I'm reading such an exciting and inspiring book right now, Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson. He was an Alpine climber who in failing to summit K2 stumbled into an unmapped little villiage in Pakistan and found his life's work calling. He then began building schools on a very low budget. I'm halfway through the book now. I highly recomend it to everyone. I saw a ski movie last season that showed skiing in Pakistan. Me and Geoff Teel, made a drunken pact to get there this season to ride Pakistan snow too. This book reminds me of our determined pact, and inspires me to take it seriously. Who knows? Could happen?
The yard sale didn't go so well. I didn't advertise enough, and people who did stop by expect to pay $5 or less, as would I, for a shirt no matter how new or fancy or handprinted, when it's presented on someone's dirt yard.
Friends from Santa Cruz came up to our mountains last week on their traditional Wyatt's b-day bash to camp at Highland Lakes (atop Ebbett's Pass/Hwy 4) as they've been doing for several years since his dad and he discovered the place during a road bike race (thin tire bicycle.) I quit the yard sale endeavor to join them camping. I brought some of my batik shirts and other stuff as a b-day present for Wyatt. I packed several shirts to choose from for fit and taste, then packed a bunch more with the revelation we could have a fashion shoot up there to post on my website advertising the stuff. I forgot my camera but turns out our friend Jefferson does this sort of photography for a living and had his camera and favorite model, Jenny, with him. I only knew about his work selling furniture at Couch Potatoe. His Couch Potatoe boss Bruce was really cool and came up to camp too. I'll post some photos as soon as I get 'em through the ether.
Joel, my most prominent love puppy of late, is creating a band in my living room. He hopes I'll join as their trumpet player, but I haven't got past practicing scales. Dylan, the drummer, came camping with us. He's a chef at Kulani Grill downtown. He grilled us amazing steaks at camp wed. night which caused Lupita, Wyatt's sister in law, to moan and groan in such extasy that we all had to take turns excusing ourselves from the campfire to go rub one out.
Joel named his band after reading a story I wrote and submitted to Kokanee (stinky salmon) Lit Journal. He said it was the best most amazing thing he's ever read. He keeps suprising me with reference drops from it in his conversations. I'm really proud my ideas have made such a deep impression on at least one reader, and the mag hasn't even been printed and distributed yet. He asked my permission to use the name for his band. I said, "sure, but I get a percentage of all merch, when you get famous." whoo hoo I'm gonna be rich! I better go TM that name quick like before the mag comes out. Anyone know how to do that?
Joel is working on a ton of landscaping projects for me, like building a low rock wall border for my front lawn and laying a sprinkler system. When that's done (he thinks he'll finish before I get back from Burning Man,) I can rototill and lay grass seed. I did it once and had a better lawn than if I'd layed sod, but then I left and subletters didn't keep up the watering. I was thinking, or rather Joel suggested, "why don't I make a more permanent storefront on my lawn to sell my stuff, like Bishop's Rock Shop in our neighborhood? I can use my nifty new Cosco garage tent shelter I bought to use at Burning Man, when I get back." Hopefully it will fit on my driveway and still have room for our cars. Or I can use my car port now that Ben moved out and took his broken down truck out of there with him.
I think Joel's right, that when my front yard is cherried out, and I advertise and make a permanent storefront with regular hours, and a changing room with a miror, customers might come ready to pay $15- $30 for my shirts, which is what I want. I'll figure out the whole retail zoning and sales tax hurdles when I actually sell something. I'll talk to Bishop's Rock Shop, to see how they get around it, among other experts. I'm hoping if my profit only equals what I spend on travel aquiring the stuff and maybe some small cost of living and whats left gets donated to my favorite causes, maybe I can call it a nonprofit org and that will conquer the hurdles above mentioned? Anyone have a clue?
I better quit blogging now and figure out how to post some pictures and videos on this thing so I can redeem myself a better grade in this blogging class that's just about done for this semester. But I'm gonna go dig my bulbs up first, to save them from getting cemented over in the footing for the rock wall. I should take some "before" pictures for Joel's future website, that I can post here too.
