letter nine

7.14.2010

Dear Bartender,

it's been weeks. weeks since we've heard any updates from anyone about the loan status. when/if we may close. the eagerness to begin is thick. your frustration with the silence is understandable. i'm at a loss of how to console other than by kissing your worry away. assurances that this is just how it goes. slowly.

then, this week, the progress flooded in.

you attended the license committee meeting on monday night. while i grocery shopped and cooked a pot of corn chowder (that's what i do in these times of worry -- cook comfort), you waited out an awards ceremony until your moment arrived to speak to the town about the transfer of license. you came home late sharing the good news. they actually wished me luck with the new business.

our architect-friend also e-mailed you sketches of what the building's facade may look like if you have your way with it. how cool is that?! you exclaim. i got chills when i saw the secret name in the subject line. is it becoming something real? do i dare say, i think so? i've driven passed that building so often. spent late nights and sunday afternoons beside that bar. never have i imagined that it could look as lovely as it does in his sketches. even when my mind pictured the improvements you were mentioning as we drive by each weekend. just the sight sparking conversation. these friends of ours. amazing. guiding our path in their own ways. one discovers the suitable name. another guides you through the legal process. and, this one, sketching our dreams on a piece of paper. sigh.

with these two occurrences, the veil of worry is lifting. yes, yes, i know new worries will come with the business. but, your frustration with the process and not being where you want to be in this moment--behind your own bar--that's scattering away.

now, we wait for the state to grant you a license. and, while we do so, the fun is beginning.

i find the sysco glass catalog online and send it to you. virtually flipping through the pages. imagining what the drinks perrya and i devise will look like in all of the styles of glasses. a glass. a simple glass will lend an air to the vibe of the room. sangria in mason jars? old style highball glasses? thin? thick? ah, the sweet relief of minutia.