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Tag: Bookstore (Page 108 of 117)

And those books go where?

April 26, 2012 / / 0 Comments

So many projects to tackle and complete! I’ve managed a lot of tackling, but not so much completing… Here’s the late April update:

There are still a few more boxes with books to be unpacked and shelved. The majority are in place – although not necessarily the correct one. From the front counter I can spot piles of books stashed in the General Vicinity section, to be moved to the Right Spot later.

About a third of the shelves are sporting tags that indicate what books are in that section. I hope to be forgiven for hand-lettering the signs, but the little printing machine ones have such an industrial appearance. Maybe the lettering will get finished this afternoon.

The images in today’s episode are to illustrate that I’ve actually gotten a couple of framed items on the walls. Three, actually. I’m hoping that they’ll also serve to dampen a little of the sound that continues to bounce around. There was a distinct echo in the building before I moved anything in, and the shelving itself did little to reduce the reverb effect. Adding the books has absorbed most of the reflected sound, but the front of the store can use a little extra baffling.

The Open sign is plugged in and flashing in the front window.

Not that anyone has missed the Grand Opening, or the ReOpening. That elusive date is the subject of most questions. When I was delivering boxes regularly though the day, the front door was locked during excursions to the storage unit. With most of the boxes inside the store, I’ve been spending more time among the shelves and have left the front door unlocked.

I’ve been pleased to see some regular customers (with a great thanks to the ladies at Hairs To Ya beauty salon next to the old location for letting people know where to find the new spot). Some books have been sold and traded. Some browsing has been accomplished. I hope you’ll come in soon to check it out!

As to the official opening, I figure it can’t be too Grand if I don’t even have the store name on the awning yet, or if the interior arranging is not yet finished. I was hoping to have every little thing in its place and then throw open the front door with a shout.

That hasn’t proven to be practical.

So, rather than keep folks out until such a time as I consider the place sufficiently completed, I’m going with the term I’ve heard used and invoking the Soft Opening privilege. That allows me to conduct some business while I’m still working out the details.

When the Tulsa Health Department inspectors came through this week for the final formal inspection of the on-premise kitchen facility, they agreed to the idea. When I have the rest of the supplies in, I’ll be able to fire up the coffee maker, and as soon as I get the commercial-grade refrigerator installed I can roll out the menu and serve up your soup.

For now, it’s back to the labeling and the wall work…

Getting to the point. Eventually.

March 26, 2012 / / 2 Comments

March is winding down and the store is still in the prep-stage. There remains a remote possibility that the grand re-opening will make an April 1 deadline, but it may take just a while longer to move all those boxes of books and get them resettled.

In the meantime, the work carries on assembling the shelves from the old store. More than 25 bookcases were pushed, pulled, dragged, and carried by my wife and me, from one of the storage units to the store on Sunday and were organized on Monday morning. The picture shows the line of cases from the front to the back of the store interior.

Monday afternoon – after bringing the shelves and supports from storage – the wall units were assembled along the south wall. They came apart a lot easier than they went back together. (I had taken the trouble to mark each shelf and matching support, but upon reassembly decided they were all constructed to match and disregarded my identifying marks. They don’t all match. Therein lies the difficulty.

At last, the wall is full of shelves from the bistro-tables-area in the front of the store leading to the back of the sales area. By Wednesday, the north wall shelving should be completed as well. There are a couple of interim projects between now and then.

The outside of the store is looking good and will look better once there is time enough to get the windows washed and cleaned. A little shelf on the front window bench will do nicely to display some new titles. (I’ve placed The Hunger Games in trade paper and a special boxed-edition copy on display, along with a boxed set of George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones, which I have not read, but have enjoyed on television.)

Once the shelves and cases were removed from the storage unit, I was able to see the boxes of books that were hidden behind. It’s a bit misleading to say they were hidden though – sort of like saying a tsunami snuck in. There are almost exactly a thousand boxes waiting to be unpacked, and when the last couple of bookcases were moved out of the way, stacks and stacks and stacks of boxes were revealed.

An imposing sight, to say the least.

It is exciting though, the idea of getting those books on the shelves and ready to go.

A Mid-February Building Report.

February 18, 2012 /

Maybe the updates should appear more frequently, the longer the building renovation continues. I don’t want anyone to lose faith!

In the picture, our space is down the street, on the left – just beyond the Main Street Tavern – where a black canopy is visible. Just above the back of that parked black vehicle. The awning used to be there with letters claiming Francy Law Firm. It is gone for the duration of the facade remodel. We’ll be between Gowns and More and Star Jewelers.

At the risk of repeating progress reports, here is the latest as of the second week of February:

The floor tiles, beautiful and durable with the appearance of natural wood, are nearly complete through the main retail area. The building features a long, long hallway and the installation extends most the way to the back. Looking at it, I’m reminded of the real wooden plank floors at Paddy’s Irish Restaurant, my enterprise in Tulsa of a decade ago.

When Mr. S commented that he preferred plank-type tiles over the other choices presented, my heart skipped a beat. I didn’t want to be the first in favor of the more expensive tiles the contractor offered. I believe they will give an Old World feel that will compliment the century-old pressed tin ceiling tiles that remain from the original building interior. The interior already reminds me of the Palace News, my grandfather’s business in Parsons, Kansas.

The kitchen is well on its way to completion, with more personal thanks due the building’s owner. The health department requirements are fairly stringent. I’m afraid I assumed those rules were common knowledge, but the renovation required changes more extensive than might have been originally contemplated. Again, Mr. S came through, and the result will be a sparkling kitchen with new ceiling, walls, plumbing, and flooring.

What is left from the original break-room kitchen, you ask? Nothing, mostly. It will be so new and shiny that I might be tempted to eat a meal right on the floor. The required dish and hand sinks are delivered and waiting installation.

Equipment for the new kitchen is being collected, and food warmers, a tea urn, a machine for brewing delicious coffee, and soup-special kettles are in hand, ready to be installed.

Walls have been primed and painted. Front glass and door installed. The building façade is still on the to-do list and will likely be among the last projects, but the most visible to those of us driving by.

The completely remodeled restrooms are being wall-tiled behind the wide and newly installed doors. The areas are compliant with disability-access regulations and big enough that I might have confused them with reading rooms.

When is the Grand Re-opening?

I still am better with predicting book sequels and publication dates than construction project endings. My eyes are telling me that it may be very soon, perhaps in the vicinity of weeks. Mr John, the contractor, told me it could February. He said that some months ago, but he is a professional, and his work is proof he is no amateur.

If it runs beyond the end of the month, I won’t be surprised, knowing full-well there is no way I could oversee completion of the project in that length of time. I learned my lesson in predicting the packing of the store inventory in the previous location. Sometimes, it just takes longer than anticipated.

Still, given his abilities and experience, I would not be surprised if Mr John brought it in to the finish line in the fifteen days or so remaining. I better get busy on my end!

Hope to see you soon!

McHuston

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