I lost yesterday! I mean that literally. I woke with detailed plans about what I would accomplish. I even knew what I was going to cook for dinner, which is a huge planning step for me. Husband had agreed to do a thorough vacuuming job on carpets and furniture (thanks to cat hair!). The weeks' chores were out of the way, bills were all paid for the month, no meetings scheduled until Friday. I was "in control." Yeah, right! The first time the phone rang, it was CreateSpace. My design team for the new book was ready to discuss ideas for interior layout and cover. That evolved into quite a long discussion, and one that required some new downloads of files. No problem. I had them ready to go. Except for the computer problem that kept jumping in and saying,"Uh oh! There was a problem." Really. Is there anything worse than the moment when your book hangs out there somewhere in the ether and your computer says "Uh oh"? As it turned out, there was no real problem and the files arrived in Charleston just fine, but I had a few choice words and anxious moments before their safety was confirmed. By then, it was almost time for lunch, but before i even formed the complete thought, the phone rang again. This time, the call came from the woman who manages our Lions Club pecan sales every year. Our annual pecan shipment had just arrived at the warehouse. That needs some explanation, I suppose. For the past 30 years, we have sold fresh-picked pecans during the holidays, and our proceeds go to providing eyeglasses for needy children, supporting a Leader Dogs for the Blind project, paying for cataract surgery for indigent seniors, and other charitable activities in the community. Over the years, our business has grown, and we've expanded from selling fresh pecan halves to offering English walnuts, black walnuts, salted pecans, salted cashews, chocolate-covered pecans, cinnamon glazed pecans that taste like pralines, and chocolate caramel pecan clusters. (Hungry yet?) We sell these in 12-ounce bags, both to individual purchasers and through a web of cooperating businesses, such as banks, beauty parlors, optical shops, and optometrist offices. This year, our initial order was for 510 cases (24 bags per case) at a total wholesale price of over $66,000.00. As this year's club president, that unpaid bill hangs over my head. We're going to have to sell $66,000 worth of pecans before we start making a profit. So the news that the shipment had arrived meant that I had to spring into action. First, I had to notify all the club members, so that they could get to the warehouse and pick up the cases for their dealer accounts. Then we had to go into town to get our own supplies -- which took 3 trips (32 miles each), loading 12 cases into trunk and back seat each time. Also note: husband is not supposed to be lifting because of his heart problem, so each of those 25-pound boxes . . . . . .? Yep! We grabbed a sandwich somewhere in mid-afternoon, but we missed mealtimes, too. All my careful dinner plans dissolved when I realized that I hadn't even had time to thaw the meat. In the end, we had a nice late O'Charley's dinner before I fell into bed. But yesterday? Gone! So much for carefully-laid Mouse plans! Now I'm getting caught up. Mercifully the phone has not rung, and husband is out running the necessary errands. I'll save the blog post on the new book until tomorrow and give you a double dose of the last chapter contents. Then we'll be off for a state Lions meeting in Nashville. Sigh! |
