NOT JUST AN AVERAGE RECREATION ROOM CLEAN OUT - I FOUND A MUNRO HOCKEY GAME DOWN THERE
I DIDN'T KNOW WE OWNED!!!
THIS EVENING HAS BEEN KIND OF A PANIC. WE ARE MAKING SOME BIG CHANGES IN OUR RECREATION ROOM, AND WE'VE BEEN GETTING RID OF A LOT OF HEIRLOOM POSSESSIONS, BECAUSE THERE IS NO ROOM FOR "THE LIVING." SINCE WE OPENED OUR ANTIQUE WING OF THE BOYS' VINTAGE MUSIC BUSINESS, HERE IN GRAVENHURST, WE'VE HAD THE GOOD FORTUNE OF HAVING ANOTHER PLACE TO STORE…..AND YES, SELL, SOME OF THE COLLECTABLES WE'VE BEEN HOARDING SINCE THE MID 1990'S, WHEN WE SHUT DOWN OUR BRACEBRIDGE SHOP TO PURSUE SOME OTHER OPPORTUNITIES. SUZANNE TRANSFERRED TO GRAVENHURST HIGH SCHOOL, AND I TOOK ON A PUBLIC RELATIONS, EXHIBIT CURATOR'S ROLE WITH THE CROZIER FOUNDATION. THE DOWNSTAIRS SHOP WE WERE RENTING WAS IN PRETTY ROUGH SHAPE, AND THE LANDLORD EXPRESSED NO INTEREST IN MAKING ANY UPGRADES. SO WE DECIDED TO HAUL AS MUCH HOME AS WE COULD, AND AWAIT A TIME AND PLACE TO RE-OPEN. THEN WE BEGAN SELLING OUR WARES AT ANTIQUE SHOWS AND MARKETS ALL OVER MUSKOKA, AND SELLING VINTAGE BOOKS, PAINTINGS AND MUSKOKA MEMORABILIA ONLINE. THIS WOULD SEEM TO HAVE BEEN THE SOLUTION TO OUR JAMMED RECREATION ROOM, WITH ONE EXCEPTION. ANTIQUE DEALERS NEVER STOP BUYING. IT'S THE BIGGEST PART OF THE PROFESSION. IT'S THE OBSESSION TO BUILD INVESTMENTS, WHICH WILL HOPEFULLY SELL FOR A PROFIT ONE DAY. WELL SIR, WE TRIPLED WHAT WE WERE SELLING. THE IDEA WAS TO BUILD ENOUGH INVENTORY AGAIN, TO BE ABLE TO OPEN A SHOP WHEN SUZANNE RETIRED. WE DIDN'T KNOW WHEN THAT WAS GOING TO BE, SO WE FELT SOME SENSE OF URGENCY. FACT IS, SHE WANTED OUT ABOUT A DECADE AGO. EVEN LONGER. WE ONCE DECIDED TO MOVE TO NOVA SCOTIA, WHEN SHE WAS FEELING PARTICULARLY ANXIOUS ABOUT HER TEACHING CAREER. WITH OLDER PARENTS WE JUST DIDN'T FEEL IT WAS THE RIGHT TIME TO LEAVE THE AREA. ONE THING WE KNEW, IS THAT THE MATERIALS WE WERE BUYING AT LOW PRICES, WOULD EVENTUALLY SELL FOR A PROFIT. WE BUY LOW, VERY LOW, SO I'M NOT LIEING ABOUT THE PROFIT PART.
