A Calendar Year.

On my home from PJP Buttonwood this evening, it occurred to me that we are just eight days away from finishing out our first full calendar year in business.  I KNOW, RIGHT?

And really the only thing I can say after 20 months or so at the helm of the PJP ship is this:  THE LEARNING CURVE IS STEEP, PEOPLE.  On occasion, when we are really busy and things are really crazy, I find myself wondering when the person responsible for all the mess will show up so I can go home and watch House Hunters.  And then I remember that the person I'm waiting for is well, ME.  Which is sort of a hilarious realization on one level and a terrifyingly deep realization on a whole other level.

But looking at our year as a whole, trying to grow the skills to manage and lead our burgeoning pie empire is the headline of our 2015 story.  I know both Jeanne and I have been challenged in ways we never expected over our first full calendar year.  And given that we both quickly lose interest when we aren't challenged and pushed to our limits, PJP continues to never disappoint in making us stronger every day.  (Today, it took us both to heave one massive leaking trash bag into the dumpster, so I guess we are getting stronger every day, both literally and figuratively.)

When we were leaving PJP this evening, we were looking at tomorrow's baking schedule and discussing what time we should start in the morning.  In frustration from our conversation and my general disdain for getting up in the middle of the night, I flipped off the front lights and said to Jeanne, "I'm sick of this place."  And then I wanted to whisper an apology to PJP for hurting her feelings.  AS IF SHE WERE A PERSON.  But to us, she is.  She has our early mornings, our late nights, our 20 hours in a row marathon baking.  We've cried there, laughed there, been righteously indignant there, made friends there.  We've worried in there, made goals in there, and had so much hope in there.

That's what our first calendar year has given us.  And we wouldn't trade it for anything.  (Except for maybe a baking schedule that starts after the sun comes up, on occasion.  Just sayin', PJP.)