"Decide that you want it more than you are afraid of it." ~ Bill Cosby

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear. " ~ Ambrose Redmoon
*******

So, I'm taking the initial step of buying a large format printer. That way I can print on demand, whether it be RPG modules or posters or clock faces or large T-shirt transfers. And I'm getting one which I can later use for transfers for mugs, tiles, etc. Which means I'll be buying a heat press within the next few months. And then I have to decide whether to get an actual mug press or start with mug wraps...

I'm blaming [link] for the push that finally made me get off my butt & get moving on this. I've certainly been dawdling on this part long enough >wry smile<

The game plan is to keep managing the game/toy store & start production work on the side so eventually I can open my own store & already have a stream of income... And in the process, I should be able to start producing an actual income for my very talented son [link] Right now, the method of production costs too much to make ti very profitable. That should change significantly once I have my own equipment & am not jobbing it all out to someone else.

So... for a little under $5000 total (gulp) I should be able to get a running start...

In the meantime, I'm writing again. Not a lot yet, but getting back in the habit at least.

Koƒ²e²ad²ik†

“Stress is when you wake up screaming and you realize you haven't fallen asleep yet.”

"I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once." ~Jennifer Yane

"These people are natural born *idiots*, if you ask me! They don't appreciate what they have here. This ship is the match of any vessel within a hundred light years, and what do they do with it? - Well, uh, let's see if we can't find some space anomaly today that might rip it apart!" ~Neelix

Life seems to be moving at the speed of sound right about now >wry smile<
The new store space is finally coming together & 2 out of 3 employees are doing what they are supposed to (the 3rd person & I are having some personality conflicts - as much my fault as hers). The store is doing well; sales are up; it's in a really nice mall; It's never slow enough for me to be bored. And yet...

I miss being at the other mall. I miss people knowing my name. I miss the obnoxious kids. I miss the regulars. I miss dealing with people who play RPGs & MtG (the new store is more toys & Melissa & Doug). I miss conversations with people about things no-one at this mall gets (kush-ball tribble jokes just aren't funny if the person listening has no idea what a tribble is & I'm pretty unable to converse about Family Guy, the newest movies, or the latest celebrity gossip)(Yes, I do know I'm being judgemental, but I haven't heard a single intelligent conversation on the floor yet).

I'm sure I'll eventually find my space here - I always do; that's part of being me. But right now, I feel homesick. How's that for a laugh?

Koƒ²e²ad²ik†

"If you hear muffled screams, consider that a request for a beam out."

So... I've been asked to take over a bigger store... in a more upscale mall... with a lot higher sales volume. I'm flattered & nervous & excited &...

Koƒ²e²ad²ik†

"Happiness is as a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but which if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you." ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

Hi all! I am alive & more or less well & actually have time to post a realish blog - not that anyone cares, but I like talking to myself...

Where to start?

In a rather disappointing turn of events, I wound up not opening my own game store this fall. Looking at what the economy did, I'm not sure that was such a bad thing. So then, I took a part time job working for Spirit Halloween, which rapidly turned into an assistant manager position. At about the same time, I discovered that It's Your Move, a locally owned & operated game store where I used to work, was opening a new store & needed another manager. Woo-Hoo! So I'm now the manager of a game store I like, at a mall I like, about 10 minutes from my apartment...

Of course, there were 4 or 5 weeks in there where I had both jobs, which meant 65 - 75 hours a week (plus drive time, since they were at 2 different malls in opposite directions from my place) & some interesting moments where I answered the phone with something like "Hello, thank you for calling... umm.... uhhhh...." Add to that the lack of sleep & anything approaching real food & it should not have surprised me that as soon as the Spirit job ended, I got sick. So then there was a week of me going to work @ IYM dosed up on Dayquill & sucking down as much vitamin C as I could stand.

But now, here I am, pretty much doing exactly what I want to be doing. How did that happen??? Well, however it happened, I'm ecstatic.

This also means that once the Holidazed season is over, I will have time to get back to writing & maybe doing some actual painting! Oh yeah, I am SO happy about this.

Koƒ²e²ad²ik†

"It's ironic that retailers and restaurants live or die on customer service, yet their employees have some of the lowest pay and worst benefits of any industry. That's one reason so many retail experiences are mediocre for the public." ~~ Howard Schultz

So... I am an assistant manager @ a Halloween store through the 1st week of November & I am now manager of a game store... 12 hour days anyone?

On an up side, even though plans to open my own store this year fell through, I will be working at It's Your Move as manager of one of their stores - & that is very very cool!

So, nothing really new to add. I am on lunch break & headed back to work in a few & just wanted to say something positive here.

Koƒ²e²ad²ik†