The nightmares have stopped. So I believe. I've had horrible dreams of death in any number of situations as an aftershock to Pheonix. I can only imagine what my brother is going through.
The shop is going well. Well, as well as can be expected.
We have an espresso machine that we bought used and it's been a real pain to hook it up. Under the counter of my coffee kiosk looks like a mad scientist's delight. We had been waiting to have it all hooked up. Now it's all hooked up, but in the process one of the stainless steel european hoses (expensive) has so many kinks in it that it isn't getting water pumped up to the machine. So the water reservoir is not filling.
I suppose that it's fitting that I've named it "Nike" (After the Samothrace complete with full page sticker of Samothrace adhered to her side) because it will be a definate victory of a battle after we finally get to use her.
1st, her basket and filter (where you put the espresso) was not sent with the machine.
2nd, she was filthy
3rd, she was sent with a water softener and a water pump and there were no instructions as to how to assemble and in what order. So I did an in depth search on how to hook everything up, I found some pics on line of someone who showed all their undercounter things and I used that to line things up. I had my brother help me hook it up.
4th
We were short one hose for the water supply.
5th
It wasn't a run of the mill part, a series of strange adaptations had to take place to hook up the espresso machine.
6th
Now the espresso machine hose is so kinked that it won't deliver water the 4 verticle feet to the unit.
7th
We've ordered a new hose
8th
We've asked someone to come in and install it when the hose arrives, and check the machine. This is where it gets funny. The first person was so bent on selling us a new machine, they were like, "I've never heard of a La Pavoni." Blah Blah blah. He was being a general dick. As though his 'not hearing' of a brand name (which is a common Italian Espresso machine brand) makes my machine inferior.
Did you know that heating and refrigeration people charge you to DRIVE to you. Literally. It's a 10 minute maximum trip from the airport to down town, and they will charge you a half hour, then it's 80 bucks an hour.
Even though it's been a hassle, I'm still saving a ton of money. (Provided that nothing else is wrong) And the thing I truly hate the most is that we are having to tell people no. Bleah.
The good news is that we've started averaging (over the last 3 days) just short of what I call the comfortable minimum. To maintain the store, the payments for the loans and the store supplies, we have nearly reached that. It's extremely more promising than I'd thought. I'm trying not to get my hopes up, but we are excited that the store is starting to gain some business and popularity.
Tuesday is our city's Independence Day celebration, and Michael and I will be working a cart inside and a side cart outside. We believe we have the potential to do quite well.
I think we are eloping next Friday or Saturday.
fun fun fun.
The Reception/ BBQ will be August 11th in Columbus Ohio.
We will be eloping quite soon.
This past weekend, we headed out to the wild and beautiful Wisconsin to see Liz get married. The wedding was beautiful, and I got to catch up with Susie and Jon, and I got to talk to Liz as much as one could possibly while the eminent wedding was underway.
It was beautiful and original.
We left at 4 in the morning on Sunday for the 12 hour trip. (sorry Susie, but my phone didn't show your number, it kept shutting itself off, something about the signal that it was roaming was wearing down the battery)
Today, we get back to the coffee shop, and our loaner fridge came in. The guy took the other one to get it repaired. We had to wait an hour for the freon to settle and to clean it, and as soon as it was geared up, we got our commisary agreement signed stating that we would wash our bigger dishes in the cafeteria sink, and we are finally legal.
Tomorrow is our official first day of business. Wish us luck. I've got blueberry muffins to bake.
It's been crazy.
I ended up helping dress the baby. I don't know if I'm blocking it, but I think I turned into someone else for a minute, went in with the mortician, took care of business. For a second, I looked at him and thought how beautiful he is. But I cut that out. I guess I answered a question that I had always bothered me with nursing... 'would I be able to handle it?' Yes, I could handle anything.
My mother ended up staying with me because she and my sister couldn't get
along. The worst part was seeing my brother so distraught with grief. No one should have to eulogize their own baby. Seeing him and the mother at the graveyard was absolutely heartbreaking. I had to walk away.
My mother is still full blown alcoholic in denial, living in an alternate reality. The rule was no drinking in the house. We compromised on a cooler on the back porch. After I took her to the airport, I saw 2 trial size liquor bottles on our CD tower. I could go on, but again, addicts have limited perception for how their lifestyle affects others.
Meanwhile, we are trying to get our store up and running. The health inspector did a 'no call no show' on us. Everything was set up and beautiful. He reschedules (without excuse) for Monday at 6:30 a.m. , Over the weekend, our refrigeration unit breaks down, we can't hook up our espresso machine because of weird plumbing problem, and our bulk grinder craps out on us. Dammit.
We pass inspection and are told that we can open when our refrigeration unit works. If the asshole had been here on Thursday, this wouldn't have been a problem. And we are now waiting for our second part of our loan to hit to get the stuff repaired so that we can work our stand.
It's like home ownership. I was distraught at first, and it's been even more difficult because I've been less physically active, and I'm about to start my period, so I've gained weight, and I'm bloated.
Bleah.
But I know it'll come off when I get my bike. I'll be riding my bike to work because I start so early. During nice months, I may ride my bike home, but it depends on traffic.
We found out that we can sell stuff in the alcove outside as long as it's prepared at the cart. This could mean double sales. Super.
Our menu is coming along. I really hope to be at full speed next week.
