Take My Money, Please! (part one)

 

Take My Money, Please!  (part one)

Cars and clothes – that’s what my oldest friend (friendship of 84 years) spent her money on. I, on the other hand, preferred making my home as attractive as possible on a budget and buying the best food I could afford. This is still my mantra. So I finally decided that I needed to add seating and a rug in my small TV room.

My first attempt at working with a “designer” was with a furniture store, we’ll call East Oak. Mary, dresses like a bag lady, came in an Uber, got lost in the complex, was late because she explained that she needed to clean up after her dog threw up. When shown the room, she sighed and said that it would be a challenge!

Her laptop wasn’t working and she showed me a couple of fabric samples for chairs not yet selected. She left me with the promise that she would draw up a plan. Fortunately, this didn’t happen but I was still without help and afraid to go back to East Oak for fear of running into Mary.

So back to the drawing board. My good friend and shopping coach, Jackie, agreed to go with me to another store, we’ll call it Box & Keg. Wow! This is great - we’re greeted by a charming, good looking guy. His enthusiasm is a good sign. He tells us he loves working with Eichler homes and will set up an appointment to come. After several attempts to reach David by text, email, and VM. with no response, I gave up. Not to be easily brushed off, I went back to Box & Keg the following week.

No, he hadn’t left the job, just not there that day. But……….I was turned over to Trudy. She immediately made an appointment for the next day – my heart soars. She comes, she measures, she brings samples, and she loves my décor! Have I won the designer lottery?!

We arrange an appointment for the end of the following week – my hopes are high and I’m excited about achieving the TV room of my dreams. Trudy has six days to draw up a plan with the goal being able to get everything ordered.

As an aside, Trudy came to measure without a tape measure. Should this have alerted me to the subsequent chaotic meetings? Perhaps. But call me a cockeyed optimist – I was hopeful.

The plot thickens. Stay tuned.