Going to Escrow and Joshua Tree

CuzJoe is back! He arrived last Wednesday, and we have taken a couple of good little road trips, but I'll get to that later. First an update on the Snack Master.

I close on escrow on Friday. That means that today is the last Monday of my unemployment. My hiatus comes to an end. By sundown on Friday, I will be the owner of the Snack Master Vending Company (vending route). I will own 87 vending machines at 44 locations throughout Phoenix. We ran into a few snags going through the due diligence. Perhaps I have over indulged in the accounting side, but I was able to uncover a few numbers that didn't add up, and have thus been able to further reduce some of the cost of the business.

I have been blessed by the current owner of the business. The current Snack Master is Alan, and he has been as good a seller as one could ever hope for. For example, this morning I was told by my business broker that one of the pistons in the truck I am buying went bad. He could have just replaced the one piston and left me to deal with any future problems, but he is supposedly sinking 4 to 6 thousand out of his pocket to replace the whole thingy. A very magnanimous gesture. (However, as you can tell from my writing, I know very little about auto mechanics, and I don't really know what pistons do, so I am just assuming this is a nice benefit from doing business with a good man.)

The big issue I am currently dealing with is finding a place to run the business out of. Originally, I assumed and was told that I could just rent a mini-storage facility for about 80 bucks a month. But then I also need a place to keep the truck - 70 a month. And I need to have electricity to run the fridge and freezer to keep the chocolate and pastries from melting - 50 a month. And I really need about 250 sq. ft. of space. All this brings the total price close to $300 extra per month. Since I am currently renting my apartment for $900 a month, I have determined that I am best served by ditching my apartment and finding a house with a garage to rent and run the business out of.

I've looked at 7 places so far, and a couple of them would be ideal for the business and for my comfort. I have a real estate agent currently working on one particular place that is a bit far out of town, but otherwise is ideal. It'd be $1195 per month, and if the current occupants would be able to get out withing the week, it could be my new home (and the 4th new home address for me in a year.) I wish I had time to test the buying market, but I just need to be settled fast. Perhaps if I can get a 6 month lease, towards the end of the summer, the prices might be even lower still and I can find that 3 BR with a pool that sis is looking for.

CuzJoe has ambled off to my complex's pool and perhaps can catch a nap after a spell in the jacuzzi. On Friday, we left by 8 AM and headed south through Phoenix, past Mesa, past Tuscon, past Benson and on to Tombstone, AZ. This touristy cold spot was the sight of the Shootout at the OK Corral where Wyatt and his Earp brothers were sheriffs, and accompanied by Doc Holliday, they gunned down 4 of the Clantons clan. It was worth stopping at if you are passing through, but also worth passing through quickly.

We then made our way to Bisbee, AZ where we walked the streets of this quaint old mining town that has had a bit of resurgence. The town is tucked into the foothills of the mine, and is a pretty good place for antiquing or just window shopping the main drag. It would be a beautiful place to live and they claim it is the most temperate place to be year round in Arizona. Sounds like the temperature is between 60 and 80 degrees all year. We decided to just make a day trip out of it, and headed back home.

Saturday was awesome. We left early and sprinted across the desert to Joshua Tree National Park in CA. UncLarry has a house in Yucca Valley, and Joe and I spent almost 5 hours passing through Joshua Tree to get there. Because it was a day trip, we skipped the multi-mile long hikes and focused on the shorter ones and were well rewarded. The highlights included the cholla cactus garden, the jumbo rocks, the arch, and Keys view. But really everything was amazing. But really everything was amazing, I repeat.

Just being in a national park again invigorates me. I think everyone should explore a NP every year. Even with just a day trip like this, it evokes so many questions and stimulates all the senses (well, besides taste, unless you do something wrong), that it is easy to understand why they selected such a location for a national park. Just go visit them, you won't be disappointed.

After our sojurn through the park, we got to UncLarry's where he had been brewing a vassal of half stew/half soup. The replenishment it provided was immense. the surprise was that the soup was all veggies - which belied it's hearty savor. But really, this was just to tide us over until the excellent meal we had at Patti and Harriets. CuzJoe and I shared out entrees of ribs and porterhouse that were grilled outside at the pit. Both were cooked perfectly. The place is well known and host local as well as well known bands on a nightly basis. Anyone who goes to visit Joshua Tree should consider this place as the whipped cream on their adventure.

UncLarry was a perfect host. We had fire, we had wine. We had a sumptuous meal and stimulating conversation. We argued whether Hillary or Barack was the next great hope and we trashed the republicants. (BTW, the answer is Barack). We sipped the wines, we drank the beers, and we gulped in the fresh air. UncLarry - Thanks! Thanks again, and Thanks for the untold future trips to Yucca Valley I shall take. I'll make sure to bring my "wild" mother along for the ride one day when she visits (and I'll tell her all the things you told me about her in her youth). But again, thanks UncLarry.

Anyway, I continue to look at places to rent. CuzJoe will have a full day of relaxing before heading back to the bitter winter of the north east, and I will try to post another entry just after I become Snack Master Scott.