And more on coffee

We agreed on a price and have drawn up an Asset Purchase Agreement. Very exciting! I went in last week and had my first day behind the counter, learning the espresso machines, how to brew, make sandwhiches, serve pastries, etc. It was great. My feet hurt, but it was great. I spent the entire day eyeballing the walls and the trim and the details, considering new paint colors and decorations.... the need to nest stirring inside me. I'll be borrowing extra money from the bank to purchase some new seating, nice paints, a stove, used sink, crepe machines and a toaster. Maybe more stuff... depends on cost and how much money I really want out on loan building interest....eeeeek.


I'll be leaving for vacation tomorrow after work. We pick up our rental van, drive to northern New York to pick up our friend and her daughter and then drive through the night to the eastern shore in Maryland where we'll spend two nights with Bill's family before we head south to the outer banks in North Carolina for a week! Ella is about to explode from excitement. Just playing barbies in the back of the van with her friend Amelia would be enough of a vacation as far as she's concerned. Bill has tried on his rash guard surf shirt and borrowed wet suit about a half dozen times since Friday. He's also been checking the water temperature and condition of surf every day on the surf shop's website. Me.... I just want to lay a blanket on the sand, not caring if it's sun or moon or storm, and just lay there and listen to the ocean drive out the activity in my brain. I'd like a week off from the activity in my brain. I don't want to think about business plans, three year financial flow charts, having to sheetrock the attic office in the space or how in the hell I'm going to handle learning all my inventory and purveyors. A break. The ocean. Then I'll come back and dive back into the java land.

When I get back in June, I'll be putting in a half dozen, maybe more, shifts at the shop... squeezed in on my days off from the inn. In July, while I finish working out the financing, I'll assume the owner's shifts so that she could devote her attention to her new business venture. Hopefully by August we'll close the deal and I'll be the bonafide owner. Still haven't found a new name for the place. It's currently called Groovin Beans and that name has got to go. I've had some great suggestions from friends but I'm still waiting for the heavens to part and the sun to streak down in golden rays when I hear THE NAME but that hasn't happened yet. Considering that it took us twenty days to name our own kid, I'm wondering if I should just get on with it and pick one for the shop. Otherwise, this could go on for years!

I meet with the current owner tonight to go over our revised draft of the Asset Purchase Agreement, work out the details of our roles through the month of July and get the rest of the info I need to complete the financial aspect of the business plan. After this meeting I think I'll be able to wrap my head around the rest of my summer. I may even be able to organize those thoughts. Make a list. Not panic.

And then, maybe, the ocean won't have to work so darn hard to wash away my mind clutter. Maybe I'll be able to offer it up myself and watch it wash out to sea.

rim rim rim rim rim rim rim rim rim rim rim rim rim rim rim rim rim rim rim rim rim rim

S*I*P*K*A