SQUEEEEEE!!!!   So I had been informed ten days ago, on my birthday, that there was a surprise for me tonight and what time it would be, since it was an event.  I have been carefully NOT thinking about what it could be, to maintain the surprise, of course. 
        PSM took me to the CURE!!!!  OMG!!!  Until the Jonathon Coulton show a little  while ago, I hadn't been to a show in forever (like ten years forever.)  So shows=good and exciting.  And he is such a good guy he made sure (very trickily, I might add) that large venues aren't a turn-off, and surprised me in just the right way.   Also, the Cure is one of my absolute favorite bands.
        I also have to thank M for tipping him off to the event, since she was the original spark for the idea ,I hear. 
        I danced and had a very excellent time, and this was a super awesome birthday present.
       And now I crash like a log. A baby.  A dead log baby.  ZZZzzzzzzz.
             

   I have this client who's a bit of a hustler, kind of a slick talker and deal maker.  He has a space, which would cost me a LOT less in rent than anywhere else, it's second floor, half a block off a main thoroughfare, where I can post signs, sounds like it has all the necessary build out for both the tattoo side (clean room with counters, full bath, six offices) and the books/merch side (central space).  He , being a bit of a hustler, has a hookup in the mayors office.  The only catch is free tattoos for him and maybe two other people.  I need to go check out the space on Monday morning before leaving for Elf, which snuck up on me all sneaky like.  (I kept thinking it was next week and I feel like a dope.)
   Maybe?????
   I'm antsy because I just had to run my first payroll and can feel the savings slipping away, savings we need for advertising and improvements.  I don't know, and Chowder will be working on phone calls and leg work for spaces we noted down yesterday in case this totally won't work.
      I have a feeling, and it's called cautiously hopeful.

Wednesday Yoni & I went to the Sprint store to hopefully get my phone replaced. Sadly, I did not qualify for a FREE phone and the cheapest one they had available was around $90... OUCH! Fortunately Yoni remembered that she still had her old phone, the one that worked fine before she got an upgrade, and asked if we could just reactivate my number with that phone since we're on the same plan. The lovely Sprint lady says, "why, yes. Yes you can! What a delicious idea!" (I may be paraphrasing.)

So today Yoni, since the plan is under her name & she is accommodating to my neurosis about these kinds of things, called the Sprint folks and got it all set up for exactly NADA!!!! How awesome is that? We even discovered that my charger fits that phone so I don't even have to go buy one of those.

And, I just have to say, Yoni is the best HLM (hetero-lifemate) EVER!!! Not only did she go to the Sprint store for me on her birthday, but she found a way to make things utterly inexpensive & set everything up for me. I totally tipped her on my rent check.

And also... I got to keep my old number!

And also also... I have Yoni's old phone-list in the phone so I'll only have to replace a few numbers.

And also also also.... cats!

Today brought a rather interesting horoscope mixed with a disheartening e-mail from Free Street (the nonprofit theater company I direct & teach through).

Basically the e-mail said that the conflicts I sent them will either mean:
    a) I do not have the job with them.
        or
    b) I will be doing a different job than the one they planned for me... a job which is actually different than what they originally said I would be doing.

When they were fist talking to me about the summer job, I told them that I would have conflicts and they said they'd work around them. But nothing was in writing & I know Free Street so this doesn't actually surprise me. Last summer, I ended up changing my plans to accommodate them. In fact, I'm often rearranging my schedule around them. This summer, I won't. And if that means I have to find a different job, so be it.

And now for the horoscope!

Today you need to pick up your feet and get moving more aggressively toward one of your goals. It's not going to come to you! Sure, it might seem hard to attain, and it probably will take more than one day to attain it. But it's important for you to believe that you can get what you want -- you just have to start reaching for it! Show the universe that you are ready to put your money where your mouth is. There is no reason for any hesitation, so just do it.

I've got a LOT of work to do!!!!

It's been a weird week in which my phone was lost, found in the friend of my bgoifriend's car in Wisconsin, put in a relatively safe place then was either lost or stolen from that place... which I found out AFTER I traveled to Wisconsin... which is where I currently am. So I am right now phoneless. But I'm at the bgoifriend's and that's good.

Hopefully I'll be able to get a free phone and, even more important than free, hopefully I'll get it before I travel to visit relatives in Alabama on Sunday.

It's in Wisconsin, but I'll be driving my couple back tomorrow so I'll be able to pick it up. *happy dance*

Now if someone could find my sanity.... I swear, it's around here somewhere... *mumble, mumble*

A lady just came into the bookstore smelling as if she'd dumped a bucket of flowery perfume on her head. Her movements were jittery while her speech was harsh and clipped. When she stood closer, I could smell the alcohol on her breath. She bought two  books, criticized Ki's review of Beowulf (she thought she was scolding me at first) and informed me that she hates to be told to "enjoy", a word that I don't always use but popped out since one of the books she bought was one I really liked. I fell silent, smiled & didn't kill her.

I'm trying to be in a better mood today. But I still feel REALLY shitty after what happened.


And now? After searching the bookstore, calling Leona's & the bgoifriend's friend, my phone's still lost and while I'm feeling quite a bit better, it's taking an extreme effort not to be the crabby curmudgeon I know I am.

This is totally a whine post, so feel free bring some cheese!!

I keep having sore throat issues and it's starting to piss me off. I haven't the time nor the health insurance for repetitive oogieness! Why does my body not understand that???

