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So who is this DRCOLLIE guy?
A lot of folks think the "DR" in DRCOLLIE stands for doctor, but it doesn't - they're just my first and middle name initials (hey, maybe I'm a doctor of furniture?)
Since I own this forum, and have over 2,000 posts to it, moderate it and some of you will purchase from my store, I'll give you a little history and background of who I am and how I got here.
I was born in 1954 in San Antonio, Texas on an Air Force base hospital. Mom and Dad moved to Whiteman AFB in MO when I was 2 years old, where my father was Squadron Commander of the 407th Bomb Wing flying nuclear-equipped B-47's. Today that base is where the B-2 Stealth Bombers call home. In '63 he retired and joined the FAA, which took us to several places including St. Louis, Minneapolis, Chicago, Kansas City and ultimately Washington DC where he became Chief of Airline Safety Standards (those of you that are in the airline industry my father wrote most of FAR's Part 121 and 135).
I went to High School at Kirkwood High, Missouri and graduated there in 1972. My passions were motorcycles and cars, which my wife will tell you continue to this day and likely always will. I worked at motorcycle shops all through my teen years and college, and raced Husqvarna's on the motocross circuit.
Graduated from Florida State University in 1977 with a degree in Political Science and somehow found myself in the Grocery Business where I worked in the Florida Division of Grand Union Supermarkets as a store manager and later in the buying office at division HQ. Gallo Winery hired me away from Grand Union and I worked in Florida as Key Account Rep from Miami to Vero Beach, but that job was a real meatgrinder where you worked far too hard but got a heck of an education in marketing and sales. On the weekends, my wife and I were always out racing or playing on the ocean on our Supercat catamaran off the South Florida Coast.
My Father retired from the FAA and opened an airline consulting business which specialized in doing assessment of various airline operations for a fee, prior to FAA Safety Audits. Turned out he was in high demand for his services (who better to hire than the guy who wrote the rules?) and needed help, so I agreed to move to Washington DC with my new bride and get into that business.
We needed an office, and bought a small office condo in the same space I still am located in. Since we only needed a couple hundred square feet for the airline biz, we walled off the back and let Mom have the front of the store for her dream - a reproduction furnishings store she named 'The Keeping Room'. Thing is, while Mom had a great eye for style and product, she was not a very good business person and had no concept of margins and operating costs, or the hundred other details that running a business requires. I brought those skills to the table to make the little store profitable.
I hated the airline business. We spent most all our time on the road at various airlines an after six months of checking over flight attendant training records for eight hours a day I KNEW that was not for me. Meanwhile Mom's little shop started getting more and more customers and as my background was in retail, sales and merchandising, I fit right in. So we expanded the store (three times!) and that's how I got into the furniture business.
A hallmark of our store has always been to sell quality goods, and moreso in the specialty and handcrafted end of things. Since 1981 we've seen a lot of trends and survived the bad times by going lean (still lean!) and we have never had a business loan or line of credit. We have never even financed a store truck...running conservatively means being able to survive in difficult times and we are still standing when most the Washington area retail furniture stores collapsed in 2007.
Its been a simple formula:
* Sell at a stable, fair price. Never play a shell game with the pricing.
* Don't lie to your customers or expect them to buy something that we wouldn't have in our own home.
* Don't go into debt. Don't expand on wishful thinking.
* Demand suppliers/vendors hold to a standard and take care of issues, and if they don't, find another.
* Learn to do things yourself. (diesel mechanics, long-haul trucking, furniture repair, accounting, desktop publishing, computer repair, etc).
* Sell American made products as much as possible.
* Treat customers the way we like to be treated when we're a customer somewhere else.
* Pay all bills on time and never make excuses to your suppliers/vendors why you can't. They have a family to support, too.
I've been married to the same wonderful woman for 26 years now (she works for Fairfax County Public Schools), have a fashion-plate daughter that goes to James Madison University and a gentle giant of a teenage son who towers above me at 6' 4". I'm in the store six days a week, but you won't catch me there on Sundays. When I can, I steal a few hours from chores on some Sundays and love to go with my pals on the motorcycles and ride out to the Shenandoah Valley and Blue Ridge Mountains for the day. Some people get high, and some people drink for a good time. For me, nothing beats the wind in the face of a spirited motorcycle ride on a curvy, hilly road. And if I'm not on my bike, you'll find me in my Porsche convertible - my other passion.
