Return of the (Farmer's) Market Economy

Well, here I am attempting to write a blog post. In all honesty, the concept still feels weird, but that's because I've spent most of my life trying to keep people from knowing what goes on in my head. The one thing I learned in grade school was that nobody really wanted to hear what I had to say, and the lessons you learn at that age are hard to unlearn. Anyhoo, on the off-chance that someone really does give a huhu...

This is gonna be an interesting month for the Evil Empire. This Saturday marks the opening of the Farmer's Market for this summer. I've looked forward to it since the day the market closed last year, in part because of the fact that I made a fair amount of money selling my cookies but mostly because the market is one place where I can make my own success. I set up my booth, put my cookies on display, and proceed to have my kind of fun for the next four hours. It's work, of course, but it's also the most fun I've ever had while working. I'm sure my brother Dan can attest to the feeling that comes when people see something you made and appreciate it. He makes pens and does other woodworking on the side, I've never been able to figure out what his day job is, I think it's some random management thing. He and I have never been friends, but I can respect him for finding a way to keep his creative side and make a little money off of it.

That's one of the things that makes this 'weblogging' concept so weird. It's like writing a journal (something people of my upbringing were encouraged to do - which is why I rarely did it), but you know that the people you are writing about will probably see it at one point or another. They always said we should leave records for 'posterity', but with this format your posterity is looking over your shoulder as you write. Why should we give a hoot about our posterity anyway? I don't know my ancestors, and I don't give a hoot about them, so why would I expect my descendents to be any different. I don't owe them, and they don't owe me. Anyhoo, moving on...

As I was saying, the Farmer's Market starts this Saturday. It's gonna be a slow first week, because they're currently tearing up the street in front of our location, but I'm gonna go anyway. I've bought a lot of new things for my booth this year (new canopy, new table, signboard, etc), and I want to shake things down so I can have my act together and my groove working. And it's not like leftover cookies really go to waste in my family...

The week after that, one of my favorite nieces is getting married. Both of my favorite nieces are getting married this summer, but the other one's waiting til later in the season. I don't have a very large active role in the festivities, but I'll still have plenty to do. The foremost of my duties is helping Mom hang on to what sanity she has left without giving her the idea that I am hers to command. It's rarely an easy task, but I'm slowly getting the hang of it. At least the bride is relatively sane. She is planning what sounds like a swanky occasion, but she's doing most of the catering work herself and she's not prone to primadonnic fits either. My job will be to run the kitchen during the reception, which essentially means getting the food and drink organized and served in a timely fashion. I like to think I'm good at it, and if anyone disagrees then they're too afraid of getting bit by the rabid chef (a valid concern) to complain too loudly. Yeah, I'm tempermental (emphasis on mental), but I really hate sitting around social functions trying to pretend I like people. At least this way I have something to do that needs doing, I have a place I can retreat to, and I'm freeing up someone else to go enjoy the party. There's also the fact that chef coats look classy and you can wear whatever you please underneath.

Between getting ready for market and Kayleen's wedding, it's gonna be an interesting month. At least I've got my online games, my friends, and my writing to provide a little balance. I started writing a new story a couple weeks back, and so far the reader response has been overwhelmingly positive. Hopefully I can keep from getting uptight over it and keep writing for fun...

Anyhoo, thus are the thoughts of the Evil Overlord today. Aren't you thrilled? Save your yawns til you're outside, or I'll have my guards throw you in the dungeon...