Opening Day!

Ok, so today is opening day and what is it doing out???? Thundering and lightening! So I will probably not have any people coming into the store today, but hopefully with the holiday weekend coming up, I will sell some pieces. It is getting creepily dark out, which is something that I'm not used to now that we have sunshine everyday. On the positive side, I went grocery shopping this morning so I once again have food. YAY!!! Since I haven't really been doing too much but getting things ready, I will post pictures of pieces that I have done so far. Details are hard to see but I hope you enjoy :)

Week 3 Down!

So it has now been 3 weeks that I have moved and again, still feels like a rockin vacation. I was hoping to open this week, but that did not happen. I now have about 6 pieces almost done so this week will be opening for sure! My back aches every night from bending over, sideways and backwards to prime, paint, sand and move pieces. I am finally seeing my hard work pay off though and am PRAYING that people like them enough to pay for them. I am proud of how they are turning out, though the perfectionist in me can work on them for weeks longer I am sure. My body-aches scream at my fingers to just put the paintbrush down already, so I have...at least for these items.

Other than that is has been a pretty good week. I received my terminal so that customers can use credit cards to pay for things, which means more customers. The only problem is it runs through a phone line and they are so backed up it won't be turned on until July 6th! Way to far away but I can manage in the meantime. I think just learning my register program is all I have really left to do...and make/get signs that I'm open and what my business name is. So just a few things.

I have been meeting more people, mostly through the church I have attended only twice, but have been invited to so many things. I went to a group Wednesday night that is doing financial planning and budgeting, which will hopefully help me with all of these new expenses coming up. I had to switch my car insurance also, and to get the best price I paid for the first 6 months up front. Another few hundred dollars out the window, when the town is so small I can easily just walk everywhere and forget the car. GRRR! Still not quite ecstatic about spending that money.

Anyways, last night I went to a women's retreat for the church at someones house. All I can say is wow...they have to have a lot of money. It was of course green efficient living, but high class. They lived along the river and had a multi tiered deck with various spots to fish or have a bonfire. We had different kinds of salad (one with ramen noodles, cabbage and shrimp that I weirdly loved) and smores. There was games, door prizes (got a $20 gift certificate), stories, and just great fellowship. I not only got to get to know more of the women that attend that church, but advertise for my business. Ha, what a business woman I am. Can't leave the job at work! But I had a good time and didn't go to bed until 1am. Now I'm just hoping that I can remember some of their names when I see them tomorrow!

Other than that, not too much happening. I have been at my store everyday for the past two weeks just to get stuff ready. Oh, I did get an A on my midterm, so I'm glad that's out of the way. There are a lot of people picking up fliers for the place I am renting from, as it is for sale also. I know if I have to leave if it's sold, God will take care of me. I'm just hoping to sell some stuff first! Just playing everything by ear and having fun. Hope you all are as well!

P.S. And yes the weather has still been warm and sunshine everyday. Love it!

I'm a Big Kid Now...No Bandaids Needed

I have been so busy the past week and a half that I hadn't really thought of socializing at all. But when I checked out the church that is literally two buildings from my apartment and started talking with others, I realized how much I needed some down time. Sunday was that day, and I didn't do anything for my business that day but tell people about it. I ended up meeting the pastors wife and she sat with me during service. She was very nice and had just celebrated her 35th wedding anniversary that weekend. As I talked with her, I found out that she was head of the singles group at the church and they were having a get together that night. I decided to go...as it was mini-golf which I rule at! A few others came with us, and we drive to the next town to play a round of putt-putt. I had a lot of fun and we all got along well. I ended up finishing in second place by two strokes. I did get TWO hole in ones :) Then we went and got ice cream and walked around down town. It is funny to see their reactions to the weird things people do when it seems like a normal occurrence in Akron. I enjoyed my cup of coconut crunch ice cream and pretending I was a tourist.

Yesterday was spent sanding some pieces in my shop and getting my business license for the town. Then learned I needed a sales tax license too, so I will get that tomorrow. Today was the first time I have felt I was a grown-up out of all of the stuff I've been doing. I had to rent a Uhaul and drive it to the next town, 30 minutes away, to pick up some furniture. I have never driven anything that large before and the gusts of wind made me a little nervous, but I did it! I was very proud of myself that I got there and back with no incidents. Now my shop looks a little bit more full.

I was supposed to get a phone line turned on today also, but was told by another business owner that the place I called doesn't have any lines this way. I wonder why they accepted my order, but it makes sense that I have to call another place as they didn't show up today for the install and didn't have any record of the address they were coming to. That delays my terminal for customer credit cards to be sent, so people will have to pay with a cash or check until then if it doesn't get done soon. Other than that, it was a day I feel like I got something accomplished and the opening date is coming fast. Am I crazy to try to open a business from the ground up in two weeks??? Maybe, but everything is going so smooth that I can't help saying it was meant to be, crazy or not.

I am also almost finished with my paper and studying for my mid-term test. I will be glad once this week is over and things get a little more settled. As usual, the weather is sunny and warm so everyday feels happy. I'm thinking in a couple of weeks that I am going to want a visitor, so start saving up! I always enjoy company from family and friends.

