Two Steps Forward and One Step Back is Still Progress - Just a LOT Slower

Although I actually got quite a bit accomplished on DH's website yesterday at the shop, I ran into a brick wall with getting it published to our URL, so I'll be phoning customer support today to find out what's up and what I need to do. I started working on the "private pages" also, populating the one specific customer I'm working on with the photos of the items we thought would be of interest to them. That was another whole bucket of learning and problems, and I'm not sure I'm quite on-board with what I'm doing there. But I'm much closer, and that's progress - even if it is two steps ahead and one back. 

I can dance pretty well, in real life and in my standard 
life's challenges. Sometimes it feels as if I'm dancing on 
a tightrope, however. Those are the challenging times. 

I got a new (cheap) wrist watch from Amazon yesterday (along with a few other things like my new spice grinder - WHOOT!). Today I'll get to fight with getting it set up. Hopefully it won't be as difficult as the last watch I had. No guarantees on that, of course. As electronic digital watches get more complicated (and I like part of that complexity to help me keep track of my laps and swimming time), they also get more complicated for the basic functions. Entering and changing the time settings is essential, and it seems to be buried in most of these watch directions. I'll try to tackle this today. I'd like a watch settled for next week's swims. 

I got my new grinder delivered yesterday. It's 
really nice, and it fits perfectly in the cupboard, 
next to my mini food processor. I'll be grinding 
dried peppers soon, ready to make my own chili 
powder for my winter chili con carne stews. 
So yummy! 

Of course, it's also a kitchen day, so while trying out my new grinder, I'll be making my Ogre Juice for the next week. I've got that down to a routine now, although I change up the vegetables I use in it all the time to keep things fresh. It's also a grocery day, and I need to get to my tailor's and pick up a shirt that I'm having altered to fit me. It's a favorite shirt of mine, in a size 14, and I wear a 6, so there was some serious downsizing involved. The rain, which I awakened to, will be out of the way by 10:00 am or so. I'm grateful for that, because I have all of these things that have to get done, right? LOL 

Sometimes it's necessary to say "OK, I need to make 
a quick shift in plans and expectations to achieve 
success." This year's holiday cards are requiring that 
type of shift. Time has caught up with me, and the time 
I thought I had has now disappeared. So ... time 
for a shift in expectations and a new goal to 
achieve a successful project. 

I've spent the past two weeks, on and off, looking for one piece of equipment I own for this year's holiday cards. No luck. Not finding it, I ordered an inexpensive replacement which I will get next week. I'm not happy about duplicating equipment, but without this, I won't have cards to send this year (or at least, not cards that I've made myself). I'm giving no guarantees about how detailed the cards will be this year,. Time - which started out looking like plenty was available - has now compressed and I'm looking at a hard deadline and a LOT to get done. So, elaborate is out the window, and gifts are pushed to next year. I'll be lucky to meet my "in the mail by Winter Solstice" deadline, at this rate. But I'll get them out to you. 

I'm quite a bit more adept at shifting plans than 
DH is. He gets into the groove to get from Point A
to Point B and simply won't deviate. That can make 
for catastrophe on occasion. Sometimes you need 
to regroup before conquering the mountain. 

So, I'm getting this posted, and (hopefully) catching up with all of you a little bit before I head out to the store and start my day. I hope you have a wonderful Friday and I'll be back tomorrow to wrap up another week's worth of posts. Enjoy your day and Slava Ukraini. 

Positive Thoughts for Friends on Both Coasts

Yesterday, I learned that an old friend of many years who recently moved to the Atlanta area has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. It explains his headaches and balance issues, but it's really scary news. They're doing more tests, but it may come down to invasive brain surgery. He's heading up here to Mayo for an emergency consultation and possible immediate surgery, so if you could keep him in your thoughts, I'm sure it would help. Scary times for Brian, Dave and their lovely dog, Kirby. 

I know that Brian is very frightened about this diagnosis 
and how his body has suddenly turned against him. He's 
had balance issues and headaches and his local neurologist 
has diagnosed a brain tumor. Brian is determined to get a 
second opinion at Mayo before any surgery, so he's heading 
back here to Minnesota.

