Day 1320: I Already Miss You Davy Jones

Miss me?  I haven’t written for a while because I’ve been tied up with the Oscars and covering them for my entertainment blog EGOTing.   That said… I have been gearing up to finish up ‘The Chair’… I have the final posts mapped out an ready to go… but I was derailed by the passing of Davy Jones.  And I need to honor him before I do anything else.

I have been a fan of The Monkees since before I can remember.  I have even mentioned them a number of times on this blog.  They are and will always be my favorite band.  A few years ago I even had the pleasure of spending the day with Davy Jones.  He is a very nice man and I have a lot of respect for him… and his passing has sparked emotions I haven’t dealt with before.  Not even when Bob Hope passed away.  It’s probably because I have actually met Davy… and unlike a lot of the celebrities I’ve met, he was actually a real person… not just a caricature of himself.  I now know how some people felt when Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston passed… I hadn’t until now.

I wasn’t following the news when it happened yesterday… however, three friends contacted me via email, instant message, and by telephone almost simultaneously… so I’m pretty sure I found out as soon as the story leaked… and since then I have been sharing my Monkees memories as tributes on facebook.

Here they are:

Monkees Tribute #1:  I was first introduced to the Monkees when I was 9 years old, when Nickelodeon started reairing the series.  I remember it coming on at 3:30pm… and I was so obsessed that my mom would let me postpone my homework until after the show.  And I also remember my brother coming in one day saying, “What are you watching?”    Me: “The Monkees.”  Him: “Why?”  Me: “It’s my favorite show… they are my favorite band.”  Him: “How can they be your favorite band?  I beat you don’t even know their names.”  Without missing a beat I looked at him, “Davy, Mikey, Peter, and Mike… they’re my favorite band.”

Monkees Tribute #2:  When I was 10 years old, I earned a reward of some sort… probably for doing some chores or getting a good report card.  My parents probably figured I would get a toy like normal… but I asked if I could go to Turtles to get a Monkees album.  They were surprised and not surprised all at the same time.  A couples days later my mom took me to the old Turtles location on Canton Road (Marietta)… I remember, because we normally went to the Merchants Walk Turtles.  Anyway, when I told the man behind the counter what I wanted he asked, “New or old?”  I said, “The original.”  It was my first album.  It was a cassette of this album: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Monkees_Greatest_Hits

Monkees Tribute #3:  When I was 12 years-old I had gone on a trip to Florida with my church.  By the time I returned my brother and dad had already left for Band Camp… so only my mom was on hand to greet the bus.  We got my stuff and got in my car and then she asked, “So, would you be interested in going to a concert with me?”  Me:  “What concert?”  Her:  “The Monkees.”  Me:  “Are you serious?”  Her:  “Yes.”  Me:  “You mean in person?  Of course I would want to go.”  She handed me an envelope and said, “Good, I already got the tickets, I hope tomorrow night is good for you.”   “The Monkees Summer Tour” at the Six Flags over Georgia’s Southern Star Amphitheatre was my first concert.

Monkees Tribute #4:  When I was 14 years old my mom asked me what I wanted for Christmas.  I told her I wanted “The Listen to the Band”, The Monkees’ four disc box set of almost 80 songs.  When my mom found out it cost almost $100.00 she balked… asking me if I was sure.  “This would be the bulk of my Christmas budget for you… are you sure you just want music?”  I said “Yes, I’m sure.”  About a week before Christmas my mother let me know that I shouldn’t get too excited.  She was having a lot of trouble finding the set, which had come out eight months before.  A couple music stores told her it wasn’t really something they keep in stock and would have to special order it… it would take about a month.  However… on Christmas morning guess what was under the tree?  That’s right.  “Listen to the Band”.  In one final effort mom started calling every record shop in Atlanta and finally found one across town a couple days before Christmas who was willing to hold it for her.  She bought it on Christmas Eve.  I have had those discs for twenty years and have since ripped them to mp3’s.  I am listening to them now.  Thanks mom!  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Listen_to_the_Band  

