Rare, Collectible, & Otherwise

Tag: Irish (Page 111 of 112)

Reading in the bookstore?

Any number of people have told me how they’d love to have a bookstore – or work in one – because they love to read.

Here’s a bit o’ unsolicited advice: If you love to read, find a position as a night security officer or toll-booth change attendant. The only reading I’ve been able to squeeze in is my dose of news in the morning, courtesy of the screen on the computer.

Maybe if the business was in its twentieth year of operation, with every imaginable system fully implemented and every book in its proper place, there might be time to dip into a chapter now and then.

The bathrooms got scrubbed on my day off. The floor out front needed it, too. Dishes and cooking utensils were washed Monday morning, part of the prepping to get the Bistro operation lined out.

As an added feature in the new location, there is a conference table at the back of the store to accommodate out-of-office meetings and such. I sat down in one of the chairs and it wobbled like Jello. They’re pretty new chairs, but needed tightening up. An Allen wrench and twenty minutes later, the nearly dozen wooden chairs are secured and stable.

Now it’s nearly mid-afternoon.

There are two bags of books on the table in front of me that require checking in. I just finished creating a new Special Order form to replace the one that must have been lost in the harddrive crash and recovery.

Science and technology books are sideways on the shelves, waiting to be organized, along with several other subsections. The kids books are a disaster awaiting a presidential declaration.

I could list all the things on the to-do list, but I just don’t have the time to do that right now.

At least I can cross – Update the Website – off the list.

Moving day: Virtual men and a truck.

Back in the day – and fortunately I have survived so long as to be able to relate this – it was a simple matter to change locations. Move the stuff and the sign, and when the bank checks run out, order new ones with the correct street number.

Voila.

Oh, sure. There are a few minor and obvious details – like changing the mail delivery address and the utilities. Pretty straightforward modifications.

In this age of the internet those alterations just aren’t enough.

This morning, the phone rang with a question about THIS LAND, a Tulsa-based newspaper that was described to me as a local literary publication. The caller wanted to purchase a copy and was asking how to find the store.

It was clear she was looking at an internet map as she asked for details about the exact location.

When she hung up, I set aside a copy for her, as requested, and ventured onto the internet to find out whether the mapping services can be updated. Sure enough, I found that Google was displaying the old location. After logging in (thankfully the browser knew my password, for I certainly didn’t remember it), I was able to update several items associated with the store, include the hours of business – which were listed as from midnight to midnight.

Talk about a long day. I’m not quite ready yet for QuikTrip’s workday.

Now, I am wondering how many other websites dedicated to directions and information are still listing the old address.

Taking down the weathered wooden storefront sign and tacking it up to the new building just doesn’t cover it any longer.

I require a digital nail and hammer.

Busy weekend, but back to work.

It was certainly nothing fancy. A little braized beef tips with onions and peppers over egg noodles, with some veggies and bread on the side.

Nothing fancy, but it was from the heart before it came out of the kitchen.

Mother’s Day 2012.

I’m fortunate to have been able to prepare a little something for my mother, my sister, and my wife – on the occasion of that busy dining-out holiday. We four constituted the entire crowd at McHuston’s on Sunday, which is just as well. Except for a small ‘to-go’ box, everything that was cooked was gone.

As a test run for the Irish Bistro, I discovered a couple of things right off the bat. The kitchen performs just fine – particularly that three-compartment sink where Fab and I washed up the dishes and pots afterwards. Wash, Rinse, Sanitize.

Another lesson: it is a rather long walk from the kitchen in the back to the tables in the front of the store. Not really important unless you’re trying to manage a tray of drinking glasses filled close enough to the top to be worrisome. No spills though, thank goodness.

The delivery is scheduled for later this week to install more of the kitchen equipment, which will bring us a little closer to being able to offer lunchtime fare. Nothing is finalized, but I’m still hoping to have a fairly diverse menu with offerings such as Irish Stew, Shepherd’s Pie, Potato Soup, and a sandwich or two as regular items. Maybe a soup o’ the day mixed in, and a couple of plated dishes as well. I’m working on an Irish slow roast somewhat similar to what was whipped up for Mom’s Day, and a couple of others that are rattling around in the idea phase.

I’m also pleased to report that the Rooster Days weekend worked out remarkably better than at our former location. Once the parade was over, it turned into a regular day of business, with considerable more traffic than the typical Saturday. Except for the first couple of years, Rooster Days marked a rare weekend off, since the parking lot spaces were sold by the landlord and store customers were effectively barricaded from entry.

Between Roosters and Moms it made for an eventful weekend.

Almost a relief to have Monday roll back around…

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