Yesterday was non-stop. It wasn't overwhelming, but it was constant enough that just getting the computer work I needed to get done was a push. I started working on stock and inventory at 9:00 am, after I had finished my beading panel for the day, and except for bathroom breaks, I was on the sales floor helping customers until I locked the door. That was great, and I did squeeze in some work between people, but I didn't get as much accomplished as I had wanted. 

Of course, days are how we create and perceive 
them - in many ways. However, outside influences - 
interactions with other people and things - can also 
affect the day. I want a steady, happy and creative day 
today. We'll see if that happens. 

Today might be different. At least Chickie will be back on the sales floor with me, so customers won't be entirely my responsibility. That gives me a little breathing space. I did have DH pull some product for me with the final customer of the day, because they wanted a lot of stuff that I find time consuming to locate and gather. Better to have him do ti while I'm gathering their other things. At the end of the day, I was pleased with my sales numbers and the fact that despite being busy (too busy to even drink my Ogre Juice), I still accomplished some of the things I had on my personal "to do" list. 

We all need some breathing space in our lives. Today
I'll get some of that while I'm swimming this morning, 
and hopefully while I do another beadwork panel 
in the early hours. It's all coming together for those, 
at least. The rest of my life might be a mess, but 
my projects continue. 

Today, hopefully, will be just as busy, but with Chickie helping, it won't feel quite as hectic. Maybe. LOL At any rate, I'm starting the day out in the pool, so that's one super positive thing to the day. I hope all of you have a super tremendous day filled with joy and sunshine, and maybe a bit of love. Aearwen is down to her last few days of moving stuff from the old house to the new. She closes at the end of the week and turns over the keys, then starting the next phase of her life. Exciting! Positive thoughts going out to her during this hectic week. 

I'm sending lots of positive thoughts out to Aearwen as she 
enters the final few days of moving her things from the old 
house to her new double-wide trailer. I'm hoping it's going 
to be one of the best ideas she's ever had. At least her 
maintenance will be less, and that's always a plus. 

So that's it. I'm off to the pool and then to the shop. Have an excellent Tuesday and I'll be back for my "day off" tomorrow. I need to make some "grab and re-heat" meals tomorrow. Time to check the freezer - maybe I can do this easily without a lot of fuss. Slava Ukraini. 

A Challenge of Three and a Drabble

So, my holiday cards have been mailed (except for Marta - I need your address!!!). Now I'm focusing on holiday gifts because I really need to mail Sharon's gift soon, and I only have half of it done. I'll be working on that on Wednesday, and hopefully will finish it up quickly. I'm quite happy with it so far. 

Holiday cards have been mailed - going all 
over the nation and the world. I just love 
sending cards to my friends. I also got my 
first card in the mail yesterday. Thanks 
to Tinnean for starting my season out 
so beautifully. 

An e-friend on Dreamwidth posted with a request to allow her to choose three random items in your personal tags and tell her about them. So I decided to take the plunge. The three things she chose were (1) beadwork, (2) hard rock and (3) sewing. That's pretty easy, so after a quick explanation, let's see if I can pull a quick tale out for them as well. 

This project of mine is named "Hobby Horse Dreams". I 
constructed a hobby horse, padded it and covered it with 
fabric, then beaded the fabric, added wings and composed 
a poem about a forgotten hobby horse in a dusty attic 
who dreams of flying into the stars. It won People's 
Choice for the exhibit, but didn't win a "prize". Still, 
I'm proud of the piece and love it. 

I own and operate a bead store. I have beaded on and off throughout my life, but seriously got involved in beadwork when my hands were unable to handle fiber arts any more. So, that's mid-1980's to early 1990's. I re-learned beadwork, took lots of classes and workshops, taught around the country, entered competitions, published projects and patterns, and generally made a pretty good name for myself in that art. COVID has changed a lot, including my finding a doctor who gave me back my hands, so my craft has switched back from beadwork to fiber once again, and I'm very happy. 

