Sister Wife

Behind-The-Scenes-Tech-Guru Jason has spent the last few hours with our new Square Reader cash register system and he is basically in love.  In fact, if it could do laundry and make lasagna, he would probably elevate it to position of Sister Wife and then TLC would want to give us our very own reality television show. In the name of blog transparency, I'll totally front to the fact that owning a cash register has been a long-held dream of mine and if you knew me in 1980, you know that a working cash register topped my long held want list.  Does anyone remember this...

I logged many hours on that sucker (probably selling Bonnie Bell lip glosses and Tiger Beat magazines to my faux customer, Greg Brady).

It is good that I waited 30 years to make all my cash registering dreams a reality, because technology has improved a bit.  Say hello to Sister Wife...

This is the Square Reader system with a third generation iPad.  The black box that the iPad stand sits on is the cash drawer.   The front part of the stand has the credit/debit reader.  It also comes with a very fancy scanner thing (that is the technical term, ahem) so we can scan the barcodes on our UPC labels on the pies.  VERY FANCY.  And in the manner of satisfying all unfulfilled dreams, I almost knocked my eight year old daughter down to be the first one to scan an item.  You can take a girl out of 1980, but apparently not the 1980 out of a girl.

After Behind-The-Scenes-Tech-Guru Jason worked for several hours on it getting the whole system up and running, I worried that I would need to attend ITT Technical Institute before I could ring up a single sale.  In the best turn of events ever, it is actually pretty easy.  It follows the user-friendly iPad interaction and prepare yourself for my favorite feature - it doesn't print receipts.  The customer can choose to have the receipt text or emailed to them.  As as someone who probably has at least eight stray Target receipts from 2013 still floating around in my purse, I know when to appreciate a solid feature like text confirmation of purchases.

In form typical to our personalities, we don't have a front counter yet, nor have we established pricing for the 5 inch or 12 pies or for any of the retail items in PJP Buttonwood.  But once we do, we will be able to ring it up in true 2014 technology and will never be forced to ask "do you want your receipt with that?"

Speaking of front counters and other shop progress, just two quick notes -

First, WE HAVE SECURED A PAINTER.  Dennis Hill is going to prime tomorrow afternoon and paint on Thursday morning.  We owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude for not costing a billion dollars and for having the flexibility to do it this week.  This will likely be the only time I've ever be giddy with anticipation at seeing 900 square feet of wall painted white.

Secondly, major blog shoutout to our drywall dude, Danny Mings.  He owns the scissor lift that is currently at PJP Buttonwood and he was planning to come get it today since the drywall is finished.  Because he is the King of Drywall and a prince among men, he is leaving it to assist in the painting and wall treatments.  Danny Mings, proceed directly to the PJP Inner Circle and please plan to come have pie and many drinks with us next Saturday at our party while we regal you with tales of how Jeanne almost drove through your fresh drywall with your scissor lift.  Just Kidding.  (Not really).  Seriously though...thank you!