Lyric Notes Vol. 29

Sorry I haven't been updating the blog more, for some reason it seems really busy around here and I can't figure out why. Maybe it's that whole "opening" thing I mentioned last time. I also have someone helping me with the website and other tech related items, one of which is getting an easy way to send out mass emails without it sending half of them back.

I have a bunch of new pictures, but I'm debating on showing them, because first of all, they are now one week dated and the entire theater has changed since they were taken, and second because I think everyone should come and see for themselves, and third because I can't find my camera or the time to look for it. It's a tricky marketing ploy I learned...I think.

Another cool news item is that we were in the Coloradoan again, complete with wacky quotes from me and the same picture they used in October. I think it's a cool picture, I'm glad they could use it again. Seems like such a waste to go to all that trouble for one picture and only use it once. I think we also may be in the Ticket section next week as well because they came and took a couple new pictures, but we'll see.

On the construction front things seem to be wrapping up. We have a million things to touch up but all major projects are done. All we are waiting for to get our certificate of occupancy is the fire rated windows for the projection windows. So when ever those get delivered we should be good to go. We will be doing the last little touch ups this weekend and trying to get it so that Josh and I can spend all of next week setting up for our grand opening, so if anyone has a hour or two to waste this weekend, feel free to drop by and help out. Lots of paint touch ups, lots of cleaning, some base coving left and a ton of other 5 minute projects that Josh and I are having a hard time mustering up the motivation and the time to do.

On a lighter note, Bailey, my 4 year old, is having his first soccer game tomorrow and I'm going to skip out for an hour to go watch. I think it will be a good time. I watched a couple of these games recently with someone else's kid and it's a riot. I'm trying to predict whether Bailey will be one of the kids sitting in the middle of the field eating grass, or one of the kids huddled in a circle around the ball kicking furiously. He seems like one of the "kicking furiously" crowd, but he has his mood swings like everyone else. Or he might be the kid that sees a dog catching a Frisbee and runs off to go play with the dog. Either way, it will be fun.

Well, I have to go hang the speakers because the projection system is being installed today.

Lyric Notes Vol. 28

We are almost done. We are shooting for our Certificate Of Occupancy next Friday and going to have our grand opening on April 11th. Yes, I just gave a date...much to my chagrin. But now I have something to hold over our contractors head, which is always fun.

So, to all those that wanted to help, here is your chance. We are having an open invitation work-off on Saturday the 24th from 9 till we finish, to help us in the final push to get all this little stuff done. We have a lot of painting, touching up, caulking, cleaning, filling holes with putty, putting up rubber baseboard and of course help with the seats. We need people to help move, paint, fix, and set the chairs. So to anyone who is masochistic enough to allow us to boss you around, you are welcome.

Another important announcement is that Jack says "uh-oh" now and it's absolutely adorable....that's all on that one.

Hopefully there will be a big announcement in one of the papers about our opening, but if not, you heard it first here. Oh, and we are getting our sign soon, which is awesome.

Lyric Notes Vol.17

Well, we have already passed two of our projected opening dates, and are still a ways off. Good thing I didn't tell anyone what those projected opening dates were....hmmm....I really don't know what to write. I guess a lot has happened and is scheduled to happen, but I can' think of what any of it is. Um, thanks to Kelly and Julie we are almost done painting the outside. Now, talk about two dedicated people, Kelly and Julie are awesome. We sling all kinds of abusively terrible jobs at them and they still show up for more, of there own volition...with their children to help! Josh and I would honestly be in a big pickle if it weren't for them.

Hmm, what else...we painted the big theater. It's very red right now...very red...extremely red. I looked like I took out a whole village of hemophiliacs when I was done, and only got a few chemical burns on the soft tissue inside my lungs from the fumes. It's funny how gory I looked when I returned the paint sprayer and how little of a reaction I got from anyone. All in all, it went pretty well, and I now know a clever way to cover up a murder without cleaning up a drop of blood.

Oh, we also got the cafe flooring down, which looks stellar and was one of the biggest pains in the asses I've ever encountered. When some one tells you a certain flooring is easy because all you have to do is "clip" it together, run...run far and fast. It probably didn't help that we don't have a single right angle in the cafe and none of the walls are parallel, but still, tongue and groove is much easier. Another pain in the ass is the space ship I built this weekend in the projection room...they don't call them "rocket scientist" because they're dumb. That sentence sounds like a joke, but it isn't, I really did build a space ship in the projection room. I will take pictures and dedicate a whole blog to it sometime, it's a long story.

I am having the worst time concentrating this morning, maybe it's because it's Thursday and Josh and I have already put in 70 hours this week...but we all know that can't be the case, Josh and I are made of steel...no, titanium...NO, Animantium! NO, PLUTONIUM!!!! That's right, we are made of nuclear byproducts. Ok, the 8 year old inside me is starting to take over, I had better stop writing and pick up a few power tools.

Lyric Notes Vol. 26

So, just in case you didn't know we were kind of a big deal, here is two articles that came out last week that prove it. Next NC cover article and The Scene Magazine (second article down). We even have a video tour on the Next web page. And apparently I have a sardonic sense of humor, which I'm not sure what that means, but I'm sure it's just code for "I'm a genius". I do get the sneaking suspicion that if Josh and I were old people wouldn't care as much...at least about our back stories. But that's neither here nor there.

As promised here are some pictures of our progress.

Josh's feeble attempt at reaching the projection window...come on Josh, you can try harder than that. Put your back into it. OH! In case you didn't know, due to limitation in the space we have a very funky set up with the projector in the first cinema. We have to project out at an angle, so that's why the window is so long and the screen wall is canted. Here is a view out the projection window.Like I say, kind of funky, but I like to think it adds character, and an intuitive nature to come up with this clever solution.Here is the big theater, almost ready to clean and paint, but at the moment we are focusing on the cafe...which is spectacular, if I do say so myself

Aside from all the crap lying around, I think it looks pretty good, and the counter top is looking sweet, but I'm not going to show any pictures of that, you will just have to come see it in person. Believe me, it's worth a trip in and of itself.

We are currently finishing the cabinets behind the bar and flooring, then I think we will be done in the cafe and Josh and I can head into the big theater and finish that while the trim carpenters and the electricians finish the cafe. When all is said and done, we are hoping that all of this can be finished in three weeks....we hope...

Lyric Notes Vol. 25

Holy moly (is that how that's spelled?)! I look like hell! I've got bags under my eyes...this is bush, bush league. Josh and I are beat, but we are coming right along. We got the insurance, we are getting really close to being done with the cafe, and our funds are seriously diminishing now, which is a good sign...right? We have more pictures to show you, but I'm going to hold everyone in suspense because I'm that cruel...actually I don't have my camera with me so it will just have to wait.

I have to admit, this is a tough thing to keep up with, and when in the thick of it, I can't really tell how well we are doing. I think we have all the theater stuff lined up, we get our projectors and equipment today and all the distributors have been contacted and applied to...I think; We have most of our cafe equipment bought (minus the ice machine and POS system) and we are lined up with most of our accounts on that side as well...I think; We have all the licenses we need and all the codes have been checked and duly noted...I think; We have plenty of money to finish construction and keep us going for a while...I think; and everything is built to withstand a massive influx of ravenous filmgoers...I think. I'm not sure on any of this because I found my frontal lobe on the coffee table this morning and tried to put it back in, but wasn't entirely successful. But, when all is said and done, at least everyone will have to admit that I'm a damn good tiler.