It's Easter. I'm working. It's still pretty cold outside.

And...that's a wrap.

Or, it should be, because I don't have much to say. It's been a low-key weekend. Stevie has beaten me at Monopoly twice in two days, the little punk! When I ask for a re-match, he says no because "it's getting too easy". Mm hmm.

I'd say the weekend was "peaceful" if I didn't have a presentation looming, and have to come into the shop on a Sunday afternoon to prepare for it. One hour to sell a book mostly based on its superior technology, and none of its technology components are available. I'm diving into old presentations, creating one huge mishmash of ppt. slides, trying to decide which to keep, which (mostly duplicates) to delete, and which still need creating. And then wondering if I should scrap this tired old outline and start fresh. We all want to see new, cool, truly interesting ppt. presentations, and are rarely rewarded. That's because it takes a shitload of time to create them. It doesn't look as if I'll be doing the rewarding, either, but my laid-back persona and ability to connect on the fly might make up for it. Mm hmm.

This is what's coming up:

Today
Finish basic outline of presentation so I can polish it before I fly to NY next Sunday for the Monday presentation. Good possibility that I'll see Niagara Falls this time! Fly back Tuesday.

Also, finish a 1-page article about agritourism and the Regional Cuisines Project for a very small town's newsletter. I was asked to write it by the editor of the Hometown Daily News. Editing is the problem here--how can I shut up when there is so much happening?

Tomorrow
Get ready for 3 days in Kansas City this week at the SARE Conference--a national sustainable agriculture extravaganza featuring sessions on agritourism, bridging the gap between poverty and fresh, local food, bridging the gap between farmers and townies, all that stuff. Near and dear to my heart, and also to my tourism job. This place has so much potential for sustainable agritourism ventures. When I think of this place in 10 years, I see an unlikely-but-real green mecca, the kind of place bicyclists come to to buy smoothies made with local, organic black raspberries. I'm excited about this conference, but I need to get all my ducks in a row at the office and the shop before I go, because I'll only have two days at home before three days in NY.

Then, when I'm back from NY next Tuesday, I've got four days home before ANOTHER trip to NY for another presentation on the same book.

Meanwhile...
The chicks are getting too big for their box-plex, and are creating a tremendous amount of dust, most of which settles on our kitchen table. No doubt our lungs are filling with chicken fecal matter, and it's time to get the little darlings outside. There are nine of them and we were searching for names. I'm sure my fellow LOTR geeks can figure it out.

And...there are dozens of seedlings growing in the south-facing doors of our "craft area", and those will need to be dealt with, too. Sure, I need to re-pot. But what I really need to do is dig out some garden beds!

The work is adding up. Luckily, the business is rolling in at the shop. One day, no business, the next day-BAM! We've sold something nearly every day for the last two weeks. Kevin is suddenly busier than his "organization" "system" can keep up with. But I'm not complaining!

Back to my ppt.