# anyone here get this one?



## sensor (Jun 16, 2008)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=250257512171&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=015
if so post some pictures of it please!


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## 37fleetwood (Jun 17, 2008)

saw it..
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




thought 'bout it...
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



forgot it was going off...
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



(Like I need another bike! )
Scott


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## Aeropsycho (Jun 17, 2008)

*Mister Pillow*

I like Mr. Bubble better hea hea 

J...


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## RMS37 (Jun 17, 2008)

Greetings from Pillowville,

Mystery Solved...

I scored the Huffman Moto-Balloon yesterday! (A Dramedy in three acts)

*Act 1*

I was expecting stiffer competition for the bike but the only major adversary turned out to be my computer provider.

With 14 minutes to go I refreshed my computer to a major lockup. Repeated refreshes and mild verbal coaxing didn’t help. My wife, Laurie, came to my aid but even her calm demeanor and computer savvy wouldn’t bring the beast back to life. 

Next step was a call to one of my friends who could bid for me. No answer-just crackle, probably because our computer provider is also our phone provider. 

I’m in the living room pacing, time is at 10 minutes and closing, and other than raising my BP I’m accomplishing nothing.
I ditched the home system with my wife trying to call her sister and ran for the car. 

*Act 2*

My friend (we’ll call him Ron cause that’s his name) lives about 6 blocks away, a distance that can be covered at speed in 2 minutes, door to door. Add 1 minute trying the door bell, then running around the house toward the bike building out back. Add 2 more minutes for going the wrong way and getting entangled in a barricade built out of a recycling dumpster, a 65 Ford Falcon Ranchero, and what appeared to be the place where Varsity wheels go to die. On the reverse trip I careened into Ron and a wheel barrow full of something (Colson Lit?) on the other side of the house.

In a series of high pitched noises and rapid hand/arm movements I was able to convey the dire nature of my predicament. 1 minute later and with, at best, 4 minutes to go we are in the house, at the computer, and waiting for Ron (did I mention he is legally blind?) to find the right icons on his huge blind-person monitor to get online and to eBay to make the bid.

Turns out, Ron has the same internet provider.

I try to call home but can’t because he has the same phone provider.

Then it strikes me that in my rapid flight from the house I didn’t think to mention what item specifically I was bidding on.

In a crescendo of gloom and despair, I am at my Ron’s house. His computer is dead, time has run out, and even if by some miracle Laurie got the computer to relight or was able to get through to her sister, they wouldn’t know what to bid on.

I said goodbye to Ron, trudged back to my car, made the 6 minute drive home, and pulled into the driveway ready to sit in my chair and smolder all night.

I looked up to the porch and there is Laurie with a thumbs-up.

*Act 3 (Laurie’s narrative)*

_I'm in the living room watching Dora the Explorer for the 657th time with our toddler when I hear loud, vehement swearing.  (ED: mild expressions of displeasure).  Then I hear a panicked voice say, "The %*##! &*% (ED: gosh-darned) computer's locked up!  I keep refreshing but it won't let me back on eBay!" 

Oh, boy.  I know a cloud of doom will cover the entire evening if I don't get this fixed.  I go into the kitchen, that's where we keep the computer, and nudge Phil aside and try to get on eBay.  At first I just get the "refresh" message, then I get some message about our server having "high traffic" and being unavailable.  I copy the contents of the address bar and close Internet Explorer, reopen it, paste the address in, and hit "Go."  No luck.

Now Phil is pacing around the dining room and starting to hyperventilate. (ED: you know, in the good way, like taking a deep breath)  Hyperventilating makes me cranky. (ED: she should try deep-breathing)  "Calm down! I'll call my sister and we'll get her to make the bid."  I pick up the phone and dial.

She answers and I ask, "Are you at home?"

"It was pretty good.  What did you guys do this weekend?"

What???  I ask again, "Are you at home?"

"No, I haven't talked to Kop lately.  Have you?"  (Kop is what we call our grandfather)

"Hellooooooo!  I said, are you at home?!"

"I can't hear you very well, something's wrong with this connection - what did you say?"

Agh!!!!!  "ARE YOU AT HOME???"

"I still can't hear you.  I'm at work, let me call you back."  Sigh...

The phone rings.  "Hello!"

"Hello?  Are you there?"

"HELLO!  HELLO!"

"Hi, what did you want?  This connection is still bad, so talk loud."

"How's this, can you hear me?" 

