Me again.

Maureen says:
Tom's still under the weather, so it's me again, at the helm of the blog. And, given that it's Sunday night and it's back to work for me tomorrow, I'm going to keep it simple and see if I can't take some portion of the evening for myself.

Goals accomplished this weekend:

• Selection of table top wares, which was a far easier process than I imagined or maybe we just got lucky. My aesthetic preferences aligned easily with criteria that, not being a chef, weren't on my mind, but were definitely on Tom's. Things like whether the design cuts too deep into the surface area, thus leaving only enough room for a presentation that works for one menu item instead of four. And how adding 2oz to your Pilsner glass makes certain cocktails appear sleek instead of squat.
  
• Dismantling the existing shelving behind the bar; sorting inventory and identifying items we won't be using, but would like to donate rather than sell; and general out-with-the-old to make room for the new (note to the women who stood outside the doors today, lamenting the loss of their much-loved source for pho: change is good and we, we're going to be way better than good--promise).
  
• Laptop optimization, services donated by my brilliant, generous and impossibly kind sister, elaine, who also pitched in with less exciting tasks like emptying menu sleeves and removing window decals. Her two cents about flatware selection? When buying for herself she avoids designs that lend themselves to collecting food particles that require another cleaning. Why create the opportunity for extra work, she says. Or the opportunity for it to be missed and land in front of a customer, I thought.

elaine (yes, the lowercase 'e' is on purpose), also took some photos for us today as I'd forgotten my own camera at the house. Above is a shot of our Coming Soon sign--not an easy one to capture well owing to the glare--and below, a photo of what I'll call the Good Karma Buddha. Tom teased the former owners about removing their altar from the space after the sale, so they got this one for us. I like him, although the dragon, who's supposed to be good too, kind of scares me (edited to add: must be a fear of success I have as Tom's just said that the owners told him the dragon brings wealth and power).