September Stockings.

A mid-week post about the “goings ons” of Team Allenbrite.   It’s funny that the stockings are selling in September, but not completely unusual.  We have several years of previous data to show us exactly how many stockings we can expect to sell in September.  ( Approximately, anyway)    However,  It appears that Cheryl was not ready for this many sales this quickly. You see…  It usually only takes a few minutes to knock out a single stocking.   A few minutes more for a second or even a third.  However…..the moment you hit four or more stockings,   things begin to drag.   I’m not sure why that is. ( Ok,  I have Some idea of why this happens…I’ll explain)

By the same token,  after a certain number of stockings, the time levels out.   Like around 20-30 in a single day.  ( 20 stockings will take 4 hours, 30 stockings will take about 4.5 hours!)   The reason is most likely from the organization of materials, redundancies,  and steps.  There is a formula to all this…..and here is where my inner math geek comes out!   It is called a  Sigmoid function!

This is an “S” shaped graph on the where the rise begins slowly but then quickly builds.   After a certain time, the line/rise levels out somewhat….but usually continues to rise at a greatly reduced slope.   We used to graph these equations all the time….not in Algebra or Calculus ( although that IS where you learn how to do the math)   But rather…In BIOMETRY!  ( Time to let my Inner Fisheries Geek take over!)  Example:   Fish breeding populations at very low densities grow very slowly.   ( It takes two to tango….and where it is difficult to find a mate,  reproduction suffers)  However…as the population of fish rises,  pairing up becomes easier and BOOM!   The Population of Fishies ( Fish-EE-s)  EXPLODES!   (Yeah! Biology!!)

But then…..Life hits a wall…..There are too many fishies to feed in that area!    The population will either die off,  Starve…Move out,   Or get eaten by a very big whale….Keeping their numbers below a certain threshold.    See how I inserted MATH, BIOLOGY, NATURE, AND Small Stocking Business Production all together.  Isn’t Learning FUN?   Wouldn't I be a Great Teacher? 

Probably not, as I easily get distracted and would end up boring the kids instead of inspiring them.   But this is one of those moments when kids ask : “When will we ever use this math stuff anyway?”    And here would be my answer:   “The Next time you are trying to find the sustainable population of Tuna in the East Indian Ocean,  DUH! That…And Paying Taxes!” ( I probably would not be a good role model either.)   

So….how did I get here?   I was going to simply post about a few stocking sales and I end up discussing the carrying capacity of the North Atlantic Cod Fishery!   Sometimes it is difficult to forget all that junk you learned in College…even though you are most likely never going to use it ever again…..( Other than to “impress” people at parties and events,  Since I can’t do any magic tricks.)  Then again,  Most people could get this information  off of the Animal Planet or Discovery Channel.   Ah well,  I guess sometimes I just write stuff to fill the endless void that is my life. 

Hope everyone is enjoying the Mid-Week. 

Cheryl’s Big Win at the Glow Run!

   That’s right!  Cheryl won…..First Female to cross the finish line!   Her Time: just over 23 minutes.  You may be wondering how Cheryl pulled this off.  Well….Let me Explain…

First,  these 5K’s are usually pretty small….especially for this race agency. Only about 600 people ran it.  Of those 600, only 251 people took a time chip.   So,  Competition was not as fierce as previous races. 

Second:   It was HOT!   Even at 9 P.M. The Temp was 82 Degrees 69 % humidity.  Everyone was running with that heat, making the times slower on average.  Then again, it IS still summer.

Last:   The dark.   Even with all the glow sticks,  it was pretty dark around the route.  A few street lamps dimly lit up the night in certain areas, but not all of them.  Even I had to confront the darkness when I ran to the turn around point.  The Street lights were off and for a few moments, I could not see the sidewalk in front of me.  Cheryl admitted that it was the same for her. 

With that all being said,  Cheryl still managed to beat the competition that was there under all of those conditions.   The Condition are a Universal……So Everyone had to deal with the heat and darkness.   And Cheryl managed to rise to the top of it all.   YEAH! 

So let’s start at the beginning.  We arrived for Packet pick up…while it was still light.  Cheryl gathered her information, tied on a timing chip, and we walked a bit of the route to get a feel for it.

 

 

 

At the turn around,  Cheryl tried to warm up a bit, navigating the cones while it was still light. 

  Darkness came soon enough, and I knew I was going to have a challenge with the camera’s ability to capture a picture in the poor lighting.  Maybe there is a knack to it, but I have not discovered it.   Add to that that the battery on the Camera threatened to die at any moment.   I figured what few pictures I could get, I had better be judicious when taking them. 