THE PROBLEM MORE SO, WAS THAT SON ANDREW WAS BECOMING A MAJOR COLLECTOR AT THE SAME TIME, AS WE WERE KIND-OF PEAKING OUT, WITH ANTIQUES AND COLLECTABLES….AT HOME. AT ONE TIME, I HAD A VINTAGE CANOE ELEVATED IN THE RECREATION ROOM, STRADDLING TWO HIGH BOOK CABINETS. IT REALLY HIT THE RAFTERS, LAST YEAR, BEFORE WE OPENED THE SHOP. IT WAS DEFINITELY TIME TO PUT OUR COLLECTION TO WORK. IT HAS BEEN ONE SOLID YEAR OF UNLOADING, AND WE'RE STILL FINDING SURPRISES, SUCH AS THE VERY EARLY MUNRO HOCKEY GAME, A LITTLE EARLIER THAN THE ONE I USED TO OWN AS A KID. IT DOESN'T HAVE THE PLAYERS, BUT TODAY, VIA THE INTERNET, ESPECIALLY EBAY, ANYTHING CAN BE HAD FOR A PRICE. FIXED UP WITH A FULL COMPLIMENT OF MONTREAL AND TORONTO PLAYERS, THIS PARTICULAR GAME WOULD BE WORTH ABOUT TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS. WE FOUND A SECOND ONE, A LITTLE OLDER, WITH SOME MINOR DAMAGE, ALSO MISSING ITS TEAMS, IN THE SAME CLOSET. BOTH READY FOR RESTORATION, AND FOR OUR COLLECTION OF IN-STORE GAMES FOR OUR PATRONS TO PLAY (WHEN THEY BEHAVE THEMSELVES). WE LIKE THE NOSTALGIA THEME BECAUSE, THEY REALLY DO REMIND US OF OUR YOUTH. THE COMMENTS FROM CUSTOMERS ARE PRICELESS…..AND AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, WE HEAR A LOT OF "I HAD THAT GAME WHEN I WAS A KID," AND "MY PARENTS HAD THAT SAME STEREO CABINET." THE SAME GOES FOR THE SOFA, THE ART WORK, INCLUDING A FEW PAINT BY NUMBERS, AND ONE REAL GEM, PAINTED ON BLACK VELVET. IT'S A TIME WARP, JUST LIKE THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW…..BUT IN LIVING COLOR. WE ALL HAVE A LOT OF FUN BACK HERE…..FRIENDS AND STAFF, PLAYING THE GAMES FROM CHILDHOOD, AND NOT FEELING AT ALL BAD ABOUT BEING RETROSPECTIVE OR REGRESSIVE IN OUR LIVES. THERE'S TOO MUCH PRESSURE IN THE WORLD TODAY. THIS LET'S US BLOW OFF SOME STEAM, AND SHARE THE GOODWILL OF PLAYTIME WITH CUSTOMERS.
I FOUND ANOTHER THOUSAND BOOKS I DIDN'T KNOW I OWNED, IN A CORNER CABINET OF THE RECREATION ROOM, ALONG WITH ENOUGH HOTEL-WARE TO OUTFIT A SMALL RESORT. WE STARTED COLLECTING THESE HEAVY DUTY, HIGH QUALITY, VINTAGE HOTEL WARE PIECES, BECAUSE IT WAS ABUNDANTLY AVAILABLE IN MUSKOKA; DUE OF COURSE, TO THE MANY RESORTS AND HOTELS THAT POSITIONED AROUND THE LAKES…….SOME PIECES THAT WERE EVEN CRESTED. WE SOLD ALL THE CRESTED HOTEL PIECES OFF, INCLUDING NAVIGATION COMPANY PLATES, USED ON THE MUSKOKA LAKES STEAMSHIPS. WE'VE HAD BIGWIN INN SAUCERS, PLATES AND PLATTERS; ROYAL MUSKOKA DISHES, WINDERMERE HOUSE, ROSTREVOR RESORT, AND MANY OTHERS. SUZANNE JUST PULLED OUT AN OLD TIN MEDICINE CABINET FROM THE FORMER WIGWASSAN LODGE, ON TOBIN'S ISLAND, THAT WAS FULL OF COPPER MUGS, ADVERTISING THE DRINK, "THE MOSCOW MULE," A POPULAR MIXED DRINK FROM A BYGONE ERA; THE MOST VALUABLE ONES AROUND HERE, ARE STAMPED ON THE BACK "BIGWIN INN," WITH THE IMAGE OF A MULE ON THE FRONT, WITH THE NAME OF THE DRINK. I'VE SOLD DOZENS OF THESE. THE ONES I HAVE LEFT ARE JUST THE MOSCOW MULES, BUT I KNOW THEY WERE FROM BIGWIN.
