A Bit Longer Post than Yesterday - LOL

I have a bit more time today, so we're back in business. Although, the dental appointment I thought was scheduled for Tuesday actually is scheduled for Thursday (calendar mixup on my part). So, I'll be tight on time again tomorrow. Still, I finally get a day off today, and I really need it. I have NOTHING to eat in my refrigerator, so grocery shopping, etc is essential, as well as a day in the kitchen. 

It's going to be a VERY busy "Day Off" and it's the only 
day I get this week, so I'll grab it by the horns and make 
the most of it. 

The store is starting to look really good - cleaned up, spruced up, and almost ready for whatever Travis will assign to me next. The basement, where DH has worked exclusively for more than two weeks, is looking better than it did when we moved in. Shocking! That was a TON of work on his part, and I really appreciate his efforts. 

Although it's not the holidays any more, this 
still looked like a good photo to add here - LOL. 

But we still have a lot to accomplish, and a lot to get ready. I probably won't take much of a breath, but Travis is guiding us along through this process, step-by-step. Although almost everything is also available in his book, being in daily email contact with him (and he's good with responding quickly to questions), is working out quite well. We're sticking to the detailed timetable that he provided to us, and if I had any hair, I would certainly have gained a few grey ones from this process. 

I strongly suspect that Travis is a bit older 
than this photo (although it's a great photo). 
Still, if he can help us get the store closed, 
his fees will be more than worth it. And he's 
in contact with me every day, or responding 
to questions I have for him every day. So I'm 
taking advantage of his experience and advice. 

Of course, having our internet at home crash last week wasn't a great thing either, but we're back up and running. I had a wonderful technician who was sent out by Xfinity, and after he isolated that it wasn't inside the house, he started looking at the lines and connections outside. Apparently there were some issues with connections at the rooftop level, so he was on a ladder dealing with that. But it really didn't take long, and we were up and running once again. Thank goodness! 

It seems like all of my days recently mirror this 
crazy cartoon. Things will get better, but we 
still have a LONG way to come. 

So, I hope your day runs smoothly. I'm going to be doing my absolute best to make sure that MY day is smooth today because only one day off in the week means everything has to click in like clockwork. Be kind, smile, Slava Ukraine, and ICE out!. 

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. 

Our Clock is Ticking and We're Nowhere Near Ready

It was a very busy cleaning day yesterday. DH spent the entire day cleaning the storage and framing areas of the basement space. It probably hasn't had a serious clean since we first moved into the space almost 40 years ago. It's a lot of metal shelving and a LOT of boxes. We're still going to need boxes for items that people purchase that should be boxed up like pottery or katchinas, but we don't need hundreds of used boxes from this shipment or that one. We also don't need the rows and rows of empty product boxes for beads that we're clearing out and selling, but not reordering. We've been breaking down boxes for several weeks now and putting them into the recycling bins that are at the end of our parking lot. 

We have three 55 gallon and one HUGE metal 
recycling bin for the four tenants. We're using a 
lot of that space right now, and our landlord said 
if we needed to arrange for a non-scheduled 
pickup, he'd make it happen. I am apologizing 
to each of the other business owners for 
monopolizing the recycling bins as well. 
It's temporary, but absolutely necessary. 

Everything kicks into high gear on Monday. I have another phone call scheduled with Travis. I'll have to double-check the multi-page document that he sent to me. We've been working our way down the instructions in that document, pushing to get everything completed. I suspect we'll be spending Sunday at the shop as well, my plan is cleaning my front windows and the front window display. It's filthy and needs some serious love. The hard part about washing the front windows is two-fold" (1) They're BIG and very tall. It's a lot of cleaning, and (2) they are protected by decorative rod iron work that we commissioned when we first moved into the space. The ironwork features our Stormcloud logo and it's beautiful. We're bringing the iron home with us when we leave. We'll put it into our front garden area. 

Our storefront is pretty basic. It's the inside that's 
the fun part of the store. I need to clean the right-side 
window desperately. It's absolutely filthy. 