There are all too many times when I feel stuck between 
a rock and a hard place. It would be nice to have my life 
under my own control again, but it's still going to be a 
while before that happens. 

But, being between beading and fiber sometimes puts me between the devil and the deep blue sea - in other words, between a rock and a hard place. Thus ... hard rock. I deal with hard rocks in my jewelry making, but that's not what I meant by my term "hard rock". 

I love my sewing machine. It's the same model as this (although 
mine is in better condition). I've always had a sewing machine 
of my own since my mother bought me a Bernina in 1978. 
My niece has my Bernina now, and I have a New Home 
(now called Janome). Great machine! 

As for sewing, that's a lifetime thing. I'm not a talented seamstress like my mother was, but I know my way around a sewing machine and patterns. For many years I made a lot of my clothes - it was a matter of lack of funds and desire for new things. I recently got my sewing machine repaired, so I'm back in business once again. Yippee! 

Now for a quick tale. Late last month I did a quick drabble of a woman seeking the body of her beloved at the broken gates of Minas Tirith. I'm going to continue that tale and tie it into the three items chosen by my on-line friend  ... 

The wails of others surrounded her, but she heard them not as she fell to her knees beside him. Her trembling hand reached toward the bloodied fabric under the mangled breastplate. Hesitant, it hovered, before coming down to rest on the beadwork. He had laughed while she embellished the sewn fabric with beads. "I'll flash all the way to Mordor," he proclaimed. But he took the token, pushing it next to his heart. Now his body lay broken on the hard rock, the bloodied token all she had left of him. She collapsed, keening, as tears flowed down her face. 

That's it for today. Be well, stay safe, and please wear your mask. Always be kind, and I'll be back on Monday. Thanks for the challenge, Bladespark! 

 

Boring Can Be A Good Thing

Today is sticky - the humidity which is already somewhat cloying (probably not bad for my friends who live in humid areas, but really icky for here in the Frozen Northlands) will be increasing throughout the day until the skies open and we'll be deluged with serious rain this afternoon. Oh joy! The fun part about serious rain is my walking cast. I really can't get it wet since it's a fabric top over a molded base. If the rain is coming down in buckets, I'll have to put a garbage bag around my leg to get to the car. But at least I'm not stumbling with crutches any more (except for my morning shower), so I'll be able to get to the car fairly quickly. 

There's yet another grant up for grabs, this time a county grant. I'll try to get the app filled out tonight (if I can get DH to focus on yet another grant without him losing his temper). We don't have a lot of time to get this one in, but the initial application seems pretty easy, so I'll try to work out a preliminary app while at the shop today. I doubt we'll get the funds, but I guarantee we won't if I don't at least try. The City grant was a bust - after several weeks of delay we got a ridiculous 2-sentence response that we had not been chosen as a recipient. Whoot! The City grant was very poorly run, I have slightly higher hopes for the County grant. 

Although the ribs cook great in the crock pot, they don't
get this lovely bar-b-que look cooking that way. To get
this I'll have to put the ribs into foil and bake the sauce
in tonight - 15-20 minutes should do it. 

I have a rack of St Louis-style ribs in the crock pot - they've been cooking all night - almost eight hours now. I'll get those pulled out and do a quick finishing on them in the oven tonight to get sauce baked nicely onto the rack. It's a bit of a pork overload in my house over the past few days, due to a mix-up in communications, but we'll survive. It's a good thing we both enjoy pork, although my preference is always poultry. 

My gym is finally reopening after three months closed. My branch
won't open until June 22nd, but that's actually OK with my
schedule. 

Yippee! After weeks of being closed, my gym is reopening. The YMCA's across the metro area are opening on a staggered schedule with lots of new rules and lots of social distancing. Although several branches opened yesterday, mine isn't opening until the 22nd. They're limiting the pool to no more than 2 people per lane, and they aren't opening the outdoor pool at all, which shocks me a bit. They're also limiting total time in the gym for each member to no more than 60 minutes per person. That's going to be the hardest part - I'm usually not exercising longer than an hour, but then I'm showering and getting dressed for work, which takes fifteen minutes minimum. If I can only be there for 60 minutes, that might be a time crunch. But, at least the gym will be open again - it was mid-March when they closed. 

