UMTravels

Day 15 of 16 straight days on some job or the other. And I seem to have added yet another job running the Washington office of a Nevada-based corporation that specializes in California real estate. Basically I’m providing office space and professional services like handling incoming mail and either holding or scanning and emailing it [...]

Day 14 of 16. Just the weekend work at the wine shop ahead of me until a luxurious single day off. Slow day at the Print Shop so found myself organizing and straightening things up – and wishing they had a vacuum cleaner so I could get all the paper bits off the floor – [...]

Today is going to be a long one. Print shop 10-2:30, then the wine shop from 5:30 until 7:30, which turned out to be 8 since we still had customers at the tasting. Tonight’s tasting was Carabella with the winemaker Mike: And yes, he brought a rock with him for show and tell. He’s a [...]

Three quarters of the way through my “nose to the grindstone” couple of weeks plus. I find coming home and taking a 30-60 minute nap helps. It would also help if I’d go to bed earlier. Dan sent me this cool link. It takes whatever text you give it, or a blog/website, whatever, and turns [...]

The boys are on the road (air) home via cab – after I leave for work, grabbing breakfast on the way to the office. Got the queued up jobs done, then started on filling up boxes with pre-banded envelopes (mailing and inner). Moved my “banding” area to the front room/storefront to I could mindlessly count [...]

I think I know the owner’s motivation – another full day of training in how to run the print shop. Personally, with the half-hour crossover between our shifts, I get how this works, and if I don’t, it still goes out that day because pickup is at 4pm. The way Roxy deals with this is [...]

Easter Sunday at the shop – some panicked people needing wine for the lamb (or whatever). I was surprised that we did as well as we did on the till. Had to rush home and meet some CouchSurfers on my porch – two gay boys from Las Cruces. Reminds me that I need to get [...]

Slept in a bit this morning since I don’t have to be into the shop until 1:30. Did get some grocery shopping done, but didn’t have time to mow the lawn. It might be time to hire help, especially with my allergies to grasses. The tasting wasn’t slam packed, but there was a steady crowd [...]

So nice to just sleep in…. when work isn’t until noon. I know – no sympathy from the 9-5er’s – I’m still spoiled. It’s my monthly Friday at the shop – I’ll be missing April and May due to the other job, but back to a Friday in June, probably late in the month. 8 [...]

I can’t add, or count calendar days – seems I’m working 16 days straight, not 10. So really the 6 of 16. I guess I can look forward to the cruise in May that I arranged off as part of the job acceptance. First day off – the 8th of April. Worked at the print [...]

At the print shop at 10, left at 2:30. Then the plan was home for a bit, then off to a Wine Tasting downtown from 5-6 PM –a nap was a better option Got up and did a little electronics project – making a liquids alarm for the initial catch jar for the still. I [...]

At the office at 10, lunch at a little after 1, off the clock at 2:30. Feels like four jobs today. Print Shop, Consulting, Faeries, Wine Shop. Work, then UW Surplus sale (Tuesday 12-6) which netted the following: 8550 Yellow Toner Cartridge (normally $175, today $10) for Scotty Dog Duplo 11×17 folder with electronic settings [...]

First day on the new job – training day. But also day three of ten days running with no day off. In at 10am – out at 6pm. A stroll for lunch that put me over the “30 minutes” for lunch. Not that much workload early in the season so assuming no grief. Just less [...]

Sunday at the shop wasn’t too bad, not as good as the last three Sundays, but respectable for a Sunday. A big shout to Swanda – today’s “whale” who called in two orders (first was six assorted Sauvignon Blancs under $15, second was for two Proseccos, also under $15) over the course of the afternoon. [...]

Opened the shop today, and it was dead until 1pm, so basically two hours of quiet time, then, by 1:30 when Jim showed up, $450 in sales. The “whale” showed up – he tends to by his wine by the case and half-case from the Saturday tastings and then picks them up the next week. [...]

Took off around no one to run errands (Post Office to drop off taxes and other things and Safeway for food) and on my return found CaddyDaddy waiting for me. Usually he comes up mid-afternoon. Not this trip. Luckily he knows the combination to the side gate and the code for the key box with [...]

Well – once again it’s time to put the massive pile of papers in order and get the tax information to the accountant. And what a pile it is: While I was sorting paperwork, the still was gurgling with another run of H20Blanco’s Elderberry Wine. Now that’s multitasking. Finished the taxes after a nice lamb [...]

My plan was to get caught up on some stuff before work begins next week. And to organize my tax documents. Instead I got the blog caught up and some stuff cleaned up, and opened the other box that arrived yesterday…two at-home HIV tests. Every time I go to the doctor my out of pocket [...]

Spent most of the day trying to get the damn Excitation (my new job). Got it to work once, and then after a reboot, nada. At least I got the procedures manual printed and the calendar to consistently load into a browser. Spent a couple of hours hanging out with Swanda having cocktails after I [...]

Big day in the wine world. As its Washington Wine Month, two of our distributors are showcasing their French Wines (well, a few Spanish and New World Wines thrown in). Two hours of tasting (and nibbles) at the Corinthian Yacht Club (two floors, probably a couple of hundred bottles open) and then a half an [...]