So Close

The flooring is down. The baseboards are up. Thank you John Bennett and Mike Fellows and others form the Hillcrest Second Ward. I have such great neighbors. Caulk and putty have been applied. The first of several layers of plastic wood is down near the doors where gaps are still exposed. The light covers and the bathroom door are back up. Paint has been scraped from most of the surfaces. Gas and electricity have been transferred to my name and large deposits have been paid. Paul and Seth helped me work tonight from 7 to 11. That's another 9 hours of work. What is the total now?

So close. However, there is still so much to do. The baseboards need a few nails set and will get a little more caulk in the morning, and then painted on Friday by Paul. The windows and the bathroom need some serious cleaning. I need switch and electrical plates in many places. I also need to buy backer rod (don't ask me what backer rod is, I have no clue) and furring strips. I don't know what those look like either. I need to put up my tool board and another section of wall board. The wall board will require anchors and a masonry bit to set them. There are still spots of old paint and additional pieces of vinyl on the old flooring. I will get them up and then get all the floors mopped. Sweep, scrape, clean, and mop. The plastic wood needs some coloring applied to match the wood flooring. I'm not sure about that step at all.

Then? Then I may be able to begin putting bikes on leaning racks and accessories on the display walls. I can even begin building some bikes already in stock. My building inspection is scheduled for next Thursday. I will try and schedule a Fire Marshall inspection for the same day. I'll be official. Officially in deep debt. This is so exciting.

Rent is due tomorrow. I need to order some bikes. I will order the Redline bikes first. Then the Kogswell P/Rs, and a few Birias. Then, perhaps On One. Where will I get the money? Great question. My budget is shot. My cash flow is glaciated.

It's almost midnight. I should go to bed. Or, I could do laundry and dishes. Manic? Me? Does anyone remember my first post?

Craftsmanship

An unsquare building
Makes for some ugly baseboards
I will need more caulk

I've been busy

Really, I have been busy. And, the computer has been down for a couple of weeks. The shop is very close to being ready. I should be open by the end of the week. Painting has been a slow and expensive ordeal. The walls were in bad shape with layers of vinyl stickers, wall paper, and latex and oil based paints. Hundreds of pounds of joint compound have been put on the walls. Bottom line: Paul Stewart is a hero. Stay tuned.

An Update for Lynn (and the other two or three people reading this)

The lease is signed and dated. The new address was sent to Phone Directories and to the State of Utah. As soon as the landlord removes his junk, I will get started on repairs and moving my junk (used bikes and parts) into the basement. The list of things to do is quite long. I need a City license, signs, paint, tile, flooring, slat wall and hooks, lettering removed from the windows, lots of cleaning, liability insurance, completed new vendor applications, a digital camera to take pictures of the shop to prove I am a shop to said vendors, and lots of new bicycles. The things that require money will take a while. If all goes well I should be open with existing inventory, ready to do repairs in two or three weeks. I sound stressed out but I am pretty excited. Perhaps that is why I am posting at 12:40 AM.

I will be live at Cafe Ibis this Sunday, February 4, for late brunch, 12:30 - 2:30. I will have a few new songs (Sun Kil Moon, and a short set of "protest songs") as well as the usual Texas singer-songwriter covers (yes, an extended Robert Earl Keen set). I may even do some kid music. Please come and listen. Please buy food and coffee.