Okay, so now it's the next day, in the early morning, and I feel much better. Those long dark evenings get me down. I think I might go out and see movies often this winter. Usually I go to a movie theatre about once every four or five months--it's always fun, though. I'd like to see Hamlet 2, it looks absurd. And Vicky Christine Barcelona, for the glimpses of Gaudi of course (see entry below).

The market I usually sell at on Sundays got rained out last Sunday so I stayed home and had a day off! I did taxes all day, a task I'd been putting off since February. (yep that's the best way to spend a day off). Actually I got a start on it in Feb but it looked so discouraging that shoved all the papers onto a shelf and pretended they weren't there for six months. Once I got into it again, it was kind of fun, in a taking-care-of-business kind of way, and I was definitely helped along by Mike's deciding to make some doughnuts about five feet from my head--deep fried sugary cinnamony goodness! They were perfect--he used a glass to cut them out of the batter and a shot glass to cut out the holes. Fresh warm homemade doughnuts + completing taxes + rainy sunday = contentment. Too bad no money was coming in though, Sundays are usually some nice cash. But then I got an email from Etsy that I'd sold 300.00 worth of stuff to a new customer, woo hoo!

In adding up my gross business income for the year, I realized that I'd exceeded the gst limit of 30,000.00 in total worldwide sales. That's a Canadian tax known as the "goods and services tax", implemented about 7 years ago I think. It's a "temporary" tax, we were told, but it's still hanging around. It has dropped from 7 percent to five percent, so we're supposed to feel like that's nice of them to give us a break???!!!

Several panicky moments ensued when I thought I was going to have to come up with five percent of my gross sales, which would be, um....1500.00. But then I did some googling and it only applies to sales to people in Canada, which (sadly) are really minimal. Furthermore, the random disreputable internet source said, I could reclaim all the gst I spent on business-related goods and services. That was going to add up to almost 800.00, hooray! So I tried to register for the gst number on the government website and it was broken (the website). I think it's so strange that the more institutional the website, the worse it is. There was an area on the form that said "would you like a copy of this sent to your email address?" and beside that a tickbox that said "I do not have an email address". Who the hell doesn't have an email address? Especially someone registering busines things online.

Also, there were buttons floating ove top of text so you couldn't read/do anything. So I called the Revenue Agency and chatted with a very cold, robotic woman who informed me that the address they had for me was from two houses and three years ago, they didn't have my Social Insurance Number and the business number they had for me was wrong. Holy crap. So I got the application all taken care of, and then she told me I was going to have to pay the gst owing from when I first hit 30,000.00, but I didn't get a cent of that gst I spent back from my purchases. NIIICE. Actually, though, I don't believe her. She sounded like an asshole. So I'm going back to my disreputable internet sources to find out the real truth.

I've taken on a bunch of wholesale orders, because my online sales have slowed to a trickle right now, and the stores are asking for stuff. It's such a balancing act, saying yes to orders and trying not to overextend myself, but still bring in as much money as possible. And it's only half the money that I normally get for selling the stuff myself, so that's a bit hard to accept. But then I do save time not having to individually package things up and all, not to mention the work of taking photos and listing stuff.

Of course, I am overextending myself, but just moderately. My garden is flourishing (not dried out and dying, like other years), so that's a good sign. I was thinking of posting pictures of my banana plant (growing in the ground, and about 6 feet tall), but I haven't gotten around to taking them. My social life consists of friendly banter with the post office lady, but whatever...I remain ever conscious that I'm growing something good and these are the bust-ass years. Plus, I am confident that when people can see and touch the bonspiel things, they will buy them, then come to my etsy shop and buy more!

If you're in Nelson, BC, check out Global Underground. In St. John's, newfoundland, Twisted Sisters will have a large selection of my tees and wallets in about a week. Fiddleheads Salon in Homer, Alaska has a small but entertaining selection of Bonspiel goods. And there's a top secret store somewhere in Australia opening soon...

This is not the most exciting blog entry, but that's my life right about now...working. And a bit of light reading, watching tv now and then, and once a week going to my state of the art modified weight machine workout (yep I have a personal trainer!). I'll write about that next time--it's radically different from most workout approaches.

I'm in the midst of market season, and even though I only do one a week (on Government street in Victoria, BC Canada on Sundays) it's a real focus and a helluva lot of work. I'm still rocking the build-it-yourself geodesic cupcake dome (see the blog archives for pix, link at top of this page). But I'm starting to feel that it's time to purchase a "real" tent. I lose a lot of space with my pentagonal footprint and slanty walls, and although some astute people think the space is really beautiful and get quite excited about it, others are baffled by a triangular shaped entrance and actually get kind of scared and shy. Then there's the matter of hand-screwing the frame together each sunday, 50 wingnuts each time. I think I'll use the cupcake until the end of this market season, and start fresh next summer with a real market tent.

For fall, I'm thinking of making leather aviatrix hats, lined in something soft, not sure what yet, maybe sheep fleece? for ladies. I made some for Blythe dolls last winter and they went over well so I think some human sized ones would be fun. I'm also bringing back the English Riding Hoodie, in corduroy in a variety of subtle colors that I dye myself. The first ones are kind of ashes of lilac, they should be in my etsy shop by next Monday. I'm also going to make some laptop bags, but I'm still working out the details on those. And there will be some sort of new skirt too. I'll be putting my summer clothing items on sale in my etsy shop after next weekend; you heard it here first!

Outside of making things, I've had a few amusements lately--going to see a documentary on Gaudi the other night at my local university theatre with my friend Julie and being shushed vociferously by a white-haired gentleman at the first notes of the intro theme song--then being asked to turn my music down "so I can't hear it" by another white haired dude (with a yardful of screaming grandchildren) behind my fence today--I'm pretty sure it's the same guy--who then proceeded to leaf-blow his whole yard! It was, incidentally, the one and only time I played music in my yard and it was XTC--a band from the '80's with their whimsical summer album "skylarking"--not exactly what I would consider offensive music. But, when you are leaf blowing, I guess you don't want to be disturbed by the thought of somebody playing music in the next yard over that you can't even hear. GRRRRRRR.

My yard is a treacherous place, with nectar-mad hummingbirds on the attack (note to self--don't wear red and sit on the porch during mating season) and a very bold squirrel leaping right onto the porch in front of me, twice.

Well, it's time to go burn some flesh on the BBQ, two of my favorite guys in the world are back with the provisions. Cheerio!