Dear Members of the Vise Club,
This is official notification that I Blew It today. I went back to the recycling center with my cash in hand. I head on over to their shop area and my guy Luiz. He asks if I am ready to buy the vise. I had 2 choices:
1. Say yes....hand him the money....grab the vise and run
2. Try to haggle and offer about $15 less
I chose #2. I am an idiot. Luiz says that he will go and see if the Boss will take that amount. Warning...Danger Will Robinson.....Vise will disappear in 12 seconds!
The Boss came out and said No Way! We are using that vise!
Luiz: but Boss, I have that Wilton on the floor for backup...we can mount it
Boss: We break theses vises too fast...we will break this one and the Wilton
I knew it was all over at that point so I did the only thing that I could do.....no...not leave with my Dignity....No Siree....I laid the biggest Guilt Trip on him I could muster and it went like this:
Sir, I collect and restore vises made in the USA. What you have there is a Rock Island vise made just after The Great Depression. It managed to survive WWII, the Korean Conflict, Vietnam, and Desert Storm. It was made in the USA in Rock Island, Illinois and not Communist China. That little American vise survived all of that and if you want to destroy it in 2011, then that is up to you. If you decide to let me buy it and restore it as a piece of history, then give me a call.
And with a sniff (I was all out at this point) I shook his hand and Luiz's hand and left with whatever dignity I could muster. Now at this point, most of you are ready to write it off as my Stupid Mistake. I have one more secret weapon.....if Patriotism won't work....tomorrow I am sending in.......My Wife! She knows the lady that runs the office and so her mission is an undercover black ops wet work type of thing. She knows it's either the cyanide pill in her fake tooth or bring home the Rock Island!
Craig
