Who's Driving - Not The Windows S2E33

Ever found yourself regretting a budget decision? Stephen did, and it involved a window washing team that was more comedy troupe than cleaning experts. Picture Stephen, OCD flaring, trying to direct the misguided crew as they wobbled on ladders, attempting to conquer a towering glass structure.

Join us for a mix of humor, introspection, and good old-fashioned storytelling that celebrates the everyday chaos of life, friendship, and business.

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Transcript

Window Washing Woes and Frustrations

Speaker 1 0:00

tell you, this morning started with Dylan. Come help me get this window open now. Okay, so that's how it started.

Speaker 2 0:13

Well, good, I'm here to pick you up and you can tell me all about it.

Speaker 1 0:16

It's time for another episode of who's Driving.

Speaker 2 0:20

Welcome to who's Driving. I'm Wesley Turner.

Speaker 1 0:23

And I'm Stephen Merck. We're two best friends and entrepreneurs.

Speaker 2 0:26

Who's Driving is an entertaining look into the behind the scenes of our lives, friendship and business.

Speaker 1 0:31

These are the stories we share and topics we discuss, as two best friends would on a long road trip.

Speaker 2 0:37

Along the way, we'll check in with friends and offer a wide range of informative topics centered around running small businesses, social media and all things home and garden.

Speaker 1 0:45

Buckle up and enjoy the ride. You never know who's driving or where we're headed.

Speaker 2 0:50

All we know is it's always a fun ride.

Speaker 1 0:52

Did you already start that when I saw that?

Speaker 2 0:55

Yes, I had it started, let's go. He was getting into it. I was like I'm going to hit this button and record this, so you were, I picked up. Welcome to this week's episode, by the way. I don't know what we're getting into. But he just said people were trying me this week. So I hit the record button to see what you were going to say. Tell me about your week.

Speaker 1 1:19

Well, we've talked about this on here before. Well, and it's no listen. If you know me, you know I have OCD and I don't throw that around. I do take a medication. Thank the Lord for some medication because it has helped Not enough, but one of my biggest compulsions is Windows, absolutely yes, biggest. One of my biggest compulsions is windows, absolutely yes, and uh, you know, because I even complimented how many times, like your, window washers were excellent. Yes, I know they were great. So, um, we hired window washers for our building. I'm on the board, they were the cheapest. I had concerns about that from the beginning, but I'm like, okay, well, the management company referred them. So I'm like, okay, we'll try them. And when I say cheaper, they were 10% of the other companies 10% total 10% cheaper.

Speaker 1 2:25

No, no, no%. Total 10% cheaper. No, no, no, no. Oh 90% cheaper there's your red flag.

Speaker 2 2:30

That's what I said. Red flag, that is what.

Speaker 1 2:33

I said so. They came out the first day, like in the beginning of August, first day, you know me. I came home and they were out there and I was like nope, nope, nope, nope, stop, stop. I came home and they were out there and I was like nope, nope, nope, nope, stop, stop, stop. What were they doing? Just, they had. Well, first of all, our building is four stories, but when you account for ceiling height, it's really like an eight. Because it's on Old Mill.

Speaker 1 3:01

Yeah, and it's 16 foot ceilings, so it's really like an eight-story building. Yeah, these nuts were out there with damn ladders and brushes trying and I'm like well, how are they going to get to the top? You might make it to the second, but there's nothing you can do to get up past the second. And then they were struggling with the second.

Speaker 2 3:26

And your building is kind of on a like the ground slopes On a severe incline Right, because like the back of the building you actually come in kind of like a basement floor level, but on the front you come in on the second floor, so it's a it's slow, it's not easy, and but you know I was, I thought you know it's the. This is like you and I were like let's go, let's just pick up a, let's pick up some side jobs and we'll watch some windows. It'd be easy.

Speaker 1 4:01

And so I got the supervisor and we talked and I was professional and nice and he was nice. So we decided we needed to regroup. I said we need some cherry pickers, some lifts so that you can get to the windows to clean. So why don't you go back and resubmit?

Speaker 2 4:26

a proposal, yeah, yeah, with this new machine.

Speaker 1 4:29

Yeah, that you're gonna need so now we're at like ten thousand dollars and they had, they were gonna bring, you know, the lifts and all that. I'm like, okay, same thing. Well, they had the lifts, but then they didn't even know how to use them, oh my gosh. And so yesterday I look out.

Speaker 2 4:50

You and I can use a Lyft.

Speaker 1 4:51

Yes, We've done it before. Yes, Well, and I did it. When I owned McDonald's. I rented them and got up in those and worked on my signs and my road signs. Yes, I did. I'm sure you did. That saved a lot of money. I'm sure it did so they were just spraying the windows, but luckily mine just do not. Look like they've been washed but they're not streaked up and horrible.

Speaker 2 5:22

They're just. Are they just spraying it? Did they go to Home Depot and Lowe's and get the Windex that you put on the end of the water hose and just? Spray them Something like that, but didn't the? Ones stay clean, but you know I have to say we used that on the Florida house and it worked really good on the windows.

Speaker 1 5:39

It can, but no, that's not the professional big y'all's windows are huge. Yeah, it can, and you know anyway, yeah, so they but some of them it was just a mess and a gom.

Speaker 2 5:53

I mean, they took a brush and just Smeared it.

