Sunday, June 7, 2009

Stormy Weather or Economy Schmeconomy


The Thunders had a great time at Port Washington Pirate Festival http://www.portpiratefestival.com/. Katie made another friend, and so did we http://www.thedesignercomb.com/, we had friends from Illinois come visit, everyone was friendly, the weather Sunday was nice (although Saturday was cold and wet and windy), and for fair food, it was pretty decent. The hotel was very close and nice, but as it was a Holiday Inn, that is to be expected, breakfast with the pirates at NewPort Shores was fun http://www.foodspot.com/newportshores/ they had salmon on the breakfast buffet (yay salmon), and the festival staff were very helpful and only one incident of shoplifting that I heard about. OK, so that was the good. In grand NERO tradition, let me report on the bad and ugly as well.

The Bad - this one isn't bad really, but it could have been. Our rented tables were nabbed either by passers by or by other vendors that apparently needed tables more. The problem was solved, but with awkward tables, but tables nonetheless. I have named the organizer The Guy as I never did catch his name. The Guy found us some tables, and just in the nick of time, too. He also helped James cart one of the tables, a picnic table, to the tent where we were setting up. So, I had tables, The Guy was really nice and helped, so perhaps this should not be at the top of the bad list, but I'm going in no apparent order.

The weather stunk. Again. Each year, some weather phenomenon happens that makes the event stinky just a little, and this year it was cold wet and windy. Only the stoutest of pirates came because of that. Sunday's weather was great, though, but the only rush was after the pirate parade, and they seemed to walk through the vendor tent and not stop and look anywhere.

The cost of the hotel combined with the vendor fee for such a big show was really prohibitive for us, although we are going next year if they let us, it was a great time other than that.

Now for the ugly. Oh, the ugly - I think the battle cry of every vendor when the revolution comes is going to be "The Economy!". I didn't even cover the cost of the booth and hotel, let alone any other expenses that come with such a big venture. In my wildest dreams, I never thought I would make so little. I at least can hold my head up and say not only am I not alone in this, at both shows Ive been to there weren't much sales all the way around, but that I received gushing compliments from lots of folks. It's a small boost to my very wounded self confidence, but I'm not giving up yet. I just started, and I so want to see this through. I am really going to just have to hang in there and weather the storm.
Portraits Today and More http://www.portraitstodayandmore.com/index.html took fantastic pictures. It muyst be cold somewhere as I never intended to post pictures of myself, but here we are. James had just talked about a family picture, so done and done ;) I love it, which is wild as the camera and I have a mutual hate relationship ;)
Listening to( in my head anyway): Hoist the Colors, Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End

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