Tie-Tie

I swear to god, this past week was six months long. I feel like I've been going nonstop for days... and days... and days. Make that years -- just over 1 1/2 to be exact...

... and I'm tired.

I spent the week flipping the space for the next show in the gallery -- two days of packing up art, spackeling walls, painting the gallery, two days hanging the new stuff... seven days of running errands when I'm not at the shop, which is really tough to do when you have to be in one place from 10am-9pm. Lots to do... and I got it done. Not only that, but I got it done WELL. The shop/gallery looks gorgeous...

Last night, my good friend Wanda Ewing's exhibit opened at Pulp... and it is an *amazing* show. I'm not just saying that because I love her --- the work is great. The opening was jam packed from 7pm til 10:45pm -- tons and tons of people. Went through four cases of wine... the conversations were wonderful... Wanda had a blast... it was a pretty perfect night.

Til it ended, and I did the drawer for the day -- and realized that I made less than I do on a normal Friday... when a fraction of people come through the space. I didn't make enough to pay for the postcards for the show... let alone the wine ---- or um, rent for next month.

Opening nights usually put a HUGE dent in the rent -- but since I've moved downtown, that's just not happening, because sales on these nights have stayed about the same as they were in Benson. But my expenses are almost twice as high. People are still coming, but they're not really buying artwork, or books, or cards or -- anything. Just drinking... a lot. Perhaps the recession has finally caught up with folks here in Omaha?

I don't know.

What I do know is that rent is due super soon, and I have to hustle (hustle = the process by which I somehow manage to [beg, borrow, will into being] come up with an insane amount of money each month when there's nothing in the bank) my ass off to get it together. Again....

... and I'm tired.

People keep telling me how much they love the shop, what I'm doing with the gallery -- how great this all is for the arts, the community. But for the first time since I opened Pulp, I find myself spending more and more time wondering just how good all of this is for me. And in the middle of the night, when I can't sleep because I'm thinking about the hustlin' I have to do, not to get ahead -- oh no, it's not about getting ahead anymore -- it's about hangin' on -- I'm realizing that it's not very good for me, at all.

There's more to say about that.... but I don't feel like sayin' it. Not tonight...

Tonight, I'm closing up in a bit, going to Buvette for a good supper, some laughs and (several) glasses of wine.

Tonight, I'm looking forward to getting home at 1am and watching the LAST EPISODE of Battlestar Galactica with Tim, despite the fact that I'll barely be able to keep my eyes open.

Tonight -- I'm not thinking about the hustle. Instead, I'm gonna think about my road trip with Tim tomorrow. We're waking up early and heading to Des Moines for the Iowa State Fair (hooray!) --- and I cannot wait to visit THE BUTTER COW, eat a funnel cake and various foods on sticks and look at prize winning pies!

I'm giving myself a (well deserved, if I must say so myself) two day vacay. .... the hustle, and all the hell that comes with it, can just wait til Tuesday...

Because I'm tired, folks. So, so tired.