What does it mean to have a teenage business?

Well, if you’ve been in biz over ten years, you already know. If you haven’t, it’s this: you’re probably pretty good at what you do if you’ve lasted this long. You’ve seen a lot. And you’ve got a lot figured out. 

So what about when your business enters it’s twenties?​

I mean, what was I expecting from a place called The Orange Cat Cafe?

An orange cat, of course.

But I was pleasantly surprised by the sense of fun I felt as I entered this rural Maine eatery .
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The Orange Cat Cafe is on our route to Ontario from New Brunswick - we take a short cut through Maine and come back into Canada somewhere in Quebec. (it’s a long but beautiful drive)

I found a loophole when I was in high school that allowed me to complete all the credits I needed to graduate early - one semester before my classmates. 

I know! 

How did that happen? ​

​​My school switched from full-year courses to a semester system when I was in grade 11 and, because I hadn't taken any "spares", I found a way to finish up at the end of January (instead of June) in my graduation year. 

Do you remember the first word you ever said? 

I don’t even remember the first words my kids said. Maybe Momma? Dada?

But I DO remember the first word that Melanie ever said.

Melanie was the young daughter of a photographer I worked for in my early twenties. Some days I worked in the darkroom at his photo studio, some days I was sorting negatives. And some days I looked after little Mel if her Mom got called in to work. 

Those were the fun days.

I don’t think my Dad ever drove by a wide open parking lot after a fresh snowfall without pulling in to do a few donuts. In the station wagon. With us kids in the back seat, loving it.

This same fun-loving guy sang inappropriate university drinking songs - with modified lyrics - when we were kids. Sometimes while making us breakfast, or getting us ready for school...“She’s got freckles on her BUT she is nice”. ​

38 years ago today, I joined my buddy June and her brand new husband (Danny) on their honeymoon trip. 

Yes, I just revealed that I have friends that are way, WAY older than me.

The wedding took place in our home town, Brockville, and after the festivities subsided I needed to get back to Ottawa. 
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The newlyweds were heading through Ottawa to a honeymoon destination in Quebec that Sunday and they very generously offered me a ride. 
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It seemed like a good idea at the time.

Remember that pivotal day when you KNEW you would start your own business? I remember that day well.

I was downsized from a cool start-up company (along with 60 of my colleagues) and I decided to strike out on my own. No more "job" job.

​I was going to be Kim.Inc, put out my own shingle, and start my own company. 

I didn't know how much I wanted to ride my bike through Times Square in NYC until I realized it might be impossible!

For our two-month stay in Manhattan I was going to rent a bike but when I saw the crazy rental prices at the hole-in-the-wall bike rental shop in Tribeca, I decided to buy one of those cool turquoise city bikes instead. ​

​That bike was my favourite way to get around NYC. ​

Shoreline Graphics was a small, progressive design agency made up of four young, creative, go-getting guys when they hired me.

​I was young, keen and had no idea what I was getting into. (I'm saving my stories about being the only girl in an all boy agency for another day.)
 
I think the small office was about 800 square feet total and I shared a small portion of that space with Jimm, one of the co-owners. 

​The sun had just come up when I noticed that a particularly impish bird landed on the ledge of our deck. The same ledge where I have all my beach finds on display.

​We are living and working in Costa Rica right now and because I had a full suitcase when I arrived (I mean packed-to-the-hilt-stuffed suitcase) there is no room for any shells, cool rocks or beach glass for the trip home. Well, maybe some beach glass will fit.

So why even collect these treasures? To enjoy them while I'm here, of course. So there they all are, on the ledge, on display, being enjoyed.

I saw the Titanic movie. I know how it's supposed to feel when you wave good-bye to people heading out to sea on a big ship. It's fun. It's romantic. It's heartwarming. It's a special event.

That's why I thought it would be a great idea to see off a group of family members as they headed out to Bermuda on a ginormous cruise ship, from a port in New York City, not far from where I'm living at the moment.

It happened in a split second.

​Do you ever have that thought, that sinking feeling, that you want to go back in time, just one or two seconds. If you could just get time to back up a smidge, so you could re-think a decision, or undo a really dumb move.

As I stood in total disbelief, with mounds (and mounds) of shattered glass everywhere, I'm pretty sure I said a bad word (the air was blue), then I actually put my head in my hand, and shook it a little.

It's been a very busy couple of weeks since I joined a welcome team for a Syrian refugee family that just arrived in Canada.

​The experience has been really great - for me, anyway - I'm not sure if our new Syrian friends have figured out these crazy, super friendly Canadians are only trying to help! (Can you be too welcoming? Not in Canada!)

The welcome team model is unique to Saint John and from what I hear, it's a model that more towns and cities should consider in their own effort to welcome new Canadians.