New espresso cafe

There's going to be a new shop in my old location. I wonder what the neighborhood will do about that? Part of me hopes they just accept the new place and that it does well. Part of me hopes that the neighbors "support" me and don't buy their coffee there. Part of me wants to sabotage their operation. Part of me wants to do everything possible to ensure their success. Part of me wants to scream and shout. Part of me wants to go away.

I have known that there are some things that I know that I can't explain how I know, I just know. I have just known that something was up and I couldn't put my finger on what it was or how I knew it. And yes, something is going on and something is up. How did I know that?

The door has closed

Well, the coffee shop run has ended. I closed the doors today for the last time. It's been a lot of fun, a huge amount of hard work, a fair amount of frustration, a tremendous amount of personal learning on my part, the making of a whole lot of new friends, more burned/scalded fingers than I can count, lots and lots of muffins baked, cookies cooked and coffee spilled. I kinda wish I'd journaled more, written more, blogged more. It seems like I've spent a lifetime in the last 8 months and a lot of things have happened in this past year, including some huge changes. But overall, I'm peaceful and content right now. In fact, it's scaring me just a little at just how peaceful I am about this change. I poured everything I owned into this venture and I'm left with humongous bills, more than I can picture ever being able to get out of in my lifetime, and a whole crap-load of espresso supplies! But I know I tried, I did something that I wanted to do and I succeeded in building a successful business and I'm at peace with that.

In fact, I'm exhausted, physically, mentally, and emotionally and I think I'm going to go to bed really early tonight and sleep in really late tomorrow and just see what the next day or two brings. In fact, I won't sleep in late since my dogs and cats get me up early every day, but it sure sounded good, didn't it?

Since the last post, the area just north of us has flooded bad and I've been up there doing some emergency inspections. I came back this week and found myself with an eviction notice because my rent was late, so I gave notice along with just about every penny I had and closed the business today. In fact, I have exactly $17 in the business account right now. I'm sure that some day, I'll be able to look back on this experience and be able to make some sense out of it but right now, I'm just tired. Just tired. Every cell in my body, every spirit in my soul, every hair on my head is tired. Christmas is just 2 days away and somehow it feels like it's going to just pass right on by me.

I don't know what to do about the creditors, the mortgage holder, the people who want money out of me. I'm tired. I have nothing left to give.

End of an Era

Bohemian Espresso is for sale. I guess it's always been for sale if the someone just asked, but this time it's for real. Posted on craigslist and everything.

I am ready for someone to take over and grow the coffee shop to the next level. There is such a potential for more business that hasn't even been tapped into yet - nearby businesses, schools, shopping centers. Office staff meetings, stitch 'n bitch get-togethers, artist receptions, live music, poetry readings. The list goes on and on and gets bigger by the day.

I've poured my heart and soul into Bohemian and I'm ready for another soul to move in.

Burgled!

I arrived at the cafe this morning to find that the place had been broken into and all the money stolen - two months worth of tips, a zippered bag full of rolled coins, most of the change in the cash drawer and the buck-fifty in the tip jar. All told, about two hundred and fifty dollars.

I feel personally violated. I had put so much of myself into the place - furniture, wi-fi, stereo system, etc. etc. etc. Perhaps that's why I feel like it was such a personal attack. It looks like the person/people who did this knew exactly where to look and what to take. It was pretty methodical.

The lessons are that I won't keep tips as long as I did, won't take so much for granted, won't let myself think the world is so perfect and safe.

I will keep walking the line between safe and paranoid. I want to trust people. I know they are good. I know the world is a good place. I know the universe is safe.

Memorial Day

Tomorrow is Memorial Day. The cafe will be open. I know that neighbors will be at home and maybe they'll stop by.

At least, I'll get a cup of coffee.

Five weeks gone and gone - 6th has started

Well, got the first six weeks over and done with and no major disasters - no one died, no one was injured, no had to go to the hospital, no earthquakes, no bumping up against people that was not repairable, no grouchiness that didn't end in a kindly smile. There was orange juice flung from one end to the other. There was exploding whipped cream. There was the erupting milk pitcher. At least, the incidents are colorful and/or noisy!

It's been a long five weeks for me, little miss merry sunshine smily butterfly girl.