Monkees Tribute #5:  When I was 20 years old and living in Charleston, SC my best friend from Atlanta, Jeff Costello, called me.  “Hey, The Monkees are playing Chastain Amphitheatre in October and I’m getting you tickets for your birthday… so you better get you’re a—down here!”  I was thrilled!  “Of course I’m coming!”  There was never any question in my mind.  Oddly enough… about a week later I auditioned for a play what was scheduled to open, in Charleston, a week after the concert.  I was upfront and listed the concert as a potential rehearsal conflict.  I was cast anyway and everyone quickly forgot about my conflict.  About a week before the concert a revised rehearsal schedule came out coving the time I was going to be gone.  When I reminded everyone of my trip, no one could believe I was going to take off for a Monkees concert.  Having worked on over 50 shows, I always put the show first… however I was pretty unapologetic this time because I had listed the weekend of the concert as a conflict when I auditioned.  In the end… I was fired from the show… the first and only time I had ever been fired.  However… Jeff had gotten us great seats and I got to see The Monkees for a second time!  So I still ended up the big winner!

Monkees Tribute #6:  When I was 26 The Monkees FINALLY entered my Vinyl collection.  I started collecting records at a very early age when my dad gave me all of his old 45s.  When I was in High School, I took over my parents LP collection when they switched to CDs.  And that was around the time I really started collecting.  However, I could never seem to find a The Monkees… or at least one in good condition.  Until one day, while working at The Art Place, a co-work came in and said, “I was at a yard sale this weekend and I could help thinking about you?”  Me:  “Really?  Why?”  Her:  “Consider this an early birthday present.  And then she handed an original pressing mint condition Vinyl copy of The Monkees FIRST EVER album:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Monkees_(album)

Monkees Tribute #7:  When I was 27 years-old I spent an entire day with Davy Jones.  It was announced that Davy Jones would be performing at the Mable House Amphitheatre, which, like The Art Place, is owned by Cobb County.  Knowing my affection for The Monkees, Elizabeth Weaver and Nelah Gabler, asked if I would like to be Davy’s driver for the day.  We always provided transportation in-house for performances… so this wasn’t too strange… but I was put on the list to drive Davy before it went public to the rest of the staff.  The day of the concert I picked up Davy and his band up from their hotel and took them to sound check… and then just hung out through dinner, the concert, and meet and greet.  Having met a few arrogant celebrities I can say this: Davy Jones was/is a very nice, classy, and a generous man.  I didn’t have any long conversations with him… but he was always very welcoming and engaged.  He put on a great solo performance and afterwards, as we were exiting the amphitheatre, well after the show ended, he asked me to pull over.  I hadn’t noticed her, but Davy saw a woman hanging-out alone in the parking lot close to the employees entrance/exit.  He rolled down the window playfully saying, “Hello darling, are you waiting for me?”  He chatted with her for a couple minutes, signed some autographs for her, kissed her hand, and then we were back on the road.  Classy.  When I dropped him off at this hotel I helped his band unload their stuff out of the van.  I hadn’t noticed, but Davy had stuck around.  When everything was unloaded Davy walked up to me, shook my hand, looked me right in the eye and said, “Thank you very much.”  And I said, “No, thank you.  It has been a pleasure.”  

Monkees Tribute #8:  Last night I cued you the first two episodes of The Monkees on youtube and after dinner Grayson and I settled in to watch. I wish his introduction to my first favorite TV Show and Band had been a more joyous occasion… however, it could not have been more special. After the first episode Grayson started chanting “Hurray! I love The Monkees, I love the Monkees! Dad can we stay up and watch another one.” Me: “Of course we can.” I don’t think anyone would have predicted the last impact of them… what with a 34 and 6 year-old in 2012 being thurally entertained. Davy, thank you for a wonderful life… I just wish you would have stood up a bit more often.

