It’s been quite a week. Most everything went at planned, some went brilliantly and some dragged along. And a couple of wrinkles. It’s Saturday morning before a big day at Sunworks.
The sale at the store is going well, efforts were thwarted the past couple of days because of the snow. Red Deerians just do not go out during the first cold snap and snowfall of the year. There weren’t a lot of people through Thursday or Friday, but today is the big launch of the Christmas lights in City Hall Park, and also an extended shopping night for downtown merchants. Sunworks is hosting pictures with the Grinch as well.
A wrinkle. We got The Coconut Room back yesterday with one days’ notice. The folks that were leasing it felt they couldn’t focus properly on it any longer and so politely turned it back to us. The timing is so awkward with everything that we are trying to accomplish right now. But as always we will do our best. I recognize that sometime, my best is not good enough. This may well be one of those times. I’m sure they also realize that they were doing their best but it wasn’t good enough… and that’s life.
It’s going to be tricky to handle this and all of the other moving pieces. It’s likely that we will not have the capacity to run The Coconut Room given the changes coming in the works right now and in the new year.
It sits as a great opportunity for someone that has the time and passion to be in the hospitality business. The space is fully functional, and we’d entertain proposals. Rent includes all of the equipment, furniture and fixtures, electricity, property taxes, internet, and water. Besides rent, the tenant pays only for their phone.
Terry and I met with Davin and have the listing contract sorted. Everything looks good and so the Sunworks building will be on the market next week. We would love to have a signed deal before we leave on holidays at the end of December. That may be too optimistic but we’re putting it out there in the universe.
Games and Music signed their lease yesterday afternoon, and so they will be moving into the Sunworks space during April and be opened for May 1st. That means our move will be immediately following the Winter Games in March. We’ll be in our new space for April 1st. We are very happy for the Games and Music folks. They’ve been in business for 30 years and are looking forward to an upgrade by moving to Ross Street. We still have a couple of spaces available in the building for rent. The street front location between Sunworks and LV Cafe is opened yet, and I’m shocked that it hasn’t been rented. We’ve never had a space sit vacant for this long. Usually only a month or two.
As for the next piece in the book series. It’s coming along but it’s a difficult one to express, and it’s getting longer. I’d say I’m at about 50% draft. I’m really enjoying the intellectual dialogue with my friend Alan about this work, and he’s been such a help in editing, and making great observations and suggestions. And he’s fun.
So where does this week leave me? I’m certainly not in as good of space as I was last Sunday when I wrote. It feels like my life is often a giant game of whack-a-mole. No doubt I’ve whacked a couple of you on the head with my fuzzy mallet, quite by accident. We can’t often know what will happen next but still this week feels like forward steps to a better life. I commit to truly looking at the changes this week as positive steps that in the long run are for the best future.
Now, I must go get ready for a long day. Terry and I, with the help of friends and family who have stepped up will run The Coconut Room today for eggs benny brunch in a Tribe takeover. So much to do and hopefully financially successful, but more than that I want to really connect with friends and family in joy, laughter and love. It’s amazing that we have such lovely people around us and today I will make a super heroian effort to express my gratitude, appreciation and love for those who choose to be in relationship to me…. starting with my love, Terry.