08:13 – Barbara spent some time labeling bottles for me yesterday, and will do more labeling today. As of this morning, I have 2,288 labeled bottles that need to be filled, which, with what’s already on hand, is most of what’s needed for the next batch of 60 chemistry kits and 30 forensics kits. While she was doing that, I was making up solutions: 4 L of iodine solution, 4 L of copper(II) sulfate solution, and so on.
We’re in reasonably good shape in terms of finished-goods inventory for the moment: 41 biology kits, 25 chemistry kits, 20 life science kits, and half a dozen forensics kits. With the exception of the forensics kits, that should be sufficient to take us through June, or nearly so. With the batches already in progress and those we’ll start and finish later this month, I’m hoping we’ll be able to start July with about 90 each of the biology and chemistry kits and 30 each of the others on hand. With a few exceptions, all of which are readily available from multiple sources, we have enough component inventory on hand to build another 700+ kits. Our original goal for 2013 was to double 2012 sales, but through the end of May our actual sales have been quadruple 2012’s. If that holds up, we’ll sell about 1,000 kits this year rather than the 500 we’d planned on.
Barbara visited her dad yesterday and took lunch to him. She said he’s still doing extremely well. With his congestive heart failure and renal failure, there’s no hope of recovery, but Dutch’s personality is back to what it used to be. Barbara is taking the day off from visiting. Frances and Al are taking Sankie over to visit today.
Good news on Dutch; having the regular personality back, for however long, is a great thing.
Drove to airport last night to pick up Mrs. OFD; waves of t-storms, blinding lightning flashes, standing water on the highways, big wind gusts and patchy ground fog made for a rocky ride. Wife had it all the way from Chicago. I stayed at 55-60 and periodically some asswipe would fly by me like I was standing still, easily doing 85 and up. Crazy fuckers. Probably drunk, too. She got in at 00:15 and we didn’t get to sleep until 03:00.
Still windy today but sunny; temp yesterday was 88 with “Real-Feel” of 96, which sucks up here; today it’s cooled off about 20 degrees. Just saw a guy on the Bay skiing behind a parasail/kite and flying. Whitecaps and surf, just like the ocean.
“While she was doing that, I was making up solutions: 4 L of iodine solution, 4 L of copper(II) sulfate solution, and so on.”
You mean by the bucket then. Next step by the drum and next year you’ll just have to move to an industrial estate. Excellent. We just enjoy reading daily and watching how you are evolving into the next tycoon! We will be able to boast to our grandchildren we were with you every step of the way.
Went and bought a Charter Arms Bulldog .44 special for $400 plus tax at Academy yesterday for a birthday present. They even had ammo for it with Speer 200 grain JHP 50 round boxes for $40 each (bought 4, left 6). Then gave it to the wife to give to me later this month. I will be so surprised!
http://www.charterfirearms.com/products/Charter_Bulldog_74420.asp
Also stopped by Gander Mountain and saw a beautiful S&W model 629 with a 5″ barrel for $950. Now I am wondering if I can sneak the model 629 past her. You know, if I wanted her to know that, I would tell her.
http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=Smith-Wesson-Model-629-Handgun&i=GM443446
I was also at Carter’s Country and they sold the Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan while I was looking at it. $1,100 for a 3 lb 2.5″ barrel gun. Looked and weighed like a small cannon.
Thanks. Yeah, four liters is sufficient for 120+ bottles of stuff we supply in 30 mL bottles or twice that for stuff we supply in 15 mL bottles. At this point, we don’t want to go much above that to make sure the chemical solutions are fresh, but I suspect by this time next year we’ll be making up most solutions 10 liters at a time. And Barbara did bring home a 10 liter polypropylene measuring cup for me, I suspect from a commercial food service supplier.
But we’re seriously not out to become tycoons of any sort. All we want to do is make a comfortable living while making science kits for homeschoolers that are as affordable as possible. In fact, although we ended up incorporating as a standard LLC, we seriously considered incorporating as an L3C.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-Profit_Limited_Liability_Company