A fresh coat of paint

Time for an update!

I think that it was time for an update.  A new look, a fresh coat of paint.  Something still fun and still plain and easy to read without a lot of flashy graphics and things to detract from good and useful information.

 

This, and there were several issues with graphics being broken within the web site since converting to HTTPS, site-wide and it was popping up with one of the graphics I use to prevent people from using my bandwidth.  (I have my site to show graphics, but if you try to use my graphics on another page (hot link) it will bounce a message saying, “it’s not nice”).

There are some bugs to work out, but all in due time.

So, with the new look, new feel and new things to try:

I am trying out Facebook Marketplace.  Something to try to drum up support for the Louisville area.  The “joke” I have is that I do better outside of my my own city than what I do inside of my own city.  So far, the results have been marvelous.  Albeit, one of the sales was from Florida, but it was interesting to see how wide the marketplace went and what people were looking for.  I am getting some courage up to try Craigs List.

I am also looking to depart Mellwood Art Center.  When one of the tropical storms damaged some of my equipment at Mellwood, I tried to take it TO Mellwood saying that your building damaged my things.  They had the nerve to say, “talk to your insurance company”.  The insurance company said, “this is $500 on the dot, you can file, but won’t get anything because it meets your deductible.  I started a crowd-funded GoFundMe page to see if I can offset the costs of purchasing new equipment.  I had some donations and it really help offset the costs.

Nearly a year later, they still have yet to repair the leak and the staff at Mellwood say, even with the LARGE amounts of summer showers we had over the past couple of weeks, “We can’t find a leak”.  Even with the pictures (and a movie) of the leaky window, the damaged equipment and all, they can’t find a leak.  They are open from 9-5 and I work 9-5, so I never see them.  I have also been subject to two bouts of being vandalized and they still have done nothing about this.  Nothing major, just dented soaps from falling drying trays and a couple of stolen soaps.  I made the best out of something bad (tossed the bars in my shower for “QA”.  🙂

I am also “melting” at the workshop because the AC is not turned on (or not working).  It was 95 in Louisville today (July 1, 2018) and it was cooler outside than it was in my workshop.  I have let the admins know that I have perishables stored here in oils, soaps, fragrances and more.  They have given me several times, “We will look into it” and “we haven’t found a problem”.

But, there is still the matter of the integrity of the place.  Doing what they say they are going to do and by when they are going to do it.  I can’t get a solid answer of when anything is going to be repaired.  It seems they are working on the things that “make” the most money for them… keeping their “party rooms” maintained and their larger tenants happy.  The party rooms are reserved and cost a pretty penny to rent out for a day, or a weekend such as weddings and family reunions.  Their other large tenants also pay a pretty penny to keep their spaces looking nice, leak-free and maintained.  But, without the smaller tenants, like myself, coming in and occupying space (diversifying incomes), I can’t imagine that this would be long-lasting.

So, fast forward… I made a Facebook post on June 2 asking my Facebook friends to see if they know someone who knows someone else (it is the ripples you don’t see that make the biggest difference).  The response has been wonderful and reaching pretty far.  Friends from Columbus, OH were suggesting one thing.  Friends from Lexington have friends who has spaces available for lease.  Sadly, I am not in Lexington.

My post DID reach a commercial real-estate agent.  She’s been wonderful!  However, I am looking for, at bare bones, a “glorified environmentally controlled storage unit”.  By “glorified”, I mean with access to electric, a bathroom, water and possibly a loading dock I can back in my trailer, go home from a show at night and come back later to unpack.  Also, to be in a “safe” area so I am not mugged at night.  🙂

That’s all for now.  More updates later.

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