What an April that was, and what a May it's starting out to be.

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What an April that was, and what a May it's starting out to be.

Seamlyne did an amazing job last month, racking in more than $1000 in orders. Since 2004 (when our sales data begins), there have only been two months that were better. I'm hoping this trend continues. Of course, now I have to make all this shit, but that's okay. I have never asked for a golden spoon, I am perfectly content with a dirty shovel.

We bought a new van last Monday, 5/2. We traded up, moving from a 2002 Odyssey to a 2008. I'm very happy with the van, but still angry about the experience at the dealership, specifically dealing with the F&I manager. After the third "no, I don't want the extended warranty" I had to get rude and stomp on him hard, calling him out on his "Yes, I know..." bullshit. "You say 'you know' but you keep talking. We're done, Josh. You can shut up about it." We were three hours at the dealership. Our salesman, another Josh, was great - though as I think about it now, there was still an awful lot of unnecessary back and forth, and while he commiserated over our experience with F&I-Josh, he never apologized for it either. This is one customer who won't be giving Jay Wolfe a 4-star rating.

I was scheduled to perform at The Stage Coffee House last night (May 7), but it was closed due to a family emergency. Several folks who would usually have come to the coffee house came to the Morris house instead. I put my coffee maker outside on the deck and we had a gathering in the back yard. It was relaxed and fun, and altogether more pleasant than performing at The Stage. No smoke from the kitchen, no stifling heat from inadequate air circulation.

Unless something changes, The Stage has less than a year of life left to it. The owner has left the running of it to his son, D, and D, at only 22 years old, is ill-prepared to run a business. The bathroom isn't stocked, the dishes aren't clean, and he dresses like he has no pride in himself or his business; truth be told, he dresses like his dad. Also, like his dad, if you offer a negative opinion of his product (his coffee, for instance, is shit) you get a lecture about how expensive it is, how he only buys the best quality, etc etc etc. It is all a carefully rehearsed and smoothly delivered lie. 

As to his dad, he hasn't been seen for weeks, spending all of his energy on a new shop in Raytown. I haven't been paid for the work on the website, either in cash or in kind, and no emails are texts have been returned. I have a procedure for this, which I initiated this morning.

If it closes, I'll be disappointed but not heartbroken. The space was never meant to be a place where food was served, and Dave was always full of promises and somewhat less full of follow-through. It might actually be a relief.

On a positive note, as our gathering was chatting last night when the music was done, the comment was made in a side-conversation that someone who really loves coffee and music ought to open a shop in a good location, etc., and I replied that I plan to do that when I retire. Those in that conversation nodded and said, "Yes, you should. We'd work for you."

That was awesome. 

And who knows? It might happen sooner than anyone expects. The day job is doing...about the same as it was two years ago. A lot of the lift we expected to get from texting hasn't happened, largely because we gave the reins to a former Ford VP of Something'r'Other, who talks a good game but chokes when he gets up to bat. We're taking back control of our processes and technology, but we've lost yet another year pursuing a pretty but impractical goal. You'd think we'd have learned by now.

That's why I'm grateful to have a business of my own I can fall back on, with a good partner alongside who keeps me grounded and practical. Though of course I hope they don't have to, tights may just save us.