Some days are more interesting than others.
This would be one of them.
A good day at the Dougherty, doing auditions and getting good folks.
A good afternoon out scouting locations (and found some good ones, including the big lake they need for the video) with the ever-helpful Leonard Lay (and go buy some of his wonderful leather
here) and good ol' Bill Champ.
Then we get to Fredericksburg. Nice town. Lots of tourists. A lot of closed stores (early; they're German). But one is open:
Headquarters Hats, at 122 East Main Street.
Nice kids working the place. (One of whom got invited to be in
Zone of Fire.) Great hats. Rico gets a bunch of business cards, thinking to have them be a provider to the actors in
Zone of Fire.
Find a hat Rico wants. They don't have it in his size, of course (he has a fat head), but they'll make one just like it out of a blank hat. Fine. (And, it's important to remember, Rico has Leonard Lay with him, who's
way into western gear and used to have a hat store himself.)
They make it. It's close to the hat he really wanted, but not quite perfect. Close enough. They ring it up.
"What?" Rico asks. "Why all this money?"
Oh, they said, that's the $35 hat band you wanted.
Sure, but Rico stupidly didn't ask the price. "Nope, take the hat band off."
Can't, they said, we've already put through the charge.
"Fine. Just reverse the charge, and ring it up again with just the hat."
Can't, they said. We don't know how.
"Oh?" Rico says. "You work this store, and have never done a return?"
Exactly, they said, but we'll call the owner and he'll explain how.
Which they do, and present Rico with the reversal slip, and a new slip to sign, for just the hat. Oh, and by the way, the snotty young manager said, still on the phone with the owner, he wants you to leave the store. Now.
"Wait a second," Rico said. "You can't have it both ways. You can't charge me for the hat and then tell me to get out of your store."
Well, he said, that's what he wants.
"Nope." Rico shakes his head. "Reverse the charge and keep the hat." (Which has now been blocked into shape, mind you.)
Which they do, and Rico and Bill and Leonard leave, all shaking their heads over whatever had occurred, of which they were, individually and collectively, clueless.
Two hours later, Rico gets a voicemail (see below) from Robert Waight (the store's owner) saying, in no uncertain terms, that Rico should
not call him back at 830.990.8510, should
not enter his establishment
ever again, and, oh by the way, Mr. Waight has filed a police report with the Fredericksburg PD, and they'll be calling Rico soon...
Still clueless, Rico called a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy on the Fredericksburg PD, and
somehow Rico will find out what the police report said... (No news as of days later, nor a call from the PD, either.)
More later, of course. But feel free to send them abusive (though not illegally so) emails at
hhfbg@beecreek.net or
info@headquartershats.com or even call the boss at 830.990.8510, but just don't do anything that will require a police report...
