14th March

I closed another shop today. I always feel anxious about closing another shop, especially if I'm working with someone fairly new. In my own shop, I'll either have help or be in a position to talk out whatever I did wrong. If I balls up in someone else's shop, I fear that I'll give them a more difficult time the following morning or I'll end up being resented from a distance and judged. Entirely irrational, I know. But it's how I feel. Fortunately I worked through some problems that arose with some outside assistance and didn't panic. Let's call it personal growth, I suppose.

In my very first blog of the year, I mentioned being berated by a customer for what I think I described as "an entirely imagined transgression". He made a reappearance yesterday, fortunately with a much more positive outcome. It will doubtless not come as a surprise to anyone that gamblers are much easier to deal with when they're winning.

 I also went and got a key cut which is one of those things that I really should have done before now. But hey, economic circumstances and all that. It still seems impressive to me that people are able to duplicate keys. Presumably there's some eminently logical means of doing it but still. Already I sense this is a ludicrous opinion. But I have nothing but respect for people who have useful trade skills.