Friday, October 3, 2008

Friday Night Lights

Normally refers to High School Football. Tonight, for me, it’s the crescent moon. I’m sitting here, outside, eating my absolutely delicious homemade pizza, listening to Van Morrison, smelling my jalapenos smoke into chipotles and thinking about the crescent moon that was here an hour ago, and now has disappeared. (This, btw, is going to be backwards entry, starting with where I’m at right now and reflecting back on the week). The pizza I concocted is herb dough with a basil tomato sauce. Top that with some mozzarella, a nice chicken sausage, crimini mushrooms and some fresh sliced jalapenos (which I just picked from my garden). A glass of Sangiovese, the crickets’ chirping and my laptop. What’s out of place here? The laptop of course, but Sherry’s in CA so instead of lively, witty, banter with her, I chose to share this moment and this past week with all who care to spend 5 minutes reading. I had gathered all of my pizza ingredients and headed to the outdoor kitchen. Grabbed the IPod docking station and was set for a quiet, relaxing, pizza making, pizza eating introspection. I put my ‘mise en place’ on the counter and started to wash the ‘shrooms. I looked to the Southwest and there at the base of the night sky was the most relaxing crescent moon I have ever seen. And yes, it looked like many I have seen, but this one is fresher, newer, this one is today. (Steve Forbert’s ‘song for Katrina’ just came on and of course I think about Sherry…). Back to the moon, as I looked up at the sliver of a moon I thought about this week, this first full week of ‘redecorating’ the very first Tucson Tamale Shoppe.
This afternoon I was sweeping up some dust, taking out the trash and greeting the floor cleaning as the other crew was leaving. This is it. This is what it is like to start a successful business. Step by step. Attention to detail. Attention to the many people that need information, have questions, applying for a job, want to sell you something. I must have spoke with 75 people this week. Thursday night Sherry called and asked me how it was going, I was truly, happily, exhausted and told her that I just couldn’t bring myself to try and remember the details of the week. Suffice to say it has been a great week.
Through all this busyness I was able to take care of many other things, Paseo Estrella (the neighborhood in which we live and I’m on the Board) issues, talking to friends about their businesses, making sure that I get daddy/daughter day tomorrow (Saturday) with Colette and Cole.
Starting a business is time consuming (so is a job), mentally challenging (so is a job) physically demanding (so is a job) and incredibly reward (a job should be). So far I’ve spend money and have no income, that’s understandable since I’m not open yet, but it still can get a bit freaky, like it was on Thursday. More expenses, more than I had planned. Anxiety rising. Got home and went back over my budget. Good news. Good news that I already knew, but had to look at the spreadsheet, I built a buffer and I was still under that buffer. You haven’t heard self talk until you go over budget and under buffer. It’s one hell of a self conversation. “Damn it!, you’re over budget!!!” “That’s right, remember why we added the buffer??! Don’t be so dense!” “Who’s being dense here? I have a budget to stick to!” “ And I have a atmosphere that I must create for OUR successful business, that’s why I built in a buffer!” and after a few hours it goes away.
The crescent moon, a little glimpse of the extraordinary beauty that’s to come. That’s what this week has been for our dream. A little glimpse of the beauty that’s to come.

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