Speaker 1 5:57

So when I saw that, and then this morning I heard on the windows and I said oh hell, no. So I was screaming like Dylan, help me get this window open, because it is like you have to lean over like two feet and then lift that heavy window. It takes two people. So Dylan and I get the window up. And I'm like I bet you were cussing two people. So Dylan and I get the window up. And I'm like I said do not touch these, because I have seven of those windows down. That I said these seven windows belong to me. You can spray them all you want, but do not touch them with your brush because y'all do not know what you're doing and you're making a mess. And I said bam and closed the window.

Speaker 1 6:46

Uh-huh, what did he say? Dylan was. I walked into the kitchen and Dylan was laughing. He was like, oh, I bet they were like. Who is that crazy person?

Speaker 2 6:56

But what about the windows above you? Are they going to drip on your windows?

Speaker 1 7:02

Well, there's a ledge ledge so it really doesn't. Okay, doesn't run down it too bad. No, the way the building is, you know, because it's got a big, I got nine inch ledge, so it just kind of. But I was like, oh my gosh, I don't want to make a bad situation worse. So then I go out and I'm looking at ground level on the front. The first four windows are ground level. Anybody could clean that and they're not clean.

Speaker 2 7:38

Oh, my God.

Speaker 1 7:39

And I'm like what? And I'm thinking to myself, like you know, I know we have to pay them something. You can't just not pay anything, but I'm like how much? Because we're going to have to hire a whole new company. That's why you don't go with the cheapest.

Speaker 2 7:56

I know. But you know what? Why don't you stop? Why didn't you stop it so you could only pay them like, hey, you only clean half the windows, we'll pay you half the money, but you're fired.

Speaker 1 8:07

Well, I should have done that the first time. Right, that was my gut instinct.

Speaker 2 8:12

That's true. Oh my gosh, You're just going to have to listen. Just hire someone to clean your seven windows and move on.

Speaker 1 8:20

Well, I have 11.

Speaker 2 8:22

Or 11.

Speaker 1 8:23

I am, and I yelled that to them too and I said I'm hiring my own window washers. You don't know what you're doing. Yeah, what did they say? Or look, they just stared at me like I was a crazy person because I was in. I was in that form. Like you, mess with me, I will come down there in my boxers and beat the shit out of you that I had that you could see the devil in my eyes.

Speaker 2 8:49

The crazy eyes came out. Crazy eyes and your voice. I know you get this like stern aggressive I don't kill you.

Speaker 1 9:00

yeah, yeah, I inherited that they were like damn. My mother. I used to tell my mother that my mother, you know, she talked like this oh honey, hey honey.

Speaker 2 9:11

Don't talk to people like that.

Speaker 1 9:12

When she would call me, when she would call and I would answer, and I love this, I miss this every day and she'd say hey, honey, right, that's exactly how she talked, mm-hmm. And say hey, honey right, that's exactly how she talked, and but mine too. No, I'm just kidding mom, I love you, but you make her mad, and her voice literally had a growl in it. It was like, yeah, because it was, she would just go deep. She had, yeah, it would just. I'm like, do I have that growl?

Speaker 2 9:45

I guess I probably do. You have the growl for sure.

Speaker 1 9:48

It's like oh my, but you know I'm fine, the windows do not look worse, but it's just embarrassing. It's embarrassing to the other owners seeing the board, and so we just were sending out a note saying we are not happy. We're trying to figure this out, but then y'all got to pay again, I know.

Speaker 2 10:10

So what are you going to do? Go with the next cheapest. So it eventually adds up to that.

Speaker 1 10:14

We're just going to have to do I don't know what. I don't know I feel like I should call the guys at Klink. Do you think they would have equipment that did the ones that did yours? I don't know. You know they're injured.

Speaker 2 10:26

Yeah, We'll have to give them your number. I'll give them. Give you their number. Oh my gosh, you could just call them and ask I have their card at home but I'm like I don't even remember how we got those people, but they were good, I think.

Speaker 1 10:47

Daniel were excellent. Yeah, um so anyway, that's the my issues, but I'm fine. I mean, I slept last night. I did not sleep the night before, so I was angrier yesterday yeah, yesterday, you were already angry about the window washers when I talked to you they were trying you they were. You know, here's my thing. I'm not a difficult person, just do your job.

Speaker 2 11:05

And then you told me yes, do your job, do it right. You're not going to do it right, Just don't do the job, don't do it.

Speaker 2 11:10

But then you were also aggravated because there was this other situation in your building. I guess we can talk about it. You told me about it Someone. Okay, you know, if you don't follow Stephen on Instagram, you need to at Keeping Up With Stephen. You can find him in the show notes below. You know he's bougie and so of course, he lives somewhere. That's bougie, we'll say. You know, upscale very nice, very nice places in this meal. Stephen came home the other day and someone has a window unit Air conditioner. You know which is fine in certain places.

Speaker 1 11:53

In certain situations and if you have a single family home and your air goes out and you stick it in your window, that's your business. Your home does not affect anyone else.

Speaker 2 12:04

When Daniel and I moved to the farm here. You know this place. We have three units. When we moved in, none of them worked. We bought the house and none of them worked, and so we had to get each one kind of kicking along, and for about two months we were in this room that we're recording in and we had a window unit because the air work.