I'm a Stage IV Carcinoid Cancer Survivor. Four and a half years ago I was told to make out my will and prepare to die - and sitting in that office hearing that is something I'd hope no one has to go though. I never give up at things, and fired that surgeon who told me there as no hope - he quit on me before we even got started. That was a rough time, but I was back in the store the day after being released from Johns Hopkins Cancer Center after having a liver and bowel resection. Mom and Dad had made a mess of the computers during my week in the hospital! Though I could not lift any furniture for 10 weeks, I went down for a few hours every day until I got my strength back. Today I am cancer free thanks to the magic hands of Dr. Micheal Choti at JH in Baltimore, one of the best cutters on the planet. I volunteer to help a lot of people across the country with their Carcinoid Cancers today that are scared and confused with their diagnosis and find it very rewarding to do so.
I started this forum to help educate folks on how to buy furniture and what to look for, and its been very active and successful (though I wish more people 'in the trade' would help me answer questions). Its been my observation over the years that the furniture industry does a poor job of educating the retail consumer, and most people are pretty smart. If you give them honest and correct information and knowledge of what to look for, they'll figure out the right product to buy.
That's about it!
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Re: So who is this DRCOLLIE guy?
Thanks for sharing Duane, what a wonderful feeling to have a passion for life! So what kind of bike are you running the "Ridge " on? I had the opportunity to ride part of it a few years ago. Made it as far as Asheville.
Paul
81 BMW R100RT
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Re: So who is this DRCOLLIE guy?
Hi Peter,
Thanks! My ride is a 06 R1200GS BMW, and last year we rode from one end to the other on Skyline / Blue Ridge Parkway, from Front Royal down to Deal's Gap. It was a LOT of curves (never thought I would ever be thankful for a straight interstate run, but after that - I was).
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Thats a tall bike isnt it? They seem to be the bike of choice the past few years with the BMW crowd. My old steed hit 155,000, almost as much as on me. I try and hit a rally or two each summer.
Paul
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Re: So who is this DRCOLLIE guy?
Yes it is, made taller even than stock because I put OHLINS on it front and rear, it such a great bike though. Takes a month or so to adapt to that tall seat height (I have a 30" inseam and the seat height on mine is about 34"), and its just a matter of adapting riding style. Only a problem when its off-road and trying to do a turn around on a single track trail...then its difficult. I have no problem keeping up with my pals on the Ducatis when they want to do curves, go for long straight runs with my buds that have Harleys (it will cruise faster than any HD), and go off-road with my KTM Adventure friends, long as we don't do too much mud or single track. I've only got 16K miles on mine, mainly its finding the time to get out.
Do you know Phil Marx? He's got quite a few BMWs of your vintage and is very active in BMWMOA. 155K is impressive....only on a BMW....
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they are a great bike I'm sure. I'm just more of an old school type..alot of it is due to financial reasons and the new computer age of machines. A friend of mine has an 06 RT and he is getting raked over the coals when it come to service charges. Sadly the closest dealer is 40 miles away and they dont work on anything old. Fortunately i have become a pretty good wrench over the years. Had this one apart from head to toe.
I dont know Phil Marx but he is not alone when it comes to guys with an affection for the older airheads. I think they were very close to the 10K mark in attendance when I went to the national in Tenn. It's getting too big, just my opinion.
Theirs a nice small rally in Thurmont, Md (Square Route rally) every June if you ever get the chance to take a ride.
Ride safe when you get a chance.
Paul
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Greetings Duane -
Just been poking around the net this evening and ran across this forum. As a fellow BMW rider, FSU alum, Air Force type, Grand Union employee (it's all true) AND furniture shopper, I feel at ease already! I'll be spending some time getting up to speed on furnishings for our new (old) lakehouse, and appreciate your efforts here. Now, get that GS over to the Cherohala Skyway for a real nice ride! J.
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Jake, you sound like my identical twin brother and we were separated at birth!
Ahhh...yes, the Cherohala Skyway, what a great road...big speeds, big sweepers. I like to come up from Telleco Plains for about 10 miles, then cut through the Forest on some fire roads back towards Pigeon Forge when we make that trip, needless to say only the Adventure class bikes make that 30 mile trip through the forest, we let the road touring guys go ALL THE WAY AROUND....lol. What kind of BMW are you riding? Which Grand Union division did you work out of? Damn....that's just flat out wild....