After dealing with family and consistently getting quazi negative feedback, we decided we are going to elope. We will have a barbecue or something, but we just aren't into planning a wedding while our minds are in this business.
http://www.scarboroughfarecoffee.com
it's just starting out, so have patience.
i believe Michael's work is beautiful.
i have been rotating free coffee at the
coffee shop in attempt to relationship build.
The regulars are coming around. I tried the
dark mayan millhouse roast today.
blech.
i found a stash of my italian roast from whole
foods and it's super yummy.
sweet nectar.
It's either really good or really bad when my family gets together. It has been really good thus far. Not that we are all reconciled. It feels like there's an undertow of all things unsaid, all disappointments, all blame, and frustration.
We are all in different places of growth and stagnation. My brother Rex and my mother fell out about 7 years ago, and they have refused to see each other. They are speaking again. This means that for the first time in 21 years, we will all be together under the same roof. That is something I've always wanted.
The really bad is of course, the absolute sadness and devastation that clings to every syllable. Tragic doesn't even begin to cover it.
I haven't visited my brother yet. So many people around in one house. I'm never comfortable like that. I prefer to come around when everyone else has returned to living their normal lives. I try to encourage the only thing that I've ever had work for me. Sunshine, nature, getting out of the house, and to provide a distraction to the terrible slowness of the process of grieving.
I can't think of anything apt or right to say this.
My nephew, Pheonix, born in February, died of crib death.
Thoughts and prayers to my brother.
I feel like someone has taken a large fish hook, inserted into my back, singled out one muscle network and continuously pulls it.
I slept wrong about 3 nights ago, and with the exhaustion and exertion of the last few days of scurrying around looking for things to put our coffee cart together, I find that I have even more aggravated my neck/shoulder.
I can hardly sleep because my brain is going a mile a minute. Right now, I am waiting for the effects of half a dose of sleeping aid to take affect. I really need sleep. I am so excited/ invested in this business adventure ( I know it's supposed to be venture, but to me it's definately adventure) that I wake up in the middle of the night with strange recipes.
We have a cart. It was delivered yesterday. I spent today cleaning it and putting away the supplies we bought. Tomorrow, I have a handyman coming to take a look at the cart and replace a wire.
It had been stored away for a while and all manner of filth had to be exorcised from it. I had to finish up with goo gone to get rid of patches where the drawers had been secured for extended periods with duct tape. It looks liek a whole new cart now and other than it being absolutely huge...... it's great.
We will probably have some pictures coming soon, and a website too.
So, tomorrow:
Repairman
Vendors
Licenses
Unfortunately Paypal is being a dick. If anyone has used them before, you know that they can decided to do an e-check instead of using your credit card (attached to the account) and so they withold payment for 3 days. So my freakin cappuccino machine is being delayed and may not arrive until mid next week even though the money was taken out of my account yesterday.
Bastards.
My coffee grinder is on it's way already. Because I was able to select credit card instead of e check.
Anyhow, it's been a warm welcome at the bank. It's been really nice.
We had coffee and muffins out for donation today (can't technically charge a price without your licenses) didn't make hardly anything at all. But I can't say that I expected to. We didn't look like we were open, and I was cleaning out the cart the whole time.
The bank manager has been awesome. He even offered for us to have our cart out front during the warmer months. This is a huge, unexpected blessing. Something that we thought of, but didn't dare ask... and he offered. It's going to be huge. Now we scurry to try and procure a 'satelite' cart that can easily roll in and out of the doors without having to go through the lobby of the bank and create a disturbance. It's very possible that if the city doesn't have some sort of law against it, that if we are able to be outside at the red white and boom festival, that we could pay a good portion of our cart off on that weekend alone.
We will see, there are several 'events' that Columbus has that is potentially enormous for us considering the chance at being directly outside in the public eye.
So excited!!!
Money in the bank.
Movement. Sweet freakin movement.
About to close some deals, waiting on others.
Freakin out.
We were declined. Over a stupid technicality. My father lives in a state where they don't have a branch. I'm in Ohio, Michael's in Ohio, The business is in Ohio. Not good enough. What's worse is that they wasted so much of our time saying that they were going to have 'this meeting or that meeting'. Our financier wasn't answering our calls, or returning them. Michael found out the bankers info and we showed up at the bank. We got a hold of supervisors. Still, if a bank thinks that they are going to say no to you, for whatever reason, you can expect that they will not return your calls, they will drag out the timeline, make you promises and never deliver.
So, we were just going to let it go, and then the financier starts getting motivated. Before, this guy was willing to just let the banks take their course, call him at their leisure, and call us at our leisure.
I decided that I still really wanted this. I called my Dad and asked him how he would like to proceed, if he wanted to continue this. It turns out that he was prepared for such a thing and secured us a loan saving us a lot of money.
Now the transfer should go through either Monday or Tuesday, and then we will scurry about buying things.
I've been researching recipes and coffee facts for the shop. We decided that we are going to do French Press coffee instead of regular drip brew coffee. We'll use a fine mesh strainer when pouring into cups to avoid sediment, and it should afford us the best coffee around. I've spent the last two months immersing myself into coffee world.
Here is where I try to get the pulse, if any of you find the time, if you could answer the following questions, I will do my best to incorporate advice and suggestions. We have some ideas for actual location and events, but we will see that in time.
1 How often do you go to a coffee shop?
2 What do you like about them?
3. What can't you seem to find there?
4. What don't you like about them?
5. What would you like to see?
Gotta Run