Speaker 1 12:26

I mean, it did eventually, but so you know, there's time and place and needs, but you can't do that in this luxury no, and when there's four units for sale yeah, and someone has a window unit, just oh, and the better part is they insulated around it with cardboard uh, just cut out some cardboard around so, yeah, I wanted to go kick it out of the window he was like you are not gonna believe what I came home to. I honestly, was in disbelief. I was stunned that someone would.

Speaker 2 13:06

And you know you would think you know what you would think they would have done is gotten the um AC unit, the portable one that sits in the room, and then you just have the little you know tube that you raise the window. You know what I'm talking about.

Speaker 1 13:21

And it would have been a much more discreet, and if their air was out and they did? That I honestly would be like it's okay. It's temporary for a week.

Speaker 2 13:33

So is it still there.

Speaker 1 13:35

I didn't look today. I couldn't take it, I didn't want to be in a further wait, because it's been there like three days or something. Well, they've been notified, okay, so it's being worked on. I wanted to go tell them personally, but you might know it's rented, so the owner isn't on site and you know I can't have that conversation with someone's renter, so it's got to be the owner. But I'm like maybe the owner doesn't know, maybe the owner doesn't know Right, Maybe they don't.

Speaker 2 14:09

But speaking of ACs being out, you know we have talked on here many times about owning Airbnbs and vacation rentals and all of this. So we always talk about like, oh, they're so easy, or we like to be transparent. This is a good time to talk about things that can go wrong.

Speaker 1 14:28

We're going to be transparent.

Speaker 2 14:30

Yeah, we're going to be transparent. So this past weekend, which was Labor Day weekend, you know, the weekend before this, this past Labor Day weekend our guests get there and you didn't even know for a couple of days. Well, I guess you probably saw the messages, but I was handling it.

Rental Troubleshoot and Neighbor Assistance

Speaker 1 14:48

Yeah, I do not get in the middle of it and it is crazy how things can happen.

Speaker 2 14:52

We had guests check out on I think it was Saturday or Sunday. Everything was fine Morning, everything was fine. Guests check in that afternoon at like five no AC. So what do you do on a holiday weekend and try to get the AC going. I have to say I do not know if these guests found us. You know they may be listening because we get a lot of guests through Instagram that follow along with us and listen in that. So I don't know. Sometimes they tell me if they do, sometimes they don't and I always want me if they do. Sometimes they don't and I always want to ask like, how'd you find us? You know, because some people just randomly find us on Airbnb. They don't know us from anybody, but a lot of times they know who we are and then sometimes they know who we are, but anyway I don't know if this guest I didn't ask them if they knew us.

Speaker 2 15:40

But they were so nice. So sometimes when you get we talked about when we talked about having Airbnbs how you get that guest that you can never please. It can be the smallest thing A light bulb can be out and it turns into.

Speaker 1 15:55

And you know they're just a difficult person, right.

Speaker 2 15:58

These people were so nice and they were like the air's out and I said, okay, we're going to contact the rental company, they're going to come over all of this. And I at first just thought, oh, they came over and handled it because they didn't ever reach back out. So the next day I said, oh, did the air get fixed? And they were like, no, it's still out. So it turned into a whole thing. The blower was out, is what it ended up being on the AC unit, so it would turn on and cool, but nothing would blow, so it wasn't cooling the house. They brought over. The rental company brought over AC portable units, not for the window, but the kind that sit in the room like I was talking about. But then one of them ended up going out. It was just rolling on and on. Of course it was a holiday weekend, so they couldn't get the blower part on Labor Day, or the people weren't even open on Sunday and then Labor Day to get the part. And then they opened on Tuesday. The part wasn't in stock. It had to be ordered, had to be ordered, was going to take a couple of days. It finally got fixed today. But the good thing is and this is a good thing to think about.

Speaker 2 17:02

If you ever get into having Airbnbs or rentals, do get to know your neighbors, especially if you're in a tourist area, like our beach cottage is in a tourist area. Like, probably all of the houses except for I know one, maybe two on our street are rentals. There's a couple of people that live there, so there's a house next door to our beach cottage that it's basically like our same house Super cute. If you follow on Instagram, you see it. So I contacted them, the neighbors. I had her number and I was like hey, is your house rented this week? And she's like no, my guests just checked out. So I was able to get our guests transferred over to their house and they were super happy and actually I just put them in touch with her rental company and refunded their whole stay and just like, this is a wash, you still have all of our amenities, you can still use the you know the pool which she moved in next door.

Speaker 2 17:57

Yeah, it's right next door. Yeah, it was right next door. You still have your beach chairs, you have everything. Actually, you still can use the house if you want to go over there and sit in the heat. Your reservation is still there. But I just refunded everything and then they just rebooked through her management company and it all worked out and they were super nice.

Speaker 1 18:14

They couldn't have been nicer. And I'm going to tell you the one time I rented an Airbnb other than from our friends Personally I'm not an Airbnb person I came to realize that why is that Well? You're a bougie hotel person, you want the cleaners every day, the housekeeping every day.

Speaker 1 18:37

I need the Ritz-Carlton or the Westin, and I hate to say that that sounds horrible, but that's what I enjoy. You would enjoy Airbnb, yeah, because you don't even like people coming in and cleaning, yeah, and I just know that. I didn't know that about myself, but now I do. But the one time I rented other than from our friends, which I did, enjoy theirs, but they're bougie too, so it was really nice.

