Mall Sales

 Greetings from PA (again).  

Yesterday afternoon we packed up our FlexyFriends and headed to my Mom's house in anticipation of today's sales event. Today and tomorrow we will be set up in the center court at the Capital City Mall. I have no idea if we will be successful but I can guarantee that we will be more comfortable than we were last weekend. At least this weekend we will be inside with air conditioning, so even if sales are lackluster this event is still superior. 

While we are at the mall selling FlexyFriends, Timmy will be spending his time between hanging out with us and chilling with my mom at her house. I'm grateful that she lives close enough that frequent trips for Timmy is not terribly inconvenient although I suspect that his requests to visit us at the mall will be driven more by his stomach's desire for yummy mall snacks. 

If you are close to the Capital City Mall this weekend please stop by and say hello!

Heading to PA

 The weather the past few days has been cooler and considerably more comfortable. We (Timmy and I especially) have been able to break out of our cool cocoon to venture outside into the fresh air. Playing outside in the sunshine has been invigorating. It is so nice to be outside without immediately feeling oppressed by the air!

This afternoon we are going to pack up and drive back to Pennsylvania. FlexyFriends is scheduled to sell at the Capital City Mall on both Friday and Saturday. After the utter disaster of last weekend's venture, I am weary about setting up another tabletop store, but we are committed and Robby (and Scott) are both excited to give it a try. I have absolutely no idea how we will fare at the mall, but I am glad that it will be indoors. If we aren't going to make any sales, at least we will be comfortable.

I feel badly that Scott is spending his last week of summer vacation chasing around FlexyFriends, but I also recognize that he thoroughly enjoys working our little floating store. I have been shocked by how much Scott throws himself into selling FlexyFriends. He enjoys FlexyFriends so much that I suspect that starting a business might be on the horizon in his retirement.

August

 Happy August.

Traditionally I have hated August. As a child it heralded the end of the summer. School supplies start to line the shelves and swimsuits become threadbare. As an adult I continue to feel the back-to-school angst when the calendar turns to August. I've also come to hate the heat, humidity and bugs which also often accompany the month. 

I still hate all of those things about the month of August. The back-to-school jitters are already starting to creep into my dreams but I am desperate to push them back until September. The past school year was so difficult that I have increased anxiety about starting all over again. Logically I know it will be fine and that we will quickly find our groove because we have already established the pattern, but the memories of those first few weeks are strong.

Robby and Timmy have a few weeks of vacation left but Scott returns next week. He promises that this will be his last year in the classroom but I have heard that before! I am leaning towards believing in his retirement intention but I will remain weary until the paperwork is signed. After all, he is supposed to be retired by now!

With a break in the heat it is going to be nice to get back outside today. Timmy has been chomping at the bit to launch his new rocket. I think the stars (or the lack of clouds and wind) are aligning for a launch.

HOT HOT HOT

I was hoping I was going to be able to write that our Gettysburg vendor adventure was a rousing success.  But this is my blog and I won't lie. Attendance, and thus sales, were abysmal.  The number of volunteers, vendors and reenactors far exceeded the number of attendees. We estimate that around 400 people attended throughout the three day event compared to the estimated 3-5K that was promised in the vendor promotion material.

I'm certain that the excessive heat contributed to the lackluster attendance. It was hot. With temperatures in the high 90s and the heat index well into the 100s, being outside selling FlexyFriends was not enjoyable. The trickling crowds and ensuing boredom definitely contributed to the misery. 

Although we were miserable, I know that our comfort was higher than everybody else at the event. Scott, who loves both a challenge and a gadget designed to solve it, bought a portable misting fan. This isn't your run of the mill misting fan. This sucker sits on a five gallon bucket of water and throws a cool mist out 14 feet. We went through a lot of water, but we were able to maintain a more comfortable environment than our counterparts. I admit that I thought buying this fan contraption was a bit overboard, but my goodness I appreciated it when I was sitting in the 95 degree heat with the sun beating down. 

Despite sales being slow I am trying to remain optimistic about our weekend. While we didn't sell-out, we did make enough to cover our expenses. We were able to spend a special weekend with Robby who thoroughly enjoyed the event. The low crowds meant lots of space and time to browse and speak with all the reenactors. If you ask Robby, he will tell you that he had an amazing weekend. 

While we were busy hustling FlexyFriends to nobody, Timmy was hanging out with my Mom. It was too hot to do anything involved but it turns out that he did convince her to engage in a water fight. 

Timmy thoroughly enjoyed his alone time with his Nana. Robby had a great time at the non-event. Perhaps Scott and I were the only ones disappointed in the weekend.

 

Heading to the Heat

 Today we are packing up and heading to Pennsylvania. We are going to hang out at my Mom's for the evening before heading to Gettysburg Friday afternoon. This weekend FlexyFriends will be vending at the Military Weekend at the World War II Experience. Needless to say, we have been printing nonstop in preparation.

Unfortunately, it is going to be hot. Of course, it is the end of July so heat should be expected, but these temperatures are supposed to flirt with dangerous. Worried, Scott went out and bought a battery operated misting fan. This monstrosity sits over a 5 gallon bucket of ice water and throws a cold mist 14 feet out. I have a feeling that much of our traffic may be due to our makeshift cooling station. 

In addition to the cooling fan we are trying to remember as much as possible to make our weekend sitting in the sun tolerable. We have our pop-shelter, chairs, battery operated fans, snacks and power banks already piled into the car. My mom has graciously agreed to watch Timmy for us on Friday afternoon through Sunday, allowing him to be part of the event without having to suffer through the endless hours in the heat. While we are pushing plastic toys in an outdoor sauna, he will be happily swimming and splashing with my mom in a pool. He definitely has the better end of our weekend.

All In

 Robby and Scott had a great time on their university tour yesterday. Robby thoroughly enjoyed showing his dad around campus and talking about the different possibilities. Scott managed to keep it together and not break down publicly. I am very proud of them both- Robby is maturing into a remarkable and interesting young man and Scott is allowing him to grow.  

While the boys were touring Timmy and I hung out at home. We worked on his next rocket, which is bigger and more powerful than our original version, and researched more facts about space. I continue to be impressed by how much he knows about space. It seems that when my boys get an interest they go all in.

Today is busy with meetings. It isn't going to be a fun day, but it is necessary. Wish me luck.

Bored

Another weekend has come and gone. During the summer the days seem to blend together and the passing of another weekend has become my gauge of time. I am beginning to feel as if my life is on a giant loop with the same days passing over and over and over again. This summer has been extraordinarily boring. I really miss having a pool!

Today Robby and Scott are taking a trip to visit Shepherd University, the school he toured last week. I'm not saying that he is getting closer to a decision, but the fact that he wants to take his dad to see the school is a huge sign. Scott, who is having a difficult time with Robby possibly leaving for school next year, is going to struggle to keep a check on his emotions during this tour.  

While Robby and Scott are touring, Timmy and I will hold down the fort at home. This afternoon I hope to log off for awhile so we can play in the splash pad. It may not be a pool, but we can still make it fun!  

I've got to do something to shake up this boring summer!