Lessons Learned

Friday is my busiest day - which isn't saying much. My business is ramping up, but it's still pretty slow. It's been a very long ramp. Anyway, on Fridays I deliver my paper. I also felt inspired, I wanted to get some new places to distribute my paper. I aimed at three.

The day started well. I had some bananas in soy milk. I also made a concoction I'm kinda proud of - I found a coffee product that is surprisingly good. I've adopted the Pacific Northwest as my home, so I don't have/haven't found the Coffee Snob Gene. I'm more of a tea guy, if anything. I like the smell and taste of coffee, but not in large amounts. Bitter, over roasted coffee turns me right off. People say "French Roast" and I start looking for water, tea, coke - anything. Anyway, I found this Nescafe Suave stuff in the store. The label is in Spanish with English subtitles - how American! It's just instant coffee, but it's not as bitter. A big mug about half full of water in the nuker for three minutes, two spoons of this stuff, six packets of Splenda and fill the rest of the cup with Vanilla soy milk and you have a coffee drink I can get behind! It has a very nice caramel finish. Smells just incredible. It even looks pretty in the cup! It'll probably take me a year to get through the container, but not bad to stay on my diet and fill my odd, here and there coffee yearning. Certainly cheaper than a $5 (or more!) Soy Latte at some coffee place!

So, I had my bananas in milk and my cheapo latte, jumped in the shower and hit the road. I delivered here and there and then pulled into my first target: the Lakepointe Bar & Grill. It's a pub in Kenmore - that just recently started serving lunch - excellent. I walked in, walked up to the bar and caught the attention of the man behind the bar.

Barkeep: Can I help you?
Me: Yes, I'd like to distribute my newspaper here.
BK: Okay.
Me: Have you heard of the Coffee News®?
BK: Yup.
Me: (FIRST TIME this has happened! Everyone says "No") R-really? Can I put the stand up over there?
BK: Sure.
Me: Thanks!

I was so excited I totally forgot to ask the nice man's name. It was literally that easy. In December I was either being told the decision maker wasn't around and I could never get the decision maker or I was given the third degree - now people just don't mind. Sure, put it up right over there.

The next two new places were about as easy. Sure-right-over-there-thanks. Great. I got all three places I aimed to get and I ended the day with a grand total of 25 distribution points. Nice. The biz is doing well. It doesn't feel like I'm selling an empty bag anymore. Makes me happy.

As I got out at Pasion Tequila, the last restaurant I've added to my empire, I had that fuzzy & fragile feeling I get when my blood sugar is too low. Usually, I have some time when I get this feeling. I was nearly done, so I wasn't worried. I placed my new stand, got in the car and started driving. The fuzziness got worse - fast. Hmm … there was a Safeway up the street, I decided to stop in and get a snack, some Slimfast bars or something. I parked and walked in, the fuzziness getting worse. I decided on a small OJ, I hunted the store until I found some South Beach bars and I grabbed a large container of raisins. By the time I got in line, I could barely see straight. The lady at the counter was asking me questions and I was trying to talk and be polite and eventually I told her my blood sugar was crashing. She handed me the OJ and asked if I needed her to call anyone. She was nice, but I waived her off, telling her I was gonna go outside and eat the bars. I drunkenly walked to the car, drinking my OJ. I polished off two bars and the OJ and probably a cup of raisins. That wasn't fun!

So, lesson learned. The remainder of the bars are in the car and there they will stay. If I had gotten that fuzzy while driving, I'm not sure what would have happened. The next time I get that fuzzy feeling, I'm not going to wait - I'm going to eat something. That was scary and I don't want it to happen again. My Fridays are getting longer as I add more locations and it's a lot of activity; drive, get out of the car, walk, walk back, get back in the car, drive, wait in traffic, repeat 25 times. My goal is to have 50 distribution points, so this isn't going to get easier. This is the first week I've done this while dieting. I'm usually slurping on a full sugar soda after having a pile of fast-food. I'm going to start bringing a few snacks with me. I may even make it a Friday ritual to eat lunch at one of the restaurants I deliver my paper to - can't hurt, right? Just a salad or something, but some food none the less! Speaking of food, dinner is pictured there on the left - chicken breast stir-fried in olive oil with mushrooms and broccoli. (It needed ginger and soy - on my shopping list) That was a big bowl of food. I couldn't finish it. Snack for tomorrow!

All in all, a good day - even with a big bump in the middle. Now, if I can just make some sales ….