Crouching Tiger, Hidden Buddha

When you are starting a business there are many things that are imperative to get. For instance, a building to have this business in. Maybe some insurance. Perhaps inventory would be needed. You might want to consider furniture for you establishment.

Those are just my thoughts.

A few weeks ago Lisa and I went to one of my favorite stores called Material Culture to look for some old doors to put in an opening in our studio to close off the yoga room from the retail space. I would consider doors a "needed" item. We looked and found two different sets. Lisa had her heart set on a pair that were stacked behind about a MILLION other pairs. We were going to need ten strong men and some oxen to get them out.  I could already tell though that they were going to be to expensive. I said, "They are three thousand dollars. We are not getting them." She said, "You don't know that! I want to see them." I just petted her sweet little head and sighed, "Okay...." So we got the oxen and the men and they moved everything else for us to see. Lo and behold they were the bargain price of $2900! Knowing that ahead of time is one of my special gifts. That and total consciousness when I die. We found other pairs too. More in our price range. She grudgingly agreed to the less expensive doors.

Then she spotted some very cute little stools. They were adorable but they were also three hundred dollars a piece, she wanted four and we haven't started buying furniture yet. I had to physically drag her away from them. It wasn't easy.

Then. Then came the "Tiger Buddha."

"Look! Look!" she exclaimed.

"What?"

"We need this! Look how cute it is! It's a little tiger Buddha," she was gushing.

I looked.

Oh jesus. Really?

Then one of the men who works there came over.

"How much is this tiger buddha?" she practically screamed at him. "We need this! We are opening a CHILDREN'S yoga studio. PLAY. Peace, love, art, yoga. Do you get it? Wouldn't this look so cute for the CHILDREN???"

"It's four hundred dollars," he said, "But I can give it to you for two sixty."

"Amy, please. Look at it! It's so cute. We need this," she said.

"It's scary," I said.

"No! You wouldn't let me get anything else. I'm getting this. Dave wants me to have this today. He wants me to have the tiger buddha," she was set on it.

I need to pick my battles. I had already saved us $4200 that day, so fine, get the freaky little thing if you must.

She was so happy. She practically skipped up to the counter with her odd little chinese woman with boobs in the tiger costume. She did accidentally bang it's head on the door on the way out but I guess that's really neither here nor there.

I sent this picture to my friend to show him what we HAD to have for our studio. His reply was, "Oh my goodness! Yes, every new business needs one of those!" Uh... yeah.