What hasn't killed me has made me stronger - running out milk on the first day, running out of change on the second, trying to "clean out" the grease-trap, slinging orange juice all over everywhere while thinking it had a lid on it, blowing up the whipped cream, getting only a runny yucky looking slimy stream of white cream out of the creamer, table tops used for coloring boards, I could go on, and on, and on.....on.....on.....

It's definitely an adventure. I am learning to take care of myself by saying no, I'm not able to participate in whatever, go wherever, eat whatever. Really hard for me. I'd rather go go go do do do but it just doesn't work that way sometimes. I'm ready for a skydive or a trip somewhere or a date or something different.

Tally ho - rally on.....

Signatures shmignatures

Signed the papers today. Signed the papers on my new coffee shop. Now the place is mine. Technically. The front door key will be mine in a couple of weeks or I can get the one that Nick has. I'm looking for a couple of over-stuffed chairs for the front part of the room.

I sure can't get my brain in gear right now. It's late, I'm tired, wanted to take a nap today but my new lip stud came apart and I had to go back to NW 23rd and get it put back together. There was lots of traffic, people and it was not relaxing at all. I'm tired. No brain in gear.

Will write more tomorrow....

All about bein' healthy

My plan reviewer and inspector from the County Health Department called yesterday. She had a few questions about the layout of the cafe because the plans I submitted don't match the ones submitted last year by the current owner. But other than a comment about "well, someone's plans are wrong", she didn't say anything more about the plans. She then asked a few questions about the menu. I had written down that I plan on serving sandwiches and soups and she wanted to know what I was going to put on the sandwiches in the way of veggies and how the soup was going to be made. There isn't a food prep sink so I can't actually make soup so I told her that I'd be using pre-washed veggies like lettuce and re-constituting soup but not re-heating it. All soup at the end of the day will be taken home or thrown away.

She said she'd approve my plans as submitted and will be writing her letter to me by the end of the week. I think that what she said anyway. She will do her inspection the week before or on the same day I "open" and after the inspection passes, I go down and pay for the permit. And then I'm for real.

Well, not exactly - gotta get a business license, insurance, telephone, state master business license number, WIFI, and some other things.

Right now, I'm watching TiVo.

No Feds

Don't need an EIN from the Feds. I don't have employees and I'm not going to incorporate. When I do either one of those things, or anything else that's on the Fed list, I'll be getting that EIN. For now, one box checked off.

The process so far

Kelli and I agreed with a hug instead of a handshake - I would buy the coffee shop from her and she would sell it to me.

Then over the next couple of weeks, I would start the process to place the coffee shop in my name - I drew a floor plan and submitted for a plan review with the county health department; I started making a list of all the things I need to do over the next 3 weeks before the coffee shop is mine. All mine.

I am really excited - the prospect of having something by which I can give back to the community that I live in is absolutely awesome-feeling inside. I find myself thinking that I am supposed to be anxious or apprehensive about quitting my job doing something that I've done for most of the past 20+ years but my insides are only excited. I get this jazzed-up feeling in my gut that says "wow! how cool is this!!"

Every day feels like forever. It's been less than a week since I filed my health department packet but it feels like it's been a month. The list of things to do grows long, very long. And seems to be getting longer every hour. I suppose at some point there will be no place to write one more thing down and I will just go forward. In fact, that's already happened.

Nick can "train me" on the equipment, along with the representatives of the equipment and coffee so I'm good to go there. My so-far partial list is:

• contact Comcast about WIFI
• contact T-Mobile about another line
• contact the city for the bike rack
• contact Clark Public Utilities about the electricity
• contact the city regarding the water service
  
• contact Waste Management for the trash service
• contact the landlord
• file for the state identification number
• file for the federal identification number
• file for a city business license
• open a bank account
• check into getting a credit card machine
• locate a whipped cream maker and cartridges
• make some chocolate syrup for mochas and hot chocolate
• find a small fountain for the front

So far, that's my list. I tried locating a fountain for my new quiet room at home and I haven't been able to find one. A couple of months ago, they were everywhere for Christmas gifts. Now they are no where. The right one will show up, that I'm sure of.

Think I'll go fill out the state paperwork, since I can do that online.