Second Night of the Show

Saturday night was an amazing night of the show, though the heat was incredible and the inside of the theater was intolerably hot. I think it put a bit of a damper on the show because the audience was all dopey from the heat, but the show must go on. People came in droves, the theater was packed and it was almost beyond standing room only. We saw many friends, and it was really nice evening if not for the discomfort. J,I and SS came out, we haven't seen them in ages, and that was nice. The list of people who came out to support the show is too long to list, but thanks to them all for their time.

I thought the performers did a great job, though there were a few mistakes made, but they kept it rolling and remained poised. And, as usual, it was another late night for the kids.

A did a stand up job, and got a ton of compliments. I spoke with a drama teacher from the next town (one of the best performers in the show) and she enthusiastically asked me if A would be interested in participating in her drama camp over the summer. However, she mistakenly thought that A was older, and her camp is for 5th grade and up. Bummer. Oh well, next time. I took the fact that she was so open to A taking part and approached us as a good sign. She is so nice to A, and the fact that they worked together and are now friends may encourage A to give it a go, but we'll see.

The show got another standing ovation, even though the crowd was more subdued. The huge turnout was fed by positive word of mouth, as was told. What a great thing, people loved the first night and told their friends to check it out, so they came.

One more show to go. I'm not sure how much more of this I can take, but also don't know what I'm going to do when it's over. Maybe make a dumpling or two.

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to trevor kirpaul for the pic.

Opening Night of Vermont Idol

Our community theater opened last night, and what a show it was. Everybody had worked so hard on the production, a true testament to what a wonderful community we live it. People volunteered their time and really gave a stellar effort. The writing, music, acting, singing, and production that went into this show is nothing short of amazing, and the proof is in the pudding. The show is fantastic, and the response to the first night was huge. People loved the show, and came out in droves to see it. It helped that the Valley News did a cover piece on it, sparking interest, but you could tell they loved the performance, and responded accordingly. Not quite a sold out show, but close.

N and I were working the door, and we were supposed to keep track of how many people entered with a counter, but soon lost track of that in the rush to sell tickets. It got a little hectic, but not too bad. There no tickets, per se, so people formed a queue and arrived well before the actual beginning of the show. I made the mistake of letting them in, and didn't get scolded but the powers that be let it be known that it wasn't what they would have done. Live and learn.

Once the show started, the energy in the theater was palpable. The show benefits from having the likes of RC at the helm, and the guy is hilarious. The panel of judges is fabulous, as well, and they really carry the show. They are so funny, it's amazing.

And, of course, let's not forget about A and her performance. Being the shameless parent that I am, of course I'm biased to her part. She did such a wonderful job, so calm and composed. She really does well on stage, though I think she leans more towards the singing side of performing versus actual drama. We have enough of that in our daily lives.

The first act was great, but I think the show really takes off in the second act, which has more energy and is even more funny. They did such a nice job.

The audience gave them a standing ovation, which I think is way overdone, but fitting on a night like that night. What a fun show.

People said many nice things about A's performance. We never know what to say, and being the parents, try to take it with a grain of salt. People are nice and are just saying nice things, but I really do think A has some ability in the performance arena, but I'll leave it at that. One of the performers is a drama teacher who holds a theater camp and she asked me if A would be a part of it. I said yes, but that it was really up to A, and figured if I brought it up she would say "no thanks," but if one of the actors, who has more clout than boring dad, asked, she would be more into it. Unfortunately, her camp is for older kids, and she incorrectly assumed A was much older. Oh well, something to look forward to.

The show was great, we had a lot of fun. Best of all, we all got to be involved, N got to work the door with me, so he felt included and got a t-shirt with CREW written on the back. That's all we need.

Great job to the performers and writers and support crew. It was truly a memorable show, and yet another reminder of how lucky we are to live here.

Until the next time, thanks for reading.

Market Reflections

Having survived our first day of market, of course we have some thoughts on the matter.

First off, you realize how difficult it is for many people just to get by. We worked our tails off, before, during, and after the market, and we made some money, but not a lot. I do think we made more than some of our neighbors, which got me to thinking that it's a rough world out there, and some people struggle just to make a few bucks. Then again, some of us don't have a choice. We're lucky (or not) that we have that option, though that can work against you at times, especially if you're a quitter. Nothing like desperation to motivate you.

It also makes me question whether it's all really worth it (see, I'm already looking for an "out"). There is a romantic ideal of having your own business and being your own boss, but nobody's going to hand you a paycheck out there (duh!).

