Ed now and then gets dreamy eyed about renovations and his latest almost project is to replace the windows in the master bedroom. They are old, don’t work well, leak air, etc. He called a company and a fellow came by yesterday around 10 to talk about the project. Lila and Terry from NYC were here and we planned on brunch and then they were driving to see his parents in Englewood (no, not New Jersey). So I said something of the sort to alert the salesman that we weren’t an open-ended morning and he was dismayed because his presesentation goes on for two hours and he wanted our rapt attention.

Finally, after talking with Ed while I did other things, they made a second date for next Saturday, a week away. The sales person left. We all went to brunch at the reopened Mulletville, rebuilt after a fire. Terry urged me to have the mullet breakfast, remembering a disastrous meal Ed had urged on him a couple of years before. We all avoided the smoked mullet.

Today, the company for the windows called. They wanted to move the date up to tomorrow and wanted me to be there. I had already told Ed no way in Hell was I going to sit through a 2-plus hours presentation, that I might, when all the particulars had been discussed, step in to say, I like this window treatment best and this color. Then Ed could reverse me or not. I don’t care.

Ed told the phone rep that I would not be there for the whole presentation and the rep gave him an argument. They went around and around, with Ed saying I could choose décor, but didn’t care about the spiel and the rep saying it was oh so best if I would be there. Finally, Ed wanted to hand me the phone so I could put my two cents in. “I don’t need to talk with him,” I said. More argument, finally I took the phone and said, “I don’t want to talk with you."

The rep wouldn’t back down and, if you know Ed, he wouldn’t either, and now no one is coming and we are so happy about that. Ed was just looking for info anyway. I know him. He is not about to buy windows now.

Another guy is coming soon to discuss renovating the master bathroom. I won’t be here for that either. I don’t know why Ed is doing this. Maybe he is stir crazy because he’s not getting out and about because of his bad back and needs company.

The thing is, a rep thinks he has made a sale because he spent three hours with us (oh, ugh) and we are charming and he is charming, and at the end, Ed says, don’t call me, I’ll call you, and they look like a brick hit them. Usually that’s the end of it. I am amazed a couple of years ago, when Ed signed up for pool pavers on the spot. Amazed, I tell you.

Ed and I discussed why the phone rep would let us get away and he said they have a rigid way of doing business, know that it works for them when the charming sales rep bonds with the wife and makes her his ally and they need to do their sell in just this way. I said to Ed, it wouldn’t matter if I bonded with the rep or not, you wouldn’t go for it if you didn’t like the deal. You got it, he said.

xx, Teal