Monkees Tribute #9: I’m now 34… And it has been 25 years since I told my brother that The Monkees were my favorite band… and 25 years later… they still are.  Over the last few years it feels like there has been a string of high profile celebrity deaths that have rocked the music industry.  Although shocking… I never felt emotionally attached to any of them.  However, I feel emotional attached to Davy’s passing... having a chance to reflect on all the great memories after all these years.  I also appreciate all the respectful coverage on his passing.  As a Monkees fan I am used to the jokes and chides about the band… the questions like, “Of all the groups, why the Monkees?”  So today… it means so much that Davy’s passing isn’t going unnoticed.  The truth is, The Monkees made a contribution… and they will not go forgotten… at least not in my household… where I am raising two more Monkee Manics!  Peace Davy!  See you later!  And please… for the love of everything holy… STAND UP! 

PS: Mickey, Peter, and Mike… please take a good look at my profile picture… if you see me approach on the street I’ll just want to give you a hug, say ‘thank you’, and go merely on my way.

Day 1274: The Chair, Part 44a – The Gumtree

So… the night I assembled the IKEA chair, I went to bed with a sense of accomplishment.  My mission was complete.  I had fought for the chair, carried it through the city on a cold and rainy evening… I had earned a well deserved rest.  And honestly, I was exhausted.  Between Costello’s visit, work, entertaining Grayson, and the chair… I was beat… and the night I assembled the chair I went to bed early.

I just wish Serena had gone to bed as well.

No… Serena stayed up… she surfed the net… and her unspoken dissatisfaction in the chair I slaved away to get, led her to www.gumtree.com, London’s CraigsList equivalent.  And by the time I woke up the next day my sense of accomplishment and a job well done had long passed… upon hearing Serena’s desire to get a different chair, those positive feelings were replaced by dread and frustration… and a headache… I’m pretty sure a headache was involved.

Now, I will admit.  The IKEA rocking chair was a piece of garbage.  The chair itself was too wide and deep to be an effective nursing chair and the rocking blades were almost flat making the chair more like a ‘wobbler’ than a rocker.  So, in all actuality I don’t blame Serena for being dissatisfied in the least.  I totally understood.  The IKEA ‘wobbling’ chair was a massive disappointment for me as well.

However, my body was not ready to embark on another chair misadventure… especially since I had already been on one Gumtree mission prior to Costello’s arrival.

You see, besides a stroller and a nursing chair… we also needed a bassinet.    And by the time Costello arrived I had already been on an across town adventure to purchase a second hand, waist high, all wood bassinet Serena found on Gumtree. 

Now, the trip for the bassinet wasn’t nearly as dramatic as my trip to IKEA, which is probably why I have shared it until now.

I only had to take a couple buses to an area of town I was already, kind of, familiar with and the couple selling us the bassinet only lived about two blocks from the bus stop.  And in fact, the worst part of this expedition was lugging the bassinet those two blocks... not because the bassinet was too heavy, although it would have been easier with two people, but because it was a pretty awkward carry… especially since I had to balance the legs inside the basket in such a way so they didn’t slide through the slats and onto the ground.  I didn’t even mind the bus rides home.  Sure I had to wait thirty minutes for one of them, but it was a very quiet and pleasant evening, so there weren’t too many people to contend with and my final stop was right across the street from our flat.

So… altogether, this trip wasn’t bad at all; which is probably why I agreed to go to IKEA… plus Costello was there to help and having an extra hand made the trip sound more attractive.  Which… I admit… in hindsight, was a total mistake.

Anyway, on the heels of the bassinet and IKEA… I just wasn’t about to lug another piece of furniture through London’s public transportation system.  If Serena wanted a different chair… we were going to need another method of procurement. 

Because this JohnPaul was exhausted… and tired of being ripped off. 

… If only there was room in my life for both… rest and reasonably priced nursery furniture.  However, there wasn’t room for either.

