When this phase is done...

[Morticia]

Assuming that being an innkeeper was a dream that one has for a long time before it becomes a reality; assuming that one loves being an innkeeper and only lives to try new things and being an innkeeper is the culmination of many years of dreams and aspirations and desires...I have seriously wondered what will happen when it's over. What do you do when the dream is over?
Not only WHAT will happen (ex. "what do we do NOW"), but how do you know when it's over? What signs do you look for? What emotions will be felt? How do you "exit"? Do you leave on a high note and maybe leave things/ideas left undone? Leave when you can't take it anymore and you've done all you wanted to do, maybe at the expense of having lost heart and soul for the biz, but wanting to finish nonetheless?
I am probably more curious about the results of this thread than any other..

We had a plan very similar to greyswan which had us running this Inn for 7 - 10 years, and beginning the exit process around year 7 because it can take 2 - 3 years for even a profitable B&B to sell. At year 10, my DH will be 60. We won't be ready or be able to afford to 'retire' but we would like to work fewer hours than we work running this B&B.
We bought our Inn from someone who had it for 3 years and decided to sell it after the first year. It really showed. Guest amenities went away, only the bare minimum maintenance was done, the sheets and towels were threadbare. When we moved in I brought several boxes of linens that I had bought at the outlets so that I could just get rid of most of what was here. Although we had nowhere to go but up, we spent the first two years here repairing both the body of the house and the soul of the business. I wouldn't want to do that to the next owner. Things will break after we're gone, as old houses always need something, and some old guests will go away and new ones will come, but I'd like that to be just the normal functioning of things, not because we got so burnt out we couldn't do it any more.
I still have plans and ideas about what to do here but if some of them don't come to fruition it won't kill me. We are not sure that we wouldn't run another B&B, although probably not in this area - it would have to be one that was either smaller or more seasonal. My DH will keep doing software work - he loves it and will never give it up entirely. We have found in trying to plan for that next step that it is too difficult to make plans until this phase is pretty close to ending, just because of the uncertainty of the ending. So we will likely wait until closer to the end before we do much more planning for the next phase.
.

Your purchase sounds similar to mine. I think this was THE 'dream job' of the POs. Until they started doing it. Even with fulltime help, this place needed a thorough top to bottom cleaning and overhaul after we got here. It was so bad I wouldn't unpack my kitchen stuff until I had scrubbed every cabinet.
I guess I'm concerned I might need some classes to take on the next phase.

 

[Morticia]

Assuming that being an innkeeper was a dream that one has for a long time before it becomes a reality; assuming that one loves being an innkeeper and only lives to try new things and being an innkeeper is the culmination of many years of dreams and aspirations and desires...I have seriously wondered what will happen when it's over. What do you do when the dream is over?
Not only WHAT will happen (ex. "what do we do NOW"), but how do you know when it's over? What signs do you look for? What emotions will be felt? How do you "exit"? Do you leave on a high note and maybe leave things/ideas left undone? Leave when you can't take it anymore and you've done all you wanted to do, maybe at the expense of having lost heart and soul for the biz, but wanting to finish nonetheless?
I am probably more curious about the results of this thread than any other..

Assuming that being an innkeeper was a dream that one has for a long time before it becomes a reality; assuming that one loves being an innkeeper and only lives to try new things and being an innkeeper is the culmination of many years of dreams and aspirations and desires...I have seriously wondered what will happen when it's over. What do you do when the dream is over?
Not only WHAT will happen (ex. "what do we do NOW"), but how do you know when it's over? What signs do you look for? What emotions will be felt? How do you "exit"? Do you leave on a high note and maybe leave things/ideas left undone? Leave when you can't take it anymore and you've done all you wanted to do, maybe at the expense of having lost heart and soul for the biz, but wanting to finish nonetheless?
I am probably more curious about the results of this thread than any other.

Next weekend we had an invite to go to Lowe's motorspeedway. A big name software company (the biggest) is footing the bill, gourmet dinner, tour of one owner's shop (bus to take and pick up from the tracK) meet the drivers of this team, pit tour, top seats, open food and bar tab, huge huge once in a lifetime event. You couldn't pay for this, it is out of this world.
Dh is going on my insistence, can I go? No way, impossible. He has two tickets. Have rooms checking in and checking out and cleaning rooms and there is simply no way in the world. Even if I knew someone to just check in guests, there is much work next weekend.
So when do you know, you asked? When you are in near tears over being stuck in the house and unable to do ANYTHING on a weekend.
Big marching band comp at the highschool. Dh is working on the porch decking and I am going to sneak off with our Band members to enjoy it. I will be too tired, but it is only three blocks away.
Tis time...Tis Time.
.