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Sorry to post and dash Duane, working on the lakehouse has been consuming this summer!
I had an 02 RT which I pointed around the country when I found time for a few years, but a move back to SoFla had me searching for something that flowed more air. I enjoy my little Triumph, but miss getting out of town that the Boxer allowed. So, I can see a GS, another RT, or that shiny new Duc in my future. If you haven't been to Utah, sweeper heaven.
My Grand Union tour really was my first job at 16 (1978), courtesy of the Deerfield Beach store. The name has changed, but the building still stands. I quickly moved on to scraping barnacles for summer cash, but remember the old store and it's people fondly.
Would you believe me if I said my Father In Law also wrote a number of regs during his time in the FAA? He loved his work with them, and the comaraderie, rest his soul.
Keep up the great work here, I know it's a bunch of effort and time consuming and about as much fun at times as herding cats, but you do work that oozes pride, and that's as high a calling as it gets. Hopefully my wife will see a sofa from your store she can't live without, and I'll come shake your hand next time I'm visiting sis in Silver Spring. Hey - there's a ride idea...
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Jake,
Thats hilarious! I was at the Deerfield Grand Union (wasn't it Store # 752 ?) all the time while you were there. I was assigned to the Boca store # 710 out on US 441. Do you remember a program about the time you worked there called Grand Cash Bingo? I ran that program and brought many boxes of materials to the Deerfield Beach Store in '78-'79 .
Small world indeed! When I lived in FL , I owned a Kawasaki GPZ but eventually sold it because the roads were all straight, flat and too boring. Bought a racing catamaran from the sale of the bike and did lots of sailing off Delray Beach with my girlfriend who must have liked it because she married me and is still with me 26 years later.
I really need to point the bike out West and ride Utah/Colorado/Wyoming and simply MUST run the GS down the Pacific Coast Highway. The only thing that slows me down is 1) Time and 2) Crossing the Plains States (zzzzzzzz). I'm waiting for someone out West to order about twenty pieces of furniture, then I can take it out there in a big rental truck, stick my bike in the back, deliver the furniture and then ride for a week while I'm out there and come back home on the BMW. <G>
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Duane..
Are there any cycle rental companies you could use on the west coast for a vacation/bike adventure? Waiting for the 20 piece order is a stretch.
Maybe that's a business opportunity, bike rentals for vacationers, sorta like RV rentals. You could use RV dealers for your network and stock on/off road bikes at the great riding locations in the USA.
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There are, but its not *my* bike <g>. I have a heavily customized BMW that is set up for me to ride miles n' miles in comfort. Stock bikes are horrid! I just need to strike out and do it - takes a lot of time though. Hard to close up the store for that long.
BTW, Larry, even though your Leathercraft chair is out of warranty for the mechanism, there's a new assembly lever that was UPS'ed yesterday from them at no charge. Should be here at the store tomorrow I would think, or Monday at the latest.
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Duane... that's good news. The chair is just 2 years old so I was not sure about the warranty period on the mechanism. Let me know when it arrives and I truck on down to Alexandria. It would be good to see you and check out what your floor stock is these days.
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Duane,
My wife turned me onto the Garden Web furniture forum; then following your answers to folks' questions; then this'here forum; and, now it's motorcycle touring on the west coast down the Pacific Coast Highway......fantastic! I'm out west; ride motorcycles for 30+ years; though living in Gilroy (Garlic Capital of the World) a short jaunt from the PCH, and do have a second home just outside Yosemite National Park; and, am looking for four pieces of H&M furniture....not quite 20 :)
Now that I've hit all your "hot" button issues (notably motorcycling out west), maybe you can rent a smaller truck, tie-down the old'steed, and make it out west. Some of the most beautiful touring on the PCH is from Monterey...south down Hwy 1. Think 30-55 mph with quite frequent stops wearing out the digital camera's sensor on some of the most beautiful real estate on this planet. The ride to Yosemite ain't bad either....day trips are frequent reminders why motorcycling is the way to see America especially when time-constrained.
To the furniture needs.....we're looking at Kodiak sofa, Miller lounger and some type of upholestered side chairs as a groupo. Will contact you personally.
Great site, and terrific responses.
