A Birthday Story
We have a fairly large family, what with the grandchildren, one great-grandchild and another to be born soon. I’ve forgotten more than one birthday, I regret to say, but when the big 50 comes to one of your kids, it’s best to remember it.
The middle one got there last week so we’ve been putting on our thinking caps about what would be nice to give him and, frankly, we’ve been coming up empty. Birthday presents are hard. What to do? What to give?
A stroll downtown to the art galleries for inspiration seemed like a good idea. We’ve given the children art before and with some degree of luck. We looked and looked and finally! The AHA! moment we’d been waiting for! There it was in all its glory. His 50th birthday present. No question about it. A real statement-maker but a little larger than we’d planned on.
The problem was: how to get it to him in Missouri? The gallery, The Filling Station, is just across the street from the iron-artist and together they determined that they could indeed “crate and freight” the gift, despite its size and weight.
But the cost! More than the item itself.
The gallery owner once again came to the rescue. Apparently there’s something called U-Ship. Very like the Uber concept, there are people out there, agreeable to taking large, clumsy items from one place to another for reasonable fees. One goes on line and waits for a U-Ship person to get in touch. You make a deal….or not….and voila.
Our U-Ship person arrived in a pick up truck and after much bubble-wrapping, taping and bolting-down, it was on its way. I think it will be quite a surprise. We are hoping that there aren’t any neighborhood ordinances against “abnormal” yard art.
He doesn’t have it yet so here’s a picture of his present.
Happy 50th Birthday, Scott!
And many happy returns.
(No, no, I’m not talking about returning the present. That is definitely not an option.)