I'm also struck by how little empathy some people have out there. There are those, and mind you, they are for the most part the minority, who will nickel and dime you and do everything they can to get free things off of you, and many of them make more money than anybody out there. Some of the Dartmouth students try to get anything they can for free, and it seems shameful that somebody who can afford a $35,000/year education would try to take advantage of someone struggling to make pennies. I used to see that in NYC, where people making big bucks would kick and scream over a few cents. What a joke.

Anyway, I thought the adventure, at least for the first time, went well enough. We sold out of a few things and were busy, but boy was it hard work, not to mention a little stressful handling orders. It only worked because R and I were working together, obviously I couldn't do it alone.

And, I might even say it was kind of fun being outside and interacting with all those people, many of whom we knew and were probably wondering what exactly we were doing out there. Mind you, these aren't the salt of the earth Vermonters/NHers who may be farmers or contractors or craftsmen, but highly educated professionals of the Dartmouth community. I can see people in a small town like ours who wouldn't blink an eye if you decided to work a farmer's market, but to someone with an advanced degree who is on a tenure track at a university, it might make them scratch their heads and wonder. In a previous lifetime, this may have been an issue to me, but we've got too many things going on to worry about that.

As I mentioned, the work is hard, and continues long after the fact. There is the rigorous cleaning involved (all that grease), compounded by the fact that you've just been standing for 4 hours. The fact that you sell out of something is a wonderful thing, but is also a reminder that you have to make more and more, and then some. Forget about fatigue, there is work to be done. Wow, sort of reminds me of parenthood.

One bright note is that the kids were so well behaved, and they saw some friends and people complimented A on her guitar playing. The setting is nice, and they can play on the grass and see other vendors, many of whom are really nice and allow them to visit and chat.

It will be interesting to see where this goes. I've never ventured into the area of running a small business, and we just so happened to have chosen a rigorous one, but as with everything in life, with greater challenge comes greater reward. Who the heck came up with that one?

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Dan Wenger for the pic.

A Momentous Day, Celebrity, and Car Drama

We had a couple of big moments with the kids yesterday, and needless to say, everyone is excited. I won't go into N's big moment, I'll keep it a bit of a secret so that he himself can share it with the important people in our lives, but suffice it to say, he was so excited, as were we. The big event had building up over the past few weeks, and it then it arrived. In an example of what a great big sister he has, A was so excited herself that in anticipation of the big day, she went out and, with her own money and initiative, bought him a special present to commemorate the day. I hope our kids realize how lucky they are to have such awesome siblings..

A had a big day, as well, along with a moment of celebrity. She has been rehearsing tirelessly for her big show, which is tonight, and the newspaper came to report on it. They graced the cover of their Entertainment section with her pic, and we were all so excited. How fun is that? Of course, I went out and bought multiple copies.

Mom and Dad had a bit of drama throughout the day, actually. In the morning, JH came over and we did real-man work on the barn, installing more windows, and then I had to set about making more fillings for the dumplings. We realize we have to ramp up production, which will have to occur each week. We also need more raw ingredients, and may end up setting up standing orders with various suppliers. Listen to me, Rachel Ray in the making.

It's difficult, not to mention costly, to use as many local and organic ingredients as we can, but the whole point of this endeavor is to take part in something you believe in. Sure, making money is necessary for the viability of the project, but money cannot be the sole focus (maybe in the top 5 goals). At least for now, I've come to realize that the most important thing is doing something that has meaning to you and you can be proud of. Then again, talk to me in a few weeks.

Anyways, I digress. Since we plowed through our supply of dumplings, it meant we had to make more, and quickly. We had the local market on Friday evening, coupled with the show, which overlapped with the market. We were going to have to go to the market, break down early so that we could get to the show, then do the show until late that evening. It was going to be tight, and not only would we have been tired, but we would have been covered in grease. In light of this, we had to make an executive decision and bail out on the Friday market. It was just too much. We feel bad, we could have done it, but it would have been stressful and made it not-fun. Can't go there.

To add to this drama, our car got booted at DHMC. We had to take the kids to t-ball, and the plan was for R to arrive and take A to rehearsal, where we would meet them. She was late, and I was preparing to bug out and take her myself, when R showed up with not a moment to spare. She mentioned the car had got booted, then took A to the show. Too many parking tickets. The parking situation at DHMC has been crazy, and they give warning tickets to people who park on the grass. Everyone does it, but they have been cracking down. They boot repeat offenders, and the next time will result in a tow. The tickets and boot are no cost, but a tow will run you upwards of $150. Yikes.