Day 1272: The Chair, Part 43 – The Screwdriver

Well, it is a new year… and I would like to claim that my new year’s resolution is to be more active on SchutzHappens again, I really would.  I’ve certainly slowed down on my posts since leaving Pakistan… and I besides ‘The Chair’ I really do have a lot of stories to share. 

But honestly, I can’t make any promises. 

You see, over the last few years I’ve been working on a novel and I am determined to complete it and self-publish on Kindle this year.   And with this shift in focus… I probably won’t post of SchutzHappens quite a much, but for those of you who are avid readers, you’ve undoubtedly already noticed this.

But then again, there is something to be said about quality over quantity.  So, in its essence and heart, SchutzHappens is exactly what it has always been… but you’ll probably only get a piece once or twice a week rather than almost every day, like I had been doing.

But, in any case, as always, thanks for reading!

The Chair, Part 43 - The Screwdriver

One thing I should probably mention about our epic journey to IKEA is that it was the last day of Costello’s visit… probably not the best way to end his vacation... but we did get to see a lot while he was in town.  I had taken a few days off from work and we tore the city apart.  BTW: the Churchill War Rooms Museum is one of the more interesting places I’ve ever been… not just in London… but worldwide.  If you find yourself in London make sure you got there.  You’ll thank me!

Anyway, Costello flew back to Atlanta without incident and the task of putting the chair together fell to me… and the best helper any dad could ask for: Grayson, the soon to be big brother.

Now, leading up to this, I was no stranger to putting together IKEA furniture.  I’m pretty visual and handy, so putting things together with only pictures never really bothered me.  However, when it comes to IKEA furniture I was accustom to one thing… having it come with everything I needed to build it… not just the hardware, but the tools as well.  And sure, when I opened ‘The Chair’ I did find the hardware and an allen-wrench… but I also noticed that some of the screws had Phillips-heads on them… and after taking a quick glance at the directions I noticed that a screwdriver was needed for assembly… a screwdriver that was not included in the box.

Hmmm… well… being that we were only temporarily in London and I hadn’t really planned on doing anything overly ambitious with my time there, I hadn’t packed any of my tools for the trip.  So… yeah… I was pretty stuck.

“Luckily”… and I’m using quotes because I don’t believe anything is lucky in this story, but  we just happened to be living in a flat over a hardware store… on Baker Street… in a not so cheap part of town.  They, of course, had a screwdriver for sale… and… well… it only cost about £18.00… which was close to $30.00 at the time.  And well… after everything I had already gone through to get ‘The Chair’ in the first place, I really didn’t have a choice.  So… I bought it… begrudgingly.

Grayson was a wonderful assistant, as seen in our family video posted on Day 572.  We quickly assembled the chair and Serena took it for a test drive… and… well… she didn’t like it.  At all.  She didn’t want it… and as the video on Day 572 reveals… she set out to find a new chair.

Day 1266: SchutzHappens, December 2011 - "Don't Stop Believin'"

Day 1259: Second Annual ‘Hug Against Hate’ Award – Matt Harding

Well, I know I promised to only post ‘The Chair’ until it’s done… but seriously.  There is no end in sight and I should probably spin the whole story off onto its own dedicated blog, but by the time I have time to do that, the story will be close to over anyway… so please, forgive the interruption.

Anyway, today is my birthday!  Happy birthday to me!

And if you read the blog last year, you’ll know that I have decided to do something different, in relation to the blog, every year on my birthday.  Here is a quote from last year’s post:

“I would focus on something more positive.  After all, it’s the end of the year, so why don’t we honor someone who is doing something amazing to unite the world?  There are tons of people doing incredibly simple, yet powerfully inspiring work that should be recognized.  So, from now on, on my birthday, I’m going to give out the ‘SchutzHappens Hug Against Hate’ Award”

And in keeping with that tradition, I would like to close the year honoring video game developer Matt Harding, who is best known dancing horribly all around the world.

Now, I’ve talked about Matt, and his website www.wherethehellismatt.com a couple times on SchutzHappes (Day 712 and Day 798) and I just can’t get over his amazing spirit and sense of humor.  I highly recommend everyone visit his website’s ‘About Me’ page.  And you should also check out his ‘Journal’. 

And if you aren’t familiar with his hilariously simple, yet awe-inspiring, contribution to making this world a smaller place and his dedication to getting American’s to travel abroad more… you should really check out his videos:

Amazing simple, right?  Did you get goose bumps?  I always do and I’ve seen his videos a lot.  Interestingly enough, Matt has started lecturing about his travel experiences and talking about how he’s able to bring so many people together to make such silly internet videos.  Has now has an entire lecture series available on youtube, but this is his first quick and dirty talk:

BTW: Matt welcomed a new member to his family, his son Max, on April 30^th… which is way cooler than my silly little award.

Congratulations Matt and keep on trucking!  Kids are very adaptable to traveling as long as you just do it!  (Although traversing international airports with children is probably the most stressful thing you will ever do, but it’s totally worth it!

Day 1251: The Chair, Part 42 – The Cushion

It didn’t take us long to fine aisle 21.  And they even had a display version of the rocker I wanted at the top of the aisle so Costello and I were able to find the box we needed rather quickly.

However… there was a problem.

The whole point of going to IKEA in the first place, despite our blood sweat and tears, was to get the best possible deal. And for those of you familiar with IKEA and their ‘Poang’ series of arm chairs, you’ll know that the chair, itself, is nothing more than a frame and pretty much useless without a cushion… and the cushions are sold separately.

At the time, IKEA had the plain, off-white, ‘Poang’ cushions on sale for £10, (roughly $15.00).  Plus, since the rocking chair frame was also on sale, I was looking to get the whole set for around £75 - £80, (roughly $120.00, which is less than what it costs on IKEA’s website today and way less than the $550.00 a glider chair would cost at Hammond’s Department Store).  So yeah, I thought I was getting a great deal, which was why I ventured out to IKEA in the first place! 

Well… have you ever heard of a bait and switch?  Yeah… well listen to this:

After Costello and I grabbed the box containing the rocking chair frame, we ventured down to the other end of aisle 21 to find the cushions; however, there were not any of the $15.00 plain off-white cushions available, only very expensive printed cushions… all ranging in the £60 - £75 range (roughly $105.00).

In sheer panic and desperation, do to my IKEA delirium and intense cheapness, I continued to look for the cushion I wanted and I noticed two things:

1.  IKEA had about 20 ‘Poang’ chairs scattered around the warehouse on display and every single one of them had an off-white cushion with a sign reading, “Only £10!” 

2.  At the very top of the enormous shelves of aisle 21, I noticed a stack of the off-white cushions I wanted.

So, I ran to get a warehouse clerk who told me, “I’m sorry we are out of those cushions”.

Me:  “What about the cushions on the display?  I’m more than happy to buy one that is already open.”

Clerk:  “No, I am sorry, we can’t sell display models.”

Me:  “Well, what about the ones on top of the shelves?”

Clerk:  “Where.”

I led the warehouse clerk to where I saw the cushions, perched way at the top of the aisle 21 shelving unit… probably a full story up.

The clerk seems surprised.  “It looks like it is your lucky day… I will need to get a crane to get them down.”

“Yes, please, I’ll wait.  Thank you!”

I got very excited as I watched the warehouse clerk go over to talk to the crane operator.  And Costello went to scope out checkout lines… we were going to make a mad dash as soon as we had a cushion in our hot little hands.

Then… all of a sudden the clerk came back, “I’m sorry, those are not cushion.”

Me:  (Shocked)… “Then what are they?”

Clerk:  “Mattresses”.

I was terrible confused.  “Mattresses?  I don’t see any mattresses in this aisle.”

Clerk:  “They are up there”.

Me:  “No, I mean on display… down low for people to buy.”