All of the above is sounding a bit boring, but I can live with boring sometimes. Have an excellent day and I'll be back tomorrow. 

Celebrating World Environment Day

Today is World Environment Day and we get it crowned with a full moon. How delightful. Even though things are far from settled around the nation and the world, I need to move off the track of doom and gloom and focus on something different - at least for today. So, the environment seems a good choice because it's so varied, so amazing, and somehow life manages to exist almost everywhere on earth. 

Life is hard for the Emperor Penguins of Antarctica. Now they're falling
ill because they've been studied so much and are in greater contact
with humans. 

Let's start with the deep cold, since we're in the middle of an unseasonable heat wave here in the Frozen Northlands. Thinking about the deep cold turns my thoughts to Antarctica which turns my imagination to Emperor Penguins. I adore penguins anyway, but these guys are the prize. Huddling in huge groups of ever-moving birds that circle from the frigid exterior rings to the warm interior ones and back again, the males carry the eggs on their feet as they move in and out. If the egg falls off, the chick dies - not instantly, but very quickly. There aren't a lot of second chances in the ice and snow of Antarctica. 

The Amazon Rainforest is amazing, stretching as far as the eye
can see. It's being seriously impacted by clear-cutting, however,
which is changing the ecosystem in a way that may not be able
to recover. 

Moving to a bit warmer climate, how about the rain forests of Brazil. Without the rain forest, our world may well die. But this forest is dying - clear-cutting for new places to live and for materials for resale are killing the trees and environment. The Amazon will still flow, it takes a lot to kill one of the world's great rivers, but the breath that a forest can give to the land is being stifled. I hope this trend can be reversed, we need our rain forests. 

The Sahara Desert in Morocco is stunning - ever-shifting dunes punctuated
by settlements around oasis of water. Once upon a time the Sahara was
lush and green. Climate change turned it into desert and it's growing
larger every year. 

Across the world from the forests lie the deserts that are increasing daily across Northern Africa. Deserts are another amazing feature of our world and they have their own remarkable life within and upon them. For mankind to live on the deserts is difficult and dangerous - water is essential to life and barely exists in a desert environment. But people do live here - not in the absolute depths of the desert, but at the fringes and the oases that exist. The deserts are increasing, sending their sands forward into villages and towns, slowly expanding their reach. 

There is nothing quite like the Himalayan mountains - the backbone
of the world. These almost impassible mountains are still growing
annually as plate tectonics works its magic miles below ground.
Aren't they magnificent? 

The mountains are an environment I'm more familiar with because I grew up in the mountains. These examples of the earth's cataclysmic formation rise high into the sky, attracting and influencing weather patterns throughout the world. It can be harsh living, close to the top of the world, but all over, in almost every continent, people brave the altitude and weather patterns and live close to the clouds. The eternal city of Shangrila is rumored to be in the Himalayas, the tallest mountains on earth. Maybe you'll be fortunate enough to see the world from the top of a mountain peak sometime in your life. It's an experience like no other. 

I realize there are other environments - lake country, the plains and prairies, the high mesas, and the deep fjords of Northern Europe to name a few. But, I think I've given you enough diversity for one day. We live on a remarkable planet where there's something for almost anyone if they're willing to take a chance. We are the caretakers of the earth and I suspect if we don't live up to our obligations, Mother Nature will toss us away and start again. Have a safe and happy Friday and I'll be back tomorrow. 

Runway Delayed, So Let's Talk About Owls

Once again Runway pictures are running late, so my Runway Recap will be tomorrow morning and I'm diving into today's blog as unknown territory. That's OK, that's the majority of my mornings anyway. The whole idea of my daily blog is to write a little bit, wake up my brain at a horrific time of the day (or an equally horrific time of the night) and exercise those little brain cells a bit before returning to numbing mediocrity. 