I EVEN FOUND THE CRICKET BAT I WAS GIVEN A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, DATING BACK FROM THE TURN OF THE 1900'S, AND WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THIS INTO THE SHOP, TO USE AS A DISPLAY PIECE IN OUR BACK ROOM. IT'S STARTING TO LOOK LIKE A RECREATIONAL / CULTURAL MUSEUM. MOST OF IT WAS ONCE HOUSED, WITHOUT OUR KNOWING ABOUT IT, IN OUR RECREATION ROOM…..WHICH HAS SUDDENLY BECOME MUCH MORE SPACIOUS AND LIVABLE. THE GOOD NEWS IS, WE'VE FOUND ANOTHER TWENTY THOUSANDS DOLLARS WORTH OF INVENTORY, WE THOUGH WE HAD SOLD PREVIOUSLY. WHAT A SURPRISE. I CERTAINLY HAD FORGOTTEN THOSE HOCKEY GAMES, WHICH THE BOYS AND I PURCHASED AT A FIREMEN'S AUCTION, IN BRACEBRIDGE, BACK IN THE MID 1990'S. THEY WILL MAKE A GREAT RESTORATION PROJECT FOR FATHER AND SONS. WE ACTUALLY GET ALONG WITH THIS KIND OF STUFF, WHICH IS RATHER REMARKABLE, BECAUSE WE DISAGREE ON MOST EVERYTHING ELSE.
I AM SWEATING INTO MY SOCKS AT THIS MOMENT. WE'VE BEEN LOADING BAGS OF RECYCLING INTO THE VAN, AND HAD A FEW MINOR DISAGREEMENTS ABOUT WHAT SHOULD BE TOSSED, AND WHAT SHOULD BE KEPT FOR THE BOYS, TO REMEMBER US BY. I SAID TO SUZANNE, "BELIEVE ME, THEY'VE GOT LOTS OF CRAP TO REMEMBER US BY, WITHOUT ADDING ANY MORE TO THEIR BURDENS. AND BOY OH BOY ARE THEY GOING TO BE BURDENED. IT'S A TRADITION YOU SEE. IT'S WHAT CAREER ANTIQUE DEALERS AND COLLECTORS, DO TO THEIR KIDS, AT THE END…….POSSIBLY TO GET EVEN…..BUT DON'T QUOTE ME. THE BOYS WILL JUST AUCTION IT ALL OFF ANYWAY," I CHIDED, BUT SUZANNE GRIMMACED. "THEY WOULDN'T DARE!" SHE BARKED IN MY GENERAL DIRECTION. "THEY'D BETTER NOT, OR I'M COMING BACK FROM THE GRAVE," RESPONDED SUZANNE, WITH ONE FOOT IN THE BACK DOOR, HOLDING A JUG OF LEMONADE, WHILE REACHING FOR THE RINGING PHONE ON THE COUNTER. "IT'S ROBERT. HE NEEDS A RIDE HOME." I KNOW SHE'S GOING TO GOON HIM, AS SOON AS HE GETS HOME, POOR KID, FOR BEING UNGRATEFUL, AND PLANNING TO SELL OFF THE FAMILY HEIRLOOMS, ONCE WE'RE GONE. "I WAS ONLY KIDDING DEAR…..IT'S TIME TO TAKE A BREAK. YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR HAS ALL DRIED UP." ROBERT OFTEN GETS THE RESIDUAL EFFECT OF A DISAGREEMENT, HE WASN'T EVEN A PARTY TO……BUT SUFFERS THE CONSEQUENCE ANYWAY. "NO MOM, I'M NOT PLANNING TO SELL ANYTHING OFF……AND AS YOU ARE STILL AMONGST THE LIVING…..WHAT IS THIS ALL ABOUT," HE'LL ASK, BEFORE RETIRING TO HIS EASY CHAIR, TO WATCH A BIT OF TELEVISION AFTER A LONG DAY OF WORK, INCLUDING A FULL SCHEDULE OF MUSIC LESSONS AFTER THE SHOP CLOSES. POOR KID. ANDREW KNOWS BETTER THAN TO GET INVOLVED, SO DARTS DOWNSTAIRS QUICKLY, BUTTER TART AND LEMONADE IN HAND, BEFORE WE CAN START APPLYING GUILT, ABOUT THEIR FUTURE HANDLING OF OUR ESTATE. GEEZ, WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE ARE WE? I'M SURE A FEW PEOPLE HAVE SOME STRONG OPINIONS ABOUT THIS, INCLUDING MEMBERS OF OUR LOCAL TOWN COUNCIL. HEY, ALL'S FAIR WHEN YOU'RE IN THE PUBLIC EYE.
