tis the season

I really enjoy Christmas music. I am constantly singing along with the satellite music. I know all the words so I pretend that I am on stage. I am really a frustrated singer/restauranteur. I originally wanted to open a restaurant and create my own menus and sing on a piano in the lounge area. I would only make comfort food that I loved. No fusion for me. And Iwould sing the classical songs from the 40's and 50's. That seemed like a gentler and more civilized era. I think about this most during the holidays as I do alot of cooking during this time. Hope that everyone has a happy holiday with family and friends. love, Debi and Max

Taking One For the Team

My American Eskimo dog,Max, has come to work with me every day for the past 6 years that he has been the family pet. He has been a blessing in so many ways. I drive 36 miles each way on congested expressways, and reaching out to pet him in the car has saved many a driver from being run down due to my increasing ROAD RAGE. Over the past 23 years the traffic has tripled and the construction has doubled.

Each and every work day, Max barks at Stuart the Mailman, Vito the neighborhood police officer, and Jason the UPS delivery person. It is the uniform, not the person that excites Max. These fine men never take offense, and get concerned when they don't receive their vocal greeting.

Recently, Officer Vito retired and has been replaced by Officer Leboy, who was similiarly greeted by Max. We got into a discussion about an attemped robbery that had transpired earlier in the day.

"That, Officer Leboy, is why I bring Max to the store everyday. There are many evenings I am leaving late, and I always let Max into the parking lot first. If I would hear him bark, I would immediately slam the door and call 911. I love Max unconditionally, but someday he might have to take one for the team."

Survival is a very strong instinct, don't you think?

Love, Debi and Max the Depot Dog

Kinds of stuff I sell in my store.

Photobucket Album

The Walls are Falling

When I first opened my store I was excited about the prospect of getting out of my drool spattered, oatmeal smeared motherhood outfits, and back into dresses and heels. Armed with shopping bags stuffed with great frocks from Marshall Fields, and a few new pairs of 4" heels, I was ready to dazzle the hords of customers that would flock through my Western Avenue store.
On one such adventures day I was dressed in an adorable black and red shirt waist dress, slightly above the knees with matching black pumps. A customer decided they wanted to see an out of season item that was perched on a ledge near the ceiling. I dragged out the ladder and daintily climbed up to fetch the product. In old Chicago buildings, the ceilings are 10-12 feet high so this was not an easy nor safe task. The customer did not buy....duhhhh
So I climb back up the ladder to put the item away, and the pegboard paneling falls forward. I am on the sixth rung of the ladder holding the fucking wall up . If I let go it will push me and the ladder over onto the display case. After about 10 minutes, sweat pouring out of every orifice, Harry the UPS delivery guy comes in the front door yelling,"Delivery Debi" I tell him I am holding up the wall and to get some help. He replies, "Delivery, Debi, sign here.": I now yell at Harry that I am holding up the goddamn wall and go get help. He gazes at me with this perplexed look and say "Does this mean you can't sign for the delivery? After screaming numerous expletives, Harry finally goes for help and the wall and I are rescued.
As you may guess, I do not wear dresses or heels to work any more.

And so it begins

My husband calls me the turtle...hard on the outside, soft on the inside. That is probably a pretty apt description of my relationships with the world. I opened my retail educational supply store as the culmination of many negative factors sucking the life out of me. My initial goal was to open a restaurant and make all the great food that I created during my role as a mother, wife, daughter, daugthter-in-law, sister, friend, committee member, etc. But the family discouraged that dream with tales of long nights and weekends away from the family.

But,there was a backup plan buzzing in my head.As a former high school teacher in the Chicago public school system, I knew a little about the educational market. and needs of teachers. My parents had a shit bum hotel in Oak Park, Il. (where I spent my teen summers doing maid work)so I knew how to do basic book keeping and clean like no bodies business I am possessed with organizational skills up the ying yang. With these basic talents, and by cashing in all my banking accounts, I stepped into the twilight zone of retail sales. I incorporated in September 1985 and began the process of demolition, construction, buying, logo, and all the stuff that goes into the planning and preparation of opening a business.