So, after t-ball, we all went back to DHMC and had the boot taken off, and then we went to the Coop to get more supplies, and then back to town to watch the end of rehearsal. It was nearly 10PM when we got home. Talk about endurance, I'm not sure how much more of this I can take. Then again, it's like parenting, you just do it.

Whatever be the case, the fun never seems to stop around here. Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Kriss Szkurlatowski, Svilen Milev, and clix for the pics.

Surviving Market Day

Well, we survived our first Farmer's Market, and as you might expect, it was truly a learning experience, complicated, of course, by the fact that A had rehearsal that night at 6:00, and the market ended at 6:00, which meant that R would have to leave early and breaking down the site was up to me and N. Then again, nothing that two real-men (one real-man in training) can't handle.

There were points right beforehand where I was beginning to feel a little stressed, mainly that we weren't going to sell anything, or that people would think our dumplings were no good. While both of these were possibilities, they were unrealized ones, and a good example of how fear of unknown things that haven't happened yet can stop people from ever trying things or taking a chance.

Sure, we were heading into uncharted territory, the idea of which terrified me, but there are a few things to keep in mind. First off, we were together as a family, so that makes a huge difference. Second, the worst that could happen is that we'd learn some big lessons and adapt for the next time around. I believe we have 10 market and by extension, 9 chances to rectify our mistakes. And finally, we still have our day jobs, for now.

We had procured our tent and chafing dishes the day before, so on market day, we were about 95% ready to go. We still needed to get oil for cooking and apple cider (our brilliant last minute/local retail addition), which would entail a trip to the COOP beforehand. Also, we needed more dumpling wrappers, which we would need to order. We needed braces for the tent, and the market people did not want us to use stakes, so I had the Vermonty idea of using pieces of firewood to hold down our tent. How's that for marketing?

The market opened at 3:00, but we were told to get there as early as 1:30. We were shooting for this time, so we could heat the water for the chafing dishes, then get the oil hot and ready. This meant that I would have to leave the house around 12:00, which by extension meant that I would have to start loading the car by late morning. For the record, we could not have done it without that Explorer.

Loading the car was a bit tricky, because there is so much stuff, but the key seemed to be packing the tent first and then placing everything else around it. It would've probably been easier if I was solo, but not nearly as fun. A brought along her guitar because she had rehearsal right afterward and it gave her something to do at the market. I managed to get things in, and like R said, it was like packing for a long camping trip, tent and all. One of the key things was to get ice ASAP to keep the dumpling frozen. R would get ahold of some dry ice and meet us at the Green.

I didn't have time to make the kids lunch, so when we arrived at the COOP to get the cider, we sat down for sushi, and even tried something new. The kids were growing weary of the same rolls, so we went for the eel and the salmon, which they both loved. We may get even crazier next time, but one step at a time. After lunch, we piled into the car and headed to Hanover. I had butterflies in my stomach.

The day was beautiful, perfect for a market, and when we got there, we were on the early side. I think one or two other vendors were there setting up. Being the new kids on the block, I felt a bit wary of being too assertive or overstepping my boundaries, so I kept it low key and tried not to step on anyone's toes. The biggest issues seem to be over space, which I have a hard time keeping mind of.

It took about ten minutes to set up, with the biggest thing being getting that darn tent up. It was our first time, though I'd helped set up tents for other events, and like most things in life, it isn't rocket science. The kids helped out and did a stand-up job. The tent is a key moment. Once it goes up, your market space is no longer an abstract concept and comes to life. Then you begin creating it. A&N pitched in and suggested where things should go. We had so much stuff, and didn't what went where, so we just dumped it onto the ground and worried about it later. Unfortunately, later comes sooner than you think.

Everyone else had the drill down, there tents were up and in running condition within minutes, while we were scrambling to find our footing. Because the clock was ticking, we had to get it together, and fast. We needed hot water and oil, which meant firing up the stove. We worried that the wind would compromise out stove, and sure enough, that came to fruition. Because of this, our water and oil heated up much more slowly, and had adverse consequences, but more on this later.

R showed up a bit late with the dry ice, but that wasn't a huge problem. The market starts officially at 3:00, which worked in our favor, because whenever someone walked by and wanted some dumplings, we had to turn the away, rather than tell them we not only had no clue what were doing, but we no product for sale. As 3:00 neared, however, things were getting a little tense. Because the heating was inefficient, after cooking, it took a few minutes for the oil to re-heat, and when you're in the thick of a market, those lost minutes can kill you.

