I am so sick of delays...

Today the plumbers came to do some work and Stan wasn't there to let them in so they stood around for three hours (at $350.00 per hour)... Stan says he wasn't told he was supposed to be there and his Aunt had a stroke so he is trying to deal with family stuff right now. I feel really bad for his family, but I am so sick of delays. We should have had inspections last week and we are still waiting for the plumbers to finish so the inspections can happen... and it doesn't look like it's happening this week either.

I just feel SO frustrated. I know they are angry I am not paying rent, but I don't think I should have to pay rent on a space that is functionally unable to be open for business for something that they should have fixed when the space was empty (for almost a year) that they did not disclose to me in the first place. It doesn't even seem like they are working on it at all either. It's kind of like a horrible nightmare between the insanity and the language barrier.

The worst part is it is setting up this horrible antagonistic dynamic that I hate. REALLY hate. I need these people on my side. We are basically married to one another for the next 3-5 years. We can have a horrible dysfunctional marriage or things can be nurturing and helpful. I just fear if I start paying rent, they will never fix it and I will be stuck there for the next 3 years living out my lease and unable to open because they are happy they are getting their $1500 a month and don't want to spend the money to fix the problems.

It has been such a miserable experience for everyone. Even the construction workers have commented on it. They are used to working on multi million dollar projects that have less problems and less issues with the landlords.

I guess you can look at it two different ways... that the trail of it is the bad juju out of the way and all the good stuff is yet to come, but after my past few years of issues in my hobby (the SCA) with no resolution, I am having a hard time ascribing to this. And I worry it is a cultural thing, they like to grouse about everything, and if there is nothing to grouse about they make something up (last time it was that the construction workers had let "caged critters" out on the roof and now the building was rife with "critters" that were getting in to the other businesses, I shit you not... the other day the accused the roofers of "peeing on the roof" and harassing passing women). I can't work that way. I am not interested in grousing about everything. I want solutions. I want a pleasant and fun working environment. I want collaboration and team work. This antagonism is miserable for me.

In more cheerful news I got my second real restaurant order today from Creek Monkey. It was smallish, but I am so low on product that was pretty merciful. Stein and I are in the process of building up again, but we'd planned to be in our kitchen by now so we are down to almost nothing.

I need to talk to Stein about us putting in some quick fire salumi (mortadella, murguez, jagerwurst, ham) so we have something to give to people in the interim. but we need to fill the orders we have in the queue now. 25 pounds of fresh sausage tomorrow (the organic Berbere Blackberry Catsup is done) for delivery on Thursday, plus the rest of the dry cure stuff, plus we have two more heads for Testa that need to go into wet cure. I am also totally ashamed to be out of pastrami. It is in the cure now, but as one of our signature dishes... I have to have it on hand all the time.

I have three regular wholesale clients now, with the expectation that T-rex will come online any time. I suspect that will be my limit until we get the restaurant open and see what our needs are. Stein will kill me if I take on much more restaurant business (and he is right to be concerned).

So I suppose I could see this as... my time to find my bearings and get comfortable with my restaurant clients needs unencumbered by the needs of the restaurant. I also have a steady stream of catering through October. I just need to take a deep breath and try to focus on the good things. The holiday catering season will start shortly after that. If the kitchen is at least licensed, I will offer seasonal delivery dinners and New Years Eve salumi platters etc.

I think I just don't have confidence that my landlords are ever going to take care of the stuff they need to take care of. I don't think it is malicious... it is just a really complicated process that takes focus and determination and not everyone has the ability to manage that type of process. If it were me, I would be ALL over it... like I am with most things... to just see this sort of... lackadaisical attitude like the stuff is going to fix itself is just killing me. I guess I can't expect everyone to be as excited about realizing my dream as I am...