Speaker 2 19:03

And I think it also depends on what the trip is for. That's true If you want to go and be on a true vacation and relax, you want to be at a hotel, one that has a spa, one that has services. Hotel one that has a spa, one that has services.

Speaker 1 19:16

But if you're going for two weeks somewhere, like my assistant went to Hawaii for like two and a half weeks they rented an Airbnb and I can kind of see that If you're going for that long of a stay.

Speaker 2 19:28

Yeah, it just depends on what the stay is around and with family.

Speaker 1 19:31

Yeah, I think it makes sense.

Speaker 2 19:33

But then again, like at the beach, I would want to be in an Airbnb, Unless I was at some major resort with huge pools and a spa.

Speaker 1 19:45

It all just depends what I'm doing, I guess.

Speaker 2 19:47

But I wouldn't go to Destin or Miramar Beach and stay in a hotel, because then it's not as convenient to the beach. There's no resort there, that's true. Convenient to the beach, like there's no resort there, that's true.

Speaker 1 19:59

So it just all depends, and I will stay at an Airbnb again.

Speaker 1 20:04

It just depends on the situation, yeah, but the one time you did back to that, well, there was an issue, yeah, and the owner called me and was like, oh my gosh, this is broke. It was like a sleeper sofa and I mean the whole thing was just jacked up. You couldn't even sit on it and I was like it's fine, it's fine, don't even. And they were like, really, you know, you could tell they were afraid I was going to be one of those people and they were really stressed about it. I was like it is totally fine, we like to watch TV in bed anyway.

Speaker 2 20:41

Right, it's fine, you weren't going to sit on that sofa.

Speaker 1 20:44

No, do not even stress about it. Yeah, I'm not going to give you a bad review, just worry about it when we leave. Yeah, that's good, because I was like, but now what I'm going to say? But now, and I could do fine without heat if it's not like.

Speaker 2 21:01

But if I had pulled up and the AC wasn't working, I'm gone. Yeah, I wouldn't have stuck around.

Speaker 1 21:07

I wouldn't be ugly, but I would be like I'll be at this hotel. Yeah, Let me know when it's fixed.

Speaker 2 21:13

Right, no-transcript, and they're like well, we can't stay here. You know for this and I was like I get it, I'm refunding your trip and I'm going to try to help you find a place so that you don't have to. So that it's super smooth and it did end up. I called, called or text. Our neighbor, Hers was available. Her rental company is literally half a block from the house, so all they had to do is walk up there and sign the paper and get the key and they were good to go and move their stuff over. So that worked out very, very nicely. But that is some of the bumps. We usually don't have that many bumps in the road, but sometimes they happen and that was one of them that happens.

Speaker 2 22:19

And it's just one of those things. I mean, we are not sticklers about refunding because I'm like that's just a canceled trip. You know what I'm saying. I know some people are weird about having to refund it. They want to hold on to the money and I'm like no, just refund it. And when you refund the trip, that is all you can do, like no matter how upset the person is that's all you can do there is nothing else you can do.

Speaker 2 22:46

And if you want to go above and beyond, you can say I've checked this hotel, that's available. I've called this neighbor, their house is available, you know, whatever, and that's what I did.

Speaker 1 22:55

And listen, our people were super nice, but some people would have been very but I was shocked, like when that lady was so worried about us being upset, I was like no, no, no, it's fine. So, like in that, in that situation, I would have automatically refunded, like the cleaning fee, just as a thank you. Yeah, you know, I believe in being I do that too.

Speaker 2 23:19

When the guest um, if there ever is an issue because there can be, like you said, something like that, just something random and I will always, if they're very nice to me and like we talk through it and I'm like I'm sorry this happened, let me get it resolved, whatever it could be and if they're nice to the whole thing, then, like the next day, I will write and say thank you so much for handling this and being so patient and nice about it.

Speaker 1 23:43

I'm gonna go ahead and refund either the cleaning fee or a one night stay or just some type of gesture for you being yeah now those people didn't with me, which I was a little shocked, because I paid $1,200 for two nights, oh yeah. But I mean it was fine and I didn't ask for anything, right, and it was fine.

Speaker 2 24:05

But see, I always do it just so they leave with a good or like and I'll usually say you know, hopefully you can have a nice dinner with this.

Speaker 1 24:14

You know, that's what I always say.

Speaker 2 24:15

I always say have, have, have dinner and drinks on me or something, yeah, so anyway, that's some things that can happen.

Speaker 1 24:23

Yeah, but you know it was unfortunate. Yeah, but it's fixed today.

Speaker 2 24:28

I verified um that it was fixed. They said it was fixed, so it's fixed back up today I'm anticipating having to replace that in the next couple years.

Speaker 1 24:38

Yeah, probably.

Procrastination and Self-Reflection

Speaker 2 24:40

Okay, I have a little. I don't know if this is a riddle, it's more of a puzzle, problem solving.

Speaker 1 24:47

I don't know. Are you up for it? I'm up for it and I will let you pick a card.

Speaker 2 24:52

Oh, I'm going to pick a card out of our game. Okay, I saw this on I don't know one of the social media, so hopefully you didn't see it. What can this be? 20 plus 20 plus 20 equals 60.