I adore owls and their wide-eyed tufted appearance
has fascinated people through the Ages. 

I'm cold, my brain is cold, and I'm still sitting in front of a computer desk that is hidden by paperwork, memos and miscellaneous crap. Damn. It's like I look out over my tiny little empire and realize that in the years I've been working, I've generated a lot of nothing. It's upsetting, and I'm quite sure it's really the cold talking. 

Owls fly almost silently. Their feathers are made differently
than any other bird, and they barely disturb the air as
they pass through it. Here's an article that explains how
they fly so silently. 

But there's a project that came my way yesterday that really excited me, so I'm possibly setting off on a creative tangent. I love challenge projects - probably one more reason why I love reality TV challenges like Project Runway. But, back to my own reality. The Upper Midwest Bead Society and the International Owl Center (just follow the link if you're interested in more info on the Center) are teaming together for a competition challenge featuring owls. Chosen projects will be on exhibit at the Center's headquarters in August and most will be available for sale. I'm very tempted. 

The Great Horned Owl is one of the largest of
the group and lives in my state. We actually
have a nice variety of owls here in the
Frozen Northlands. 

I've always had a thing for owls since I was a small child. Looking around my study I have an owl wind-chime on my left and an enameled Chinese-made owl on my right. That's just in one small room. I actually think I have at least one owl item in every room of the house. Like I said, I've always loved the bird. When I read the publicity flyer I remembered a hand-carved bone barn owl in flight element I purchased several years ago. It's quite stunning, and I've had it pinned to the front of my shelving in my studio so that it wouldn't break or chip. I carefully packed in into a small container last night, and I'm bringing it to the shop with me today. Time to choose some beads. I want to make this into a finished project for the challenge. 

I'm not sure about the breed of this tiny owl, it wasn't identified
on the photo or accompanying article. It's about the right
size to be a burrow owl, but the Burrow Owls I'm familiar
with live in the desert of the Southwest. That branch isn't
from any desert environment. 

So I'm excited, creatively, once again. I have a pretty good idea of what I want to make, I'm just unsure about whether I have the materials already on hand. I'm really trying to use my own stock at this point in time. The LAST thing I need is to bring additional beads into my studio. I'm not sure if the project will work the way I see it in my head, but I want to try. For the owls. 

Burrowing Owls that I'm familiar with look more like this
little guy. They used to live in small irregular patches
of the desert alongside the rattlesnakes and prairie dogs. 

On that note, I'm plugging in pictures of owls and heading out to the gym. I meet with one of their personal trainers today for instruction on some of their gym equipment, and I'm looking forward to a better understanding of their machines. After five-plus years of looking at the equipment, maybe it's time to dip my toes into the metal waters. Have a great Friday and I'll have Runway photos for you to look at tomorrow morning instead of today. 

Thank You and Challenges

I'm running super late today, but I'll just have to be focused. Thanks to so many of you who gave me such positive feedback yesterday. I don't think I've ever posted a comment and photo on Facebook which has received such positive comments and so many views and likes. It was heartwarming. I also got feedback on other postings - LJ, DW and my blog - so I'm feeling very loved and warm today, despite the -1 F temp currently on the other side of my walls. 

The positive feedback from yesterday's post about my "new" hairstyle
was so welcome. Thank you SO very much!!

The next 48 hours will be busy and a bit crazy. I've got tons to do and want them accomplished before Thursday so that I can move on from there. Baby steps, my life has reduced itself to baby steps. Basically, that means pushing up, walking about three steps, falling down again and repeating the process. If I don't get messed up by snow on Wednesday, I'll have accomplished a great deal by the end of that day. Snow, on the other hand, could mess everything up. 

Of course, we are expected to get more snow, but
I need minimal snow, or for it to hold off until
Wednesday night. I have to get some things done, and
have appointments at the far ends of the Cities within
two hours of each other. I'll be going a bit crazy if
the traffic sucks. 