Also, our stand has a lot of light, moving pieces, so a big wind will hit us hard. Things to consider in the future. By the time the market was in full swing, we were only at about 60% capacity. On a bright note, people were buying the dumplings, but we couldn't cook them fast enough, and the end product was not our ideal dumpling. This all stemmed from the fact that the stove wasn't getting hot enough, and we didn't have the luxury of taking our time to cook them because we were losing customers who realized what a bunch of losers we were. As a general rule of thumb, when you are not ready at that moment to serve your customer, they are gone. Some may come back, but for the most part, you've lost your chance.

We scrambled and learned a lot. There were at times lines of people who either liked our message (local, eco-friendly, Grateful Dead) or liked the dumplings, or both, so it was a good start. We ran out of certain things (sauce), were unprepared for certain situations (to-go bags), and believe it or not, sold out of certain items. The cider was a bit of a bust, but we figured what we didn't sell, we could drink, because we are big cider fans, as long as it's not filled with garbage like pesticides and preservatives, which is how our cider (Champlain Orchards) is. It's local, as well.

One major thing we really screwed up on was planning food and water for the workers, meaning us. We were thirsty the whole time and plowed through all of our water and started in on the cider, since nobody else was drinking it. Next time, we'll also pick up food for ourselves, like a big fat juicy killer Boloco burrito. Live and learn.

By the time 5:30 rolled around, we were winding down, and R&A had to go, leaving the men (one real-man in training) to hold down the fort. All we had left were apple, and I started to just give them away, which may have been a mistake, but it was late, and we were tired and on our own. Besides, it was only about 10 dumplings... I think.

The drag of working a market is that when you break everything down and head home, the work is not over. We had to clean out all the pots and equipment, and because it was covered in grease, I did it outside in the driveway, which made me fodder for the mosquitoes, which were out in full force. We were exhausted and could have waited until morning, but that meant putting off the inevitable suffering, and it was better to do it then and there. It reminded me of parenting, no matter how exhausted you are or how badly you want to whine, you just have to deal with it, because it's there.

Oh, and of course, I had to pick up A from her rehearsal at 8:30. The fun never stops.

So we learned a lot, and will take that knowledge into the next market, I hope. You either learn the hard lessons or perish by them. I think next time we'll be better prepared, but are sure to make more mistakes along the way. The next markets will be easier as the show and t-ball come to a close in the next week or two.

Until then, thanks for reading, and thanks to roberto tostes for the pic.

Showtime and The Grateful Dumpling

Today is quite the momentous occasion in that it marks the first day of the Grateful Dumpling, our first family foray into the crazy world of retail sales. Heaven help us. We are making a go of selling meat, veggie, and apple dumplings that are as locally derived as possible. We are using local meat, apples, tofu, and eventually veggies, but due to the timing of our endeavor, couldn't get too much local produce. We'll have to work on that one. Just wanted to mention that R made the sign and as usual, she did a fabulous job.

Today is also the first day of the Farmer's Market and we are just figuring out all the things we need to do. Talk about going down to the wire. I spoke with the Hanover FM director yesterday for the first time, she was a little peeved I hadn't called her back sooner, and we hashed out some details. I think she was a little concerned that we hadn't spoken sooner, but by the end of the conversation, she said it seemed that we'd done all of this before, which I took as a compliment. A reach, I know, but you have to grab it when you can.

As of yesterday, we hadn't even obtained several things we needed for the market, including a tent, chafing dishes (I didn't even know what they were), Sterno, and a stove. The stove thing is complicated. We were told by the Vermont crew that we weren't allowed to cook at the market. No change in temp was the mantra, so we had to bring and serve food at the same temp. In other words, we couldn't bring cold food and cook it, and we couldn't bring hot food and let it get cold. I know how ridiculous this sounds, but those are the rules, so we figured we'd cook the food at home and keep it hot until the market, whereby we'd put them in chafing dishes and keep the warm. Not the best idea. We had originally planned on cooking the frozen dumplings on site, but now we had to change plans.

WELL, after speaking the NH folks, they said it was ridiculous to try to keep them hot, and to just cook them on site. We had to scramble to change our plans, which meant we needed a propane stove and propane to cook them. Also, we hadn't tested this approach since we assumed we weren't going to employ it. Why didn't we investigate this sooner?