Dale
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Duane, what a wonderful life story to read! You are an inspiration for sure. When my husband saw me asking questions on this forum, and I told him that you help all these people with furniture questions, he said, "well, he probably wants to help people get the straight scoop about furniture. There's a lot of game-playing out there." It sounds like that's exactly your goal. Praise God that you are a cancer survivor. God bless you and your wife in your long happy marriage. :)
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Pretty much that's right on the money. I happen to like well-made things, and detest shoddy goods. My experience in life is that you usually "get what you pay for" as the saying goes, and then the trick becomes learning the ins and outs of what makes a good product worth the money! For example, I have a huge tool-box in my garage at home full mostly of Snap-On brand tools, which are used by professional mechanics and I worked my way through college as a full time motorcycle mechanic and have pulled my own wrenches on my cars and trucks ever since. A standard open end wrench set is $ 300, where you can go to Sears and get a Craftsmen set for $ 40. Is the Snap-On Set worth it? Yes it is.....because they are thinner, stronger, and have tighter tolerances and grip the fasteners better then the Sears tools. Maybe not so important if you're tightening a lag screw into a 2' x 4', but if you're working on the exhaust manifold on a Porsche and snap or round off that stud it sure is. A lot of my friends bring their cars over after they buggered up the bolts because they know I have the tools to get the fasteners off.
I approach furniture the same way I do tools. The product I carry in my store costs more, but its also worth more because it has the performance and quality that less expensive pieces to not. I've chosen to help folks identify how to see that quality so they can make a judgment call as to if they want to spend the money on the more expensive product. Give everyone the facts and let them decide. But the furniture industry has done a poor job on educating our customers, which is why I started this forum (and participate on others). I certainly don't know it all - but I know enough to help folks understand there is more to furniture selection than looking for the biggest red sale sign. Like my cancer surgeon, Dr. Mike Choti of Johns Hopkins is fond of saying "Knowledge is Power".
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
drcollie
Pretty much that's right on the money. I happen to like well-made things, and detest shoddy goods. My experience in life is that you usually "get what you pay for" as the saying goes, and then the trick becomes learning the ins and outs of what makes a good product worth the money! For example, I have a huge tool-box in my garage at home full mostly of Snap-On brand tools, which are used by professional mechanics and I worked my way through college as a full time motorcycle mechanic and have pulled my own wrenches on my cars and trucks ever since. A standard open end wrench set is $ 300, where you can go to Sears and get a Craftsmen set for $ 40. Is the Snap-On Set worth it? Yes it is.....because they are thinner, stronger, and have tighter tolerances and grip the fasteners better then the Sears tools. Maybe not so important if you're tightening a lag screw into a 2' x 4', but if you're working on the exhaust manifold on a Porsche and snap or round off that stud it sure is. A lot of my friends bring their cars over after they buggered up the bolts because they know I have the tools to get the fasteners off.
I approach furniture the same way I do tools. The product I carry in my store costs more, but its also worth more because it has the performance and quality that less expensive pieces to not. I've chosen to help folks identify how to see that quality so they can make a judgment call as to if they want to spend the money on the more expensive product. Give everyone the facts and let them decide. But the furniture industry has done a poor job on educating our customers, which is why I started this forum (and participate on others). I certainly don't know it all - but I know enough to help folks understand there is more to furniture selection than looking for the biggest red sale sign. Like my cancer surgeon, Dr. Mike Choti of Johns Hopkins is fond of saying "Knowledge is Power".
Duane,
I could not have said it better than you did so above. I'm looking for a new sofa now, after owning a Henredon that has held up for 26 years, it is now showing wear on the fabric. The cushions are still like new, if not for the wear on the fabric, I would not need to be out looking right now; although I'm thinking of having this one recovered. Your analogy to tools is right on point, as my husband is a technician, and I know what we have spent on Snap-On thru the years ;) and the comparison to Sears is definitely correct. Time is money, money is time when wrenching! Using the proper tools gets the job done correctly.
I'm in agreement with purchasing furniture made in the USA, and I definitely do my homework which is why I'm now registered on this forum. I've been lurking :D and reading, but time now to become a member and come forward before I go into an expensive purchase. Today I was quoted $7k for a leather set, but read on the back of the piece of leather it needed to be 2 feet away from heat - that shot that idea :mad:. So I'm back to fabric and whether I should reupholster or buy a new sofa, sigh.
