I've always wanted to write a book about that... "Out & About with Ken" or "Where Did You Find That?"
Being that I shop EVERY day of every week, I've been to A LOT of stores that cover everything from Home Depot to Target to Accent Store Fixtures. You name it, I'm pretty certain that I know where to find it, where to get it or know someone that knows the 411. That's the thing about being in my world, knowing such a diverse group of individuals that I can't even begin to tell you who are my favorites and who are my life savers! Think Andrea (Emily II) from Devil Wears Prada and that damn Harry Potter book - no, I wouldn't be able to pull THAT off but I'm quite the resource and/or go to person for most everything else.
To give you a little insight to "Ken" - I get goose bumps going into Home Depot - Oliver does too. (Yup, they let me bring Oliver in every time and have never said anything. He's a lot like me, you know when he's in the store.)
The testosterone alone .............
It's amazing to me that you can pick out paint (good paint too), pick out flooring, buy appliances and grab a Pneumatic nailer, some fasteners, grab a diet coke AND the latest issue of Martha all under one roof! I'm like a kid in a candy store. Mouth agape, looking from floor to ceiling, down each aisle, wondering aimlessly with a tornado of thoughts of possibilities of what one person could do with all of this stuff. I just want to be able to do this and that and buy this to do that or add that there when I get home and, and, and......I end up buying all of this stuff, getting home and realizing I've bitten of WAY more than I can chew or should attempt. You'd be surprised at my tools surplus - I may like shopping in a lot places but I REALLY like power tools and having MY OWN tool sets and supplies - Who cares that I may or may not know how to use them, at least I have them and I love the shocked look when I tell friends they can use this or that and they just look at me like "You're kidding me. YOU have ........?" Never underestimate the shopping capability of a gay guy! So when the bite is just too big or my idea just doesn't match up with my skills, I have to call one of "my guys". I like being able to do things for myself but when I have to make "those" calls, it's like giving the guys purpose and they "rescue" me. I love a straight guy that has a strong arm and a collection of power tools that pales in comparison to SJP's shoe collection. That'd be Sarah Jessica Parker from Sex & The City.
Funny story to share......
After I purchased my condo in the Warehouse District, we decided to gut it. It was the only way. I have a friend, "Dan", that found this place for me. Sold me on the vision of cutting my original front closet out and making it a 16' closet with three tiers and a shelf for MOST of my clothes - now, what straight guy would be so kind and thoughtful to foresee THAT possibility - my friend Dan of course! So, that was the first wall cut open and hence the beginning of my new closeted life - no pun intended. There isn't a closet big enough to keep me in it.
But back to the pint, I wanted more space for my bedroom for this amazing armoire that I found at The Great Estate. Nothing is ever small scale for me, it's ALL ABOUT BIGGER IS BETTER and he who dies with the most still dies with the most - it's who's left to go through all of it. So, I had been eyeing this armoire up for SOOOOOOOOOOO long and brought my key decision makers through to see it so often that I got to know Rob (the owner) on a first name basis.
Before I could buy it, I have to tell you we were in the middle of ripping my place apart to get everything renovated so I could finally move in and have my house warming - again nothing small scale.
I needed to rip out the existing closet that I was just 80's prefab when the building was constructed - how hard could that be? Dan had decided to take a long wknd trip (who did he think he was?) and LEAVE ME in the midst of all of this. I was so jazzed about everything that I thought, fine, I didn't need him to oversee everything. I could be my own general contractor - he deserved a break and I knew what most of his tools were for or did......BAD IDEA! Never, ever leave a gay guy with a condo filled with power tools and the mind set that "HE" could do anything Dan could. I started ripping the closet out with a sledge hammer and crowbar thingy - I was doing pretty good until I went to rip the top thingy off and all of a sudden there were all of these wires and cables running along the top of the closet - keep in mind this did not go all the way to the 16' ceiling - it was only like 8' high - So what and where were all of these cables for? Why were they built into the closet? None of this made any sense so what did I do? I had the common sense to stop, take a photo of what I was looking at (more like what I "discovered") and sent it to Dan on his trip...."Look what I found. Where do you think they go? What next?" Dan's response: "STOP! I'm only gone a weekend, finish pulling the staples!"
I'm like? What? Why???? I was doing such a good job at it.I was unstoppable! I was plotting my own HGTV show and I could do this and that and I going to be the next Ty Pennington - Reality hit via Dan. The phone rang, it was Julie, and I'd rather go shopping anyway.
Dan came back, we....I mean HE figured out the wiring, put it all back in the wall and since then, I've been admiring my amazing "sweater" armoire. It has a dual purpose though - it also houses my 39 pair of glasses!
Money well spent 8-)
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