stuff

Busy as all get out trying to keep my head above water at work, open a store, and keep my sanity.  I thought my Vespa was finally out of the shop after 4? 5?  weeks sitting, waiting for a part, first from the east coast, then from Italy, but then it turns out Italy sent the wrong part and tomorrow I'll find out what comes next.  Sigh.  For a moment, I imagined myself riding it to work tomorrow and a few more times before fall chilliness makes it too uncomfortable.

Frustrated tonight at my inability to create a simple quarter-page flyer for EcoReno to distribute to nearby businesses as advertising.  For perhaps the first time since I started paying attention to such things, I wish I had a Microsoft program (Publisher) to use instead of the free alternative (OpenOffice) that I have installed on our laptop.  I feel like a total rookie trying to do the simplest tasks, and even once I figure them out, the (admittedly miniscule and feeble) part of brain that thinks like a graphic designer has taken a leave of absence and I can't think of what it should say or look like.   Same thing with the website - my website creation skills were decent in 1996, but there are so many technologies that I don't have a clue about that are practically mandatory to include in this day and age to create even a very basic site.  The site you are currently viewing is easy - the Wordpress software is easy to install, run, and configure.   So if any of you loyal readers know any good, inexpensive freelance web designers, send 'em my way, huh?

That all said, the store is coming along.  In the few nanoseconds between child-rearing tasks Morgan has, she's got some merchandise ordered and a few boxes have started to arrive; we have phone, DSL, computer and cash register up and running, carpet is clean, and signs are in progress.  With any luck, in about 3? weeks, you'll be cordially invited to a grand opening.  Not sure how grand it'll be exactly, but...

OK, well, enough wallowing in my own overwhelmitude for tonight.  Check out this cool little timesuck.  I wish I had even 1% of the skillz it took to create that.  Oh, and this little gem if you want to make yourself totally insane.