THIS KIND OF ARGUMENT HELPED CREATE THE BACKLOG OF PIECES STUFFED INTO EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY. WE HAVE FINISHED OUR EVENING'S WORK, AFTER A LONG DAY AT THE SHOP, AND I ASKED SUZANNE AWHILE AGO, WHEN WE WERE GOING TO HAVE DINNER. SHE SAID, "FOR GOD'S SAKES MAN…..LOOK AT YOUR SHIRT," WHILE POINTING OUT THE KETCHUP AND MUSTARD STAINS FROM THE HOTDOG I HAD A SIX O'CLOCK. I HATE WHEN I DON'T REMEMBER MY LAST MEAL, ESPECIALLY WITH THIS DIET THING GOING ON. HONESTLY, THIS HAS BEEN THE TOUGHEST YEAR OF MY LIFE. I'M HIGHLY SKILLED OUT ON THE HUNT AND GATHER FOR ANTIQUES, BUT I AM A CRAPPY CURATOR AT THIS TIME IN MY LIFE. IT'S NOT THAN I'M ABSENT MINDED, JUST THAT I'M OLDER NOW……FIFTY EIGHT, AS OF YESTERDAY, AND FRANKLY, I'M FEELING TEN YEARS MORE THAN THAT! I FEEL WORSE THAN AN EIGHTY YEAR OLD SWEDE. YOU'D THINK MOVING ALL THIS STUFF WOULD PUMP-UP THE OLD MUSCLES, AND KEEP ME TRIM AND CONDITIONED. IT JUST MAKES ME AN ANGRY OLD MAN INSTEAD. I GET CRANKY EARLY IN THE DAY, IF I HAVEN'T HAD A CAT-NAP AFTER MORNING COFFEE. THE BOYS HAVE TO KEEP NUDGING ME AWAKE, WHEN CUSTOMERS HEAD DOWN TO THE BACK ROOM, WHICH IS MY AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY. "LET THEM HELP THEMSELVES," I ARGUE, BUT FAIL TO CHANGE THEIR OPINION, I'M NOT PULLING MY WEIGHT. "IT'S NOT FAIR," I BARK INTO THIN AIR. "I'M A LATE NIGHT BLOGGER……AND A MORNING HUSTLER," I BEGIN TO MUMBLE INAUDIBLY, TRYING TO GET ONE OF THESE KIN FOLK TO RECOGNIZE, I'M STILL THE BEST DARN ANTIQUE SLEUTH ON THE PAYROLL. THEY DON'T SEEM TO LET THIS BOTHER THEM, THAT I'M GRUMBLING MY WAY DOWN THE HALL, TRYING TO GET SOME SYMPATHY. THEY'VE HEARD….OR READ IT ALL BEFORE!
