It's Official...

Well. Here is the sentence I've been waiting over 100 days to type:  WE HAVE A LEASE.  A signed, legally-binding, key-in-my-hand, lease.  3601 Buttonwood, Suite E is the new home to Peggy Jean's Pies V. 2.0.

Just let it sink in for a minute.

This afternoon, we found ourselves at Maly Commercial Realty, the office of our agent - Mel Zelenak.

Mel is officially one of our very favorite people in the world.  Her put up with all our questions, our impatience, our neuroses, our rants, and a whole lotta emails.  He never got sick of us or annoyed with us and he really deserves his own "Ode to Mel" post.  And Mel, because I know you might read this?  You totally haven't gotten rid of us just by giving us a lease to sign.  We are in for the long haul with you, Mel:)

Behind the doors of Suite 203, lay this...

36 pages...each to be initialed...times three.  We sat down, clicked our pens, and got to work.

Once we initialed, it was time to sign.  Mel laid it all out on the conference table and we just walked down the line, signing our names and birth dates in front of the notary.  Mel witnessed our signatures.

And then, just like that, we were lessees.  Honestly, I expected a confetti cannon, some glitter, the release of white doves, and a choir singing the chorus of "Hallelujah" acapella.  At the minimum, I would have settled for a Silent Stan sighting.   That said, we left with a key to a space we have discussed for almost four months, so only cake (or doves) could have ended the appointment on a better note.

After we left Mel, we met with a potential new contractor.  While our relationship isn't quite ready to be blog-official, we left the meeting as smitten kittens for the vision and the plan this company has for our space.  The creativity in that meeting for all things, not just plumbing and the usual, but also for ideas for displaying pies for sale and for retail items was squeal-worthy.  It is promising.  And exciting.  And details will come soon...promise.

After that meeting, we figured we deserved a celebration.

Over a Manhattan and a martini (or two), we dissected the whole lease-signing experience and our contractor crush.  But mainly, we basked in a moment of not wondering what the heck was taking Silent Stan so long to decide about our lease...