C
Chef
Guest
LAST EDITED ON Dec-24-07 AT 11:46AM (MST)[p]So???.I'm pissed. Doesn?t happen very often but I need to vent this one out. (long winded)
I have been buying Xmas presents for the family and always try to do something cool for my parents. In other words, something pretty thought out and personal. Anywhoo, my father loves cigars. He has enjoyed a good smoke for decades and has every imaginable cigar accessory (twice at least) owns five humidors and well, you get the idea. I decided to get him something cigar related and actually thought of something cool.
*REWIND* Back when I was living in NY and attending Chef school, (CIA, Hyde Park, thank you) I had the pleasure of meeting Marvin Shanken of Wine Spectator Magazine fame. He had recently launched Cigar Aficionado, a magazine dedicated to cigars and other fine things. He was speaking at a ceremony on campus of which I was attending. So I knew I would meet and greet him. I brought along the premier issue of Cigar Aficionado for him to autograph for my Pops. He did so affectionately on the editorial page of the magazine and was ecstatic at me having that issue. I ended up giving that to my Father and he is proud to own it since he owns every edition of the publication.
*FAST FORWARD TO TWO WEEKS AGO* My Dad is a member of a cigar club here in AZ where he can go and smoke with other members, drink the good stuff, and relax among others that enjoy cigars. He has a ?locker? there which is humidity controlled and well, enjoys the place. I came up with the PERFECT Christmas gift! I would get copies of the signed issue framed and put up on the walls of the club! So I proceed to attain permission from the owners and tell them of my great idea. They agree and thought it was cool and I must be the perfect son. (okay maybe not that far)
The club patrons tell me of a member that frames paintings, prints and such for a living. I get his number and then proceed to get copies of the cover and signed page. I give said guy a call on that Saturday. He kind of gives me the ?this is a Saturday? tone of voice and tells me to call him back on Monday. He works out of his home since he just started his own business after leaving the frame place he worked at. I call him back and agree to meet at his place. I go over and he seems kind of cocky in a real arrogant kind of way.
I tell him what I want and that I need it for Xmas for my Dad and the cigar shop. Here I am thinking he would be as ecstatic as the other cigar guys. I was wrong. He asks me how much I DON?T want to spend. I say $100 is okay with me. He laughs and says he can't do it. I ask what he could do it for and he says $250, I haggle?$200 it is. I tell him I'll bring him cash when it's done and I give him my business card. Keep in mind I didn't pick out the frame or anything being as he was the pro, he could do it. I did explain how I wanted the pages related in the frame with the spacing in between.
*FAST FORWARD TO TODAY* I get a call and it's ready?COOL! Just in the nick of time. (I was going to call him anyway since tomorrow is Christmas) I say I can meet him in about two hours. He then tells me he has to go somewhere with his granddaughter soon. So I say, okay, I'll head over there now, be there in twenty. I get there and see the framework. It looked like he took both copies, (uncropped non the less) and put them in a frame he already had. The copies had FIVE INCHES of blank space on the bottom! There was no matting between the pages in the center! Just two prints side by side in the middle. Then, the top portion of the pages were behind the matting! The top most printing was covered by a third!
He?s looking at me like ?where is my $200!? I told him I would come back for it after he fixes everything. I start to point out all the details. He proceeds to tell me he didn't notice. I almost went ballistic. I didn't confront him in anyway as to not ruin any ?friendly? relationship he has with my Dad. I explain to him he just ruined my timing for Xmas. He says I could take it and explain to my Dad that it would have to come back.. I said NO?fix it and call me. During the entire time he is giving me this "better than thou" attitude!
Okay, I feel a little better now. Not Really.
I have been buying Xmas presents for the family and always try to do something cool for my parents. In other words, something pretty thought out and personal. Anywhoo, my father loves cigars. He has enjoyed a good smoke for decades and has every imaginable cigar accessory (twice at least) owns five humidors and well, you get the idea. I decided to get him something cigar related and actually thought of something cool.
*REWIND* Back when I was living in NY and attending Chef school, (CIA, Hyde Park, thank you) I had the pleasure of meeting Marvin Shanken of Wine Spectator Magazine fame. He had recently launched Cigar Aficionado, a magazine dedicated to cigars and other fine things. He was speaking at a ceremony on campus of which I was attending. So I knew I would meet and greet him. I brought along the premier issue of Cigar Aficionado for him to autograph for my Pops. He did so affectionately on the editorial page of the magazine and was ecstatic at me having that issue. I ended up giving that to my Father and he is proud to own it since he owns every edition of the publication.
*FAST FORWARD TO TWO WEEKS AGO* My Dad is a member of a cigar club here in AZ where he can go and smoke with other members, drink the good stuff, and relax among others that enjoy cigars. He has a ?locker? there which is humidity controlled and well, enjoys the place. I came up with the PERFECT Christmas gift! I would get copies of the signed issue framed and put up on the walls of the club! So I proceed to attain permission from the owners and tell them of my great idea. They agree and thought it was cool and I must be the perfect son. (okay maybe not that far)
The club patrons tell me of a member that frames paintings, prints and such for a living. I get his number and then proceed to get copies of the cover and signed page. I give said guy a call on that Saturday. He kind of gives me the ?this is a Saturday? tone of voice and tells me to call him back on Monday. He works out of his home since he just started his own business after leaving the frame place he worked at. I call him back and agree to meet at his place. I go over and he seems kind of cocky in a real arrogant kind of way.
I tell him what I want and that I need it for Xmas for my Dad and the cigar shop. Here I am thinking he would be as ecstatic as the other cigar guys. I was wrong. He asks me how much I DON?T want to spend. I say $100 is okay with me. He laughs and says he can't do it. I ask what he could do it for and he says $250, I haggle?$200 it is. I tell him I'll bring him cash when it's done and I give him my business card. Keep in mind I didn't pick out the frame or anything being as he was the pro, he could do it. I did explain how I wanted the pages related in the frame with the spacing in between.*FAST FORWARD TO TODAY* I get a call and it's ready?COOL! Just in the nick of time. (I was going to call him anyway since tomorrow is Christmas) I say I can meet him in about two hours. He then tells me he has to go somewhere with his granddaughter soon. So I say, okay, I'll head over there now, be there in twenty. I get there and see the framework. It looked like he took both copies, (uncropped non the less) and put them in a frame he already had. The copies had FIVE INCHES of blank space on the bottom! There was no matting between the pages in the center! Just two prints side by side in the middle. Then, the top portion of the pages were behind the matting! The top most printing was covered by a third!
He?s looking at me like ?where is my $200!? I told him I would come back for it after he fixes everything. I start to point out all the details. He proceeds to tell me he didn't notice. I almost went ballistic. I didn't confront him in anyway as to not ruin any ?friendly? relationship he has with my Dad. I explain to him he just ruined my timing for Xmas. He says I could take it and explain to my Dad that it would have to come back.. I said NO?fix it and call me. During the entire time he is giving me this "better than thou" attitude!
Okay, I feel a little better now. Not Really.