And then it's the monthly visit, and I ain't talkin' about the bgoifriend (though they're here this weekend, they come around more than once a month), combined with shifting weather means Chowder has a migraine. *pout, pout*

   This by my own hand.  I looked through the haze of impatience and twitchiness and realized that the financial portion of the business plan exists for a REASON.  Just because I can fit this string bikini on the gorilla, should I?  It comes down to profit, and the idea of putting expensive improvements in someone else's property.  Also, it helps that I have a pro plumber client who talks me no bullshit.  So to continue being all metaphorical, I must find a smaller pot with more fertile soil in which to plant our wee seedling business.
     Sigh.  The hunt goes on.  I hate real estate shopping.

   I spoke with the property manager today, I tried to turn him down.  And he was all, "i know cheap plumbers, I'll help you with zoning, the last thing we want is you to get in there and fail," and the killer " it's a two year lease, but you'll sign on as a corporation, if it goes sour we rip it up, no problem."   
     Is it more like "the first little taste is free..." or is it more like " You're a nice kid, let me help you out."
                      And it is SO HUGE!  I could have an art gallery, bookstore, tattoo studio, dance studio, and my house.  Okay, maybe not the house, but it's HUGE!  The other space I was looking at was half the size for only $150 less a month.  But the heating and cooling, and and and...
         Brain.  Pop.

   I am chewing over a huge decision.  I may have a space. It is large.  Much too large.  It needs built out. But I'm getting offered a very amenable deal on rent.  My smart part of my brain says this is a terrible idea, the impatient side (oh and the future thinking we'll need to expand eventually side) says WOW! 
        I'm thinking despite the more than incredible rent deal, I'm going to ask also for build out, at least a bathroom and a handwashing sink .  If that's not likely (seriously, not very likely) I'm thinking I need to find somewhere smaller and closer to finished. I just don't think I can afford the buildout and the wait for it to be finished, and I'm sure Chowder can't.   If only I was more richly funded, or had a shop and was expanding.  Sigh.
   On the other hand, I think I have located a friendly town!

After sleeping in ridiculously late, Yoni & I went property hunting. We visited 8 villages with 25 possible locations. There were a few... erm, not so good places, about two AMAZING locations and several that fell somewhere in the middle. We stopped a few times, but mostly we just drove by. Yoni drove while I wrote down numbers and details. She's calling the different realty offices Wednesday & I'll help on Thursday if there are any left to call.

The best part about all this was that I truly felt that I'm a part of what Yoni's been doing. I've been collecting books and pretty fabrics and pillows and keeping an eye out for bookcases and furniture and all sorts of things. But doing that with her made me feel like I was really part of the process and she said she felt the same way. I'm looking forward to May when I'll have more time to do more! And also, it's starting to feel really real!!! We ARE going to have a store!!! HEATHEN INK will happen!!!

*happy dance*

This should seriously be posted above my bed. hmmmmm... I might just have to paint it. Now I'm not referring to sex, I'm actually talking about sleeping...

When I was a kid, I was often the one sleeping on the floor during family trips 'cause I would hit & kick and, even once, bite in my sleep. I managed to terrify an entire girlscout troupe (or three) with my thrashing on a trip where all the girls were made to sleep in sleeping bags on a floor. Yoni & I have gotten bigger & bigger tents for camping partially due to the fact that I will twitch & growl in my sleep if I'm accidentally touched.

While I'm not as bad as I was when I was a kid, (I've not given anyone a black eye in years!) less than half an hour ago I woke up with a bizarre urge to elbow my girlfriend 'cause she'd cuddled me into the wall. *shakes head* I left the bed for fear of actually hurting her.  There have been a few lovers I could sleep with, but rarely are they cuddlers. I've become a cantankerous ole spinster who can only sleep with her cats. How sad is that?

    Took a nice long walk in the woods with the dog today.  We saw Old Man Coyote roaming along and he gave us quite the eyeballing as he trotted a wide circle around us.  We also saw beaver gnawing signs, though none of our elusive clan creature.  Also, we saw raccoon tracks, beaver tracks and  several herds of deer, though not our friendly one horned buck. I almost got caught peeing by a jogger, Socko peed on every tree, and investigated every spot between for a long while.
                Tomorrow is business day, I'm back at the pursuit.  So today I'm not thinking about how frustrating it is that my legitimate business gets treated as if I want to open a opium den/bordello, and finding a legally zoned spot to run it is like spotting the brass needle in the haystack. I need to call the village manager and ask him about further pursuit of zoning, after all, the board itself has not yet nayed me! Will also probably hire a zoning/real estate attorney.  At the least an attorney can help me through this crap with another town.  Sigh.
               But today, today I enjoy the beautiful weather and the sense of peace from seeing the unfurling of spring leaves.

   I sunburned my nose biking and gardening today.  Time for sunblock, silly Yoni!

      So, that meeting was a complete failure.  The meeting itself, to my dismay, was only the zoning board, who apparently does not have FINAL say, but will advise the village board.  Another month from now.  And they will advise them that no, they should not allow our business  a permit.
Sigh, and I wore a suit and PANTY FUCKING HOSE.  Horrid.
        I suspect I could have done a bit more slick talking, but from how fast they nayed me I doubt it would have done much good.
   So.  I would have missed so much crap tv.
   I wouldn't have time to ride my bike like I will.
  I wouldn't have time to go camping as much.
 I wouldn't have as much time to work on the yard and house.
 Chowder will be closer to ready with the books side.
      I'm disappointed, no doubt, but after a good pout I will dust off  and scout more locations and more towns.  I am going to put in for permits at several towns at a time, it may waste some money, but won't waste so much time. I may get some sort of temporary job to augment my clients and savings and get my butt out of the house.
 And I'll go to May's meeting, just in case.
                        

About 48 hours, the approval of a village board, a commercial rental agreement, and a couple of weeks of remodeling work. Sooooo  close.