40.

Here we are.  40 weeks.  Officially, tomorrow is our due date.  Unofficially, I'm ready whenever you are, kid.  But the truth is, I don't foresee this close-quarters relationship coming to an end for at least another week or so.  

Trying to get some direction from my Artistic Director, Toff.  "What do you want from me?!"

In other news - we were supposed to get the keys to the shop today.  But the bank lost some sort of form so we're locked out for another day.  Hopefully we get them before noon though, because Toff is meeting some health officials there at 2, and an electrician at 4...and tomorrow we're having a construction dumpster delivered so we can begin tearing out the ceiling.  We've been meeting with a whole variety of bankers, coffee roasters, electricians, reporters, photographers, builders, council workers to find out what we are allowed to do to a heritage listed building...and about fifty other people and voices on the other end of a phone line trying to get this project rolling.  Because December is going to be here in what will probably feel like...tomorrow.  

One of our goals for the bakery is to be known for making good coffees.  And another is to source as many products we can from local businesses.  Enter Jim from Villere Coffee in McLaren Vale.

A private coffee tasting

In trying to set up a meeting time with Jim, Toff basically had to tell him our entire life story.  "Well, if we can meet with you on Monday, Cara's mum will have just gotten here because Cara is 9 months pregnant - so we'll have to bring Aimee because we're pretty sure we won't be able to separate her from Cara's side.  And if we bring Aimee we can't just leave Kiki at home alone..."  So the whole fam-dam-ily went around to Jim's house where we got to watch him and his wife, Carol, roast a few batches of beans in their main operations building...aka the shed beside their home.  Then he invited us all into his kitchen where he made us each a coffee and we talked about how he ended up over here from San Francisco.  He even sent us home with a couple bags of beans to try out on our own.  (Which we had to go out and buy a grinder for...but it was worth it!  You guys have got to try this coffee!  It's so good!)

Another person we met with last week was Katelin from a local newspaper called The Messenger.  We thought we had a pretty interesting story - bun in the oven & opening a new bakery, so we gave her a ring a couple of weeks ago to see what she thought.  Turns out she agreed...and apparently her editor did too.  Katelin had the story all ready to go for tomorrows paper, but her editor pulled it yesterday.  Because she thought it was a good story, and would like to give it a more prominent position!  Ha!  Don't worry, I'll let you know how it turns out.  

One more tidbit to share with you today.  My favorite band is releasing their first album today.  I'm super excited to listen to it, I've heard a bunch of the songs on a radio station here which has been featuring the album all week.  I'm also excited that we don't have to stop on the way to the delivery room to get it.  Here's a song:

Grouplove - Itchin on a Photograph