Speaker 2 25:03

Got it 20, 20, 20 equals 60. How can you make 60 again using three numbers, but it can't be 20? Using three of the same numbers, but it can't be 20. So you know how 20, 20, 20 is 60. What three numbers can you use again to make 60?, but it can't be 20, 20, 20. It's a good math problem.

Speaker 1 25:27

Is it the same number? Does it have to be three of the same number?

Speaker 2 25:30

Three of the same numbers to equal 60.

Speaker 1 25:33

I saw that on. I did see that on and I don't remember what it was 2020.

Speaker 2 25:42

Think about it. Three numbers Are you out there? Are you racking your brains? Three numbers that equal 60, but it's not 2020-20. Three of the same numbers. Three of the same numbers. Three of the same numbers. That equals 60, but not 2020. 55 plus 5 is 60. 5, 5, 5. Oh, I couldn't get that one either. My brain did not go.

Speaker 1 26:13

I was thinking dividing 60.

Speaker 2 26:17

Yeah, so that was a good one though. I was like oh, this is a good one. So you have the deck of cards here. Now am I pulling the card and asking you the question, or you're going to ask me the question?

Speaker 1 26:32

You're going to pull the card and it's yours. You're going to ask it for yourself.

Speaker 2 26:37

We're going to ask it for me, we're going to ask it for you. Put that one on top.

Speaker 1 26:40

I didn't. I promise, let me draw.

Speaker 2 26:43

Let's see what seemed harmless to you as a kid that you now look back on and we did that.

Speaker 1 26:49

We chose that one before.

Speaker 2 26:51

Eating raw hot dogs.

Speaker 1 26:53

I don't know if that's what I said but that's mine.

Speaker 2 26:59

What song must be played at your funeral?

Speaker 1 27:00

We've done that before. Are they the same cards? How are we doing?

Speaker 2 27:03

this. It's a whole deck of cards and we may not have done those on. We did do that one on the podcast. The first one may not have been on the podcast because you pulled some randomly when we weren't on here. What is your worst habit?

Speaker 1 27:15

What is your worst habit? Worst worst? Worst habits huh, oh, I don't have any, yeah we don't have an.

Speaker 2 27:24

There's not enough gas in this car to for the car ride to cover your worst habits. Um, my worst habit is um, can you say like putting off things, procrastination, is that a habit?

Speaker 1 27:41

It is a habit, procrastinating yeah.

Speaker 2 27:46

Probably that's my worst habit.

Speaker 1 27:48

Yeah, you don't really do, I don't really have like that is your worst. That is your worst trait. Yeah, your personality trait. Honestly, that is the I would say overall your worst personality trait. Honestly, that is the I would say overall your worst personality trait personal, professional, everything is just slack procrastination.

Speaker 2 28:11

I agree with that. But here's the thing it comes back to. I agree because I have so many fabulous, amazing, wonderful qualities. I agree because I have so many fabulous, amazing, wonderful qualities. I am so good. Start to finish top to bottom, but procrastination, it's an ADD thing, it is, it is.

Speaker 2 28:30

Because I don't. I am not motivated until I'm under pressure is what it comes down to, and that's why, like with the businesses we do so well, having one business, I mean I wouldn't ever do anything because that's a bore. I need the pressure, and that's why holiday seasons are so good because it's pressure, it's time.

Speaker 1 28:53

You've got to get this done.

Speaker 2 28:55

You've got to sell this in this time frame. You've got to.

Speaker 1 28:58

I'm better than you are, but with my ADD, I like the pressure, right. That's why I needed like. When I only own one McDonald's, it was horrible. I was so bored, I was so over it. I would have sold and did something else. Yeah, if I couldn't have bought more restaurants, right, I like it's a pressure thing and I think that is a add thing.

Speaker 2 29:25

It's a you're not jump started until you're under pressure. I've been that way my whole life, when I was in college and had to write a paper oh, I didn't start until like two in the morning before it was due. I would, but you know, you'll but some things I'll procrastinate on and I will dread. I will think about it and then it took no time.

Speaker 2 29:47

Took no time and I could have had it done. But no, we're going to wait until the last minute. I'm going to get it done Always get everything done but I'm going to wait till the last minute and be under pressure. But I have to say, when I'm under pressure, I'm typically not stressed either. I'm very functional. I'm not like, oh my gosh, why did I wait to the last minute? And now I'm stressed. I don't do that either. I'm just like what is this card? I pulled my card.

Speaker 1 30:14

This is bad.

Speaker 2 30:15

Let me see what your card is. We're going to read it. Describe yourself in three words bougie, bitchy and um. There's got to be a good one in there.

Speaker 1 30:27

I say kind you're loving, generous oh I don't know about generous.

Speaker 2 30:35

I mean you are in some it's not generous just with money no I know, but you are generous with time. That's what I I.

Speaker 1 30:44

That's what I had put on my mother's headstone but, I wouldn't have never put that on mine. Which? I was kind of kidding um, but my mom, because I I sat down to think about what three words describe my mother. Yeah, because I wanted. I had in my mind how I wanted her headstone, mm-hmm, and I was like kind, loving, generous.

Speaker 2 31:06

Yes, and, but I don't with me. I think we need kind. You are kind, well, most days. What were your three words? What did you just say?

