Truth in Advertising and Hairbrained Hunts



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The ad sounded so nice: “Older Airstream with partially gutted interior.  Needs interior renovation and two new windows.  Good tires and solid floor.  Super cheap.” 


Never mind that my husband had to chase down the ad placer for all he was worth.  Seems the guy was on the road and would be back tomorrow, or the next day, or the next.  He became our BFF, only it was like trying to pull information from a secret agent.  We got lots of one-word answers to our questions and several grunts.

Lesser men would have been daunted, but not us.  We must have something in our genes that makes us hairbrained hunters.  You might have read my previous blog about picking, but if not, you can read it here.  Our picking roots are strong, and we are constantly searching for the next great deal.

We’re obsessed DIY-ers, and we’re always at least two or three projects ahead of ourselves.

Said Airstream was to become my new office, allowing my present office to become a real guest room, and giving us the opportunity to remove the Queen Size bed from the middle of our living room/hallway.  Perhaps then we would actually be able to open our front door!  We had high hopes of salvaging our current state of existence after an overly aggressive downsizing.

I moved some work around, and we got up at the crack of dawn to see the sun rise over the old Airstream.  We were both fighting bone-crushing fatigue and freezing temps, but off we went.  Grumpy conversation followed as we hadn’t ingested enough caffeine yet.  Forty miles of grump later, we arrived.

When I first saw the Airstream, I was beyond excited.  My wildest hopes were being confirmed—it was a dream.  I KNEW our persistence had paid off!  It was absolutely stunning!  I held my breath and smiled.




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But, as fate would have it, that wasn’t the “for sale” Airstream.  That was the “I’m keeping it” model.  The “for sale” model was hidden behind the new and improved version.

Ok, it had been turned over.  Or maybe run over.  And yes, the aluminum had pulled away from the floor and you could see air inside between the rusted floor and the wildly painted walls.  And did I mention that the interior was not only “gutted,” but that it looked like it had been bombed? 

The two missing windows no longer had the plywood on them that was featured in the lovely ad photo, and rain water was standing in the floor.  The remaining windows were not windows at all, but a cheap plexiglass substitute.  I had to smirk at the “no smoking” sign taped on the crooked front door.  Was anyone really worried about setting this gem on fire?

Hopes were dashed and we left laughing, planning to shop again another day.

What are YOU looking for?  I’d love to hear about it.  (Please leave a comment!)  And if you have a second-hand Airstream that’s a gem, you know how to contact me J.

Marianne M. Smith
Writer At The Ranch
Making You Look Brilliant One Word At A Time
http://writerattheranch.com
wordsmith@writeratheranch.com