I have to film my walk-through which I need to submit to Travis no later than the 2nd. That means starting outside for a view from the street, then moving inside for a detailed look at the sales floor and finally moving downstairs to the warehouse area. The total length should be about 7 minutes, I figure about 30 seconds on the outside, 5 minutes on the main floor and 1 minute on the basement. I'll need to keep a close eye on the time, and make sure I provide a good view of everything - the artwork on the walls, the jewelry in the cases, and the beads everywhere on display cases and on shelving. We're an eclectic store, to say the least. 

I'm very grateful that Super Bowl isn't until next weekend. 
We'll be working and cleaning the shop this Sunday and 
wouldn't have any time to watch the game. Hopefully next 
Sunday will give us some time, although we'll still be at the 
shop for a while, I'm sure. 

I'm grateful that Super Bowl isn't until next week, because I'm quite sure we'll be working at the shop tomorrow as well. There's always something else that needs to be done, and we're giving this our best effort. But we're only two people (three if you count Chickie, but she's not cleaning, she's spending her time with customers and she hasn't been at her best, physically, so that's also not a good thing). 

OK, these AREN'T MY bulbs because I couldn't get the 
photo I took this morning to my computer in time to 
share it. But, both of my amaryllis bulbs from Sharon 
are blooming, and they have second blossoms almost 
ready to burst and third ones still coming. There's also a 
third stem sprouting from each bulb. BEST HOLIDAY 
GIFT EVER!!! DH is still astounded about how the waxed 
bulb can be enough food and water for the bulb, but he's 
very impressed. 

All in all, time progresses. If I have some short posts over the next couple of weeks, I hope you'll understand and cut me some slack. My immediate future is terrifying, my long term future is wonderful. I just need to get from one thing to the other. *Hugs* to all. Slava Ukraini and Melt the ICE. 

ICE Continues and So Do Our Closing Preparations

Today I'll take the headshot that is required (I really hate having my picture taken at the best of times, taking a "selfie" is most certainly NOT in my general wheelhouse). Nonetheless, despite my hatred of self-photos, it's required so I'll get that done. I'll also do a walkthrough for the store video, or maybe two if I have the time. Meanwhile, DH is busy at work in the warehouse, bringing up empty boxes for me to take flat, and waiting, impatiently, for our trash and recycling bins at the rear of the parking lot to be emptied so that we can use them again. I already have several boxes of flattened cardboard waiting for an open recycling bin. 

Sure, we could have been flattening boxes for months, or 
years now, but we didn't. So, we're packing it all into a 
quick decimation of shelves and shelves full of cardboard 
boxes that need to be flattened and recycled. It's a lot of 
work, but we're getting there. 

Of course, this is all stuff that we could have done more gradually over the past ten or so years, but we're not that forward looking in general. It will be a relief when I can walk into the basement and see all of the STC detritus gone. We still won't be cleaned up and ready to move out, but we'll be MUCH closer to that reality. All three of us are working extremely hard to make this possible. We know it's essential and that right now, time is NOT on our side. 

Time is not our friend right now. We're working on a very 
tight schedule to get things done on the list that Travis 
provided. We've spent a LOT of money to hire him, and I'm 
just hoping and praying that this turns out OK. 

As I recall, this weekend is a dead weekend for football, with the Super Bowl being held next weekend. That will make it much easier to spend another Sunday at the shop working hard. We actually can get a lot accomplished if we don't have to help customers. We love our customers - they pay our rent - LOL. But ... they can be very time-heavy and even though we love them, time is not our friend right now. 

This clever sign that's been making the rounds 
takes our standard "Snowplow Route" signs, 
but changes the text and the bottom to reflect 
our current reality. 