Hubs has the invite to go to the destroyer christening in 2 weeks. I'm pushing him to go. No way we can both be there at 11 AM on a Saturday morning. I still have to find some help for the cleaning, tho. We'll have a full house by the time that weekend rolls around and 3 rooms will be strips.
I get what you're saying. The first year we didn't go to anything. Hubs kept saying, 'You knew this when we started, no family events in season.'
It's amazing how heart problems get your attention, tho. Altho one daughter is mad because we can't make the g-son's b'day parties in the summer.

 

[user 26]

i am thinking i'll enroll in a culinary class or two (look out giada and rachel!!)
i want to decorate cakes ... and wear a big white hat and apron. (with a polka dot scarf1)

 

[Morticia]

i am thinking i'll enroll in a culinary class or two (look out giada and rachel!!)
i want to decorate cakes ... and wear a big white hat and apron. (with a polka dot scarf1).

i am thinking i'll enroll in a culinary class or two (look out giada and rachel!!)
i want to decorate cakes ... and wear a big white hat and apron. (with a polka dot scarf1)

Look out Ace of Cakes, in that case!

 

[gillumhouse]

Assuming that being an innkeeper was a dream that one has for a long time before it becomes a reality; assuming that one loves being an innkeeper and only lives to try new things and being an innkeeper is the culmination of many years of dreams and aspirations and desires...I have seriously wondered what will happen when it's over. What do you do when the dream is over?
Not only WHAT will happen (ex. "what do we do NOW"), but how do you know when it's over? What signs do you look for? What emotions will be felt? How do you "exit"? Do you leave on a high note and maybe leave things/ideas left undone? Leave when you can't take it anymore and you've done all you wanted to do, maybe at the expense of having lost heart and soul for the biz, but wanting to finish nonetheless?
I am probably more curious about the results of this thread than any other..

Assuming that being an innkeeper was a dream that one has for a long time before it becomes a reality; assuming that one loves being an innkeeper and only lives to try new things and being an innkeeper is the culmination of many years of dreams and aspirations and desires...I have seriously wondered what will happen when it's over. What do you do when the dream is over?
Not only WHAT will happen (ex. "what do we do NOW"), but how do you know when it's over? What signs do you look for? What emotions will be felt? How do you "exit"? Do you leave on a high note and maybe leave things/ideas left undone? Leave when you can't take it anymore and you've done all you wanted to do, maybe at the expense of having lost heart and soul for the biz, but wanting to finish nonetheless?
I am probably more curious about the results of this thread than any other.

Next weekend we had an invite to go to Lowe's motorspeedway. A big name software company (the biggest) is footing the bill, gourmet dinner, tour of one owner's shop (bus to take and pick up from the tracK) meet the drivers of this team, pit tour, top seats, open food and bar tab, huge huge once in a lifetime event. You couldn't pay for this, it is out of this world.
Dh is going on my insistence, can I go? No way, impossible. He has two tickets. Have rooms checking in and checking out and cleaning rooms and there is simply no way in the world. Even if I knew someone to just check in guests, there is much work next weekend.
So when do you know, you asked? When you are in near tears over being stuck in the house and unable to do ANYTHING on a weekend.
Big marching band comp at the highschool. Dh is working on the porch decking and I am going to sneak off with our Band members to enjoy it. I will be too tired, but it is only three blocks away.
Tis time...Tis Time.
.

Hubs has the invite to go to the destroyer christening in 2 weeks. I'm pushing him to go. No way we can both be there at 11 AM on a Saturday morning. I still have to find some help for the cleaning, tho. We'll have a full house by the time that weekend rolls around and 3 rooms will be strips.
I get what you're saying. The first year we didn't go to anything. Hubs kept saying, 'You knew this when we started, no family events in season.'
It's amazing how heart problems get your attention, tho. Altho one daughter is mad because we can't make the g-son's b'day parties in the summer.
.

