In Other News...
So while it seemed that our world stopped for the preparation of the Thanksgiving baking, the actual Thanksgiving baking, and the recovery from the Thanksgiving baking...the rest of the world still went on like us making 1700 pies wasn't the main event at the show. Here are other points of PJP interest...
- We have new neighbors on the north end of 3601 Buttonwood. Tiger Bounce opened last week and if you are in the market to let your kids 12 and under bounce out all of their energy, this looks like the place to be. Tiger Bounce is actually making it possible for Columbia to have their second Magic Tree location right outside our doors. I know, right? I don't know how we are so lucky to have thousands of lights on one tree right outside our door and we don't have to pay the electric bill, but PJP hereby accepts. There will be a tree lighting ceremony next Friday night at 6 pm and it promises to be a lot of fun. We will be open late and supplying free hot chocolate to the masses. I'm eagerly anticipating a line out our door that doesn't involve me crying.
- We keep getting mail from the company that makes the Yellow Pages. Did you know that it costs $396 to list your business in the Yellow Pages? Did you know that approximately only 3.96 people still use the Yellow Pages on a regular basis?
- Remember Evelyn of Mr.TakeoutBags.com fame? SHE ACTUALLY CALLED ME and now we can all rest knowing that Evelyn Kurianowicz is a real live person and she is located in Philadelphia. She actually has a niece that went to Mizzou and I felt like I was playing a real-life version of The Nine Degrees of Kevin Bacon game. Sadly, she called to tell me that the manufacturer of the baby pie box has actually run out of the box and our shipment is delayed. We may be on the verge of a baby pie box crisis, but I feel okay about that since the company that makes them has run out and how can I fix that? And a personal phone call from Evelyn? Well played, Mr.TakeOutBags.com, well played.
- I did switch the supplier of our paper bags from Amazon.com to a St. Louis based company. And then I promptly ordered 500 bags in the wrong size. I guess let's add "estimating dimensions" to the list of skills I need to improve upon.
- Our food broker, Sysco, has decided they no longer can service clients that don't buy a minimum of 15 cases of product AND $500 value per order. I tried to wrap my mind around the logic of that decision...until I realized there wasn't any. While we are consistently over $500 per order, we aren't always over 15 cases of product (remember, one case of butter is pricey). And we've found another food broker to work with - Springfield Grocer - but Sysco's attitude toward the smaller client has me on my soapbox.
- The property tax for our leased space inside the building we don't own at 3601 Buttonwood is due. Despite paying triple nets on our lease since February, our portion is another $250 for this year. No, I don't understand either.
- Dolly Parton's "Hard Candy Christmas" could be the saddest damn song ever recorded. And it isn't even really a Christmas song, but it keeps getting a lot of play this time of year and it gets me every time. Team Dolly.
- Mitch has returned to PJP Buttonwood after a few weeks serving in the National Guard in Ferguson. And I was set to complain about our intense baking schedule and our Thanksgiving experience and then I realized that he completely missed his Thanksgiving to serve our country, so I should probably just be quiet. Perspective is a good thing for me on occasion.
- I am working on trademarking a number of PJP things, one being "World Pie Domination". And I giggle to myself when I think about what the person who processes that paperwork thinks when they read my request. In my mind, the person fist pumps the air and yells "right on!' before stamping our application approval in triplicate. Something tells me this isn't the way it actually goes down.
- This picture is the best. If you ever think about working with your mom and you aren't so sure, think of this picture and DO IT. You won't regret it. Ever.