I THINK THAT BY THE END OF AUGUST, THE RECREATION ROOM WILL FINALLY BE FOR RECREATION. NOT A HOLDING ZONE FOR ANTIQUES YET TO BE OFFERED FOR SALE. HOW BAD WAS IT? IN A NUTSHELL, IT WAS LIKE THIS. I LOOKED UNDER THE CORNER OF THE SOFA DOWNSTAIRS, AFTER I DROPPED A COUPLE OF BOOKS I WAS HOLDING, AND I COULDN'T HELP NOTICE A BROWN AND BLACK OBJECT, AND THINKING IT WAS A MOUSE OR WORSE, I INFORMED SUZANNE WE WERE GOING TO NEED A POKING DEVICE AND A DUSTBIN. I WAS VERY CAREFUL TO PULL THE TWO PIECES OUT INTO THE OPEN, THINKING IT WAS GOING TO BE SOMETHING RATHER UNFORTUNATE AND POSSIBLY EVEN ALARMING. WELL IT WAS A LITTLE ALARMING. I HAD BEEN MISSING SEVERAL HIGHLY VALUABLE FIRST NATIONS RELICS……ONE BEING A SMALL ROCK SCRAPER, AND THE OTHER, A SHARD OF POTTERY, POSSIBLY HURON, AS FOUND IN THE ORILLIA AREA. THERE THEY WERE, IN THE MOST UNUSUAL SPOT, FOR RELICS OF THIS KIND, (ONCE BURIED IN THE EARTH) TO DISAPPEAR. WHAT HAD HAPPENED, IS THAT ONE OF OUR CATS HAD SNUCK INTO THE RECREATION ROOM, AND BEFORE WE CAUGHT HER, HAD KNOCKED OVER MY OPEN TRAY OF NATIVE SCRAPERS, WHICH NUMBER TWENTY OR SO, WITH POTTERY SHARDS. I HAD LOOKED EVERYWHERE FOR THOSE MISSING PIECES, EXCEPT UNDER THE COUCH. IF WE HADN'T BEEN CLEANING THAT PART OF THE ROOM THIS EVENING, WE MIGHT HAVE LEFT THEM FOR ANOTHER COUPLE OF MONTHS, AS WE MOVED ON TO MORE PRESSING ISSUES. THUS, TONIGHT, SUZANNE AND I CONDUCTED AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIG IN OUR RECREATION ROOM…..WITH PRETTY GOOD RESULTS, INCLUDING TWO VINTAGE HOCKEY GAMES. HEY, SOME GET EXCITED BY FINDING A MUMMY'S CACHE OF GOLD AND JEWELS…..WHILE WE CURRIES GET TURNED ON BY A COUPLE OF ARTIFACTS, AND SOME LONG MISSING SPORTS HERITAGE.
I WANT AN ICE CREAM CONE NOW, AND I'VE BEEN TRYING TO MAKE IT FALL UNDER THE TERMS OF THE "I DIDN'T GET MUCH FOR MY BIRTHDAY" PROTOCOL, WHICH SUZANNE CONTENDS IS A NON-STARTER BECAUSE WE'RE BOTH ON DIETS. I THING I CAN BRING HER AROUND, BUT IT NECESSITATES ENDING THE BLOG FOR NOW, SO I CAN CARRY ON BEGGING FOR A TREAT. ISN'T MARRIAGE GREAT. NOW THAT SHE HAS RETIRED, I FEEL SO MUCH CLOSER TO HER THAN EVER BEFORE. "STALAG 17." A LITTLE BIT. SHE HAS MUCH MORE TIME TO OBSERVE, MONITOR, AND GUIDE MY DAILY LIFE NOW; AND THE CHORES….OH GOD THE CHORES. SHE HAS GOT A LIST THE LENGTH OF TWO OF HER ARMS, AND LET'S JUST SAY, I MAY NOT GET MY EVENING NAPS EITHER, THE WAY IT'S GOING. SHE WANTS ME TO MOW THE LAWN THREE TIMES A WEEK. ONCE A MONTH WORKED FOR ME. THIS ISN'T GOING TO HAPPEN. I'M WORKING TO RULE. MY RULES. UNTIL SHE TAKES THEM AWAY, I'M AS FREE AS A BIRD.
SEE YOU AGAIN SOON. THANKS SO MUCH FOR VISITING ME SO FREQUENTLY. IT IS TRULY A PLEASURE TO HAVE A READERSHIP. LOTS MORE TO COME. IF SUZANNE SPOTS ME ENOUGH FREE TIME TO PEN THESE THOUGHTS. I'VE GOT TO PICK UP THE BOYS NOW…..AND I'M GOING TO SEE IF I CAN GUILT-TRIP THEM INTO BUYING ME A MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM CONE, MY FAVORITE……BECAUSE SUZANNE HAS DECIDED TO STAY HOME AND WASH HER HAIR. I HOPE SHE DOESN'T READ THIS BLOG, OR I'M GOING TO BE IN SOLITARY FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.
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