State of the valis union

[valis2]

My goodness, I certainly missed an enormous kerfluffle. Just to let you all know, I'm staying on LJ, until it seems that the vast majority of fen have moved elsewhere.

The show was quite crazy, hectic, and busy. I ran around like an insane person and had little time to purchase anything at the show itself, which is probably a good thing. I did hang out with the phenomenal barda, hooray! Plus I ate yummy Japanese food three days in a row.

I returned to find that the state of Ohio is all Shouty McRanty because I haven't filed a tax return for the 06 sales taxes. Only I so totally did. So now I get to deal with the tremendous joy of calling and trying to get this cleared up, because I do not want to pay $700+ in their meeny penalty fees.

Also, I am more broke than ever. None more broke. Srsly. This will be the tightest month financially that I have had in years. Why? Because I have run out of quality things for eBay, so I purchased another big lot of closeouts, which happened to equal exactly what I made at the show. *sigh* And all the bills sitting on my table have increased, because I just haven't had the extra money to pay off the charges from the Giant Trip of Doom because I paid off a different, enormous debt. (At least I am feeling quite terrifically thrilled with myself for paying off the enormous debt!) So this will be the Month of Extended Whining (i.e., no difference from any other month). Thank goodness I have lots of new and improved finery for eBay. I am just crossing my fingers that eBay users haven't forgotten me. Now if I can only get TurboLister to work again...

I have also committed myself to another trip. This one is in August, to Las Vegas. I'm really crossing my fingers about it. I will (hopefully) be joined by subrosax, and we will together retail our brains out for a weekend. I plan on stopping at Santa Fe as well, if possible.

So even though July is a relatively home-based month, August is INSANE and I will probably not be home for a single day of it. Damn.

I missed you all!

Comments

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

This is the money from hell month from me too. I have to pay for PR, and I'm going to North Carolina tomorrow, plus I just got the ER bill from when I sprained my foot, which is ridiculously expensive, of course.

In other news, good to have you back!

[valis2.livejournal.com]

*hugs* I'm glad to be home, so very glad. Then again, when I look at the pile of bills I wish I could escape again! *laughs*

Have fun in NC!

Sorry to hear it....

[aurora-greyeyes.livejournal.com]

I understand I have been holding back on all purchases due to the lingering unknowing about Grad school. Did I get in? will I at least get a Troll letter of rejection? BTW what is the next HP event?

Aurora Greyeyes

Re: Sorry to hear it....

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Oh, the grad school tension can be awful, I'm certain! Good luck in that.

I'm all signed up for Prophecy, will be rooming with the lovely Julian again. It's in Toronto, first week of August.

Other than that, I'm still trying to decide if I want to go to another con after that. I might be all conned out!

[sylvadin.livejournal.com]

*Hugs* dearie. You have my deepest sympathies about the 'broke' month situation. Been there, done that, am currently in the same boat myself. The last two shows I did are normally good, dependable moneymakers. Except...this year, at the first show, I arrived on site just in time to contract food poisoning - one cannot make sales while living in a porta-potty (insert hysterical laugh here). At the second show, my very first Credit Card sale of the weekend saw my lovely electronic credit card machine decide to shortcircuit its brains out - so goodbye all those impulse-purchase cloak sales, expecially with no ATM on site...

Are we having fun yet? And people talk about how wonderful it must be to earn one's living as an arts-n-craft merchant. If they only knew the realities...LOL!

May August be a better month! May your eBay customers act like greedy little sharks who all try to outbid each other! And if you feel the urge to share your merchant Whine, I will gladly get out the good glasses, the gourmet crackers, some premium chocolates (for medicinal purposes *g*), and we can have a mutual 'why are we doing this to ourselves and btw what shows do you have blocked for the rest of the year' bitch session.

Hang in there. *Hugs*

[valis2.livejournal.com]

OMG, NO CREDIT CARD MACHINE?!! With your business, that is crippling. Oh, honey, I'm so sorry! What a total nightmare.

And people talk about how wonderful it must be to earn one's living as an arts-n-craft merchant.

Oh yeah. I'm about sick to death of that particular observation, let me tell you. It's right up there with "So do you make all this yourself?" and "Where do you get your materials?" Ugh.

I mean, we as artists never really count on a show to make money, but we pretty much have a guarded hope that it will; I know that I calculate some of my projected income for the year by multiplying how many shows I have by the lowest possible monetary amount I think I'll take in. So even though there is that element of chance involved that could totally screw you (re: show being canceled, last minute windstorm, fifty-foot long anaconda eating the promoter), we always hope that it won't happen.

I am totally up for sharing some merchant whine. If I can find some time in between the mountain of laundry, the insane show scheduling, paying the bills, and preparing for next week's (admittedly) small show, I will give you a call and we can definitely break out the horror stories.

*giant hugs* I hope the rest of the season is fantastic, hon.

[catsintheattic.livejournal.com]

You're back! *squees*

Welcome! *big hug*

I'm running so many courses these days that I'm not able to form any more coherent words to the rest of your post, so let me just tell you again that I'm glad to see your pretty lion back on my f-list. *sends catsmooches*

[valis2.livejournal.com]

*lionsmooches*

It's lovely to see you! I'm so glad not to be forgotten, hooray!

*hugs*

[lady-branwyn.livejournal.com]

Yay! You are back!
I admit that, during the Strikethrough kerfluffle, I did think, "Why does it seem that every time Valis goes away, the Internet blows up?"

[valis2.livejournal.com]

haha!! It's part of my eebil plan, you see! *laughs maniacally*