The Inventory went well, I have A LOT of merchandise...

 

 

The Inventory went well, we started at 8am and finished at about 3pm.  38 Inventory counters and I had 35 of my folks there to help out.  I have a lot of merchandise dollars in my store... :)

 

 

This morning I go in to oversee my inventory

I'll be glad when the inventory is over so we can get back to polishing the apples...

DRUM ROLL PLEASE...

 

              (264!)

 

I PUSH ON

I PUSH ON

 

I drag my eyelids

across sand encrusted eyes

I push my body

before me throughout my day

I worry about things

that I have no experience of

I dread possible failure

and losing my job

I watch my people struggle

and I try to help them

I put on a brave face

and make light of my situation

I am a store manager

I push on...

 

 

 

Early in the morning and I can't sleep...

 

 

 

                              ::sigh::

 

 

 

I'll try to take pictures this morning of how far we are along with the store...

I try to weigh myself every morning so I have a consistent time of day to compare my progress against.  I am working a lot of hrs and not eating as much as I normally do.  I need to add in some walking and I might even ::gasp:: join a gym.  Weight training and martial arts are on my mind lately.  Who would have ever thought I would even consider joining a gym?  ::shakes head::

 

 

Got done with my work early today, my crew is FAST...

some new pics of my store...

I'm a busy boy...

MY HEART FORGETS

MY HEART FORGETS

As light as a kiss brushing against my cheek
and when the edge of my eye begins to leak
My heart forgets

As soon as a ragged heart can heal
and soft as a fingertip can feel
My heart forgets

As the recent pain is lost
and I fail to remember the cost
My heart forgets

As easy as the curtains blow
and quick as a stream will flow
My heart forgets

As subtle as the songbird sings
and bright as the light it brings
My heart forgets

As I begin a brand new day
and try to find a brand new way
My heart forgets

As my ears rejoice at the laughter
and my heart yearns for what comes after
My heart forgets

As simple as it is for me to do this
and as foolish as it is for me to do this
My heart forgets

As I strive to love again with all my heart
and I need to try again right from the start
My heart forgets

As my heart wishes for what it needs
And my heart again plants the seeds
My heart forgets

So if you see it wandering there
Acting as if it didn't have a care
I really haven’t lost my wits

You see it’s just because
sometimes
My heart forgets

 

 

We finish up the OPS portion today, books arrive tomorrow...

I ate two fortune cookies last night, this is what the fortunes read:

 

THE WORLD IS ALWAYS READY TO RECEIVE TALENT WITH OPEN ARMS

 

and...

 

EXECUTIVE ABILITY IS PROMINENT IN YOUR MAKE UP

 

(lol)

 

 

And September Remains

AND SEPTEMBER REMAINS

 

 

The setting sun backlights

Pale lavender clouds

White edged against

A periwinkle sky

The sun dips below

Hiding behind the trees

A stark green outline

An after image of summer

And September remains

 

The leaves remember

Waiting for their chance

To travel on the wind

And gather with their kin

Returning to their autumn beds

Waiting for next year…

The season turns

The sun has set

And September remains

 

 

I took possession of my new store on Thursday ::jingles the store keys::

My new store is SOOOOOOOOO pretty...

Last night I attended the Grand Opening Party for our new store in St. Peters

Here are some pictures I took of the St. Pete party last night.

I am trying something new...

Howdy Faithful Readers,

 

    I am adding a new feature to my entries.  Every time I add a new entry, I will put my current weight in the second line of the Journal Title.  I am currently on the "Opening a New Store Jitters Diet".  LOL.  At my heaviest I was 318, I have lost a bunch of weight since starting on the New Store Opening process.  My goal is 250.  I have come to the conclusion that my fat belly is part of the problem of finding a new woman for myself (the other part is that I'm still married, gonna fix that soon).  So I'm focusing on my weight and trying to cut back on portion size and I'm working more hrs and that is helping a lot.  ::shrugs::  It can't hurt...

 

 

Brian Setzer Rocks the HOUSE!

 

The Brian Setzer Orchestra was GREAT!  They only played for an hour [  corportate gig :(  ], but they were wonderful.  There was a Store Manager from NY that brought her black lace dress to the concert, kinda made it hard to concentrate.  Alan Alda was so personable in person.  I can't wait to read his book.  I fly back to STL tomorrow morning...

 

Whoops I forgot...

