July 2022 News
Last month I wanted to come here today and report another record month for Lake Hartwell Kayak. Well here I am, doing it. June was a record month.
Yaks
It's a funny industry - kayak rental and delivery. You might have a span of days where you drive ~500 miles, dropping off and picking up 20 kayaks. Then you have 3 dry days and you start second guessing every life choice you've ever made, sure that your business will crash and burn tomorrow. Maybe that's the tourism industry in general.
I'll tell ya how I expend my energy and thoughts while not directly working on kayaks or driving: I analyze data. All the data. Rentals, purchases, locations. I try to make operating expenses cost less money and time. Try to make the income more often and higher. At first I was only rocking an Excel sheet for data analyzing but it got too complicated and error-prone. I needed a database.
For a long time I've wanted an excuse to learn SQL. This is a perfect one. I want to generate reports, determine our busiest days, slowest days, busiest areas by city or zip, slowest areas, rental behavior of campers and of airbnbers, etc.
Learning SQL will also help eventually with..
Schala
.. the dynamic environment simulator engine. What better way to store and reference and update a thousand living objects? Or a thousand thousand. SQL obviously.
Writing
Last month I also hoped to return here and report that V&V is complete. I can't do that, unfortunately. Mr. Jarrold began his read through on April 19th and is still at it. I'm not complaining. There's enough going on and as soon as he's done with his part, it will be time to chisel at that manuscript again (not to mention pay him my other leg).
Regarding V&V, I think I'm changing the name. V&V should be the name of the series. I want to focus the names of book 1 and 2 on something more story-specific. On what exactly? I have no idea. Why do books need names by god?
Next month
Will I report another record month? The completion of the book? Time will tell.
See you then
dtl