We ordered a tent, but won't get it for about a week, at least, so we managed to finagle one from our friend, and didn't pick it up until yesterday afternoon. Also, we didn't know where to get chafing dishes until yesterday, and managed to borrow those, as well. They can be pretty pricey, and we don't want to plunge into an investment in something we're not sure is a long term deal. That, and the fact that I'm incredibly cheap. Anyway, I made a few calls and found them in some unlikely places.

In fact, I asked my neighbors, B&KJ, if they knew of them, and sure enough, they had some and were willing to let us borrow them. For the record, they are the nicest people I've ever met, and are always willing to help us out if we need it. I jumped at the opportunity, being cheap and all, and learned a thing or two about chafing dishes (why the heck are they called that?). KJ had the disposable kind, which is perfect for us. I don't want to borrow them for too long and will get some of our own soon enough, especially if they make a economical, disposable version. He also wanted to give us all of his Sterno, but I told him that wouldn't be necessary and I would get some. Little did I know what was in store for me.

Now that we had chafing dishes, we now needed Sterno. I mistakenly believed that Sterno was a camping thing, when in fact, it's nothing of the sort. Consequently, that stuff is not that easy to find. Sure, you can go to Wally World (as my Mentor would say) and find it, but that's a bit of a trek, so I tried to find it closer by, with no luck. I finally found it at the NE Kitchen Depot, and even then, the guys working there didn't know what Sterno was. It's called something else, but it was obvious they had no idea what I was referring to. What century were you born in?

We did catch a small break. Because of the weather, t-ball was canceled, so though N was a little bummed, it was one less place to be, although A still had rehearsal for her show, which was going to be late.

As for the market, there were legal hurdles to attend to. In an effort to protect the consumer, NH and VT have strict guidelines regarding the sale of food, rightfully so, though this makes our lives more complicated. Since they are separate states, their rules are not identical. And since we are total losers, we didn't learn about the rules until the zero hour. Fortunately, since we are selling at a FM, there is some flexibility, but not a lot. We have to answer to a higher power. This wouldn't be so bad if we had planned a little earlier and been ready, but since I didn't talk to the NH people until yesterday, we had to scramble, but nothing insurmountable. I think things are in working order, but who cares what I think?

The guy who is supposed to make our t-shirts if flaking out, but we can't blame him, he's a busy guy, and our order is a small one. Even still, it would have been nice to have our tied-eyes for the sale. You just can't have it all. We are promoting the healthy local thing, as well as the eco-friendly approach. This means our containers are from recycled material and are compostable, and at some point we'd like to give back to the community, but one thing at a time here. For the record, being local and eco-friendly are not the cost-effective approach, which as most of you know, goes against my nature, but sometimes you have to get your priorities, straight, especially if you want to save the planet.

I think there will be music, but I'll bring my CD player and Dead CDs, just for effect. There is no electricity, but I'll bring my jump box and plug in until the thing runs out of juice. Speaking of juice, we were told yesterday that there were too many lemonade vendors, so we had to switch gears once again and now we're selling local apple cider. Again, not the economical approach, but much cooler.

Today I have to load up the truck, get to the market early and set up, and then start cooking. We have no idea how many of these things we'll sell, or for that matter, how many to bring. Cooking them on site is a better way to go because that way there is less waste, though cooking on site can be stressful when you have a queue that reaches all the way to Harvard.

Either way, this should be interesting. Regardless of what happens, I can assure you that this will be an adventure, filled with learning experiences, both good and bad.

Until then, thanks for reading.

T-Ball Dilemma and Being Head Beagle (sort of)

I realize that with leadership comes responsibility, but this may be going a bit too far. It reminds me of when Snoopy became Head Beagle and came to hate it because of the ugly responsibilities. Anyway, it has come to our attention, more than half-way through the season, that a few of the families on our t-ball team have not paid their registration. They have in effect slipped through the cracks, avoiding the $25 fee. Not that we would condone this, but what's the big deal of a few dollars?

Well, it's complicated by the fact that there were a set number of hats and jerseys, which we felt short on, and now there are kids who have in fact paid the registration but don't have hats and jerseys. We were asked to identify the offenders and get those back.

Fat chance. I can't imagine telling a kid he's got to return his jersey, much less tell him he can't play. The question is, what to do? Some of these might not in fact have the $$ to pay. Personally, I'd like to employ my standard MO and ignore it until it goes away, or at least until the season ends, but that doesn't always work. We'll see what happens next.

For the record, it ain't easy being Head Beagle, and I'm only the assistant.

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to shan dun for the pic.