Speaker 1 31:19

That was for my mother.

Speaker 2 31:20

Yeah, what was it I?

Speaker 1 31:21

was just kind, loving and generous.

Speaker 2 31:23

So kind. Well, get rid of. Loving and generous, no, those are good. You do have those traits, but kind.

Speaker 1 31:30

That's not what I would choose. I wouldn't choose that to describe me. I wouldn't, bougie, no.

Speaker 2 31:37

That's not a negative thing. Own it, and you're very funny. Uptight, uptight. There's so many different words. You could describe you Selfish.

Speaker 1 31:51

You know, I hate to admit that, I hate to admit that, but you know, there is there, you know it's, I'm going to be honest my only child. God, it really is a thing.

Speaker 2 32:07

It really is. It really is a thing, but you're not selfish in a mean way. No, because you are very kind, I will give you that.

Speaker 1 32:16

And I am generous, Like I'm not going to say well, I've got this, but not gonna say well, but there's a little something under there like oh, playing with my toys there is, give them back and get out every now and then every now and then it will come out and dylan will go okay, only child, yeah, only child.

Speaker 1 32:38

I was like oh, I know what it was. So I found a bag on Fashionphile that was a really good deal and I had wanted a if this makes sense a shorter duffel bag, because the long duffel bags they're just harder to carry. And there was a small one on there and it was six hundred dollars. So what kind of a bag was this? It was a louis vuitton, but it was not. It was in really good shape, so I bought it and I was not home to get it. Dylan got it and he was like I really like this one. And I said he said, but I wanted a 55 inch or whatever. It was a bigger one. And uh, I said well, you, I said we'll, we'll share, you can use my big one and I will use the small one. Yeah, and I don't remember how I said it, but he's like mm-hmm, only child.

Speaker 2 33:39

You're probably like I'll let you use mine occasionally, or something like that.

Speaker 1 33:44

No, I didn't say that because he carries mine. Sometimes, like when we're going out of town, I look I'm like, oh, there's my bag, yeah, but even at that.

Speaker 2 33:54

Even Then you're like he's packed his stuff in my bag, puffing my bed, my bed.

Speaker 1 33:59

And seriously I do not mind, because he is so careful and OCD and anal, just like I am. So I don't worry about it. I really don't. But anyone else I'd be like I can't use it. Well, you did get a little, and it was like you because you're going to a wedding next month.

Speaker 2 34:20

Yes, I'm going to MB's wedding and we got to get her on the podcast. I want to get her on before her wedding and she said she would do the podcast. I just got to you know we kind of record whenever you know, we procrastinate recording the last minute or something.

Furniture Faux Pas and Self-Evaluation

Speaker 2 34:36

We need to schedule it out, but anyway I'm going to her wedding. We need to schedule it out, but anyway I'm going to her wedding. And the other day you were going for your second fitting of your second custom suit and I said, oh good, it's not a suit, it was a sport coat.

Speaker 2 34:49

A sport coat and pants and whatever, and I said, oh good, I can use one of them. I was like no, he's like no. And I was like we're, he's like no. And I was like we're the same size. Practically It'll fit me.

Speaker 1 35:02

No, usually our clothes fit each other really usually pretty good.

Speaker 2 35:10

No, I have something older you can wear.

Speaker 1 35:12

It's not what. I said, I said it is not what I said. I said I have a brand. I have two brand new suits, luckily. One is fall winter that has never been worn and it is custom and it should fit you is what I said I want the new custom.

Speaker 2 35:34

But that's not appropriate for the wedding.

Speaker 1 35:37

He can't stomach that thought though it's not appropriate, you've got to wear a suit, I might have to wear a tux. I can't stomach that thought, though it's not appropriate. You've got to wear a suit.

Speaker 2 35:42

Yeah, I might have to wear a tux.

Speaker 1 35:45

I don't even know you may you have to look to see if it's black tie.

Speaker 2 35:48

Yeah, I think it said black tie optional.

Speaker 1 35:52

Well then, you can wear a dark suit, okay.

Speaker 2 35:54

So, yeah, I'm excited to go to her wedding. That's a whole other story. We've got to get to go to her wedding.

Speaker 1 35:59

That's a whole other story. We gotta get her on, though, but anything you give to Wesley tomorrow.

Speaker 2 36:04

Don't say I don't return it or ruin it. No, I don't.

Speaker 1 36:08

No, no, but you're gonna get it back and it will not be ruined. No, and you will get it back, but it will probably be crumpled up. That is not true.

Speaker 2 36:20

That is what you think that is not true. That is what you think. That is what you like to make up in your mind. That is so, not true. That's your selfish projection of what you think people are going to do to your things when you loan them. You think they're going to come back damaged or crumpled or just leftover used goods. That's how you feel in your brain when someone wants to borrow something of yours.

Speaker 1 36:46

You know, in high school somebody asked to borrow a shirt of mine and I was like no, I bet you were like I did. I did, but I hated it. I never really.

Speaker 2 36:59

And I probably never wore it after I don't think I did.

Speaker 1 37:02

I know you didn't See, but that was younger.

Speaker 2 37:04

That's the type of thing that you would do, though, because it's damaged goods because someone else used it, but see I hadn't lived long enough.

Speaker 1 37:12

I mean, you would do that today.

