"Hello, Screwup, my old friend...

....I've come to talk with you again."

Came to work yesterday, and my internet service was offline. In removing the desk, and disconnecting the wires, the modem decided to give up the ghost. So I was without internet all day yesterday. I called my techie friend, Aaron, who came by that afternoon and decided that, indeed, the modem was the problem. We called Qwest, who is going to send us a new modem, free of charge, but not until Thursday or Friday.

So, thats.......Screwup #1.

When it came time to make the last bookcase, I took one look at the box and knew it would be broken. This has happened at least three times over the years with these bookcases, which are 6 ft. tall, and only flex so much. (When I hear that corporations are more efficient, this is one of those contradicting facts -- stupid wastage.)

Called Staples up, and they agreed to send another shelf, again by Thursday or Friday.

There it is.......Screwup #2.

Funny, when the screwups happened, I had the strangest reaction -- "Oh, THERE you are, Mr. Screwup. I KNEW you'd be coming along." I figure Screwups come in threes, so I'm expecting one more.. At least, I've taken the measure of them.

So as soon as the last bookcase shows up, and the modem is hooked up, I can finish the job.

I'll stock everything else between now and then. (Basically means I have to leave the bookcase that goes on top of the modem wires empty -- and of course, the bookcase yet to arrive.)

In the end, everything fit, and to my eyes, the store does looks cleaner and more streamlined -- as well as roomier. Weird how that happens. Subtraction by Addition.

There wasn't a centimeter to spare. Not one. But it all fit, which was extremely gratifying.

I've got a rough idea of how I'm going to stock the shelves -- the green shelves are going to look a little bare for awhile.

My usual strategy when I'm making significant structural changes is not to order any product while I'm doing it.

What does that mean?

I think it means that I don't just order product because it's stuff I think I can sell.

I order product to create a sense of "happening" as much as anything. To give the customers something new to look at. To make the case that I'm constantly evolving. That there will always be something surprising and new.

Makeovers do all of the above -- and also cost a bit of money. So, in a way, I'm just diverting the inventory budget into the infrastructure budget for a few weeks. I'm letting the structural changes make the case that I'm improving the store; that I'm committed to the store; that I'm a happenin' place.

I'll be out of touch for a few days, except in the morning and when I come home at night. It's already driving me nuts.