Your story of cancer sounds a like myself 25 years ago, doctor(s) telling me to write up my Will, no chance for survival - but I'm here today - because I'm a fighter as well - and I don't take no for an answer. Same with furniture choices, I want the best for my money, and when I have something that lasted as long as this piece, I won't settle for less.
Thank you for making this forum, it's been a tremendous help in sourcing information.
Where exactly in D.C. are you located? We are only 3hrs or so from you, and it might be worth the trip to come to your store, rather than shop locally where we are.
B&J
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Glad to hear somebody born my year is a 4th stage Cancer Survivor... gives me hope as I am EX smoker and a Current biker. Own a Henderson Super X but ride a Victory Vision.
Thanks for your help with my wife's problem. If it wasn't for the info on this forum I would have been another Made in China 'victim' of what the wife thought was American !
Plus I read somewhere on Consumer Reports about these Leather Sofas from China that were being recalled because they give people chemical Burns.. Then the BBC writes about it..
That was an April 2010 article http://chemicalsoup.wordpress.com/20...alth-problems/
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PU H&M September Sofa in Mahogany Distressed from GreenFront,Manassas yesterday. May come to your store next week to see if I can find something that will match and or compliment it. They had a chair but they did NOT have the correct ottoman for it.
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I like the 3rd rule! I am a small business owner with several locations and like you, know how to do engineering, detailed calculations, fix a broken diesel engine or win over the toughest customer. There are far too few people like this today. Anyway your 3rd rule reminded me of something my dad told my accountant when he first visited our business, "Tim, interest is something I earn, not pay. As long as you remember that we'll get along fine". It's a principal I live by today.
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Re: So who is this DRCOLLIE guy?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
drcollie
Hi Peter,
Thanks! My ride is a 06 R1200GS BMW, and last year we rode from one end to the other on Skyline / Blue Ridge Parkway, from Front Royal down to Deal's Gap. It was a LOT of curves (never thought I would ever be thankful for a straight interstate run, but after that - I was).
I HAVE to respond to this. My husband and I took Skyline/BlueRidge Parkway a few years back starting at the first entrance and we were headed down south. We thought we'd take it all the way down. LITTLE DID WE KNOW we would only be able to drive five miles and hour and that hundreds of deer would be in the road around every bend. It was one of the most breath taking drives I've ever been on, and I was so glad to get off of there. Night fell and we could not find a good place to get off the parkway. So for hours and hours we wound our way...then we hit a "half road" where construction had taken away half the "lane" Dear god, there was no guard rail there and we had to navigate our car with a straight shot down the side of that mountain. In.The.Dark.
That was twenty years ago and I can still remember my fright. I'm glad I did it once and I will never do it again. hahaha!
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Hello Duane...Today was a lazy Sunday, so came on to your "Keeping Room" forum to read and enjoy what you and others have to say. I just came upon "So who is this DRCOLLIE guy?....And read all about you. So good to know a little bit about you Duane...I enjoyed the part where your mom had her little reproduction furnishing store...And she named it "The Keeping Room."....Just like your own furniture store!......Now I know how you got a good eye for fine products!....Smart mom you got there...The sad part was learning you had cancer...I am so glad you are a cancer survivor and you are doing well my friend...Thanks for letting us know a little bit about you...I am so glad I found your forum and so happy I bought my H&M sofa through you....And thanks for educating all of us on buying good furniture...Your a good person and great business man....And my friend!
Talk to you soon,
Diane....from Staten Island
P.S. Duane do you have a Facebook account?....Or you can have "The Keeping Room" page where all your friends can post photo's and comments....I read Facebook helps people with business reach a lot of people. It's just one more place to get the word out.....More people should know you Duane. :o
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Hi Diane,
Thanks for the kind words! Most appreciated. I figure everyone should have a right to know a little background about someone they are entrusting their order to - so its my way of just giving a little background about myself.
I don't do Facebook, I kind of have an objection to the way they sell information gathered on their members. I know its wildly popular (my kids use it non-stop) but I'm just not a huge fan of it.
We will have your new sofa to you pretty quick, too. Its on the 'rush' list at H&M!
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Your welcome Duane.....You are spot on about Facebook gathering infor from their members. It is useful for people like myself that has family in different states....Instant up-dates and wonderful photos in no time!