One daughter was VERY miffed when we did not go to Iowa for her daughter's first birthday and another was miffed because we missed grandson #1 high school graduation (was accustomed to the not gonna be there when #2 graduated). Missed #1's wedding because no one was invited - and it was the same year as we all went to Iowa for that wedding and he was smart enough to go to Vegas with just the two of them, her friend for maid of honor and his brother for best man.
I used the B & B as an excuse for a lot of it because business they would be miffed but understand no work - no pay. They would NOT understand we do not have the money to make such a trip. Going to the graduation from the Police Academy just about broke us - rent a car (DH would not trust the car we had although it would have done it easily), plus gas, food, and parking at Navy Pier cost your first-born child! Lodging was the only thing we did not have to pay for. The credit card company loved us! Took a couple years to pay that off.

 

[gillumhouse]

Assuming that being an innkeeper was a dream that one has for a long time before it becomes a reality; assuming that one loves being an innkeeper and only lives to try new things and being an innkeeper is the culmination of many years of dreams and aspirations and desires...I have seriously wondered what will happen when it's over. What do you do when the dream is over?
Not only WHAT will happen (ex. "what do we do NOW"), but how do you know when it's over? What signs do you look for? What emotions will be felt? How do you "exit"? Do you leave on a high note and maybe leave things/ideas left undone? Leave when you can't take it anymore and you've done all you wanted to do, maybe at the expense of having lost heart and soul for the biz, but wanting to finish nonetheless?
I am probably more curious about the results of this thread than any other..

Assuming that being an innkeeper was a dream that one has for a long time before it becomes a reality; assuming that one loves being an innkeeper and only lives to try new things and being an innkeeper is the culmination of many years of dreams and aspirations and desires...I have seriously wondered what will happen when it's over. What do you do when the dream is over?
Not only WHAT will happen (ex. "what do we do NOW"), but how do you know when it's over? What signs do you look for? What emotions will be felt? How do you "exit"? Do you leave on a high note and maybe leave things/ideas left undone? Leave when you can't take it anymore and you've done all you wanted to do, maybe at the expense of having lost heart and soul for the biz, but wanting to finish nonetheless?
I am probably more curious about the results of this thread than any other.

Next weekend we had an invite to go to Lowe's motorspeedway. A big name software company (the biggest) is footing the bill, gourmet dinner, tour of one owner's shop (bus to take and pick up from the tracK) meet the drivers of this team, pit tour, top seats, open food and bar tab, huge huge once in a lifetime event. You couldn't pay for this, it is out of this world.
Dh is going on my insistence, can I go? No way, impossible. He has two tickets. Have rooms checking in and checking out and cleaning rooms and there is simply no way in the world. Even if I knew someone to just check in guests, there is much work next weekend.
So when do you know, you asked? When you are in near tears over being stuck in the house and unable to do ANYTHING on a weekend.
Big marching band comp at the highschool. Dh is working on the porch decking and I am going to sneak off with our Band members to enjoy it. I will be too tired, but it is only three blocks away.
Tis time...Tis Time.
.

I am so sorry about your NASCAR weekend. That does suck.
DH has a dinner and film with his Civil War Roundtable on the 14th. I had already booked 2 rooms for that night (and had given notice I was missing band practice because of the dinner) and forgot about it being the same night. DH had his heart set on us going so I called the guests (aunt/niece traveling together) and invited them to go as our guests if they could be here by 5 pm. They are thrilled to be visiting the farm of Stonewall Jackson's grandparents where he spent a lot of his boyhood. I have done that several times as a way to get to do things. I know that will not work for you for NASCAR but how about the band competition?
Unless the decking is a gaping hole - it can wait too. It has waited until today hasn't it?

 

[EmptyNest]

Assuming that being an innkeeper was a dream that one has for a long time before it becomes a reality; assuming that one loves being an innkeeper and only lives to try new things and being an innkeeper is the culmination of many years of dreams and aspirations and desires...I have seriously wondered what will happen when it's over. What do you do when the dream is over?
Not only WHAT will happen (ex. "what do we do NOW"), but how do you know when it's over? What signs do you look for? What emotions will be felt? How do you "exit"? Do you leave on a high note and maybe leave things/ideas left undone? Leave when you can't take it anymore and you've done all you wanted to do, maybe at the expense of having lost heart and soul for the biz, but wanting to finish nonetheless?
I am probably more curious about the results of this thread than any other..