The First Week

So I made it a full week on my own across the country!!! Pretty proud of myself since I have had to do some really big kid things. I guess I will start with my trip over. If anything, it was uneventful in a good way. I had no car troubles, no near accidents, and great weather. I do have to say that it was a LONG trip. It should have only taken about 22 hours, but it took me 25 hours because of the traffic in Toledo and Chicago. Luckily I wasn't pressed for time, so I was able to enjoy it. The scenery was nice in every state. I went up the Ohio turnpike, through Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska then Colorado. Nebraska was definitely the stinkiest state ever, and I had to smell it because my AC was not working, meaning windows were down. Well except for my drivers side window I couldn't put down all the way because of my big dent! But I cruised just listening to my Cd's and radio.

I got to my apartment around 7pm mountain time on Saturday. I was a little worried about what it might look like since I hadn't seen it at all. It is on the second floor and the balcony is probably the worst part of it. They are just slats of wood with 1/4-1/2 inch spaces between them so you can see the ground below you. I tiptoed across it for the first 10 times I walked it. Then when I heard the neighbor kids running around on it I figured it must be OK (well that and I hadn't fallen through yet). Anyway, my apartment is very cute and has a warm color scheme of tans, browns and mauve. I did have to clean it a bit, but it was freshly painted and such. I unpacked my essentials then went to bed.

Throughout the past week, I finished unpacking, signed my leases and got the keys for both my apartment and business, started bank accounts for both me and my business, saw an accountant, had a meeting for my volunteer position, went to the local library and grocery store, went to Walmart, a consignment store and the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store, got my business number and state license, and went to 11 garage sales this morning. I'm sure I did some other things but just can't remember. What fun stuff did I do you say??? Well I read two mystery novels, went to the river park everyday, started sanding/stripping furniture for my business, and even got an ice cream cone. The weather has been sunny and nice everyday, and I even got a little sunburned on my nose.

So if you noticed I kind of told what my business is...now that it is finalized the name is "Resurrected Pieces." I will be refurbishing furniture and accessories, and staining or painting designs and quotes on them. Hence why I went to the Restore and garage sales. The hard part is getting the large pieces to my shop, since most won't fit in my two door car. I will probably rent a Uhaul for it all. But I did get some pretty fantastic pieces that I will show when finished on my businesses website. I have a lot of work to do though if I still want to open the 20th- a week away.

In the mean time, I also have a paper and midterm for my class due in about a week. I am not too worried about either, but I will be glad when I can focus on just my business. Next week I will be doing 8 hours of police ride alongs to see what they do and watch the general process of handling various situations. Then I will be going on call to help the victims in those same situations. We have already had a river death this week, as the river is higher than its been in a long time. Many people don't know the dangers when kayaking and rafting, by yourself and in a group. This is my warning BE CAREFUL!

And I want to say thanks to everyone who has been keeping in touch with me. It helps to stay connected with home. Until next time!

Hysterical

So my life is full of belly laughs, which I will get to in a moment. First I will tell about the rest of my Memorial Day weekend.

After leaving my dad's, I did get a little misty eyed thinking of the things I might miss when I am gone: the nieces and nephew growing, new fixtures around the house, spur of the moment get-togethers, times my dad might almost kill himself. It is all of those small moments that make life worth living sometimes and it is so easy to forget to stop and smell the roses as they say. So I took the time to just relax and enjoy those moments Sunday before I left and Wednesday morning when I went for one last little visit to see my dad.

Then I went to my grandpa's house around 1pm for the next party. It was a BBQ fiesta with so much left over food we could freeze it to eat through the winter. I got more money (woo-hoo) and a GPS which I'm sure I will need for the drive over...sarcasm if you can't tell. It was great seeing everyone and visiting with friends and family that came from near and far. I didn't expect the support I received from people, especially the gifts, and I just feel so grateful for what God has given me. It is SUPER hard to say good-bye, so I tell everyone see you later. Though the heat and humidity was hot, we all had a good time. So much that my grandpa passed out on the couch while we were putting all of the food away. I party hard lol!

Teri and her daughter Dorian then spent the night after watching a movie at my moms. Though we also passed out when we got to my place, we slept in and got to hang out more on Monday. My mom stopped over to get lunch with us, then we went shopping. I vowed not to spend money, but ended up getting a pair of sunglasses for the 300+ days of sunshine in Colorado. Mine were 2-3 years old so it was worth it. Then we said our goodbye's.

I went over to my grandma's for dinner, to try shrimp and grits for the first time, but that isn't where my life gets funny. While she was cooking, the neighbors needed to get out of the shared drive and play musical chairs. I stayed inside, as my car was parked on the street. My aunt went to move her car and parked behind me, then the next car went out, then the third car pulled out and ran straight into the side of my car. Instead of getting out, he just decided to drive off without saying anything. My aunt who had seen everything happen waved him down and told him to stop because he had hit my car. I was so calm when my Aunt told me, she thought I was going to wait for her to say April Fools. But you must understand that this kind of stuff happens to me all of the time, and I just find it HYSTERICAL. My car is 16 years old and has been around the block a few times. It has seen it all. I mean, just the other week someone tried to break into it! I just laugh and shake my head.

So the guy didn't have insurance, which means he gets a nice fine and possibly will lose his license (cuz of course I called the police to make a report). My insurance already came by and wrote me a check for about $2000 to get it fixed, which is quite nice of them don't you think? I still have some last minute things to do, but this little hiccup didn't put me too far behind schedule. I am still set to head west Friday morning and am just ready to do it already. Keep me in mind as I travel!