Big Day

Big day!  Got all my signs up, got my fingerprints and ad in the Marin IJ for the ABC and went over to the city planning department to find out what to do about gathering the addresses of all residents in a 500 ft radius of the building.  Phil Boyle, San Anselmo's Head Planner was kind enough to run it through their program that extracts the addresses and property owners in whatever parameters you give it.  Thank God for modern technology!  What did people do before computers?  They probably didn't require as much, which is why it now takes so long to get through all these governmental agencies.  Hahaha, its the "Catch 22" - they say small business is the answer to generate more jobs, but try and get through all the red tape!  Hello, don't you want my taxes?  The sooner I get open, the sooner they get taxes.  Well, I am praying for the best.... a smooth process through the County Health Department and the City of San Anselmo Planning.

I had a phone interview today with Tracy Ruiz, the Head Editor at our local "Patch".  Check them out, its local news and happenings at www.sananselmofairfax.patch.com.  The voice of the peoples, grass roots community bulletin board gone cyber.  Anyway, Tracy and I have been communicating about my blog and she wanted to do an article on The Building of a Restaurant Blog.  We had a lovely conversation about the inspiration for it, my back round and what were my thoughts on the blogging process.  I love it!  I don't know if anyone else finds it interesting but its somewhat therapeutic for me to sit at my keyboard after a crazy day and pour out my thoughts, frustrations, and victories unto this digital page.  For those who might be contemplating fulfilling their dream to open a restaurant,  I would encourage you to follow your dreams, just go into it with your eyes wide open and prepared, and I hope this site would enlighten you to some things you may have never thought of.

We did get our plans in today with the Marin County Environmental Health Department.  I met Bill my architect there, he turned in the full set of plans that he, the kitchen designer and the structural engineer have been working on for about 6 weeks.  It was a very impressive stack of paper work (damn, I should have taken a picture!)  I signed the papers and paid my $2,261. Bill introduced me to Priscilla who is in charge of all the plan checks (my new best friend)  and I got my very own Jr. set of plans!  Woo-Hoo, here we go!  20 days if all goes well and they sign off, then it goes to the City of San Anselmo, that could be another 20 -30 days and then I'll have a building permit in hand and the building can begin!

Also got my taxes done, personal and corporate.  First time in years I haven't had to file an extension!  And also found out they sent my new business check to the address of the site and now no one knows where my checks are.  Not good.  Let's hope they fix that or I'm getting another bank! 

I've never felt more alive and excited!  As my Pastor said last Sunday, "Dream Big!"  So, sweet dreams my friends. 

Dream sweet and dream big......