BURRRRR…I just saw on the news that it is 21 degrees below zero. Why is that important to us? Well, I guess nobody wants to hang a power line in this weather, or stucco a building. We are going to have to wait until the cold breaks to move forward with the building stuff. We are finishing the trim work inside where it is 70 degrees.

The new POWER should be on today! The phone will be hooked up tomorrow. The bad news is that with the cold weather we may be delaying the stucco, but it should only take one week to finish after they do get started.

We have been getting tons of applications! Thanks to the want-ad in the Minnesota Daily…we will be calling applicants next week to set up interviews.

Dean has forbid me from posting any more pictures of the Wilde Roast Cafe….he wants it to be a surprise to our guests. Stephen put the stencil on the fireplace this weekend and it looks perfect next to the Sticks and Stones furniture we put in place. The wax on the floor looks like an ebony marble. We get our real power on Wednesday, then we will be able to see the bank lights lit up. The stucco should start tomorrow, if it doesn’t get too cold.

We hope to have a Valentine’s opening…so set a date with your sweetie.

We took this photo on our “Dream Vacation in the Dells” last summer.

Chef Todd and Dean have been working on the menu, and ordering the serving ware. The electricians have the antique bank and Sticks and Stones light fixtures up, and they are finishing the track lighting today…thanks Matt from Mill City Electric. We had a scare…we put the acid wash stain on the floor and thought we ruined it. But, the top dried and we washed it off, leaving a nicely stained floor!

Do you know anyone who wants to open a business the would fit with Query Booksellers and the Wilde Roast Cafe? The building we are in has 2 unleased spaces, one is about 1500 sq/ft and the other is about 2000 sq/ft. We would love to see a gift store or clothing store. Let us know via email.

There are only two words for Saturday…GIRL POWER. This is a phrase used in the elementary world of mine to mean empowering of women. It stands for Saturday because of all the help from so many of the women in our life. Helping us do the big clean up were friends Theresa, Kathy, Georgina, my sister Sarah and her daughter Brooke, and Dean’s mom. New energy really helps us keep going. THANKS!

Started staining the concrete yesterday, a longer process than we thought, so we won’t move the furniture in until next weekend. The plumber and electrician should finish this week.

We hired a chef to help Dean tweak the menu (will be updated online this week), and help us make original desserts.

HAVE A PEACE FILLED DAY

We called the city for the final inspections; it takes them about 20 days to get to us. Wish us luck. Trying to do a big final push this weekend: a few walls to finish painting, trim work, a BIG cleaning, then stain the floors on Sunday, and on Monday move in some furniture.

Our web guy, Brian, told me we have around 200 people on our email list. THANKS! Make sure your friends know about us and pass on the site to them.

Here is a picture our friend Mike took of the fireplace and service area…..we are getting close.

Dean is building and installing the service counter. We are waiting on XCEL to put up the new power pole so we can hook up the electricity (we are all wired). Plumbers are putting in the toilets and sinks (the bathrooms are way cool…tin ceilings, subway tile walls, slate floors). Keeping busy with the the DETAILS!