Cheryl only put on a couple of glowing items.   Enough to “almost join in” the spirit of the run.   The Rest of the items Cheryl made me wear.   I didn’t mind.   I was the only one with a cowbell and flashing glasses. 

In the dark, the camera keeps the exposure open longer….creating these cool spectral images with neon lighting.  Pretty cool.      Forget about focus!   Any movement I made, no matter how small,  pretty much blurred the image beyond recognition. I still managed to get a shot of Cheryl at the turn around.   She was leading the women by about 30 seconds!   I was very excited!

I managed to snap one picture of her approaching the finish, before the camera finally died.   I was unable to catch her crossing the finish with her finishing time clearly displayed.    In the end, She was the first female to finish.  Her Chip time ( official time) was 23:22 with an average pace of 7:31.   She came in 9th over all  ( only 8 men where ahead of her!)  The only competition was a lady by the name of Wendy.   She lives here in Wellman, and she was only about 25 seconds behind Cheryl.  Wendy has beaten Cheryl in the “Dam to Down Town” race and the Red Shoe half marathon.  ( I think….)  Her finishing times are close to Cheryl's and this is the first time Cheryl has bested her. We talked for a while after the run as we ate the snacks the event organizers provided. 

   It is unfortunate that Cheryl did not receive any additional “trinkets” to commemorate her victory last night. Unlike the Lucky Run,  they did not hand out any Age, Master, or Overall first place winner trophies.  Just a T-Shirt and a Medal….and lots of cookies and snacks!  Overall it was fun….and Cheryl liked experiencing the race from the very front for once. Oh,  She DID set a new personal record for the 5K distance, beating her previous record by 25 seconds.

So,  After running 8 miles that morning; Running in the dark; AND running in the heat;  Cheryl not only pulled off a new PR but managed to outperform the locals to finish first.    Not a bad showing.  

I guess we have Omaha half marathon coming up in a couple of weeks and then the Twin Cities Marathon.   With the weather bound to cool off by then,  Cheryl hopefully will gain a little more confidence to reign in that Boston Qual Time.   We shall see. 

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Preparing to Glow!

Tonight is the 5K Glow Run in North Liberty, Iowa.  We have been preparing for this “Fun Run” for a while now.  By “preparing”  I mean:  Buying glowy stuff!  What good is a glow run if you do not glow in the dark?  I guess the event organizers will have a stash of glow sticks there for people to “Light Up” the night, but we are not leaving things to chance.   Besides,  I  hear that there is a Prize for the “Best Glow Outfit” and the only way to have a chance is to bring your own stuff.  Perhaps I can win a Teddy Bear. 

This week has been very hot…even in the mornings. Cheryl decided to limit her long run to a short 14 miles this week.  I believe this was a wise decision because the heat was pretty bad, AND all of her training plans suggest a “shorter than 20” mile training run this week. There is no point in overheating when a 20 mile long run is not necessary.    Besides,  This Glow Run is still an official “RUN”  so Cheryl will want to do her best…even though I suggest that she should take it easy. ( It IS only 5K after all,  Hardly even a WARM UP for her!)  It would be cool if she could get a first place senior or Age group  trophy ( Again!) ….but I would hate to have her  do something bad in the dark.   It IS just a fun run after all.

As for me,  I plan on taking as many pictures as I can ( in the dark!) and writing a detailed, play-by-play recap of the events as they  unfold. ( in the dark!) I’m curious how my pictures will turn out with limited flash and lighting.  Maybe they will be all “4th Dimensional” and artistic…..instead of clear and intentional.   We shall see. 

Cheryl just informed me that it is not called ”Senior” age group…and is instead called “MASTER” class.   Master is so much more politically correct AND domineering.   I can see why she is so Adamant about the change.   I feel this is an opportunity for me to pay back Cheryl for all those times she called my Army Awards “Trinkets” instead of “Medals.”     I guess this is one of those situations where a “Fairly  Accurate” word might not be the Right word.  Plus,  Since Old People have taken over the word “Senior”,  Cheryl thinks that people will begin to think she is in the 65+ age group.   ( She already gets AARP Literature in the mail….It’s TRUE!) Not that MASTER brings much of a better image…to MY mind anyway.  So…I’m forced to write this tiny footnote…explaining the difference between Senior and MASTER divisions in running.    AND to present a Mental Image for everyone as to how Cheryl wants to be perceived.

Allenbrite Studio First Sale of 2015

That’s right!  Less than 8 hours after listing our first three stockings ( under the new format) we have already made a sale.   A Navy Blue Wolf Stocking.   Of Course we did not have it ready to go…so we had to make it this afternoon.  It was weird firing up the sewing machine and trying to sew on a button after 9 months.  But, similar to riding a bicycle,  I jumped in and knocked it out.     

