Our week in a nutshell

Okay, okay...I know it's been awhile since the last post, but it's been a very busy week. This week looks even busier -- but more of that later.

Last week's highlight was the luncheon for the finalists of the Small Business Award. It was a great event getting to meet all the other finalists, publicity photos, eating a fabulous lunch, receiving accolades, and getting our certificates. Here's ours:



The next step will be to come up with a table decoration for the Awards dinner and getting a new dress for the dinner.

The rest of our week has been spent trying to get the new location opened. I think if I have to write one more check to the electrician -- I'm going to stick my finger in one of those $100 electrical outlets he just installed. The stress level has amped up for this next week as we begin the final steps to completion. Although, if you look at our "to do" list for this week you would think that we haven't done anything for the last couple of months. Oh well, I certainly can't make any claims to my life being boring. Life just keeps rolling along and I'm really happy with mine!

Fun in Austin

What a wonderful two days we spent in Austin. The weather was perfect for driving with the top down.



Which is what we did every chance we had! Now I know that most people would think our itinerary would be boring.....but it was so nice to get away and not think of all the stuff we had waiting at home to do. For two days we did nothing but have fun.

What did we do you ask......well on Sunday we visited the LBJ Presidential Library. Paul decided it was his favorite one thus far. We are always amazed at what we learn after visiting these libraries. We also found an exhibit at the University of Texas celebrating the 200th birthday of Edgar Allan Poe. We also visited the Austin Antique Mall, where we picked up a couple of small items and then we finished the day with an exciting meal where we ate.........what else.........PIZZA!

Now Monday's activities are reserved for only die hard restaurant owners. We made a list of several used restaurant equipment stores and spent 5-6 hours visiting them! While this might sound boring to most people, for us it is like discovering golden treasures at bargain prices. We loaded up the Mustang with as much equipment as it would hold and headed back.

Now it's back to real life, stress, and headaches again, but for two days we totally enjoyed our time together away from it all!

P.S. On a side note -- we passed the dreaded inspection by the Water Department today. Only two more inspections to go!

A moment of pride and other stuff too!

An amazing sight over Houston tonight on my way to work. Sitting at a red light and suddenly the sound of helicopters fill the sky. Up in the air are six helicopters flying overhead. It was President Obama flying from Texas A&M College back to Bush Airport. Not that I am a big President Obama fan.....but just the thought that the President of the United States at that moment was flying overhead filled me with pride as an American. It was even more amazing to look around the sky and see many passenger airplanes circling the city waiting for their chance to land. The airport was closed to incoming and outbound flights until the President had landed in the helicopters and had taken off from Air Force One. Bush Intercontinental Airport is an extremely busy airport and the skies get pretty crowded when they are not allowed to land in their typical uniform pattern.

Okay, second subject -- obviously I didn't win the lottery the other night or you would have seen me blogging about all the things I was going to buy. But.....I do have tickets for tonight and tomorrow's night lottery.........to be continued!

With all the stress and working nonstop for the last two months, we did find a couple of days this weekend where we can take off and decompress a little. And while we would love to take a vacation to an exotic location, we have decided to not go far and still do some work on the way. So we're loading up the Mustang and heading off to Austin on Saturday night and coming back on Monday afternoon. One of the featured attractions we will be visiting while we are there will the the Lyndon Johnson Presidental Library. This will be the 3rd Presidential Library that we have visited.....which only leaves about 20 more. I know....we can't help it....we're nerdy people. I'll post pictures of our exciting get away.

P.S. Thank goodness I found a man that shares the same exciting things that I do!

Silly addictions

Felt a little lucky today so made the spontaneous decision to go out and buy a lottery ticket for tonight's lottery. Looks like the jackpot is about $45,000,000....give or take a few thousand. While I was purchasing the ticket I also had to give in to one of my most powerful "addictions"......



an ICEE! Coke ICEE's are just about one of my most favorite things. When it's really hot outside (like living in Texas) they really can cool off your insides! Since I am not an Ice Tea lover -- this is my summer drink of choice. Most recently I have recently discovered the Dr. Pepper Icee. Now I have another flavor to love.

Now back to the lottery tonight. Here's a picture of my Lotto Texas ticket for tonights drawing. Just posting it now so that when I win it will already be a matter of public record.



Come back and visit tomorrow as the blog topic will be what I plan on doing with my winnings!

You know you're a cornball when.....

.....You are excited to get a new toaster. After a couple of weeks of trying to find the perfect toaster -- I finally found it on Amazon the other day. It was as exciting as opening a Christmas present when I got the package in the mail today.







You know you are a cornball when you love to shop at Hobby Lobby and Garden Ridge looking for those perfect items for your newly cleaned and uncluttered kitchen. If you don't have those stores in your area....you are really missing out. These are the best stores to find really different and unique decorating items for your home. I was excited to find these tin canisters on a CLEARANCE rack!