Speaker 2 37:15

No, I mean not with a shirt, but like I don't know. I I mean not with a shirt, but like I don't know.

Speaker 1 37:20

I mean. But there is certain I don't know. I'm not as listen, I am not nearly as bad as some only children, because I know some that are that's crazy.

Speaker 2 37:34

Well, let's switch gears, because I have to talk about Instagram was giving this week. I have a little thing.

Speaker 1 37:41

Well, it's that time of year.

Speaker 2 37:42

Well, yeah, but this was a travesty that I saw on Instagram and it reminded me because this goes into a funny story of when we first I don't think we've ever talked about this on the podcast and we probably are going to offend someone, but you might need to be offended in this instance. Let's just put that out there.

Speaker 1 38:01

You might need to do a self-evaluation and go hmm, I didn't think about that I know where you're going and it may be something that you purchase and you keep in a trunk.

Speaker 2 38:12

Well, we're going all into it. So I saw this. It sparked, like I said, back to market, which is a funny story. It's on Amazon. It sparked, like I said, back to market, which is a funny story.

Speaker 1 38:19

It's on Amazon.

Speaker 2 38:20

Yeah, I saw this one of the influencers that I followed. I don't know, I can't remember who it was, I'm not calling them out. They had ordered from Amazon this portable armrest for your sofa and it fits. It's got like a little, I don't know, a wing on the bottom, a fin on the bottom, so it fits between your couch.

Speaker 1 38:44

Wedges it, wedges to hold it.

Speaker 2 38:46

Wedges between your couch. Your sofa cushion, it's a couch.

Speaker 1 38:50

It's a couch. Yeah, this is couch talk.

Speaker 2 38:53

Yeah, in between your sofa cushions and it's an armrest, but it has a cup holder and a light and a phone charger and it opens up and you can have a storage thing in there. And, first of all, if you ordered this, okay, if you ordered this and you want to use it, use it as your guilty pleasure. But before any guests walk in your house, hide that damn thing.

Speaker 1 39:18

Take it out and put it in a chest or something keep it when you're working at home. I can see like me buying something like that.

Speaker 2 39:26

No, you would absolutely don't even say I could see me.

Speaker 1 39:31

No, I'm saying if I were in our house in florida for a month and I was like I'm gonna be working a lot in the living room and I I saw that I'm like, oh my gosh, like that'd be, great to, just so my back won't hurt or whatever. But I would never leave that out for you to see.

Speaker 2 39:50

So what sparked this is when Stephen and I first went to market. We okay, you know, we started our home store and didn't know what the hell we were doing. Well, actually, we did know what we were doing, we, but we originally started our home store as a gift store with home accessories. We were not in it to do furniture. And as we figured our way around and screwed up everything and got back to the beginning, we got into furniture and upholstery furniture. So we were at market High Point Market and we were trying to find an upholstery, a sofa chair vendor and a line that we could afford.

Speaker 2 40:33

A line that we could afford and one that would accept us, because those lines are zip code territory protected. So we would go to like, oh, we've heard of this line, we want them. No so-and-so in your area has this. We're not accepting any new accounts. So we were just shooting in the dark, going around market trying to find this one, and I had listed out upholstery vendors I had tried to find before we went to market, because High Point is spread out all over the city. So we ended up. I don't remember the vendor name, but we ended up with this vendor. And when you go to markets like this, in the showrooms, they're very protective. You can't just walk in like you're shopping a furniture store, assess the situation and go, oh, this isn't for us and leave. Like there's always a front counter, they have to call a rep, they invite you in, the rep gives you a tour.

Speaker 1 41:28

It's real bougie.

Speaker 2 41:29

We got caught up getting this tour with this vendor of this rep in all of their sofas.

Speaker 1 41:40

They had coolers built. They had coolers.

Speaker 2 41:42

Built-in coolers yes, All of their sofas had armrests with like built-in cup holders and built-in coolers, and lights.

Speaker 2 41:52

And phone chargers and all of these things. And Stephen and I were following around this rep and we were trying so hard not to laugh because we were looking at each other and the rep would be walking in front of us and I was like, oh, this is the one that's going in your house. Stephen was looking at me like get me the hell out of here. And you know what, In the right, I'm sure somebody out here listening has that sofa or their big boy recliner that has a cup holder and a phone charger, and you know what, Maybe it fits in your situation.

Speaker 1 42:32

If it's your thing, you do you, that's right. And I'm sure, well, I know I have some family members that have these um, and they're probably listening.

Speaker 2 42:45

Let's hope not, but you know we're helping you out evaluate. Maybe in a movie room like uh, you know a legit theater room, you could work in something like this. I don't know.

Speaker 1 43:00

Well, I will say this Like most theater sectionals, you know, because you piece them together, do have cup holders, because you're in there watching a movie. It's like the movies I don't know.

Speaker 2 43:15

But not just in your den.

Speaker 1 43:17

Can you imagine if you came over to see me and I was like this one and this one? This has a back massager built in.

Speaker 2 43:29

No, I why you gotta talk like that. What are? You trying to say why you gotta do that.

Speaker 1 43:35

It just feels like when I'll go back to Six Mile or Clemson. That's what I would say.

Speaker 2 43:42

Oh my gosh. And listen, you know if you want to call and complain about us saying that you shouldn't have this, call our hotline 864-982-5029.

Speaker 1 43:54

We can take the harassment, but I will say this we can dish it and we can take it. Here's what I will say Get rid of it. A lot of my family have the big boy, big bubba, recliners. And I'm just going to admit it they're comfortable that's where I like to sit.

Speaker 2 44:12

I mean, it is a I don't even like to sit in them it's a guilty plate. They're so comfortable no, they're sloppy, they feel frumpy, they look from I'm fine if I'm not in my house.

Speaker 1 44:24

If you plop one up in here, I would be curled up in it watching a movie. I would be fine with it. It's just not going in my home yeah, I'm.

Speaker 2 44:33

It's not going in my either, but you know my grandparents always had them Both sets.

Speaker 1 44:41

They always had the big bubble recliners. No.

Speaker 2 44:46

But I saw that armrest On my Instagram. I was like this reminds me of those sofas and I'm gonna get you one For Christmas.

Speaker 1 44:55

I don't even have one that it would fit. I know, because you have a bench, bench cushions, I'll find something.

Speaker 2 44:58

I don't even have one that it would fit, I know because you have a bench, yeah.

Speaker 1 45:01

Bench cushions.

Speaker 2 45:03

I'll find something. I bet they have a weighted like beanbag version that you can just sit on.

Speaker 1 45:07

Don't waste your money like that.

Speaker 2 45:09

I think you need it. I think it'd be fun. I'm going to get you one of these armrests. I'm sure they have like a weighted beanbag version. You know what I'm saying. Where it just sits there and it pops open, has the compartment. I'm going to fill it up with, like some of your favorite treats. It'd be a great gift, like some peanut M&Ms, because you can get that on your white sofa.

Speaker 1 45:32

And he knows. I don't know what else I'll fill it up with some treats for you, I'm good, but thank you, you, oh, my goodness, so we have to talk about something else that you sent me. We're going to switch to tick, tick, tock, okay, so you sent me this and I, I have to say I was just a little, um, almost speechless so and, and you sent, it to me.

Speaker 2 46:03

I try to send you things all the time that I'm like look at this, You're not going to believe this.

Speaker 1 46:08

Well, you sent it to me, but ironically, I had seen it from, I think, two other people and they're doing tablescapes and they're using pool noodle oh my, the damn pool noodle as their foam foam.

Speaker 2 46:24

What the hell is wrong with people they're trying don't try to redo something that doesn't need to be redone do that y'all here's the thing have you, so it's a pool noodle.

Speaker 1 46:35

To poke a hole in it, you're gonna need an ice pick, literally an ice pick, or a knife.

Speaker 2 46:39

I saw one of them trying to put their stems in there and they were just bending up and I was like, yeah, you trying to, and then it cut to it being done. I was like you had to take something like, like you said, an ice pick or a skewer or something and you wouldn't know where you're gonna put it.

Speaker 1 46:54

Like it's not gonna be right. Yeah, it's the dumbest thing floral foam and cages forever.

Speaker 2 47:03

Why are you trying to?

Speaker 1 47:04

take cages, pool noodle cages that are that you can sit anywhere anywhere.

Speaker 2 47:10

they're used every day in the floral industry. You can get them at any craft store. Why are you trying to take a damn pool noodle? They cut it in half, they're putting candlesticks in the middle and then they zip, tie the noodle around it and then they're putting in all these stems Just a mess. And then you got to have a thousand stems to try to cover up this little thing.

Speaker 1 47:33

Yeah, it's like bright yellow, bright blue pool noodle.

Speaker 2 47:37

Yeah.

Speaker 1 47:37

Rather than like a sage green piece of oasis.

Speaker 2 47:42

It was just I was laughing at that one because I was like and I too have seen that at least three or four times now.

Speaker 1 47:51

So someone thinks it's a great idea what I hate about it is when people do that, and then you've got these people that don't get, inspired get inspired and they want to try it, and then they fail at it, right, and it's not their fault, it was just a dumb idea.

Speaker 2 48:09

Right, that's what it gets me irritated too.

Speaker 1 48:11

I mean it's like using scotch tape on as a as a flower from yeah, we talk about that all the time I know, and I too don't leave negative comments on posts, but I wanted to be like, or just use floral foam that's made for that. Like the rest of the world.

Speaker 2 48:29

Yeah, Like, why are we trying to do something that didn't need to be redone and it's not like oh, floral foam is $75 and I got this noodle for $5. It's way cheaper than a noodle.

Speaker 1 48:43

I was just like, oh, it's way cheaper.

Speaker 2 48:45

Oh, but that first one, her stem. She also had cheap stems that were just, I mean, bending up and just trying to which we don't do cheap stems. Hoking that noodle. I was laughing. Oh my gosh. It was so funny. Oh my gosh. Well, I think we're running out of time for this episode and we're going to have to wrap this baby up. I've got to pull this thing over.

Speaker 1 49:07

You've got to get back to your windows, don't bring it up.

Speaker 2 49:12

It's time to get those windows clean. We're out of time for this week, but we'll see you again next week, every Tuesday. Remember to share us with your friends and leave us a review or star rating wherever you're listening to our podcast, and message us on our hotline. Let us know what you think or put in your thoughts. Our hotline is 864-982-5029. You can find that down below in the caption as well, and we'll see you next week. Have a great week, guys. Thanks.