7/31/09 First fifty Games Ordered!

The pre-production proof looked fabulous and we did a small 50 game order to get our feet wet.

It took forever because we did all the cutting and gluing and assembly to check it then and there.

We are doing the print run there at Woodinville.

     We opened a Costco business account for business supplies but it turns out they didn't have Teyvek envelopes there.  There is a business Costco on 99 that we will try next. 

     We did number crunching and came up with a new game cost of $11.75 for us with games, spinners postage etc.  Connie says we need to stay at $24.99 until we have all the parts, envelopes and postage exact.  I'm getting worried we can't sell much at that high of a price.  That doesn't even include our labor of game assembly.  I really want to lower the games to $19.99 but we might not sell enough to recoup the $2,500.00 we have both invested so far at either price.  I'm getting kinda nervous about it.

     Hot, tired can't think straight.  It was only 90F today.  Day before yesterday it was 103 which broke the all time high record!  That was July 29th, 2009.  103 in Seattle Washington.  Hard to believe!

Best Business Partner in the World!

7/29/09
Wow. It was 95F in the shade in Kenmore today! Very rare to go above 70F or 80F in the summer. Too hot for chores so I stayed in my pool ALL DAY. Because I can. :)
I was in the pool when Connie popped in the yard and guess what?!
She brought me a GIANT iced tea AND a snack! I'm the only person that goes on a nine mile backpacking trip and gains five pounds!
I told her NO MORE FRENCH FRIES when I got back 'cause I gotta look hot when I'm out there selling. I really don't think fifty-two year old women are capable of sex appeal in our culture but I'm not taking ANY chances on losing a sale cause I can't stay out of the potato chips!
So anyway, Connie brings me a low-fat frozen yogurt sundae with fresh strawberries and blueberries! Geez! Do I have the best business partner in the whole world or what?!!!

Twilighting at Forks and LaPush

Terry and the kids and I took off the 19th for my last backpacking trip. At fifty-two, I decided the one trip I really wanted to take was the loop out of Lake Ozette. It was fine except for getting caught by the tide and scaling a 200 foot headland cliff with a rope wearing a fifty pound backpack and nearing killing myself. I am not sleeping on the ground ever again!
That being done, we moved on to the Oceanside Resort at La Push. We had never stayed there before. It was so foggy there and at Forks! We usually go to Kalaloch or Neah Bay.
Terry and I did a Twilight day trip all over Forks. We had a blast and you can see the pictures on my Facebook at Gretchen Lehde Nixon. I had taken a Lion and the Lamb poster and cut out Bella's face. At Dazzled by Twilight I got swarmed when all the teen girls wanted their picture taken with their face in the poster next to Edward's. I left it at the LaPush store.
I love to sell and meet new people. I am not shy at all when I have a reason to talk to a stranger! I introduced myself to store managers and demonstrated my game and dropped off sell sheets in every town between Kingston and La Push. I found the LaPush school district administrator and showed him the game and gave him a sell sheet with hopes of an order for the reservation school.
It was a great trip and I was thrilled to see my kitchen appliances and bed! Seven days with no hot water was too long! *hugs hot water heater*
Odd 90F heat wave in Seattle. *jumps in pool*

Pass The Test Ultrasound: Pass/Fail

I was distraught yesterday when I called Woodinville KINKOS and found out my hero, Darren Moler, was not going to work there anymore. I did not pry. I met him there and told him there would not be a game yet without him. I was heartbroken since he was why I went to there.
The game looked great and I dashed it to Steve to check specs for print. We were so happy!
Troy and I went to Bothell DOL. I could peek over the ledge and see CORRECT after CORRECT pop up as he took his knowledge test. He did terrific except for the "What to do when this happens" questions that accompany a half dozen photographs. He got to number sixteen and had missed six so the test shut down.
We were so sad. I asked him if my game was a waste of time. He said, "Without your game I would not have made it past the first three questions." The first part of the test was all on signs and rules and he knew all that. Then came the photographs of driving situations. Bleh.
Connie stopped by with iced teas with Anna and her friend from California. I was so upset I couldn't think. Just seeing Connie lowered my blood pressure and made me feel like the world was a good place to be in.
We checked the game for errors for what seemed to be the millionth time to me and found
NO ERRORS.
I hate editing. I just like thinking up products to help people and selling. Selling is so fun!

7/12/09 My eighteen month pregnancy

After eighteen months of growing this Pass The Test baby, I am now in labor. It hurts. I want it out of me. I'm so nervous about going to print that I need a mental epidural.
It seems like Connie has been gone forever but it has only been nine days.
My house is full of fifteen year olds saying naughty words.
It has been very hot for weeks and weeks and now it is cool out. It makes me feel sleepy all day long.
At church when we sang, "Lord of the Dance" I reflected about Jesus and his persecution. How could he think of dancing during such troubled times?