Assuming that being an innkeeper was a dream that one has for a long time before it becomes a reality; assuming that one loves being an innkeeper and only lives to try new things and being an innkeeper is the culmination of many years of dreams and aspirations and desires...I have seriously wondered what will happen when it's over. What do you do when the dream is over?
Not only WHAT will happen (ex. "what do we do NOW"), but how do you know when it's over? What signs do you look for? What emotions will be felt? How do you "exit"? Do you leave on a high note and maybe leave things/ideas left undone? Leave when you can't take it anymore and you've done all you wanted to do, maybe at the expense of having lost heart and soul for the biz, but wanting to finish nonetheless?
I am probably more curious about the results of this thread than any other.

Next weekend we had an invite to go to Lowe's motorspeedway. A big name software company (the biggest) is footing the bill, gourmet dinner, tour of one owner's shop (bus to take and pick up from the tracK) meet the drivers of this team, pit tour, top seats, open food and bar tab, huge huge once in a lifetime event. You couldn't pay for this, it is out of this world.
Dh is going on my insistence, can I go? No way, impossible. He has two tickets. Have rooms checking in and checking out and cleaning rooms and there is simply no way in the world. Even if I knew someone to just check in guests, there is much work next weekend.
So when do you know, you asked? When you are in near tears over being stuck in the house and unable to do ANYTHING on a weekend.
Big marching band comp at the highschool. Dh is working on the porch decking and I am going to sneak off with our Band members to enjoy it. I will be too tired, but it is only three blocks away.
Tis time...Tis Time.
.

Oh no... do you have a full house? Maybe you can call them today and LIE...say you have to go out of town for a funeral or something

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

Assuming that being an innkeeper was a dream that one has for a long time before it becomes a reality; assuming that one loves being an innkeeper and only lives to try new things and being an innkeeper is the culmination of many years of dreams and aspirations and desires...I have seriously wondered what will happen when it's over. What do you do when the dream is over?
Not only WHAT will happen (ex. "what do we do NOW"), but how do you know when it's over? What signs do you look for? What emotions will be felt? How do you "exit"? Do you leave on a high note and maybe leave things/ideas left undone? Leave when you can't take it anymore and you've done all you wanted to do, maybe at the expense of having lost heart and soul for the biz, but wanting to finish nonetheless?
I am probably more curious about the results of this thread than any other..

Assuming that being an innkeeper was a dream that one has for a long time before it becomes a reality; assuming that one loves being an innkeeper and only lives to try new things and being an innkeeper is the culmination of many years of dreams and aspirations and desires...I have seriously wondered what will happen when it's over. What do you do when the dream is over?
Not only WHAT will happen (ex. "what do we do NOW"), but how do you know when it's over? What signs do you look for? What emotions will be felt? How do you "exit"? Do you leave on a high note and maybe leave things/ideas left undone? Leave when you can't take it anymore and you've done all you wanted to do, maybe at the expense of having lost heart and soul for the biz, but wanting to finish nonetheless?
I am probably more curious about the results of this thread than any other.

Next weekend we had an invite to go to Lowe's motorspeedway. A big name software company (the biggest) is footing the bill, gourmet dinner, tour of one owner's shop (bus to take and pick up from the tracK) meet the drivers of this team, pit tour, top seats, open food and bar tab, huge huge once in a lifetime event. You couldn't pay for this, it is out of this world.
Dh is going on my insistence, can I go? No way, impossible. He has two tickets. Have rooms checking in and checking out and cleaning rooms and there is simply no way in the world. Even if I knew someone to just check in guests, there is much work next weekend.
So when do you know, you asked? When you are in near tears over being stuck in the house and unable to do ANYTHING on a weekend.
Big marching band comp at the highschool. Dh is working on the porch decking and I am going to sneak off with our Band members to enjoy it. I will be too tired, but it is only three blocks away.
Tis time...Tis Time.
.

Oh no... do you have a full house? Maybe you can call them today and LIE...say you have to go out of town for a funeral or something

.

Oh no... do you have a full house? Maybe you can call them today and LIE...say you have to go out of town for a funeral or something

Yes and we need the full house too. This is our month to make money. Just got a call from the wedding night - flowers and sparkling cider in the room, and letting us know what time they will arrive. I It's next Sat as well.
Yep, sucks. As much as we DO WHAT WE WANT, we do much less than what we want, if that makes any sense. Well he is going. I am going to be hear busting my butt with two seatings and chaos. At least he gets to go.