Thanks for putting our H & M sofa on the "Rush List"....We appreciate all you have done for us.
Bless you.
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Thank you for starting this forum.
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I enjoyed reading your back story, Duane. I love entrepreneurship stories and hope to own my own business one day. I left the corporate world when my first son was born, and I'm never going back =) The pay was great, but it's so much more rewarding when work is fun and you make it on your own. So nice to see you have a career you enjoy, and that you put customer satisfaction high on the list.
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Fantastic post and good to know all about you! I'm new here but I've been reading for a little while. Thanks for everything! I wish more companies held to your ideals...
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<laughing> Thanks!
I've never grown too big (obviously, since its a 1-man operation) so my business formula probably isn't correct - heck, I KNOW its not correct - to maximize profits its a rather poor model and that is the point of business when all is said and done. But, I sleep pretty good at night and don't have a lot of people who shop my store angry with me for selling them junk - and that's worth something in life.
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Duane,
I enjoyed reading your story, and I am very impressed not only by your knowledge of furniture, but by your willingness to openly share that knowledge at no cost. To my mind, that is the sure sign of a person who truly "gets it". I sell furniture restoration services for Finish Pros in Raleigh, and I am always trying to increase my knowledge of all things furniture related -- after just one look at this forum, I know I'll be learning quite a bit from you. By the way, my father is a BMW motorcycle man, and just a few years ago, when he was already well into his seventies, he completed a trip across Russia and Siberia! He lets me ride an old BMW Paris Dakar touring bike from the early eighties, but I'm not much of a road hero. Thanks again for all the wisdom you share here. -Ben Weidner
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Welcome to the forum Ben - If you are in the finish restoration business, perhaps we can all learn from you, too! Many forum readers are hesitant to attempt their own minor touch-ups on things and would certainly appreciate some tips on technique.
I need to take my BMW and ride the length of the Pacific Coast Highway....that's my goal. Takes a bit of time and a lot of miles to do that one from Virginia, though.
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Well, Duane, you have given us a place we MUST visit when we come to DC this fall, your store! Thanks for the helpful, well-written information you share. Furniture shopping shouldn't be nearly as confusing as it is. We are happy to have you as a good resource to get honest, unbiased information from, in your forum. Thanks for starting it!
Docs are funny, aren't they? 13.5 years ago, I was told I'd need an imminent lung transplant--today, I'm WAY too healthy! So glad you are enjoying life and your wonderful wife and kids. Love the Williamsburg Table photograph on your website--shows such lovely craftsmanship!
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I knew when in found this site, I'd stumbled upon the real deal! Thanks for answering my questions, and especially for setting up my tour at Hancock and Moore. I am really excited!
Marjorie Flowers.
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Re: So who is this DRCOLLIE guy?
You're going to have Jimmy Moore give you a tour, Marjorie, and that's quite a treat. Jimmy - who is in his 70's - is a real character and that's his very favorite thing to do, show off his company, introduce you to a lot of his staff, and tell you how they make the best furniture in the country. You'll see a 'family' atmosphere at the factory rather than bells ringing and supervisors watching. You'll also be amazed at the lack of motorized robots and machinery, and virtually no computers on the floor. All you hear is sewing machines and pneumatic staplers throughout the place and a lot of 'good mornings'. Don't get lost in the leather room, you can burn up a lot of time there seeing big hides of all 400 leathers. As soon as you walk in the door to there you'll meet Christie, who is always chipper and has a infectious laugh. From there on its just a down-home experience and they make you feel very welcome. Have fun and allow about 3 hours minimum.
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Marjorie, be sure to take a camera or at least have your phone with you. Jimmy likes to have his picture taken with his guests and if you get a good shot it could be a keepsake for you if you purchase H&M furniture. Also, be sure to let him know if there are any pieces or leathers that interest you, he will make a point of showing any he has in production. Ask him about the visit and sale to the Saudi Prince, it's a great story. Have fun, it's a great half a day.
Larry
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A friend will be joining me on this trip, and much to my surprise, she would like very much to take the tour as well. She is considering H&M for her next leather sofa purchase. Will it be possible for her to join us?
I was delighted when she decided to join me on this road trip. I was pretty certain she would enjoy Ashville, but I never dreamed she would think the idea of touring a furniture factory would be as cool as I think it is. But she's a fellow librarian, and we so tend to want to get as much information as humanly possible!