7/9/09 Habla Tu Espanol Connie?

Me neither Connie,
But you will not believe what happened today. I got the pre-production proofs from Darren and took them to Steve. He wanted a manual to check a page number and I accidentally had a Spanish version in my tote bag. I handed it to him and he looked at it and I noticed it was the wrong one.
I said, "It is going to be hard to make the game in Spanish even using Babblesfish." He said,
WHY NOT MAKE A CHEAT SHEET AND GET SPANISH MANUALS LIKE YOU DID FOR THIS?
How genius is that Connie? All we have to do is make a 1/2 sheet like for the USA version with the correct pages numbers. The Spanish driving manual has different page numbers.
Steve is putting it on the website so if Hispanic people order the game we will have a book that is easy for them to read! Isn't that the most exciting thing in the world?!
Troy has now played the game seven times and is taking the test Tuesday. He was reluctant at first but now that he has lots of the manual memorized he is getting really excited. I can't believe he is 15 1/2 already!

7/8/09 The Amazing Steve Prestek

Dear Steve,
Thanks for all your work. The game would be nothing without you.
The more I look at the new size the better I like it. The bigger size was sort of pretentious looking. This size seems more humble yet exciting and very wowful.
The sextuple size has the working name of "party-size" in my mind. Since we go on to USA and Espanol in this current size I am happy. We will think of a way to make the mini's of the three main games easily. You are a genius!
Thank you for taking my corny, old-lady looking game and turning it into a young, appealing and pizazzful game. After all, driving IS fun!
g
Thanks for the complements. The game is solid and your energy is pushing it forward. I have high hopes for it. Your observations on the size have merit and pretty soon we will get the ultimate vote . . . the marketplace.

"After all, driving IS fun!"

Keep telling yourself that because it is! Cars built this country. Travel gave people the freedom to be able to travel far from home in comfort and safety. To pursue dreams and see things of wonder. To engage in commerce and make far flung friends. Imagine if you had a walking game. One of us would have to walk the three miles one way to look at it. What a pain that would be! Imagine your youth without that Camaro. Cars are cool and so is your game.

Steve-O


Gl3nixon@aol.com wrote:

It looks fabulous Steve,
I can only see one corner and it won't scroll for me. Should I see more?


**************
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Nixpix You Tube Ads

Dear Connie,
Big biz day for us. I e-mailed the DOL director Liz Luce at 9:20 Am and at 11:00Am the UPS guy dropped off 1,000 Intermediate License brochures. I am happy because most teens aren't aware that if they make certain mistakes that they can be restricted from getting a license until they are eighteen!
I went to the DOR website and found the Resale Certificate for buying the services of KINKOs without tax and then we aren't paying the state twice for taxes on the game. Once is plenty.
I watched Michael Jackson's memorial on TV and it was so sad when his little daughter got up to say he was a great dad. Very heartbreaking.
I stuffed brochures in manuals and into bags the rest of the day and I think I have about 200 ready for game boards next week. Only 400 more to go.
The kids made a few cute You Tube Ads for us.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWdocTn0V0g If you don't like it let me know and I'll do a reshoot. Can't wait to make an ad with Anthony, John and Joe Coats etc... I'll need lots of pizza for that one. All the kids like the new size game board better. They said the original was too big.
g

7/6/09 Final Mock Up

Hi Connie,
Steve will order the final mock up this afternoon and I'll fetch it when it's done.
He is adding: Warning Choking Hazard and adding trim marks for the printers.
I am not going to print until you return. It ended up slightly smaller and you have veto on the new size. I didn't like it at first but now I do and here are the advantages I have found dragging it around:
1 It is a more manageable size
2 It fits on all tables better
3 It is the size of a student desk top. The last one hung over the side of a student desk several inches
4 It is easier to get in and out of the bag
Steve is making us a paper top to staple to the the bag with a hole to hang games in stores.
He is making a sales receipt/thank you note to include with the orders.
That is everything and if you like it we can go to print Monday and get them Wednesday!
Miss you loads!
G

First Online Order

Dear Connie,
We had our first online order at Nixpix.com this morning from my high school pal Carol McConnell. She asked me to sign the game too. Isn't that funny? I'll sign every single one if it helps sales!
I had great 4th of July. First time I felt cheery since my parents died. Went to a bar-b-Que at JoAnn's, swimming in our pool and then Terry and I rode bikes to Log Boom park and watched the big fireworks.
Went to church and sat with Char Crawford. I'm still sad that her husband Jack died. He was so nice and was a great first mayor of Kenmore. I asked her to lunch but she already had plans.
Remember when we were at St Vinny's last month and couldn't afford anything beyond ice tea that we paid for with dimes and nickels? Well, it was 1/2 off pink tags and I got that Daisy Stripper electric potato peeler for $2.00! I am so excited I can hardly stand it.
Okay so now I've had four ice teas without you and I'm getting really cranky.

