*cherry entrepreneurs*
We've started a business! Well, not exactly, but we did make some money. On Wednesday, Chris and I biked a few miles southwest into the county to Cherry Hill Orchard's U-pick farm, for a day of gorging on cherries, followed by lounging on a blanket in the shade with books and a short nap, then more cherry-gorging, and finally filling 3 gallon-sized ziplock bags with both dark and light sweet cherries... glorious. I'm pretty sure we ate at least a gallon while we were there too. The trees must have thousands of cherries on each; the branches were weighed down (some broken completely) with clusters of plump, juicy cherries- I've never seen so many! Of course while picking we had to taste-test for the best ones, but they were all so good we just kept picking and eating, picking and eating. Eventually, we made it out of the orchard and home with our 16 lbs of cherries (at $1.75 each; the store charges $3.99); however, we somehow got separated on the way back and I became cluelessly lost. I detoured a few blocks south, but eventually caught on to the route home and when I got there Chris had just left with Jon (in Jon's car) to come find me... So while I waited, I washed and bagged the cherries for the next day's challenge: opening a cherry stand out front their house during rush hour traffic.
Following day we did just that; at 4:30 pm we set up a table and Chris drew up signs (he stapled paper over Tom's campaign signs) for people to pull over for sweet cherries. We even had a 'curbside service' sign! Lots of people waved and gaped open-mouthed as they drove by, but everyone who stopped was ecstatic to get them. The traffic only backed up about twice, but still many people stopped or circled the block and we were out at exactly 6:30. Actually, almost no one stopped the first hour, but then at the end more cars came all at once and we had to turn them away...
So...we drove back to Cherry Hill and picked 25 lbs more! And we're doing it all again today! Hopefully they will go faster- there is more traffic on Fridays and probably a few regular commuters will decide to stop this time (we had wanted to put up signs down the street saying "That feeling of regret? You know you wanted cherries. Turn back now its not too late!")
After the sun set last night it began to rain, complete with thunder and lightning, so we sat on the enclosed porch outfront with Tom, reading more books. When the storm dies down to a hazy drizzle Chris and I decided to go for a run (at the *Witching Hour*). We darted around the neighborhood- it was dark and cool so many fireflies were out!- and then up to the observatory to check their schedule, though sadly it was not posted. Once home we snuggled up to watch the fourth and final Harry Potter, in which Harry and Ron discover girls and I'm sure many-a-porn-films were created...
I suppose we crashed around 4 am, though I was up today at 8:30 for some reason, wide awake.
Oh yes, and I didn't mention, the other night we went out to Jethro's (the favorite local bar) with Tom and Jon, to hang out and chat while they ordered burgers and beer. Chris wanted to stay longer to sketch (its a good atmosphere for concentration) so Tom drove Jon and me home, where I could use the computer. I was boiling some rice on the (gas) stove and I unknowingly left a knife too close to the burner, so when I went to grab it the melted handle stuck to my skin! Oh it hurt so bad, and the black plastic fused to my flesh so I had to scrape it off. I dunked my whole hand into a bowl of ice water until the guys returned from the bar and Chris took me to CVS to get some litocane... Still a most painful experience, but it is better now and there is a giant blister across my palm I'm tempted to pop... but I won't. ;)
Following day we did just that; at 4:30 pm we set up a table and Chris drew up signs (he stapled paper over Tom's campaign signs) for people to pull over for sweet cherries. We even had a 'curbside service' sign! Lots of people waved and gaped open-mouthed as they drove by, but everyone who stopped was ecstatic to get them. The traffic only backed up about twice, but still many people stopped or circled the block and we were out at exactly 6:30. Actually, almost no one stopped the first hour, but then at the end more cars came all at once and we had to turn them away...
So...we drove back to Cherry Hill and picked 25 lbs more! And we're doing it all again today! Hopefully they will go faster- there is more traffic on Fridays and probably a few regular commuters will decide to stop this time (we had wanted to put up signs down the street saying "That feeling of regret? You know you wanted cherries. Turn back now its not too late!")
After the sun set last night it began to rain, complete with thunder and lightning, so we sat on the enclosed porch outfront with Tom, reading more books. When the storm dies down to a hazy drizzle Chris and I decided to go for a run (at the *Witching Hour*). We darted around the neighborhood- it was dark and cool so many fireflies were out!- and then up to the observatory to check their schedule, though sadly it was not posted. Once home we snuggled up to watch the fourth and final Harry Potter, in which Harry and Ron discover girls and I'm sure many-a-porn-films were created...
I suppose we crashed around 4 am, though I was up today at 8:30 for some reason, wide awake.
Oh yes, and I didn't mention, the other night we went out to Jethro's (the favorite local bar) with Tom and Jon, to hang out and chat while they ordered burgers and beer. Chris wanted to stay longer to sketch (its a good atmosphere for concentration) so Tom drove Jon and me home, where I could use the computer. I was boiling some rice on the (gas) stove and I unknowingly left a knife too close to the burner, so when I went to grab it the melted handle stuck to my skin! Oh it hurt so bad, and the black plastic fused to my flesh so I had to scrape it off. I dunked my whole hand into a bowl of ice water until the guys returned from the bar and Chris took me to CVS to get some litocane... Still a most painful experience, but it is better now and there is a giant blister across my palm I'm tempted to pop... but I won't. ;)