It hasn’t even been that long since I’ve written anything here, yet it feels like ages.  Time has never passed so quickly, yet at the same time, so slowly in my entire life.  The hours and days and weeks pass by in a flash, but I also feel as though I am living weeks worth of experiences in just a few days.  This is such a weird, exciting time in my life, but I am also exhausted, freezing (in this moment), and feel generally worn down.  It will pass eventually, or maybe it won’t.  Maybe my whole life I will feel like I have too many balls in the air, but I don’t think so.  There is just a LOT happening right now and I sort of feel like a small fish swimming in a big ocean with huge waves coming at me.  I am SO excited to get the shop open and to get past the inevitable fires (figurative, please no real fires!!!), but right now there is so much happening- good things of course, but a lot.  I also have so many things that I want to do on this blog, and so many things I want to write about, but lately, I feel lucky if I even have time to sit down and eat my lunch (as opposed to taking bites while working in the kitchen), so sitting down and writing is mostly out of the question.  In all of my day-dreaming about our shop, I was excited to write about it and share the whole experience of opening my billion dollar business, but the reality is I work 12 hours a day or more in the kitchen, developing the website, planning things, designing things, while Luis works his normal job from 8:30 am until almost 10 at night and then comes home and researches things on the computer.  It’s crazy the rhythm of work we have right now, but it’s also necessary.  When I signed the contract, we were sure we could be open within 6 weeks and today, December 20 is just about exactly 6 weeks and we are looking at a start date of two weeks from now.  Anyway, while I still want to write about my trip to Paris with my Mom, which was ages ago, and my surprise trip to Rome with Luis, which was last week, the only things on my mind are what’s happening here and now so I will tell you about that.  Also, if you’re wondering how I have the time to write this post now- it’s because I am sitting in the shop while there are workers here doing the plumbing and electrical work and I am typing on the laptop while using a hotspot from my computer to be able to have internet.  What a time to be alive!  Anyway, I am here keeping a watchful eye over everyone and every once in a while, they ask me questions that I don’t have the answers to so I call Luis at work and they talk to him on the phone and all is well in the world… and in the bagel shop.

Today has been a busy day- I have been up since 6:30 am to make cookies for Luis’ coworkers because I knew I would be here all day and not able to get away, so I baked for about 2 hours (for 33€ !  Let’s all repeat- I love my job, I love my job, I love my job) before racing over here (with said cookies in tow so Luis can pick them up later this afternoon to take to his office).  The plumbers were here when I arrived and have been working all day to bring water to our work area, change the water heater (we got one for 80L of water), tighten the faucets, etc.  Then these guys came to add the marble to our beautiful new display case and I kept a watchful eye to make sure it looks how I want, then a girl came for an interview- yes I interviewed someone… who am I?  I was trying to think of things they asked in interviews I’ve done… then the glass guys came to put the glass onto our display case.  They had to glue the pieces together and then lift the entire thing and gently set it onto the case, but it was a tight fit so they were carrying it in circles and I had to step outside because I couldn’t stand to be there if it dropped (it didn’t, but I asked if they have ever broken one and they said yes… ).  Then the electrician came to work on the outlets we have and everyone is asking me for directions and I HAVE NO IDEA about anything.  But all is well and it all looks amazing and I am sitting here eating a bocadillo de tortilla de patatas that I got from this disgusting bar down the street (actually just found a piece of plastic in my sandwich).  In 15 minutes I have to go to the center of Madrid for a 2 hour food tour (yes I know I should stop doing them but these people booked it a while ago and I feel bad canceling so I will do it).  Then I will come back here to see how things are going and then I will go home and put on fuzzy pajamas and make 8 rounds of bagels which will likely take 3 hours.  (again I love my job, I love my job, I love my job).

The end.  Happy Friday!  I hope you get more sleep than me.  Here are some cream cheese knives we bought on Amazon and I love them.