What We Do For Love
So, y’all remember the great drama over the oak bedroom set I purchased last month?
I received a $1200 quote for shipping. Well…no way! The seller got another quote for me, after I suggested that I could meet the shipper in St. Louis, about 6 hours from me.
So, this quote was $450. Much better.
Because I was not in a hurry, the shipper later told me that he might be able to meet me in Kansas City. MUCH closer. The weeks passed and this then became a drop-off in Topeka, which is only an hour away! Zounds!
And, today, we met and the set was fitted into my minivan.
I knew though that the headboard would have to be carried atop the luggage rack so I brought many moving quilts and rope. My big concern was that an hour in the sun could warp the headboard panels so I fully covered it…and drove off.
But not for long.
After a 1/4-mile, I had to pull off the highway as I could hear a LOT of flapping. This was revealed to be the wind pulling away the top moving pad quilt. So, I redid this…and drove off.
But not for long.
After a mile, I had to pull off the highway as I could hear a LOT of flapping. The moving pad had pulled away even more. So, I hauled out a huge piece of thick plastic canvas, topped the headband with it, and wrapped the canvas UNDER the front and bottom of the headboard. With this fix in…I drove off.
But not for long.
Really loud flapping was heard and I could see in the rear side window the thick canvas slapping furiously again the window. I pulled over, and realized that the wind had pulled the thick canvas out from under the rear luggage rack. Geez. So, I fixed this really good…and drove off.
But not for long.
I had adjusted my side-view mirrors to they could show what was happening atop the van and it became increasingly clear that, while the thick canvas was finally staying in place, it was acting like a sail and the wind was furiously trying to pull the whole headboard off the luggage rack and into the air. I began having Flying Nun flashbacks and became alarmed watching in the side mirrors as the headboard was being uplifted from the luggage rack.
Again, I pulled over. Entirely vexed.
Fuck this, I thought. I removed, again, all the rope, all the moving quilts, and the thick tarp. With a now naked headboard, I retied it…and drove off.
But not for long.
The mirrors again revealed that, sans thick tarp, the wind was still trying to yank the headboard off from the luggage rack.
FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!
I pulled over, untied the headboard, pushed the front of the headboard under the front luggage rack, and resumed my journey.
And…?
I am pleased to announce that the last fix worked.
The trip to Topeka took an hour. The trip home took two hours.
The Flying Nun, and dresser mirror, inside the house.
Just love.
One of the reasons I purchased the set was because of this. The work appears to be hand-carved, rather than the sawdust/glue decorative trim commonly found.
The silvering on a small section of the mirror came off due to freezing weather across much of the country. Sigh. I will gently remove this and place another mirror piece behind the original mirror.
So, after much much much ado, the bedroom set is IN THE HOUSE!
20 Comments
Leave a Comment
Your email address will NEVER be made public or shared, and you may use a screen name if you wish.
Yay Ross! At last the bedroom set is therein the house!! It is so beautiful & the carving amazing!.
I am so happy for you. The seller was so generous to meet you in KC.
i know you are so relieved that the saga has come to fruition! Victory!
Sandra!
The seller did not meet me. I hired a shipper, and they were able to meet me in Topeka at no extra charge.
I reread the details…duh… nevertheless the shipper you hired was so nice to meet you in Topeka! What a tremendous savings for you!
Thanks for clarifying… I misunderstood.
Most importantly all that is behind you and the beautiful bedroom set is in the HOUSE! Yay!
I feel dopey haha
Thank goodness the bedroom set is home. That had to be so nerve wracking, hoping the headboard would stay put, but thinking the worst. My husband bought a bed at an auction and only had a blanket that wouldn’t cover the entire bed. A beautiful half tester bed. It started to rain and then pour. He pulled into a gas station and waited under the roof that covered the pumps. After 20 minutes it stopped and he headed home. The finish on the bed was not harmed.
Hooray! So much “fan”fare; but so worth it. Happy birthday Ross, from the universe.
I’m so not going to bore everyone with what I did for love, although I might write a book someday, haha! ….Alas, let’s just say I lost, but I’m SO happy that you won Ross! Congratulations on making the Flying Nun yours and getting home safely.
Congratulations, sir. One more piece of the puzzle is in place now. Or very nearly, 🙂
Congrats! I know how much you love that set so you must be so pleased right now. I’m pretty sure that you can buy spay cans of silvering for mirrors at a hardware store or on Amazon. That sounds a lot easier than mounting another mirror behind it.
That wood is just exquisite! I see now why you had to have it. Great that it was a 2 hour trip vs. 12. Enjoy!!
Get a truck.
I wouldn’t fix the silvering, it’s proof of it’s adventure to make it to the Cross House.
That is one gorgeous bedroom set. I am (in your words) gobsmacked! I am so happy it worked out for you. I can’t think of a better place for that beautiful set than the Cross House!
Way to persevere Ross! I have transported a whole variety of things up and down the east coast and can totally relate to your adventure home. The bedroom set looks beautiful. I can see why you couldn’t get it off your wish list.
wonderful carving and detail on the wood also you written account of collecting the furniture for your home is very fun to read Though possibly not so fun while you struggled to bring it back.
This might work to repair the damage to your mirror just enough so it doesn’t stand out .might work but could react with old silvering not sure .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PF-rOdv4TM0
This set was totally worth the effort. it is beautiful!!! Be happy Ross, that fate did not have me following you as I am a magnet for things jumping off of vehicles and landing onto mine. I have had no less than FIVE mattresses become undone and either bounce, jump. leap or outright fly onto my various cars over the years, It has been uncanny! In another bizarre twist, a flatbed truck flew around the sharp corner ahead of me and a transmission they were hauling rolled off and I ran over it! On yet another occasion, a truck hauling a HUGE boat had the chains come loose while coming around the curve facing me and the HUGE boat headed right at me! Thank God for defensive driving or I would not be here! Oh! and then there was the time when I was on a narrow road with oncoming traffic and an idiot on a motorcycle passed me going BETWEEN MY CAR and one forthcoming literally beside me ripped off my mirror! See how it could have been so much worse!!! ?! LOL! Glad to see the set made it in one piece!!
This. Is. Awesome.
Glad you got everything worked out! And, it’s going to look FABULOUS in the Cross House!
That wood is beautiful! I love, love, love that Kansas Sunflower finial. Good buy!
Hurray! It’s beautiful, and it will look lovely in your home.
BEAUTIFUL set!
You know you can get the entire original mirror resilvered, right? I had the original medicine chest mirror in my bathroom resilvered locally. Didn’t cost much, either.