Merry Monday Rambles

Okay, so I'm going to have to put the vintage cards on hold for next year.  At least it gives me a whole fricking year to get the dang things scanned and posted.  Works for me.

I spent the last few days of last week, including the dread end of the world day, in the dark with no lights or heat.  I was still house-sitting and a transformer blew across the street due to very high winds.  The crews worked on it for several days, and the power would flash back on and then cut out again.  This also happened to be the time that the temps dropped to true winter levels.  Dark and cold.  I almost started to believe that the Mayans were right.

I hope everyone is ready for tonight and tomorrow.  I finally got Keith's presents wrapped over the weekend.  We'll probably go to midnight mass tonight.  That's one of our off and on traditions. Maybe Santa will come while we're out.  I've been good.  Really.

Sales have been strong this month, until the beginning of last week, when they slowed to a crawl.  Things picked back up by Friday, though.  It did kill the momentum I had built up a little, which is frustrating.  Still, I am only sixty bucks off last month's total sales at the Peddlers Mall, and we still have a week to go (but the store is closed tomorrow).  I usually have a really good day after Xmas sales total.

Looking back at what has sold, I can make some preliminary conclusions:

Ornaments (new and vintage):  MOSTLY SOLD OUT
Wrapping paper:  SOLD OUT
Cards:  DID NOT SELL WELL
Dishes:  SO-SO SALES
Gift Items:  50% SELL THROUGH

I'm not going to end up with too many leftovers to store.  The gift items will be left out, just shifted around.  New stuff sat good prices is a good thing to have for tax season, which is our busiest time in this business.

My pre-surgery tests went well last week.  Nigel finally stopped bleeding and all the bloodwork was good.  There was a bit of a scare about my blood pressure, which was waaaaaay high.  I've never had blood pressure issues at all, mind you, even during stressful times.  The culprit turned out to be the cold meds I've been slugging in my dread fear that  I was going to get sick and could not have the surgery.

In other words, my hypochondria-driven preventative treatment designed to keep me healthy enough for the surgery almost made me ineligible for the surgery.  The irony, it burns.  I went back to my doc on Friday and my bp was normal, so it's full steam ahead.  This time next week, Nigel and Sixtus will be gone.  I, for one, can't wait.

Happy Merry Ho Ho, Folks!