And now of the weather will just cooperate -- it's a long drive, and I'm a wuss about driving in snow, especially through the mountains!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
Marjflowers
A friend will be joining me on this trip, and much to my surprise, she would like very much to take the tour as well. She is considering H&M for her next leather sofa purchase. Will it be possible for her to join us?
Absolutely.
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Re: So who is this DRCOLLIE guy?
Thought I would share this, because its a big deal to me. I just hit the 7-year mark post-op from my stage IV cancer. Had my last cancer test this past week and sailed through it. My surgeon, the great Dr. Michael Choti who is now head of the Surgery Department at UT Southwestern emailed me this evening and said "You can consider this a cure - and don't need to test any more, you're all done with cancer." And it appears of the hundreds of patients he has had over the past decades with my kind of cancer, I am the ONLY one that has never had a recurrence....he teases me that I'm his anomaly (we are good friends so he can tease).
For seven years I have waited for the cancer to return because only in a very small percentage it doesn't, and i have prepared myself for that to happen. Now he says it won't....that's a huge load lifted and something I no longer have to worry about.
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Re: So who is this DRCOLLIE guy?
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Re: So who is this DRCOLLIE guy?
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Re: So who is this DRCOLLIE guy?
Yes, this is wonderful! I hope you will find some special way to commemorate and celebrate the day. Every year!
Cancer and cancer treatment are wicked. I so appreciate your sharing your story, because it's one of hope and perseverance.. And in the world of cancer, hope is richer than gold -- the stuff that fuels the determination to seek out the best doctors, to endure the brutal treatments, and keep going, even when the odds are against you. I've known many people who had cancer. Some survived, more didn't. But I cannot think of one who did beat the odds who did it without the hope and determination that you described in your post about yourself.
Now go do something special! Take a walk in the woods, a ride on that motorcycle of yours, read a good book -- whatever it is that is as special as the news you received today. And if I may be so bold, I'd suggest you start with a nice, long kiss with that wonderful wife of yours -- it's her victory too!
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Re: So who is this DRCOLLIE guy?
This is a subject near and dear to my heart.
I remember sitting in a Dr. Bronster's office in November 2005. He told me I was terminal with my wife sitting by my side, and that I could expect to live another 12 to 18 months or so, but that there was nothing he could do other than surgically remove what he could, but he made it clear it was hopeless, the cancer would eventually consume me. I also remember leaving that meeting not only stunned, but angry. Who was HE to say I was going to die? He'd thrown in the towel on me before we even got started. I don't quit things, and I wasn't quitting this either and the fact that he told me that it was over motivated me up to make sure it wasn't. I fired him as my oncology surgeon that same day.
The internet was my saving grace. Because I could study about my cancer as long as I could stay awake, and I poured myself into it to the point of being able to read and understand medical journals plus research tests. I had to learn the language of medicine, too. I was also able to read a story by Richard Bloch and that changed the way I thought about cancer. I wasn't a victim, I was a soldier and had a war to fight. So I did. And that led me to the great Dr. Micheal Choti who as at Johns Hopkins at the time and he did my surgery - never once did we speak of anything being terminal or hopeless.
Over the years I'd have dinner with Mike or he'd drive to my store and look at furniture and we became friends. He'd tell me "Your particular kind of cancer always comes back, I want you to know that, I've never had a patient where it didn't. But when it does return, you know that we will deal with it and that we should be able to manage it". Now when one of the leading experts in his field tells you that than you dread the periodic checkup tests, because you're waiting for the one that shows the positive and the surgery was pretty brutal, and you remember that as well. So waiting on the results was always stressful.
But now, at the 7 year mark, he tells me I'm cured. No more tests, no more worries (at least about that particular cancer). The moral of this story, and something everyone who reads this can take with them if they so choose - is that there is always someone that beats the odds no matter how bad it looks. In this instance, it was me.
Do the work, stay the course, fight the good fight and persevere as long as need be. Gather your family and friends and USE THEM for support. Get out of your comfort zone and do what needs be done. When it looks bad, be tenacious. Move Forward. Study your disease, Learn. Don't take what the doctors say as gospel. Never-ever quit.
I think to celebrate, I should go by Dr Bronster's place and take him to lunch, and ask him if he remembers me :)