The Russell + Hazel Experience...
Okay - so for those of you who don't know what Russell + Hazel
is.... (Brandie this is all your fault!), they are a manufacturer of
the most stylish paper/office products you have ever seen. The bonus is
that they are a completely GREEN manufacturer. You have to love that!
So here let me paint the picture for you.... it was Friday afternoon. I just finished a very long day of sessions at the 2007 NAPO (National Assoc. of Professional Organizers) conference in Minneapolis. It was say... 4:30 p.m. in the afternoon. After seeing R+H in the Expo and drooling over the gorgeous binders, note pads and people tracker pages (these are so fab!)... I knew that their was a store somewhere here in Minneapolis... how bad could that be? A cab ride over... pick up a few cute things... cab ride home... RIGHT?
So... I got my trusty friend Brandie to get the address for me off the website, I quickly walked to the front door of the hotel to catch a cab and be on my way. With credit card in hand, the address on a sticky note we were of down the road towards my destination... R+H.
All I could think about was all the beautiful storage boxes in pink, green and brown... various colorful file folders and those awesome huge rubber bands with all the swirly designs on them. I couldn't decide if I should get the cute little.... wait... why are coming to a DEAD STOP ON THE FREE WAY.... Before I knew it. We stopped to a halt. The cab driver told me that it was rush hour... tick... tock... tick... tock.. do you hear the meter running?
Now, I have to say that being from a city I am familiar with street numbers, grid systems and well COMMON SENSE. This cab driver had no idea where he was going. The street that I needed was 44th and the next ramp was 34th. The exit proceeding was 54th and I was a little confused as to why he was going past the 34th street exit. I asked him if that was where we wanted to get off and he mumbled something to do with a big lake.... so I just sat and waited...tick... tock... tick... tock. Do you hear the meter still running?
Next thing I know, we get off at 54th and he drives me down this road and zig-zags back and forth to my destination... $26.00 later... I was there standing in front of the most beautiful place I have ever seen... Next to Storables and The Container Store I think this might be my new favorite place. It was like I died and went to heaven.
I
quickly forgot about my cab ride and entered the establishment. One
problem.. where the hell was I? I soon came to realize this might be a
problem getting home. It took like 45 minutes to get here and I don't
have any clue how to get back to... what was my hotel again...? Oh
yeah.. the Hilton. I asked the gal at the desk to please call me a taxi
and she quickly picked up the phone and dialed. I aimlessly walked
around the store for about 25 minutes and the gal says...
"The store is closing in 20 minutes... I don't mind staying late since you are from the conference and came all the way over here to shop..." she says.
So here let me paint the picture for you.... it was Friday afternoon. I just finished a very long day of sessions at the 2007 NAPO (National Assoc. of Professional Organizers) conference in Minneapolis. It was say... 4:30 p.m. in the afternoon. After seeing R+H in the Expo and drooling over the gorgeous binders, note pads and people tracker pages (these are so fab!)... I knew that their was a store somewhere here in Minneapolis... how bad could that be? A cab ride over... pick up a few cute things... cab ride home... RIGHT?
So... I got my trusty friend Brandie to get the address for me off the website, I quickly walked to the front door of the hotel to catch a cab and be on my way. With credit card in hand, the address on a sticky note we were of down the road towards my destination... R+H.
All I could think about was all the beautiful storage boxes in pink, green and brown... various colorful file folders and those awesome huge rubber bands with all the swirly designs on them. I couldn't decide if I should get the cute little.... wait... why are coming to a DEAD STOP ON THE FREE WAY.... Before I knew it. We stopped to a halt. The cab driver told me that it was rush hour... tick... tock... tick... tock.. do you hear the meter running?
Now, I have to say that being from a city I am familiar with street numbers, grid systems and well COMMON SENSE. This cab driver had no idea where he was going. The street that I needed was 44th and the next ramp was 34th. The exit proceeding was 54th and I was a little confused as to why he was going past the 34th street exit. I asked him if that was where we wanted to get off and he mumbled something to do with a big lake.... so I just sat and waited...tick... tock... tick... tock. Do you hear the meter still running?
Next thing I know, we get off at 54th and he drives me down this road and zig-zags back and forth to my destination... $26.00 later... I was there standing in front of the most beautiful place I have ever seen... Next to Storables and The Container Store I think this might be my new favorite place. It was like I died and went to heaven.
