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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