Cheryl did well as well. ( That is a strange sentence.)  Nice to know there is very little of a “relearning” curve when it comes to the stockings.  Perhaps this is an “Auspicious Omen” for things to come this year.   Or not!   It is difficult to remain “Suspicious” of an “Auspicious” omen, but history has taught us to not get our hopes up too high….overconfidence can be devastating when things do not work out as planned.   ( I’ve never used the word  “auspicious” before, but it is a popular word in Japan.  In case you don’t know…..it means good luck!  That is right, I had to look it up too!   Hurray for Sophomore Vocab!)

 

 

In addition to the shipping,  Cheryl was able to list several more additions to the shop, and, as I write this, she is answering questions that have been piling up for months  on the “conversation side” of Etsy.     I offered to answer the questions, but she thinks my messages are long and sometimes confusing.  I actually think that vague responses are irritating…but what do I know? 

Most likely, she is giving them the “We are not doing that this year….” speech over and over again  Namely,  custom stockings such as dogs and people are not going to be allowed.   They take too much time and cost more money that we gain from the effort.  As I write this,  I’m willing to bet that that policy will change when the heat of the season comes on…but what do I know?   I just sew on the buttons….

  On another note,  we discovered that we are low on a few things,  like post cards and stickers for the shipping labels.  Time to look up that U-Line account. U-Line has a bunch of  wholesale office supplies and equipment.   It’s like a candy store sometimes, when the mood is right.  Similar to Staples or Office Max…only BIGGER!

 

 

So, Tomorrow is our 20 mile run….We will have to get up early to beat the heat of the day.   Even this morning,  Cheryl complained that the heat was pretty bad after only a half hour after sunrise.  She still has the Glow run coming up on Saturday, so I’m hoping she takes it easy for this long run.   This week has not had as many “Recovery Days” as usual….so some fatigue may be setting in.  Then again  The Glow Run is only a 5 K , so it should not be too much effort to finish.   I can’t wait to get some pictures! 

Hope everyone is having a great week so far.   Tomorrow is Friday for all those who sadly have jobs….so things are looking up!   Then the “Long Weekend” will be upon you.   Enjoy!

Firing Up The Allenbrite Studio!

   Cheryl has been working on getting the Etsy Shop back online and trying to hammer out the details for a “smoother year” this year.  A few changes that are exciting is that she wants to introduce several new colors to the palette.  And to save us time and money,  she has adopted a new way of displaying them to the potential customer. 

This is cool because it gives Customers something to visualize while allowing us to NOT have to make EVERY SINGLE DESIGN IN EVERY SINGLE COLOR….  That is simply a LOT of work..AND,  very expensive!  AND, we never know what colors will sell best for each design. 

 In previous years, we made every design in every color and some designs just did not “gel” with   certain colors.  ( remember the Orange Moose design?)  Well,  Since Cheryl wants to add less stress and headache to this stocking season,  we are trying to predict how to best connect with people without having to answer endless convo’s  and offering to do custom stockings.  Hopefully, people will find it new and refreshing and purchase stockings in DROVES….making us RICH BEYOND OUR WILDEST DREAMS!  ( We shall see….)   Each listing  is a lot of work ( time-wise) and Cheryl is only able to do a handful every day.  Still, it is FAR LESS than if we had to make each one and take its picture. 

Chances are she will be working on these things while I am busy scoring the Project for Pearson coming up next week.  Ah Pearson….And I was enjoying my slothfullness so very very much.  I guess it is about time to get back in the saddle,  for a short time anyway.   I’m not sure what else there is to do.  Hopefully I will get an Email as a reminder this Friday to update the status.  And THEN…Hopefully qualify and hang on to the project for the duration.  Money is always welcome…..and I suppose I have the time….since I’m not really folding much lately.

Other than that, Cheryl has been running 15 miles every day now….Or so it seems.  She has run 285 miles in the month of August alone!   She wants to see if she can top that before the next Marathon in the twin Cities.  Her theory is that if you run A LOT….26.2 miles will seem like nothing.   I guess there is value in that assessment.   Ultra-Marathoners seem to think that way…and I guess it works for some of them.  We shall see.

Not much else happening here.   Cheryl has the Glow Run Saturday Night.      I’m not sure if any pictures will turn out in the dark…or even if I will even be in position to take any at all!  We did purchase a bunch of “glowy things” to make the event festive.   Cheryl plans on running her next 20  mile training run before the short 5K Glow Run….so chances are she will be tired or sore  for the event.   Besides,  it is just a 5K….a “fun run”  so there is no need to try for a personal 5K record here….in the dark…..with obstacles and pitfalls all around.  Better just to have fun and take it slow.  ( and get the medal!)