Hello 2012!

Greetings all,

I think for me the highlight of 2011 was getting rid of my gumball machine business in the fall. It wasn't that I got a job (that ended up terminating at the end of the year) or that I went to Mexico and got my Open Water SCUBA certificate and saw some Mayan Ruins or that I have been dating a man for the past 4 months. I've had this part time business since 2003 and hated the business right away but I stuck it out for years and for probably the past 5 years I've been wanting to sell them and get rid of them.

Getting rid of them and closing this business was the highlight because it was such a burden to be in charge of this business. It wasn't hard to do. It was just a burden mentally because I didn't get out of it what I thought I would and it was hard to get out of it. I couldn't just quit owning these machines because I had them in location and it took effort to find locations and just get started.

I think my dad likes to think I never should have done this but I feel that I learned something from this. I think it helped give me some sense that starting a business requires.

I definitely think I am one of these people that just likes to get things done. I don't want to spend too much time analyzing. I think I learned that the people selling me the machines, obviously want to paint their product in the best light. I didn't make as much money as they said the machines would make but maybe I needed to spend more money in finding the best locations. (I used a locator to find them for me).

I don't think I'd do something like this again but I did think I learned from it so to me it wasn't a wasted venture.

I feel lighter and it's less unwanted baggage. I think once I finish my income tax for last year and finish up with my bookkeeping for the gumballs, that will be the final nail on the coffin.