shopkeeping 101

So much for my blogging every day! It is a much more difficult task than you would think. First there are the logistics when you are out of town as much as we are, then there is the problem of what to say. I never realized how difficult it would be to come up with something to say every day. I have learned that I am WAY more boring than I even realized.

So... we have returned from a full week and 3 state jaunt. Here is how it went down. Sunday and Monday we painted and repaired feverishly to get 13 new pieces of furniture in to the store(thrown in the store). Tuesday we hurried to load furniture inherited from a relative then headed to help my Mom. Wednesday at 5 am we get ready to go to the hospital. Out by 10 and have her home by 12. (under the influence of anesthesia, she repeatedly tells me that I look so pale and really need a little rouge on my cheeks. it makes me smile!) Leave at 12 to unload the trailer in Sasser(throw it in the store, again). Pack and leave by 3 to drive to Chattanooga, Tn. Thursday, we arrive in Nashville at 12 and have the trailer unloaded by 12:30. Head back to Chattanooga in the icy rain. We stop at a few places tween here and there. Almost to our auction, on the top of a mountain, the snow begins. There is heavy snow during the auction and loading the trailer in icy snow was ...hmmm...not fun. Especially since Jay bought too much and we had to unload it after we had loaded it to reload it to make it all fit! Did that make sense. Finally hit the Hampton Inn at 12:30 am. Up and at 'em Friday morning in pouring icy rain. Driving through Atlanta, Jay's knuckles were white from holding the steering wheel so tight. We make it back to Sasser by 3 and get ready to unload. Now remember that we have thrown 2 trailer loads in the store already. It is freezing cold and I ask Jay to build me a fire in each wood stove. Stove number 1 that smoked us out a couple of weeks ago had been repaired...NOT! Smoke starts to billow and Jay starts throwing burning logs out of the fire and dousing the rest with a little itty bitty cup of water. Funny to me...NOT funny to Jay. Stove number 2 just smolders(for now!) Unloading and loading finally begins around 5. We have to completely re arrange the store and try and get a few of our new auction pieces in. By 11 pm, I decide that we have enough new items(at least 25 new pieces of furniture and lots of small items) and get ready to leave. We walk back to building with stove number 2 and it is full of smoke. This time we know the drill. Throw the burning logs out in the rain and pour water on the coals. WHAT A MESS. I thought I wanted to cry. I post on Facebook that we have lots of new things for the store and call it a night. Daybreak Saturday morning, Jay and I are pulling out more new things to put on the sidewalk and try to make it pretty. Febreeze the smoky store, sweep, dust, and set up the propane heater(since we have no wood stove) and smile when we open at 10.
Customer#1 - walks in the store, looks around, and says, "Gee, I thought you guys said you were going to have new things today. Where is it?"
I cried!
Shopkeeping 101 - You gotta love it or you will loose your mind!