Just the people...

Today, we lost Gunnar.  And actually, that sounds a bit dramatic...even for us, so let's start over...today was Gunnar's last day before moving to Virginia to start new (non-pie) adventures.  Cue all the tears.  We are seriously going to miss that kid.  SERIOUSLY.  (Thankfully he will be back tomorrow to pick up travel pie.  As one does before a long road trip, no?) And Gunnar's departure is just another part of the evolution of PJP that breaks my heart a little bit.  Our original employee, Mitch, graduated from Mizzou earlier this month and is now currently serving with the National Guard in Poland for the next month.  He will be back for a few weeks in June and then will move to Denver FOR GOOD.  And take his ridiculously smart and kind girlfriend Lindsey with him.  (She's beautiful too, but that goes without saying.  And once she came in at 4 am and tied dozens of tiny forks with ribbon for us simply because we needed the help.  If that isn't love, I'm not sure what is.)

Mac will be here for the month of June and then he will go to Ireland for six weeks for his graduate research.  And he will take his beautiful and funny and talented girlfriend Kayla with him (and she has spent countless hours at PJP doing whatever we need or just visiting with us).  They won't be back until late August just as school starts again.  Sigh.

Thankfully Sydney isn't traveling halfway around the world for the better part of June, July, and August or I'd be teetering on the edge of a staffing-enduced breakdown.

Nonetheless, all this change over the next few months just does me in...

We've already hired some amazing new members for Team PJP, so baking wise and counter help wise, I know we will be more than fine.  But working in our 1,050 square feet together for so many hours bonds us together in a way.  Making 3,000 Jelly Jars or folding hamentashen together at 2 am or doing any of the other ridiculous stuff together we've done since Mitch and Gunnar's first days at PJP will make us friends for life.

Now I just need to hatch a solid plan for PJP Norfolk and PJP Denver.  I know just the people to manage them.