What to do first....

     We have started several of our simple remodeling projects all at the same time.  We are still trying to get in touch with an architect to draw up our plans for our main remodeling to get it approved by the fire marshal.  I had a recommendation from someone and have tried calling them 3 or 4 times over the past month, leaving a message twice, but haven't heard back from them.

Basement divider wall coming out!

     

Taking the peg board off the walls upstairs unfortunately didn't reveal I nice painted wall underneath.

     When we had several warm days a few weeks ago, I started tearing out the 6' tall divider wall in the basement because it was cooler to work down there.  I also wanted to get the electricity that was being run to that wall to reroute to the back wall for a 220 plug-in (yes, it was using two breakers for the wall, so I can turn the 110s in to a 220) for my batch maker so I can start making ice cream.  I have gotten it taken down, and will be rerouting it hopefully within the next week or so.

     I had started taking the peg board off the walls upstairs simply to see what the walls looked like behind it, but kept going for one whole wall before thinking of something.  A lot of the materials I'm removing, I will be using somewhere else.  But I don't have a use for all the peg board and I was planning to offer it for sale.  Why am I doing the work of taking it down if someone else would prefer to get it a little cheaper for simply taking a few screws out and saving me the time?  So, I stopped doing that for now.

Peg board for sale.  Some unpainted, some off-white, some grey.

     If you need any peg board, let me know.  From what I have seen, it typically costs around $23 per 4'x8' sheet.  We're selling what we have, which is about 75 sheets, for $13 if we pull it down or $10 if you pull it.  We have quite a bit painted off white, some painted grey and some not painted at all, still the slick brown color.  We also have a few half and 3/4 sheets as well.

There were holes in the tile, so the tile's coming up in the ladies rest room.

     The other project I've just started is tearing out the floor tile in the ladies restroom.  It had a few holes in it, so it has to be replaced.  While we're replacing it, we're going to cover the guys floor as well even though it isn't to the point of "having" to be done yet.  I've got all the baseboard pulled up and some of the tile pulled.  That will probably be the main remodeling project I try to get done next.

     It's funny how your priorities sometimes get changed for you when you're doing this kind of work.  We got a notice last week from our insurance that they were cancelling our policy because we have a fuse box in the building.  We also have at least 5 or 6 breaker boxes, and only 5 of the fuses are being used, but since they are there - our insurance will not be.

Pay attention to me... NOW.  The fuse box the insurance says has to be replaced immediately.

     We knew we were going to have to put a new, bigger breaker box in for all of the equipment we're going to have - so this wasn't something unexpected.  However, it is going to be a long time before we're to the point of needing that part done.  It was going to be a project probably a year down the road.  All of a sudden, I called our electrician, Wiltse Electric, and asked if he could come see what needs to be done and get it done within 3 weeks.  He met me at the shop 5 minutes later to look it over and is now working on getting what he needs and working me in to his schedule in the next 3 weeks.  A great help considering I know he, as well as any other electrician in the area, are backed up 3 months or more.

     I'm sure this is just the first of several things we will run in to that are either unexpected, or just having to be done sooner than expected.

As for being up and running......

Our setup for selling Fairy Floss at the ball tournament concessions.

Our flavors sign for concessions - do you see what is wrong with it?

     We had our first sales event this past weekend.  Our town's softball teams sponsored a tournament Saturday and Sunday for 4 different age groups from 8 & Under to 18 & Under (I think.)  16 teams in town on Saturday and 18 on Sunday.  The local girl scouts do concessions for them, and I got to setup our Fairy Floss (cotton candy) machine to sell along with them, letting them make some money from it as well.

     It was small and simple, and made for a VERY long weekend for me, but it was a nice start.  I didn't ask for the weekend off from my other job, so I had to work 10:00 pm to a little after 7:00 am Friday, Saturday & Sunday nights.  Friday evening, after closing my computer store at 5:00 and taking my sister home, I met with the girl scout leader to see if there was enough space, and then setup.  I got done about 7:00.  The tournament started at 8:30 both days, but I chose to sleep for a couple hours both days before starting my concession day at 10:00.  I stopped both days around 6:30, cleaned up the machine and area and getting to bed about 7:30.  So I basically slept 2 hours each Friday evening, Saturday morning, Saturday evening, Sunday morning, Sunday evening and Monday morning.

     Some of the little things you learn as you go.  Do you see anything wrong with our flavors sign?  I'll tell you what's wrong with it in a moment.

     This was the first time using this machine for more than a couple batches, so I learned some tricks for using it through the weekend as well.  As you do more and more Fairy Floss, the sugar builds up on the rim of the center spinner.  This causes it not to come out as fluffy.  But instead of turning it off and letting it cool down so you can clean it off, you can just tap it with the metal sugar scoop and knock the sugar off - voila, you have beautiful, fluffy Fairy Floss again.

     If I ever wondered which flavors to get rid of and which to keep, I learned Radiant Raspberry (Blue Raspberry, the standard blue you see at all the fairs - the standard pink is Pink Vanilla) is by far a favorite.  Over the weekend, we sold 139 total.  53 of those were Radiant Raspberry, followed by Bustin Bubble Gum at 22 and Watermelon at 18.  We sold at least 1 of every flavor.

     I also learned that I want to come up with something else to offer to sell with the girl scouts to make the time a little more worth it.  They invited me back for another league tournament the last weekend of the month - I will brainstorm some ideas of something they aren't already selling that I could offer.

     So, did you figure out what was wrong with the flavors sign?  It only took about 15 minutes after I started Saturday morning for me to figure it out.  I thought it looked really nice when I made it...... but when the 7, 8, 10 year-olds came up and we asked what flavor they wanted, they haven't learned to read cursive or script yet.  With Fairy Floss, a good portion of your audience is going to be young kids.  I simply wrote the flavors out on another sheet of paper and we put it out as well.