I
quickly forgot about my cab ride and entered the establishment. One
problem.. where the hell was I? I soon came to realize this might be a
problem getting home. It took like 45 minutes to get here and I don't
have any clue how to get back to... what was my hotel again...? Oh
yeah.. the Hilton. I asked the gal at the desk to please call me a taxi
and she quickly picked up the phone and dialed. I aimlessly walked
around the store for about 25 minutes and the gal says..."The store is closing in 20 minutes... I don't mind staying late since you are from the conference and came all the way over here to shop..." she says.
"No thanks, I should be fine. As long as I have a cab home I should be great." I told her.
New purchases in hand and the sun shining in my face I was happy as a clam. I told her thank you and I would wait outside for the taxi. At this point I was a little thirsty... long trip over, sun was out.. life was good! I saw a gas station about a half block away... but was a little worried I would miss my cab. After all, she called about 20 minutes ago... he should be coming any minute... right?
Here is where the story gets good...
So after a few minutes, the gal comes out with a little "gift" for me and for making the big trip over. She tells me the taxi should be here in ten minutes. I said great, admired my purchases and she was off on her way. Little did I know she actually drove away and locked up the store.
10 minutes... turned into 12 minutes... 15 minutes... 20 minutes... Okay. The "uh-oh factor" is kicking in... Okay.Okay. I am a city girl right... I can handle this (I am telling myself..). I called a few of the gals from my chapter who were at the hotel... No answer on their cells...
New purchases in hand and the sun shining in my face I was happy as a clam. I told her thank you and I would wait outside for the taxi. At this point I was a little thirsty... long trip over, sun was out.. life was good! I saw a gas station about a half block away... but was a little worried I would miss my cab. After all, she called about 20 minutes ago... he should be coming any minute... right?
Here is where the story gets good...
So after a few minutes, the gal comes out with a little "gift" for me and for making the big trip over. She tells me the taxi should be here in ten minutes. I said great, admired my purchases and she was off on her way. Little did I know she actually drove away and locked up the store.
10 minutes... turned into 12 minutes... 15 minutes... 20 minutes... Okay. The "uh-oh factor" is kicking in... Okay.Okay. I am a city girl right... I can handle this (I am telling myself..). I called a few of the gals from my chapter who were at the hotel... No answer on their cells...
I finally get a hold of Kirstin... (thank you Kirstin.. I love ya!) phew...
she gets me a number for a cab company and the number to the hotel (not
very organized for and organizer you are probably telling yourself). I
call the cab company and tell him where I am... he says...
"Wait... we are already sending a cab over there... let me find out where he is..." waiting...waiting... waiting. "He should be there in 5 minutes."
Ahh.... I am saved... well... wrong. Panic starts to set in again and... 15 minutes later... I see him pop up over the hill. THANK GOODNESS!!!!!
I get into the cab, tell him where I need to go and in less than 20 minutes he has me parked in front of the hotel lick-ity split. On our drive back we discussed the route the other cabbie took... I found out that if a cabbie doesn't know where he is going... that the only way around the lake (which evidently was really there...) is to go the LONG way...
I also found out that the driver was from Somalia and has been in Minnesota for over 3 years. Very nice man... so grateful for getting me home safe Thank you Mr. Cab Driver. So I gave him a great tip and I was headed for the bar... I was really thirsty at this point! Not to mention getting hungry... It was like 7:15 when I finally arrived back at the hotel.
What an adventure I had. NOTE TO SELF: take phone numbers with before I leave again.
I get into the cab, tell him where I need to go and in less than 20 minutes he has me parked in front of the hotel lick-ity split. On our drive back we discussed the route the other cabbie took... I found out that if a cabbie doesn't know where he is going... that the only way around the lake (which evidently was really there...) is to go the LONG way...
I also found out that the driver was from Somalia and has been in Minnesota for over 3 years. Very nice man... so grateful for getting me home safe Thank you Mr. Cab Driver. So I gave him a great tip and I was headed for the bar... I was really thirsty at this point! Not to mention getting hungry... It was like 7:15 when I finally arrived back at the hotel.
What an adventure I had. NOTE TO SELF: take phone numbers with before I leave again.
Comments