In the midst of my roiling mind and crazy schedule, I felt impelled to accept B2MeM BINGO 2019 which will begin on Friday. What the heck was I thinking? I totally realize I don't have to dive directly into the deep end, that I can combine prompts from different cards to make up the whole day's story, and that I can participate as much or as little as I want. I also realize deadlines are fluid. But it's a challenge and I tend to dive into challenges, meeting them head-on and beating them into submission. My oldest niece commented that I "...meet challenges head-on with courage and grace...". I was speechless for a short time with that positive comment. 

Life is a series of challenges. You can't escape that
reality. How you react to those challenges defines
you as a person. 

So, because I'm running MAJOR late, I'm plugging in photos and hitting the road. The pool is calling and then errand after errand before work. Oy! Have a wonderful Tuesday and I'll be back tomorrow! 

Competition - It's In The Blood

So either the producers of Project Runway All-Stars realized they would be competing against the Winter Olympics and pushed things off for a week, or (and this is probably more likely), they scheduled the next show so that it wouldn't conflict with New York Fashion Week, which is in full bloom right now. Every day my in-box is crowded with more photos of fashion collections, most of which I look at with "meh", a few of which I look at with interest. Of course, I'm middle America and I'm over 50 - it's a hard demographic to design for and usually designers appearing during NYFW won't bother with my demographic. 

US Figure Skater Vincent Zhou landed a Quad Lutz, the first time ever
in international competition. Pretty awesome. 

Since I had a night off from fashion, I watched the Olympics with DH for a couple of hours. He was happy to have my company and I was pleased to be able to share some time with him. Of course, I hit my wall just as the Men's Figure Skating Short Program was getting to the top contenders. I was in bed and asleep before the warm-ups stopped. My wall is pretty dramatic and doesn't leave any wiggle room. I'll be watching clips today, and catching repeats of the better programs, but it was disappointing to miss the beginning of this stage of the ice skating competition. 

International piano competitions exist throughout the world. I can't
imagine how anyone can actually choose one or the other. 

Competition is blood deep in humans, isn't it? I wonder if it runs as deeply in other species - dogs, cats, the deer in the forest, the magpies in the trees. Among humans, if we don't have a competition, we seem to invent one. Artists gather their works together in varied competitions, out of which have come some stellar pieces and also some strong disappointments. France was famous for the artistic competitions held in the late 1800's and early 1900's. 

Art competitions can be school-wide, local, national or international. They
can be age-specific, or media specific. There are thousands of art
competitions - one for every aspiring artist. 

Musicians also have competitions, often centered around one particular instrument. Piano and violin come to my immediate thoughts, but I guarantee there are competitions for almost every instrument, including the human voice. Often winning these competitions can mean employment, grant monies, or a fast-track to fame and fortune on the concert stage. 

Kids race against each other all the time. It may not be formal, but
it does seem to be genetic, or at least cultural. 

If there is no formal competition, humans will tend to invent one. "Race you to the street", was common in my neighborhood as I was growing up. "Bet I can hit the ball farther than you", is also common as a pick-up competition. When the one-on-one competitions of youth are transferred to business and the board room, corporate competition ensues and, sometimes, humanity benefits (or totally crashes and burns). Sometimes all is sacrificed for the purpose of winning the competition. 

So, as an only child who has a competitive streak, I look at where we are in the world today and I know that a great deal of what surrounds us is a result of competition. It's basic - that desire to go one more step, find out one more thing, crest one more mountain or forge one more river. I wonder if competition goes as deeply as the cellular level ... 

Have a fantastic Friday. It's the first Friday of Lent, so I'll be picking up McDonald's Fish Sandwiches for Friday dinners for a few weeks. I love the stupid things, so even though I don't walk that religious pathway, I'll participate in the food deal. It's all good! Be back tomorrow ...

Memories, Old Friends and Facebook

Yesterday was a rush to the past for me, and I had so much fun with it. It started in the early morning with a long-time Facebook friend putting out a post for an old group I belonged to to check in - to speak out and think about the community we once had. Before you know it, many of us had posted, reminisced, commented on the posts of others, remembered those who were no longer with us, and generally joined a rather good-sized parade walking down memory lane.