"Does Your Wife Work For Mattel?"

Dear Connie,
Terry took the game to the post office to investigate shipping costs this morning and the clerk looked at the game board and said, "Does Your Wife Work for Mattel?" My head is now the size of a VW rabbit.
It gets better-I have free airline tickets to Chitag coming. *TOP SECRET*
After having doors slammed in my face by banks, friends and relatives for six years I think maybe there is hope for Nixpix Educational Products.
God was so good this morning! I needed to make pies for JoAnn's potluck tomorrow and I found two hunks of home made pie dough that I don't remember making in my freezer!
Since I saved time there, I free handed stars and bits for the tops and put cinnamon on them to look like fireworks. The cherry pie for 4th of July is probably the cutest pie I ever made.
Miss you and have to drink McDonald's unsweetened sweet tea alone! *Fake cries for sympathy*
Gretchen

Dear Connie 2

Dear Connie,
There were only two mockups made with Anna's picture. I ruined panel #1 on mine because I wouldn't slow down to read the directions on the spray glue. You put it on and wait two minutes for it to get tacky to glue things. I didn't wait and all the ink on my first panel ran. It looks awful.
When I met with Steve and showed it to him he asked if I wanted his because he didn't need it. I was so thrilled. When getting ready to assemble and glue it I slowed down to do a good job.
When I went to glue it I held my breath for five minutes during assembly. I turned blue and I am still slightly blue now but you will have a perfect copy when you get home!
g

Dear Connie

Hi Connie,
You will not believe our beautiful baby! I have not ordered yet. I'm talking about my mockup I assembled last night. I had the biggest glue disaster in history last night and was so depressed when I went to bed. BUT.....the finished product is AMAZING!!! YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE IT WHEN YOU SEE IT!
AND WE DON'T NEED TO TAPE OR HAVE A FOLDING SLIT!!! Get this-with the four panels individually lammed-it folds like a dream!!! HALF AND HALF EXACTLY LIKE YOU PREDICTED!!! YOU SMARTIE YOU!
I accidently glued the bottoms overlapping so it was ONE PIECE!!! I'm off to Steve's to MAKE IT SO!
So his hobby is vintage car racing and after I talked to him on the phone I made the executive decision: CONNIE AND GRETCHEN CAN SELL 1,000 GAMES AT EVERY CAR SHOW ON EARTH!!!
For $24.99 a pop and no shipping! The kids will love going to car shows and maybe husbands like car shows???
Love to Vince, Anthony, Anna and John!
PS plz e-mail me the second you see this. I'm worried about you being in a car ANYWHERE!

Gretchen's Great Gluey Mess

Ack, spray gluing the last mock up sounded so simple. The four other glues popped off the laminated top so Steve suggested automotive adhesive. I have glue everywhere but where I want it and not enough where it should go. I now lay down at the feet of factory workers globally. I can't even assemble one game and I hope to sell thousands. How do they do it???
Tomorrow will be better. Troy was sweet and put together forty spinners. At least they look cute with the spinner attached to the base and then glued on. Cutting holes in the game to have one on the top and one on the bottom would have taken me forever!
So-did I end up gluing the lift up flaps down? Will this glue hold on the laminate or pop off like the other four glues? Will the spinner base hold on the laminate or pop off too?

Connie Goes to Yellowstone

Steve figured out how to get the top board back to the original 17"x22" size! Go Steve go!
Connie stopped by to say goodbye before she leaves for Yellowstone in the morning. I am very sad that she won't be here when the first game comes off the press. I am going to write #1 on it and give it to her when she gets back. I don't mind having #2 one bit since she is my inspiration.
It was no fun for five years working on Gin Latin and this game alone.
I only like generating product ideas and designing them and selling them. I hate editing and paperwork and get sick of all that in a hurry. When I hit the wall, Connie just keeps editing! She is the Eveready Bunny in Nixpix for sure.
Warm, gorgeous day. Dug out a stump with the kids and mowed the lawn. Shipped out all the extra kids and got the house cleaned. Getting ready for the BIG DAY.