So I hope all of you have a fabulous Friday. We'll continue fighting our battle against ICE here in the Twin Cities, and continue to publicize the many illegal activities that Trump has acknowledged and allowed under his name. Those of you interested might be able to replay Mayor Jacob Fry's speech to the US Mayor's assembly yesterday. It was a phenomenal speech about exactly what's happening in his city, Minneapolis, right now - the fight that we are fighting against fascism. I'm quite sure it's out in the www somewhere now. Slava Ukraini & ICE Out! 

Vintage Clothing and Today's Agenda - No Rest For Me LOL

I spent three hours with my dress form and my mother's gowns yesterday,. photographing them to send to a few vintage stores around town who have expressed possible interest. I also collected the receipts from the cleaning and repairs that I had done to them - almost $600 that I spent getting them back into wearable condition. I adore them, however, so the cost wasn't a factor. I'm hoping that I can find a thrift store which will want one or more of them. The two St Paul stores I contacted are not accepting any items until April - it is the slow season, after all, and that's very understandable. The Minneapolis shop wanted a minimum of 10 items, and I only have six, but I'll still send the photos to them and see if they might be interested. 

The Golden Pearl vintage shop looks like a place I could 
get into some serious trouble in. They carry a lot of designer 
items but ... I'm hoping they'll take Mom's dresses, so we'll 
see if the photos elicit any interest. 

I'm going to continue working on the shop closing today, though. I'll try to do a walk-through of the video that I need to submit to Travis early next week. In all of the time I've had a cell phone, I've never made any videos to share - I've taken hundreds of photos, but never a video. So this is new ground for me. I'll re-read his instructions once again. I think the total length needs to be approximately 5 minutes, and he needs exterior and interior shots as a prospective customer would see. I also need to submit a head shot of myself. I don't photograph well, but I'll have to see how I can manage that. 

I've read a lot of hints and tricks for filming on my cell 
phone. I take a lot of still photos, but have never really 
done much with moving videos. Still, no time like the 
present to learn t new skill, right? LOL

Last night DH and I met with our accountant to give him all the information necessary for our business and personal taxes. DH is finally admitting that we're closing the store before next year's tax appointment, so that's an improvement over prior years. We discussed tax ramifications and any issues that might arise from that, but things seem pretty straightforward. Now to just make things happen. 

It's going to be a busy day, but I suspect they'll all be busy 
until we're finally able to close the place down at the end 
of May. It's a roller coaster of emotions along with a long 
list of tasks that MUST be accomplished before we can 
lock the doors for the final time. 

So, I have a lot of things on my personal agenda today. I hope all of you have an excellent Thursday, I'm off to the pool for my final swim of the week. Stay warm (or comfortable) and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Music - Because Someone Sent Me Something Online and I'm Passing it On

It's still cold, Trump is still trying to manhandle my state (and isn't getting very far with it), and a friend sent me a lovely clip of Mozart's Requiem from the movie. That really made my morning! I hadn't listen to the Requiem for quite a long time. It was wondrous to hear, even in the small clip from the film. It totally lifted my heart from the mundane and the cold into the hope that stunning music can bring. 

Mozart's "Requiem" is one of the great pieces of music. It's 
rarely performed - it requires a LOT of people - vocal as well 
as symphonic. Plus, it's funeral music - people don't always 
respond well to funeral music. But, given my feelings today 
and the fact that this was in my in-box and really struck a 
chord with me, today you get marvelous sound. 

I'm not often a Mozart fan - I acknowledge his immense talent and ability, but Mozart generally needs to be played with a lightness. I was a cellist - light comes harder on a larger string instrument like that as opposed to a violin or even a viola. I was always being scolded for not being "light" enough on Mozart pieces. I suppose, for my style of playing, Beethoven was the better choice. 

Classical music is a huge genre of its' own, just as 
popular or rock or country musical styles are. I've been 
a classical music junkie for most of my life, and also 
love rock so, I guess I'm versatile. 

But there is something magical about Mozart - the undeniable and incredible talent, the tones that blend together to carry you past the years and into a different dimension. That's what good music will do, and good music - truly good music - will still be played decades or millenia after it's original composition. Great music will cross the centuries, good music will cross the decades, pop music will last for a year, maybe five if it's really catchy. 