The topic snowballed. People were contacted by other friends and joined
into the conversation. It was rather amazing as the day progressed. So many
old friends and good memories. 

It was so much fun when we first got together. It was the early days of the internet - one step above the old bulletin boards, but far below the multiple social network posting options we have available to us today. These were the days when there was no massive money machine behind "Bead & Button" magazine. These were the days when "About.com" and their beadwork section was read by thousands of us every week, everyone downloading the latest pattern and asking questions about stitching and finishing techniques. These were the early days of AOL, CompuServe and Prodigy. This was the group that I joined in 1996.

Most of us actually joined earlier than Version 5.0. I think
I joined in 1996, and 5.0 came out in 1999. As annoying as
AOL might be (and might still be in some respects), it
managed to accomplish something revolutionary and beat out
its competition over the decades. 

AOL was king in those days - sending downloadable disks into everyone's mailboxes and saturating the portal market. The competition crumpled under AOL's onslaught of advertising and their depth of news and communities. One of those communities was in their crafting section - a beaders community that chatted every day, shared tips and techniques, arranged for exchange boxes and bead swaps, and started an annual beading challenge to raise money for cancer research.

We gathered together, the AOL Beaders, at the Tucson Gem Show, the early stages of Embellishment/Bead & Button Show, and others. We rented extra rooms at the hotels for a beading room and met there after classes were finished for the day to bead, chat, and interact. Firm friendships were formed that still exist today. Yesterday, on Facebook, we joined together once more, this time in cyberspace. It was wonderful!

I'm not fond of Facebook, but I do check in every few days. Yesterday I
was checking in often, just to talk with old friends, and I ran into another
old friend on a completely different board. I haven't had so much fun
with social media in a long time. I wish it could always be like that. 

Noises were made about possibly starting a FB group just for us - those who had been together in the early days of the craft, before it had been blown apart by big business and people running after the immortal dollar sign. It might happen or it might not. Even if a new group is formed, I don't think it will have the same magic. The friends, though ... yeah. I'd join just to be in touch with my Beady Buddies one more time.

Have an awesome weekend. I'll be swimming in the 50-meter pool today, then off to work. I want my weekend, so I'm just patiently waiting for the close of business tonight (or maybe NOT so patiently). Be back on Monday *throws kisses out into cyberspace*.

It Takes Three Things, Right?

So I've been waiting for the shoe to fall, and it could have been much worse than it turned out to be. Things come in threes, and electronics follow the rule too. The first thing was my credit card terminal. That died and I had to arrange for a different machine, new techniques, new supplies and, of course, training. But all was accomplished and a new credit card terminal is next to my cash register and working well.

Making the sale is the goal. Without the right equipment,
it just doesn't happen. 

The second thing was my security alarm system. This was a bit more complex, time consuming, worrisome, and generally a serious PITA. We ended up being without an alarm at the shop for almost two full weeks, but yesterday we got a new system wired up, installed, and new cameras mounted. I can now arm and disarm our new system via my phone or computer, check the camera feed to know if the alarm is false or actually an invasion, and although there's still a small amount of tweaking that needs to be done, we're armed and dangerous once more.

Getting a functional alarm system installed, tested, and working
was a major stumbling block taken care of. There are still
a few small tweaks to be ironed out, but I'm up and running again!

Of course, I mentioned three things, right. So I was terrified that my computers would bite the dust. That would be a problem that would be almost insurmountable. Fortunately, it was the APC that went, and it just needed a new battery. It had to be purchased and installed in a rush to allow my cash register to be powered up and operational for business that day. But it was resolved, as were all of the other electronic stumbling blocks.

There's nothing like no power in our electronic world. Thank
goodness Batteries + is very close by and I have a corporate
account with them. 

So I enter my Saturday's work day and my Sunday off with some relief. The roadblocks were set into my path and I jumped them all. I'm finally over the flu and I'll be back at the gym, swimming, on Monday morning. Have a wonderful weekend.