Tonight we have Alan Alda speaking to our Meeting, and The Brian Setzer Orchestra will play for us...

 

::lacing up my dancing shoes!::

 

 

Yesterday we had the Publisher's Rotations, Tradeshow, and the Author signings...

Yesterday was my busiest day at the Conference.  I was running till 10pm.  I did get to meet and have the following authors sign books for me:  Robert Hicks (The Widow of the South), Laurie Notaro (An Idiot Girl's Christmas), Terry Pretchett (Thud!), Vince Flynn (Consent to Kill), Mairia Kalman (Elements of Style), Christopher Paolini (Eldest), Bill Rancic (Beyond the Lemonade Stand {he's the winner of Apprentice}), Kim Harrison (Every Which Way but Dead), Brad Meltzer (Identity Crisis), and the lady who writes the "Angelina the Mouse" series (I already packed and shipped her book so I can't check ::sigh:: ).  I'm handing them out to my buddies, my Management team at the store, and the remainder I will hand out as prizes to my Booksellers...

 

::tired grin::

 

 

 

Made it here, everything is looking great

I am staying at the Westin Diplomat, it's pretty fancy smancy... here is a link if you want to see where I'm at, some goofball forgot to bring his digital camera...::sigh::

Westin Diplomat

 

yak at cha later gator...(get it? Gator, I'm in Florida....)

 

 

Tomorrow morning I load up and fly to Ft. Lauderdale

I load up tomorrow morning and fly to Ft. Lauderdale for our National Sales Meeting.  I'm going a day early because I'm a new Store Manager that hasn't been thru a Christmas yet with the company.  I will be bringing home LOTS of books to give away to my friends and give out as prizes during the training of the store's booksellers...

 

:)

 

We had our first Management Meeting in our new store...

On Monday there are 11 18-Wheelers arriving to unload the fixtures for the store!

My store has it's sign up!

Yay...

 

Lightning is striking all over town

 

And I Drive...

 

It's late at night and I'm in my car

the sky is uniform and dark

with the moon peering out between the clouds 

the storm is far away and doesn't concern me

something that happens to other people

and I drive...

 

My car smells new and clean

rolling whisper quiet along the highway

the world only exists inside my headlights

an explorer in the interstate darkness

traveling the space between lamp posts

and I drive...

 

In the distance an angry jagged line

touches down and jumps in place

burning an after image in my eye

pale white ghost of a lightning strike

so far away there is no sound

and I drive...

 

Catalina jazz is playing on my radio

I stop at a light, the only one here

watch the light change from red to green

then yellow and red again,  and I look around

I am all alone, no one to keep waiting

and I drive...

 

I pass other cars, other people

shining their lights past me

looking for their way to go

red eyes that retreat into the night

leaving me alone again

and I drive...

 

Far away lightning backlights the sky

showing me the outline of the storm

I check for my friend the moon

and he is there, smiling down on me

I turn my car towards home

and I drive...

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have been 40 for 12 hrs now ::shrugs:: it's no big deal...

I have been 40 for a little over 12 hrs now.  LOL...  My ex-fiance Mary called me last night to wish me a Happy Birthday, Jen a co-worker just called and my folks called too.  For a second I started getting down on myself over failed relationships, but then I remembered my greatest failure was also my greatest success...so it all evens out...  I cleaned the bathroom, and I am going to clean out my car today and finally buy a hubcap for my ugly nekkid wheel.  I am SO not a car guy.  I may go out to eat this evening and see a movie.  I have to pick up Ray at the airport at midnight tonight, and I have an early Manager's meeting in the morning (HELLO 7am!).  All in all, I have a good life and I am happy to be in the game...

 

::throws the dice::

 

 

 

[David<~~lucky guy]

 

 

The Dragonfly With The Shining Eyes

 

The Dragonfly With The Shining Eyes

 

The sights of summer call out to me

I hear the chorus of cicadas, the trill of the frogs

as I walk through the lush green of late summer

and then...

She flies into view

A beautiful Dragonfly, silver and black

sleek and fast as she bursts from the gloom

she flies to just within reach

and she stops

humming there in front of my face

watching me with her laughing eyes 

full of mischief and light

I want to reach out my hand

but I hesitate...

what if I frighten her?

what if she flies away?

I would never see her again

and that is something I cannot risk

so I sit

still

and I wait

watching

content to be near

and waiting for the chance

to offer my hand

to the Dragonfly with the shining eyes