Crown Molding, Credit Cards and a Brown Out...

Well, the Crown Molding story consists of some of the worst and best news. The really bad news was that the camper folks that we had come down to do it didn't know anything about it, or working with numbers at all, and we spent a day figuring that out. So while I was at Home Depot getting more stuff, Pam worked out a costly deal with them and they went away. I was so glad to see them go as I was in very concerned that something really bad would happen before they left. This was another expensive lessen on how things that sound too good to be true, usually are...

The really good news is that our friend Storm came to our rescue and did the whole thing to two days, last Sunday and this Saturday. He works long hours in his real job and we are so grateful to him and his family for stepping up in our time of need and finding time in his schedule to get this done. And, he is a true expert at it. I am still amazed how he can figure out all the saw settings and measurements so accurately. It is quite a talent and he is one of the best. Our many thanks to him for his friendship and great work and too his family for putting up with this emergency.

Now, we have to finish it all up and do all the painting, but that is something we can handle. I really thought I could do the crown molding job after a few lessons and some observation, but its a lot more difficult that I expected - and with my lack of upper shoulder muscles on the right side, I have almost no stamina doing any type of overhead work.

On the business front, I have been learning about Internet marketing, meta tags, and setting up a merchant account so we can accept and process credit cards. All big fun and very time consuming stuff. We still have to get our first order online, so that should be 'exciting' when it happens...

I have started contacting other potential distributors of our products, and am working on gathering some new products to sell, from other sources, that complement our needles. The next step is to get this all going on EBay to help bring in more business and gain market exposure.

Pam has been sick for a few days. Some sort of nasty coughing chest congestion and generally feeling rotten. She went to the doctor and its not Strep, but it is real nasty whatever it is. I have also gotten a touch of it, but ever since becoming a Lary, I just don't get any of the head and lung issues that I always use to get. I just feel horrible and loose whatever strength I have left.

I did go down and play in the weekly 8-ball tournament that I won last week and got "Brown'ed Out". There is this couple that play often, the Browns. They are both very good. I started off playing Rodger Brown. He had to spot me six balls and ended up winning 30 to 9. I really only had one shot in the match, except for unfruitful break shots and he would run the table each time. So he took me out of the winners bracket. Then, I played a few other folks and beat them. But, then towards the end of the tournament, I had to play his wife, who's name escapes me right now, and I had to spot her six balls - Which would have been no problem usually. But, it just wasn't my time to beat her, I guess, and lost by a couple of points, taking me out of the losers bracket and the match. So, I was "Brown'ed Out" of both brackets and the tournament...

I figure we should be able to finish all the painting, caulking and touch-up work by next weekend and finally be able to put the house back together again with all the new crown molding, which will really look great when its all done. I must say that it has been one of the biggest hassles I have encountered in all of the remodeling stuff I have gotten involved with anywhere, but especially here in DaHo...