I realize I'm talking to empty air.  The phone rings again, I answer - and there's nothing.  I try to call her back.  I get a dialtone, dial the number, and - nothing.  "What's happening?" Phil asks.  "There's something wrong with her phone."  "I'll call Ron."  He takes the phone and dials, "It's not working!  There's only 5 minutes left! I'm going over there."  Oh.  It must be our phone.  He grabs the keys and leaves.  The phone rings again.  Still nothing.  I try to call her back, now I'm not even getting a dial tone.  Sigh...  This whole time I've been trying to get the internet back up.  Nothing there, either. 

Suddenly I think, cell phone!  Duh!  I dig my cell out of my purse.  It comes out without the back panel and with the battery dangling by a thread.  Oops.  Needless to say, it's dead.  (I don't use the cell much.)  I dig around in my purse for the back panel.  Receipt, scrap paper, receipt, receipt, juice box - repeat 5 times - except for the juice box.  Aha!  I found it.  I scribble the item number from the address bar down on a piece of paper and run into the bathroom where the cell phone charger is.  I plug the phone in, dial my sister's cell again and she answers and can hear me!  Except-

"My battery's about to die.  Let me call you back from my work phone."

Sigh.  We're doomed.  I'm positive time must be up by now.  My cell phone rings, and it's my sister.  I explain the whole problem and ask if she's got her laptop with her  (She manages an Irish Pub).  She does and we're in business!  I tell her our eBay ID is misterpillow and give her the password. 

"It says the password or username is wrong." 

What???  I'm about to give her our other eBay name when she says, "Oh! is it MR or Mister?  Maybe that's what I did wrong."  She corrects it and gets on.  I give her the item number and she's there!  "It's at ONE MINUTE!  What do you want to bid?"

Gah!  I have no idea!  If I don't bid enough and don't get it - doom.  I wildly throw out a number, "$x,xxx,xxx.77?  I guess?"  She gets the bid in with 15 seconds to spare!  Her super fast laptop can refresh every second, she counts down "Five, four, three, two, one-it's yours!  For $152 bucks!"

Whew.  I didn't really want to pay $x,xxx,xxx.77 bucks for it...  I thank her profusely, hang up, and try to call Ron's house with our land line.  Still nothing.  Ron's house tries to call us, our phone rings but is dead when I pick it up.  I call them back on the cell, but Phil has already left.  I know he must be really bummed out.  I hear his car coming up the street and step out on the porch... _

*Epilog*

So actually, I didn’t score the Huffman, Laurie did, but I am so gratefull I’m not going to make her sell anything to pay for it!

Misterpillow – Phil Marshall


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## Gordon (Jun 17, 2008)

*Wow!!*

That's the best story I've heard in ages. I'm still laughing. Thanks for sharing!


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## 37fleetwood (Jun 17, 2008)

I guess I'm glad I didn't bid
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




  but the part I don't get is why you call him Ron?
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



if you ever decide to sell the bike when I don't have so much going on let me know.


Scott


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## sensor (Jun 17, 2008)

great story on how it came about! glad too see it go into good hands(really thought about trying to get it but have a few i need to finish first)
congratulations!!


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## Aeropsycho (Jun 18, 2008)

*Book!*

Man you and your wife can write!!! you guys should do a book that was funny!!!

Your wife gets the metal of honor for helpin you out and saving the day!!! 

I used to have a old PC with a sticky cd drive and a modem because my modem went out on my new Mac.. I would only have one shot at bidding then the computer would seize up after I placed a bid and it would take 4 minutes to boot up I won at least 100 auctions that way 

Too much Stress!!!

Nice Bike!

Thanks for all the info on all the posts as well!!!

J...


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## dave the wave (Jun 18, 2008)

*good score!*

that was a good deal for that bike.


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## RMS37 (Jun 19, 2008)

Thanks everyone, I?m excited to add an early D-34 to my collection and glad that you enjoyed the story of my 15 minute misadventure (a story I wouldn?t have been able to tell If I?d lost the bike as I would likely still be in a Zen like state of deep breathing.)

I should also post additional thanks to my wife Laurie and special thanks to my sister-in-law, Trish, as FedEx would be hauling the bike in a different direction without their help and competency.  

When the bike arrives I?ll post some better-than-eBay shots along with the serial number.

Phil


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## Aeropsycho (Jun 20, 2008)

*Too Cool!!!*

Yeah you ought to write a book you seem to have a vast knowledge 

I have a Strange 37 Western Flyer frame ??? that you would like to see and I will be posting some serial numbers on here in the future but my stuff is buried away at the moment!:o 

J...


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