Tuesday, September 9, 2008

The excitement is building!

I'll be going on the road Thursday to the big bead warehouse. At times like this I find it hard to sleep - my mind spins out of control, thinking of all the beads to look for and the anticipation of all the beads I haven't met yet.
I'm particularly looking forward to this trip since it's been almost 6 months since the last one. In a typical year, I'll make this trip 3 or 4 times, but everyone in the Cedar Rapids area knows that this year has been anything but ordinary. (We moved the store, weathered the weather and all the economic pitfalls with that.)
So come Wednesday night, I'll pack all the essentials to make the trip go smooth. I carry a small bag with me of special items I've had before and are now eluding me - particularly the opaque brown czech rondelles - a step ladder, empty tubs and shower hooks, paper and pens, calculator, a cooler for beverages and chocolate - oh and Garmina (my smooth talking GPS) - but I hate it when she keeps repeating herself "Make a U-turn", "Make a U-turn!" "Make A U-Turn Idiot!"
Back to the trip - My heart does little flip flops when I get in the car to go. Then it settles down until we pull up to the warehouse. There is goes again....flip, flop, flip, flop! And when I step inside I can't even hear myself think! It's a real test of brain-power! I keep telling myself to stay focused! (and Cris too!)
There's Czech glass, stones, crystals, shells, silver, copper, and everything I dream about. No place is safe from me in the warehouse - that's the reason for the step ladder! If I see a box on the top of a shelf my curiosity can't be contained.
At the end of the day, I'm so elated with my new treasures that even when I pay the bill my serotonin is so high I float right through it.
Then the excitement doesn't stop there. All the way home I'll be dreaming of what's in my car trunk, and what we can do with it. When we arrive back in Cedar Rapids, unloading the trunk is another heart palpitation. And I re-live these moments when my friends and customers come shopping in the store. It's a great feeling when I share the excitement with everyone who comes into Bead Haven. I'm Vanna White and you're the next big winner!

1 comment:

Cristina Leonard said...

ROAD TRIP! ROAD TRIP! ROAD TRIP! YEA!!!!!