monday morning. Slava Ukraini, and enjoy the final two days of the Olympics. Italy has done itself proud - the games have been glorious. 

Olympics, WildFit and Furniture - I've Got a Lot Going On Right Now

I'm always sorry to see the Olympics come to an end. Summer or Winter, they're an event that I've loved since I was very young. I tried to stay up last night to watch one event, but simply couldn't keep my eyes open and gave up. I'm sure I'll be able to catch some of it on replay if I have any time to web surf today. 

I've always preferred the Winter Olympics to the summer ones, 
although I'm not really a fan of the cold and snow - LOL. 
Still, the events are so much fun to watch, it's not just a 
bunch of field and track events (as you can tell, I'm not really 
much of a track and field fan). 

Today DH is starting the day out by going downtown and getting us our license to liquidate. Yes, we actually have to be licensed to have a "Going Out of Business" sale/event. *sigh* It's been impossible to reach these people via the phone, so he'll drive down there this morning and perch in their offices. It's much harder to ignore a breathing person than a ringing phone. 

Ernest Thompson originally made our display cases 
and shelving for my Mall of America store. At that 
time the setup I got (more than 12 cases and assorted 
other pieces) was $15,500. Their current value? A 
LOT more than that. I need to get some photos off 
to them and if I'm lucky, they can come back to me 
with a current valuation. 

Meanwhile, we got all of our display cases measured and photographed, at least the cash wrap ones. We still need to do the product display cases - the pottery, katchinas, stone fetish animals, etc are all displayed in those cases. The ones we did yesterday are in the jewelry area - jewelry has always been a large part of our inventory offerings. 

The To-Do list isn't a list, it's a booklet - standard 
paper size, more than 50 pages of instructions. 
It's a lot to do, and we're getting it done. 

But we're working our way down the list that Travis provided to us. It's a lot of work, but we never were under the misapprehension that simply thinking it would be easy would make that possible. There are just a LOT of T's to cross and I's to dot. Feel free to send me some ink - LOL. *hugs* I'll be back tomorrow to wrap up the week. 

I still have four alkagizers every week - it's my usual 
lunch at work. I think my body really likes the nutrients 
that I get in them. It's hard to believe it's been five years 
since I first started WildFit, but I don't regret a single day. 

And yesterday was the 5th anniversary of when I started the WildFit program. It was, without doubt, one of the best decisions I've made in my life. I'm at a great weight, and I've been maintaining it for several years now, and I eat nutritiously, so I consider it a total win. Sometimes I can make a good decision - LOL. So, have an excellent Friday and I'll be back tomorrow to wrap up the week. Slava Ukraini. 

The Olympics Are Wrapping Up

The Olympics are starting to wrap up. I'm already sad because I truly do love watching them, and the Winter Olympics are my favorite. I find that odd, since I'm really not that fond of snow, but I think the events are more exciting and it's not just a bunch of people running around a circle. Speed skating can be, but I also don't watch a lot of speed skating either - LOL. 

There have been Olympics where they've had two different 
locations in the past, but not necessarily eight hours away 
before. Still, it seems to be working out very well, and 
the venues are stunning. I want to ride in that bobsled run! 

The variety that goes on in the Winter Olympics is what makes it fun. And now they're thinking about adding ice climbing to the mix - maybe just as a trial, but how fun would that be to watch!? I could totally get behind that event. 

Ice Climbing has been projected as a possible Olympics 
event for a few years now. That could be a very 
interesting addition to the mix. 

Today I get to do my own Winter Olympics activity - it snowed yesterday - starting in the late afternoon. We've got a few inches on the ground now, where I was seeing bare grass yesterday morning. I'll have to shovel before heading to the gym, so I'm going to just do a short post today because it's a bit driveway, and my little green shovel will be working hard - LOL. 

Shoveling snow is a necessary evil when you live in 
the Frozen Northlands. So, I'll be wrapping this up 
and taking the time to shovel before heading to the 
gym for my last swim of the week. Have an excellent 
day! 

I did get my cooking done yesterday, though. I did six BBQ porkchops, and then I needed to make new BBQ sauce, which also required my making new Worcestershire sauce. Of course, I also ended the day making chicken for dinner. So it was a VERY busy kitchen day - my favorite kind of day, though. I also dropped the frames off at my framing company for corner inserts, and got sample packs of mats they have available. Very helpful. 

Italy did a terrific job preparing for the Winter Olympics. It's 
been smooth with wonderful venues and even though things 
are separated between the two main areas (and two other 
secondary areas), it seems to be working very well indeed. 
Bravo, Italia! 

So I'm wrapping this up and heading out to shovel. Have an excellent Thursday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

It's Wednesday - A "Day Off" With a Ton of Stuff To Do

I have a stack of bills to be paid on my desk, an empty refrigerator that needs populating, and 10 audio credits that need to be used up before April. I won't listen to the books that quickly, but I can get them purchased and into my cyber-library within the next week or two. I'm on the final audio book of a 30+ book series, and I'm starting another huge series after this one. I just need to see which book of that second series I left off with in my purchasing and get the next 10 bought and processed for the proper audio file type. I also have bills to cyber-pay. It'll be a busy day all around and DH is in a total frump. 

I have a bunch that needs doing on my "day off", not 
even including the three loads of laundry and making 
the beds that's standard for a Wednesday. My "day off" is 
almost busier than a work day. 

It's a bad time of the year for DH, and adding closing the store to his mix and he's at boiling point all the way. But, he still has time to lie back in the evening and watch the Olympics. Not double-tasking the way that I do with the TV on behind me and me on the computer getting things accomplished. No ... he's kicked back in bed, watching the TV like a slug. *sigh* GRRR

I enjoy "watching" TV, although it's rare for me to actually 
pay a lot of attention to the screen. I'd much rather be 
reading a book. He's a TV addict. Maybe that comes from 
being the third child when I was an only child and had to 
self-entertain. He needs outside stimulation to be entertained, 
I'm happy with a book. 

I can work out some of my frustration in the pool in an hour, but really? For example, I got home last night, ate a quick dinner, and then gathered the trash together to take out to the bins. Today is trash and recycling pickup day. Then I grabbed my tea and went down to the computer to catch up on emails and notifications while listening to the Olympics on the TV behind me. I even watched a little bit of them. He went up to bed, settled down and watched the TV, then came down to yell at me about something I had apparently done incorrectly when I picked up our income taxes last week, and then went back upstairs again. Good grief! GRRRRRR

I'm really tired of getting yelled at all of the time. I understand 
his stress levels are high, but so are mine and I don't yell 
at him. GRRRRRR Retirement isn't looking like it will be 
any fun at all. 

Today I have to ride him hard about getting the shelving photos sent to me. I need to get that file populated ASAP and a "day off" is a great day in which to get some serious computer work done (between a quick run to the framers to get a mis-cut frame redone and another one routed out. I may not get the frames back until next week, but maybe they can have it on Friday. I might be able to take a quick run out there, although I really don't get my Fridays off any more. 

This is my YMCA from the air. Obviously in the summer, when 
the outdoor pool is open. The black square is the main building 
which houses the gym, the building connecting the black roof 
to the pool area is the rest of the gym - basketball court, running 
track, weight room, lots of machines, etc., and the indoor pool. 
It's a big complex with a little bit of family for those of us who 
meet at the front doors every day. 

Enough bitching, though. I have a swimming pool waiting for me to work out my frustrations in, so I'm wrapping this up and heading to the YMCA. Have an excellent Wednesday. Be kind, enjoy the Olympics, and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini.