Day 1378: SchutzHappens, January 2012 - It'll Be A Good Day

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3PqyP6G_yU)

Day 1350: The Chair, Part 46 – The Delivery

So, after the Dutchman picked up my money and set-out on his owe journey to pick-up the chair I settled in to writing my graduate thesis… which was the OTHER thing I was doing while in London; besides working, having a second child, and purchasing a multitude of chairs.

Now, if you are an avid reader of SchutzHappens, you’ll know that I go through manic writing spells where I post almost daily, and it probably won’t surprise you that I’m known for losing track of time when in the ‘writing zone’.  So, after about two hours of writing Serena popped in to see how I was doing and to know if I had heard from the Dutchman.  I was a little taken back that two hours had already passed, but still, I wasn’t worried about the Dutchman.  As I mentioned in my previous post, based on the Dutchman’s hourly and mileage rates, I had estimated spending about $50.00 for his services, and I had estimated around two to two and a half hours for the round trip.  As far as I was concerned, the Dutchman was still on schedule. 

That said, I was a little concerned that he hadn’t called.  I was expecting him to call when he picked up the chair.  Which should have been at the 60 minute mark.  So yeah… I called him… and my worst fears were realized.  Well… not my worst fears, just a minor setback… but a costly one.

By the time I reached the Dutchman he had the chair, but he had only just then gotten back on the road.   Over two hours into the trip and he was only at the halfway mark.  Disaster!

Based on what the Dutchman told me, he got tied up in a bit of traffic, however he was still able to reach the British couple’s house in about an hour and a half.  However, when he arrived the couple was not home… they had gone out to lunch.

Now… this is pretty irritating… mainly because I called the couple as soon as the Dutchman left my flat and the couple new where he was going from and most importantly, they knew he was on his way.  When I was on the phone with them the guy even say, “Great, then we’ll probably see him in about an hour or so.”  But then they just left.  And when the Dutchman arrived, found no one home, and called them, they told him to “sit tight, we’ll be back after lunch”.

Time is money people! 

When something like this happens… you can’t do anything except grin and bear it.  But bearing it is much easier than grinning about it.

In the end, it only took the Dutchman about an hour to get back.  So, at least my estimated hourly fees didn’t double… but it got pretty close.  And luckily, my estimated mileage fees were pretty much on the nose.  All in all, I was out about $70.00.  Which was fine until I discovered the British couple for what they really were… charlatans.  And since then I have resented having to keep the Dutchman on the clock while the crooks enjoyed their lunch.

Day 1347: The Chair, Part 45 – The Transportation

Before agreeing to buy the glider chair off Gumtree.com I make Serena promise me something: that we sell the IKEA chair on Gumtree.  The idea of carrying the IKEA chair all the way back across town was overwhelming.  And I thought we were getting such a great deal on the glider chair that I wasn’t worried about taking a little bit of a loss on the IKEA chair… if we needed too.  To me, it was worth it.

However, once we committed to buying the glider chair posted on Gumtree I was faced with the real possibility of having to venture out on foot, once again, to get the ‘like new, never used, smoke free Harrods’ glider chair.  To say the least, I was not excited… and when I saw how many trains and buses I would have had to take to get there, I became even less excited.  It would have been impossible for me to carry an assembled glider chair and stool, by myself, all the way back changing trains twice and taking two different buses.  I had to put my foot down.  There was just no way.  We still wanted the chair… but there was just no way to do it on my own.

Now, before I continue… you should know that a lot of our decision making from here on had everything to do with the great deal we thought we were getting.  We were buying a $550.00 chair for $150.00.  So, in our heart of hearts we were saving $400.00.  And since we had paid $200.00 for the horrible IKEA wobbler chair, we were willing to spend a bit more money for the far superior glider chair.  And that extra money, as you can imagine, was going to be spent in the form of transportation and/or delivery costs.

It took a while, but when Serena finally agreed that carrying the chair on and off public transportation was not going to work.  We thought about renting a car, however, the prices associated with that option were exorbitant… not to mention the price of gas… and the fact that I had never driven in London before… it was a recipe for disaster.  So, I continued to look for options.

Eventually I found a Dutch guy on Gumtree with a van who would run odd errands for people and based on his hourly and mileage rates I estimated it would cost around $50.00 for him to pick-up the chair.  Which was way less than the rental car.  So, I called the guy up and he was available.  He came right over, picked up the money for the chair and drove off to get it.

And I know you’re probably thinking that I never saw him or the money ever again… but no… that’s not what happened.   The guy was Dutch!  I knew he’d come back… eventually.

Day 1343: The Chair, Part 44b – The ‘Like New’ Gumtree Chair

Ladies in gentlemen, the end is in sight!  I have mapped out the last installments of ‘The Chair’… and I’ve decided 50 is a nice round number… so now you have something to set your watch on.  This is a story that WILL, eventually, END!

So, yeah… the other chair… the Gumtree chair… the ‘like new, never been used, from a smoke-free home Harrods’ glider chair found on Gumtree.com.

Well, despite the personal anguish it gave me when Serena said she no longer wanted the IKEA chair, I couldn’t really argue her logic.  The IKEA chair was garbage and Serena found someone selling a ‘like new, never been used Harrods brand’ glider chair, that normally retails for around 350 pounds (over $550.00) for less than the IKEA chair!  Which was around $200.00.  So, for the sake of the story, let say the Harrods chair was around $150.00, give or take.

In the end I didn’t put up much fight and quickly relented.  I called the couple to see if the chair was still available, which it was, and they were very happy to tell me the entire history of the chair.  They bought it from Harrods about three years prior and since then it had simply sat in the corner of their living room going unused.  “Unused” was a key talking point for the seller.  He kept saying that “this is a really nice chair, and despite being three years old it is essentially brand new.  We’ve never use it… and it’s from Harrods so you’re getting a great deal.  It’s a great chair.” 

His other talking point centered around the fact that he and his wife were non-smokers and that the chair was coming from a smoke-free environment.  He must have mentioned this three or four times throughout our conversion.  Anyway, the guy was very nice and, as I later found out, quite the storyteller.  And after successfully having the wool pulled over my eyes I agreed to buy the chair from them.  

Day 1336: Updated Travel Map

Create your own travel map - TravBuddy

I finally had a chance to update our travel map.  New the list:
Brazil, Netherland Antilles, Guyana, and Curacao.

Day 1327: Holi Phagwa

I’ve seen a lot of interesting festivals over the years… but I haven’t experienced Hindu Holi Phagwa yet.  Today should be fun!  Have a great day everyone!!!!

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.