Limbo

As of two weeks ago, MEH is in a state of limbo.  We are saving our pennies for a big renovation and waiting for Jan 12th when our tenants move out.  We can't do anything until Jan 12th anyway.  I know it's depressing that we won't be around much for the next two months.  Especially during the holidays.  But we will come back with a ROAR!

...

Hmm...  Maybe I could...  damn...  I don't know.  I'm tearing my hair out in anticipation.  Impending advances require just as much preparation as impending doom.  Nearly every battle is decided before boots even hit the ground.

If you want, you could come over and help me plan.  Your not the first person to wonder about MEH.  Perhaps we should meet tomorrow somewhere(with Internet) and get some of this prep work done.  I could even turn it into a weekly work-and-meet where we all "businessnate."  Perhaps my house?

Here are some of the things that need preparing:

• New website that tracks membership dues(poking at meh.wildapricot.org).  It's under construction right now.
• Needs graphics.  Photos need to be shopped. 
• Pages need to be clear, clean and a touch quirky.  I'm thinking of scrapping the whole thing and just going with midnight.js and/or wow.js
• Door audit/access device to read QR codes and look up accounts
• 6 month rental on a Billboard needs to be designed. I would spend 4+ hours brainstorming before I ever seriously set lead to paper.  So far, all I can think is on malfunction junction($1500)...  some white Helvettica on a black background "Apathy?"    <next line>  "MEH!"  Then run an ad in the paper($180), radio($mother fucking free), adsense($200), and facebook($300) explaining it.  What will happen is people will ask others "LOL.  What's up with that stupid sign?!" and some people who think they're in the know(but really they we just exposed to a different vector of advertising) will say"OH!  Yeah.  That's something for a hackspace".  Which then prompts the question:  "what's a hackspace?".  Emotions get talked about ideas are forgotten.
• ASCAP license needs to be purchased, FAA needs to be updated(10 days from now), tower needs stamp(again).  FCC needs amendment.
• MEH sign needs to be made to spin($100 budget)
• Workflow for the remodeling must be figured out ($500 budget to remodel)
• That will buy us paint, new lights/ballasts, and carpet tacks :P. 
• Need a statement of work(possibly in Gantt form)
• I know we have to assemble 90 feet of Hastings shelving
• We need to disassemble/reassemble 40 ft of aquaponics shelving
• We need to assemble 20 feet of shelves from our old place
• We need to move the rest of the crap out of your sheds.
• Mount new ballasts
• Place down carpet runners
• set up the computer lab tables and hook up all the computers
• Run a little Cat5(2 labs and 15 PCs)
• Move in 20 feet of matching tool cabinets
• Set up wall-folding bench tables from the engineering bay
• Hang shelving on craft room wall
• Set up receptionist desk
• Set up information corral with our awards, accolades, publications
• Make basement inhabitable for my wife and I....  *sigh*..  this is a lot of work and a fair amount of money... but it will net MEH $600-$900 a MONTH from thereafter.

Hah!  Now that I enumerate all my work, it seems quite reasonable!