Bonus week.

We got an extra week of retail summer this year. Even though I'm going to be closed 4 Sundays this month, from this point forward, I need do only the same per day average as last year the rest of the way to match last year's sales. For the first ten days of this month, I've been able to match July and August sales.

I don't expect this to continue.

The late Labor Day, and the (mostly) good weather have kept the good times rolling.

We closed Linda's store the last three hours yesterday, and it will be closed today, with a sign, "Family Emergency." (When I had a panicked friend come into my store, I amended the sign, "Linda and Duncan are fine...") Linda is still in S.F. ironing out her sister's difficulties, and Kent couldn't work. But even with a short day, he did one and half times a normal days business.

I don't normally express this sentiment, but I am thankful for the good business that both stores have done, because I know just how bad it could've been. I'll know by the end of today what I've spent for September, which gives me a sales goal to work toward. It's amazing how often I hit my goals, and I think it's because I'm trying. I'm hoping to make an extra profit even in the slow months.

I keep saying 'extra' profit, but it's not really that. We have plenty of taxes and bills to pay, so it ain't really 'extra.' Still, it's better than we've done in the past.

The Point of Sale computer is sitting on my counter and has become -- for the time being -- a very expensive net browser and computer. It'll still happen, just not right away.

I'm going to redo my subscription list on my home computer this Sunday (one of those put-off tasks that needs to be done.) I LIKE my system, and it works, and I DON'T like the POS subscriber system, so I'm going to do it my way. I still want the POS to keep track of sales and inventory, however, which after all is it's main purpose.

I'm also going to continue to do my pre-orders and re-orders the old way, at least for the time being.

The POS will still pay for itself with the inventory control -- but I'm so close to the end of the year, I'm thinking I might as well make it my year-end inventory count.

The biggest danger is I lose my contractual 'help' from Diamond; it is already almost timed out, but the adviser said he'd give me more time. And then Linda left town for two weeks, and there is no way I can get the inventory done without her.

Still, the potential is all still locked into the hardware and software, even if it isn't being used. I think I have enough friends and customers who are computer savvy that I can figure it out when the time comes.

I figure if I ever want to sell the store, way, way down the road, it would be almost essential that I have POS in place. I have the inventory in my head, but anybody else would have a harder time of it.

I still like paper and pencil, but I must bend to the future.

And my experience with online ordering has been so beneficial that I know further progress is needed. Hell, I think this blogging has been helpful. So I'm not dismissing progress, despite my luddite instincts.

But I am taking a vacation from progress.