Classical music was what I was exposed to - opera, chamber 
orchestras and quartets, and full symphonies. It runs in my 
blood. I might listen to rock in the car, but my heart will 
always belong to Beethoven. 

Where do we put nursery rhymes into this? "Mary Had a Little Lamb" has been sung to children for a long time. It's a catchy, if somewhat boring tune, but I bet every one of you now has that running through your head. I wouldn't call it classic, I can't put it into the same boat as the great compositions, but still ... it holds on to a specific age group - the parents and their small children, who eventually outgrow the nursery songs and move on to the symphonies. So, I guess we all started our musical journeys with those songs that our mothers or caregivers sang or hummed to us to get us settled at night or during the day. Thank goodness for these people showing us the power of music before we could even speak. Have a glorious day and treat yourself to some exceptional music today. And thanks for the Mozart film link - it was a fabulous way to start my day. Slava Ukraini. 

It's Still Cold, We Still Have ICE, But Life Goes On

So, we continue onward - cold and under seige. Although the general world is appalled at what went on in Minneapolis over the weekend, it's not stopping ICE from doing whatever they think they should do. At least Mother Nature isn't being kind - it's been damned cold. The "agents" are, of course, dressed in their cold weather gear, but it's got to be uncomfortable for them, despite the layers. The protesters gather together, and they've got warmth in numbers and crowds. But it's a stand-off and not a comfortable one. 

We're not backing down - we want ICE out of the Twin 
Cities. Minneapolis is in turmoil right now, and the only 
thing we've really got working for us is our weather, which 
is NOT kind to protestors or ICE. 

I did get the second payment off to Travis yesterday. I has asked Chickie to write down the directions from A to Z and she actually did pretty well at it. I did have to phone her, but it ended up being an easy find to get the check attached to my email to Travis. He sent me a return email within 30 minutes informing me that he had received it, so we're still on track for liquidating the business. 

It's a good photo of Travis. Does he actually look 
like this now? Hard to say. His book has actually 
been around for a while, and I suspect he's older, 
just like the rest of us. He lives in Florida, so 
who's to say? 

We need to bring a set of print drawers home. I think I know where he wants to put them, and they'll fit - snugly, but they'll fit. I have four double sets, so a total of 20 drawers between the upstairs and the framing area. We want ten of those at home. We'll probably sell the other set and I'm sure we'll get a buyer for them - they're lovely, and we've had people inquire about them in the past. 

We have two sets of wooden print drawers. They're lovely, 
and we'll bring one set of ten drawers home, but we'll 
sell the other set. I'm quite sure we'll have a buyer, we 
actually get a fair number of people asking to buy them 
over the years. 

DH did a major remodel on the North side of the shop over the past few days. He removed about half of the library area and consolidated the books onto a single bookshelf and extension instead of two. It looks a lot better. He also built another artwork display/sale case from an old fixture we had used for Pendleton blankets (when we used to sell them - when they were still reasonably priced). What he did was excellent and we'll get some good use from the new artwork display fixture. 

We used to carry a large variety of Pendleton blankets for 
sale (until their prices went through the roof). They were 
always a good seller - they're used for a variety of special 
occasion gifts, and are also an essential funeral gift. 

I have a lot of work to do in the downstairs framing area. We still have prints down there that need to be mounted and shrink wrapped, or framed in some cases. That'll be my focus over the next week, for as much as possible in any case. I'll also have to take a trip to my framing supply company tomorrow to get some frame stock, and get some assembly components. 

I used to do a lot of picture framing, especially when I ran my 
Mall of America store. I still have my supplier, however, 
so I can still get frame stock when I need to get some. 

So, I'm off to the swimming pool, grateful for the fact that I live in St Paul, not Minneapolis, and hoping that my city can continue to avoid ICE and the trauma that our Twin City is facing every day now. Have a good Tuesday and I'll be back tomorrow.