Clerk:  “That is because mattresses are normally kept on aisle 18.”

Me:  “But you are keeping extras in aisle 21?”

Clerk:  “Yes sir, I am sorry.”

Me:  “Mattresses with cresses in the exact same places as chair cushions?”  (I could see the cresses from the floor).

Clerk:  (letting go of a nervous laugh), “They are special mattresses for babies.”

Me:  “You mean a crib mattress?”

When I threw out the term ‘crib mattress’ the clerk seemed even more uncomfortable… like he had miss judged two random American guys and had been caught in a lie… he quickly said, “I am very busy, I must be going,” and disappeared.

I was stunned.  But I was I was stuck.  In the States, I would probably have thrown in the towel and worried about it later… but I didn’t know London well enough for back-up options.

Costello was getting antsy because we were burning lots of time.

We had already invested over two hours to get this chair… by God I was not about to go home empty handed.  So… I did the math… I could still get the chair frame and the overpriced cushion for around $200.00, which was still a lot less than buying the $550.00 glider chair at Hammonds. 

So we grabbed everything we needed, paid, and darted out into the cold rainy night. 

We made much better time on the way back… and by the time we got back to my apartment, the rain had stopped… but we didn’t have time to breath, let alone eat… we only had thirty minutes to get across town for out Jack the Ripper Walking Tour.

So we darted back out into the night.

Unfortunately… Costello and I were so cold, tired and hungry that we didn’t really enjoy the tour.

Day 1248: The Chair, Part 41 – ‘Lost’ in IKEA

I feel bad.  If I had know that Costello has never been to an IKEA before I wouldn’t have taken him.  I never wanted to be the person who ruins anyone’s world view… but apparently it was meant to be.

We were running late… waiting for the nonexistent IKEA shuttle had set-up us back considerably.  And not only did we need to buy the rocking chair… we also needed to take it all the way back through the Underground to our flat in the city, get dinner, and then trek across town to make our ‘Jack the Ripper Walking Tour’ which was scheduled to start at 7pm.  It was already 4:30pm… and it had taken us almost two hours to get there.  We were on a mission… and we couldn’t be stopped.

As I led Costello through the winding aisle of IKEA, at close to a jogs pace, is when I realized Costello was an IKEA newbie.   At my heels he kept asking, “Where are you going?”  “Shouldn’t we ask someone?”

At first I just ignored him… focused solely on finding the chair I wanted on the showroom floor.

Costello:  “Dude, we need to ask someone!”

Me: (Finally), “You have to trust me; I know what I’m doing.”

Costello became even more confused when I grabbed a pad of paper and a golf pencil off the wall without breaking my stride… and then finally came to a stop at the chair I wanted.

As I wrote down the item number, Costello tried to catch his breath… but then I darted off again.  And this time Costello became increasingly confused.  “Where are you going!?!  You really need to ask someone!”

Me:  (Calling behind me), “I know where I’m going, come on!”

Costello:  “But the chair was back there!”

Me:  “I know, but that was the display model, we need to get to the warehouse!”

Must like my first trip to IKEA, Costello just couldn’t seem to wrap his brain around the experience… especially at the pace we were plodding through.  And his confusion and concern heightened every time we turned a corner and found more random displays and bins of stuff:  Office furniture… kids bedding… house wares…

Costello:  “We’re going the wrong way.”

Me:  “No we’re not… you have to trust me.  Come on!”

Honestly, it really felt like we were running for thirty minutes.  And all the while… with every stride, Costello was the voice of descent… not trusting… not understanding… and I just kept going, unwaivered by his calls to ask for help.  And in his disorientation… his only choice was to keep pace and follow.

And then… finally… we rounded a corner and BAM!

We were in the warehouse… Costello stopped for a split second, his jaw opened… and it only took him a second to find his words… “You have to be kidding me…”

Me:  “Come on!  We need aisle 21!!!  Aisle 21!