You know you are a cornball when your biggest source of fun is hanging out at auctions with your husband. Unfortunately our house is full of great deals we got at auctions that we were going to turn around and resell and have never made it that far. Every auction is different and fun and always full of surprises.

And last of all - you know you are a cornball when you are up late at night posting pictures of your toaster and canisters. But it is really an important topic and it's about time someone stepped up and discussed it.

Once again we go back to the simplicity of life and the pleasure it brings!

A Movie Star in the Making

Today didn't start out like a typical day in our life. Recently our business was nominated for the 2009 Small Business of the Year Award by Lone Star College System. Part of the nomination process was for us to submit three letters of recommendation by our customers and complete a lengthy essay questionnaire outlining our business success, our future expansion, and our community involvement. Once we completed that process, we were informed that we were one of the 15 finalists of this award. Our next step was to participate in a video taped interview . This interview will be made into a 90 second presentation and shown at the Awards Dinner on November 19th, along with the videos of the other finalists. Paul was chosen as the designated "star" of our video. Here's the pics of him this morning in the studio getting ready. What a handsome guy!

The next step of the process is a Luncheon given on October 22nd. At this time they will take publicity photos and honor all the nominees. Since we were only allowed to send one person from our company, this event will be attended by me!

Our last event will be the Awards Dinner held on November 19th, where five award winners will be announced. This is a very prestigious award and we are excited to have been nominated for it. It means alot to our small business to be recognized for our hard work and community involvement. Cross your fingers.....we'll keep you posted!

Here's the link to the press release: http://sbdc.lonestar.edu/117002/

The end of the week

Another rainy, gloomy, and dark day in the Houston area. Not able to go to the Art Festival today because of the rain and it got me thinking about how you go through life with different levels of joy and excitement.

I remember as a kid the best nights we had were the random times my mom would make popcorn on the stove. We didn't have microwaves, so she did it the old fashion way with a little oil in the pot, popcorn from a bag, and a hot burner. She would shake the pot back and forth until the poporn would push on the top. We'd pour it in a big brown grocery sack and add butter and salt. That was so much fun! Some nights were even made special with just by making Black Cows.....spoonfuls of vanilla ice cream mixed with Hires Root Beer.

Then as a teenager and young adult my excitement needs were greater. I needed amusement parks, fast rides or just doing something to have fun. I certainly didn't want to slow down and enjoy life's simple pleasures.

Then comes the transition into your 50's. I'm once again absorbed in the joy at doing simple things: touring a quiet museum, reading a great book on a rainy day, walking the dog and enjoying the neighborhood. Sometimes I just want to slow down and take a look around me and really see what is there. It seems as if your life really does come complete circle.

Now I've really got to go......I've got root beer and vanilla ice cream waiting for me in the kitchen.................

Friday Stormy Weather

Very stormy day in Houston today and a cold front right behind it. It's going to take our daytime temperatures down to 70......whoopee! Beats the 100 degree+ days we enjoyed all summer. What fun rainy days can be. Curl up on the sofa with a good book or work on my current cross-stitch project. Wish I could spend all day working on this:

I might even have it finished by Christmas......of next year! But no, that is not how I will be spending my day. Instead I have a date sitting at my desk and working on this instead:



But that's the life of owning your own business.....a never ending supply of work to do. It does have it's good points though -- no one to tell me when to do it, how to do it, or where to do it.

The other part of the rain story today is Friday is the busiest day of the week in the pizza business. When it rains -- it gets REALLY crazy busy. You do the math: Rain + Friday = lots of these going out the door tonight:




Guess you know where I'll be working tonight and what I'll be doing. It really IS a great life!

Blogging for Insomniacs

The answer is crystal clear now why blogs were created. It's for all of us who can't seem to sleep at night. I can lay down ANY hour of the day and fall asleep, but let my head hit the pillow and I can't sleep a wink. Maybe it's the stressful days we've been having lately. Our inspection with the Fire Marshall yesterday was the easiest one we were going to have to go through.....or at least we thought. I think he's in cahoots with the Electrician...who has now run up over $5000 in repairs that we had no idea we were even going to have to do! Oh well....they say that through every struggle there's a lesson to be learned on the other side. I've learned my lesson.....sell the darn pizza shops and buy a condo in Hawaii!

Oh I how wish for a long and quiet sleeping night in my comfortable bed!

Stick with my blogging as I get better!

Newbie to the blogging world

Well here I am......after being inspired by reading about the life of others through their blogs...I'm making the leap and trying it myself. My hope is to make our busy lives seem interesting and fun to read by others and maybe provide some entertainment along the way. We certainly have lots to share in terms of living day to day with the unpredictability of running our own business. I think our employees lay awake at night and think of ways to make our life crazier than it already is! So sit back, enjoy this blog, and feel free to share praise or criticism with anything you may read or see here. Hopefully we'll have fun on this journey together!