Moving housewarming gift presentation forward...

[gina164]

Hi, All -

I looked at my calendar and early to mid January is  the next earliest possible time that I can comfortably re-plan to make a trip to Texas. So, that is when I will plan for -

What this means to the fans who are contributing to Dan's gift:

1) 12/31 will still be the last day to contribute! But, I need to know who is going to join in and how much you plan to give ASAP - add your name to the "WHO" thread, and you can either pay via PayPal  or money order
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PayPal account to send contributions to:
maryjeanreynolds@yahoo.com
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Mailing address for money orders (in US$ ONLY - US & International MO's are OK):

Gina Reynolds
4200 Park Blvd., PMB #115
Oakland, CA 94602
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(NOTE: Please e-mail the amount of your pledge to me if you plan to pay between 12/16 and 12/31, or if you plan to send a money order.)
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2) The LAST day 'to join in' (pledge) is now 12/15! NO new pledges will be accepted after that time - I need to do this for gift idea planning purposes!
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3) On 12/16, I will post the total pledged, so that we know how much we will have to spend on a gift.
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4) Since we need to decide on a gift SOON, I am now going to start a thread about that - it seems safe to assume that we will have at least $200 in paid up in pledges by 12/31...so, when you add your ideas, please keep that amount in mind - 
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OK, so again, here's a recap of dates to remember about the gift:

12/15/05: LAST DAY to pledge (minimum pledge is $10,  but $20 would be better , more is OK, too...

12/16/05: I will post the total paid, and total pledged.
12/16/05: Gift ideas will be refined based on the amount pledged...

by 12/20/05: I will begin our voting thread - ONLY those members who have paid will get to vote on the gift...the gift idea with the most votes by 1/4 FROM PAID-UP contributors wins...as long as it is something that I can buy and bring on a plane OR have a friend in Austin purchase (someone in Dan's area has very kindly offered to help me out with this - thanks! I'll e-mail you tomorrow...)

12/31/05: LAST DAY to PAY.

12/31/05: ALSO the last day to get your personal letter to Dan to me (to be included in the gift, IF you want to include one, that is...you do not need to send a personal note, but I think he'd really like that... Use my PO box. OR, you can send the note via e-mail to me, and I will print it out, if you do not mind it not being in a sealed envelope, with your handwriting)

1/4/05: LAST DAY for paid contributors to add their vote on the gift.
1/5/05: Gift choice will be announced.

Again, ONLY those who have paid their pledged contributions are allowed to vote...and ONLY those who pay will receive a personal "Thank You" note from Dan.
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OK - I will contact Dick to discuss the dates of my visit with Dan. I am hoping for the second week in January -  I will ask about the time period of Jan 6-11, specifically.
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Oh....I will be away between 12/22 and 1/4 (and without ANY computer usage) ...So, I will give my travel info to Dick, for his emergency use only - hoping that there will be no need to use it -

OK - so....let's get this gift plan back in action, and LET's all hope that Dan DOES have a healthy Christmas, and is fully able to accept his housewarming gift in about one month's time!

IF he is still in the hospital in January, I plan to at least 'present our gift to him' (or at least a pic of it), leave it in his new home, and ask him to sign the thank you cards...which I will then mail out.

Although I will visit again after that, I want to get this gift to him ASAP, and that's the best I can do - looking forward to reading the housewarming gift ideas thread -


Thanks to all of the contributors!
Gina

PS - I will NOT be canceling this January trip. Altho I was OK with canceling this week's trip, after I was informed that Dan is in no shape currently to 'enjoy' a long visit from a friend, I will go in January and stay a while, no matter what shape he is in -

[gina164]

NOTICE:

Today is the last day to make a pledge to the Housewarming gift for Dan fund.
The last day to PAY is: 12/31/05.


To date, the following members have paid their pledges:

Wickedwill
Gammon Recrods
Poonhead
Haint
Dbeefy
raphneck
Cheddarcat
Etiquette
Duckykramp
and, me

Total received, so far =  $174.00

[duckykramp]

We have a Jerry's Artarama here in Austin.
I bet we could find a really nice drawing table there within our budget...

http://www.jerrysartarama.com/art-supply-stores/online/1998

[wickedwill]

I guess you guys are more for the practical I am looking at it more for the fun!

Gina I asked Daniel in a round about way what he would want for his new house like a house warming gift and he did mention a turntable! My deal is if you buy one of those units if you can still find them) that has all the goodies like cd,radio,turntable,etc they usually turn out to be pieces of junk!
I told him I would look at my buddies pawnshop and see if I could find anything....I may just give him mine because I never get to play my records anymore and besides all my Ramones,Kiss,BlackSabbath, and some early punk are all I really kept, when I went through a much regretted phase of selling my records!

Mine is nice but it looks well used....has a pretty new needle on it.....but maybe a nice new refurbished one?!?!

[duckykramp]

Actually, I have a friend who lives in Minnesota. He does recycling of electronics and has given us a couple brand new really nice turntables, receivers, etc... He just happens to be coming for a visit the first week of January. I will email him and ask if he has another nice turntable and reciever to bring for Daniel. He is driving so should have plenty of room. My husband is a record collector and will only use a really nice turntable so these are not junk. I'll update later and let you know what he says.

[gina164]

WOW, you guys!

Daniel may be in for a very nice 'second Christmas' of sorts in early January, because I just bought him a 'roll-up' electric keyboard thing from Sharper Image (for only about $50 - not with 'OUR' money)....just in case he is still stuck in the hospital at that time, so that he can serenade the nurses in style!...and, of course, to just have to bring 'wherever'...

So:

Looks like he may be getting ALL of the following:

An art table (and chair, if we can afford a decent one to go with the table)
 [BTW, I am waiting for a reply from Dick about this idea...I will call him this weekend about this if he doesn't get the PM question I recently had to send via this site, as my mailer program is kerput (sp?) - and I've no time to bring my 'puter in to the doc!]

A reburbished turntable [Ducky - what might we expect to pay for one from your friend?]

A roll-up piano [For when he is away from home...or if he just wants to play piano in another room, or on his porch ]

And, a silly white teddy bear with a t-shirt on it that reads "I'm a home owner!", with an image of a house... [I got it off of cafepress.com]

SO....Not a bad 'bag of loot' from his fans!
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Ducky - I WILL contact you personally, again, in time to coordinate with you -
Since I arrive in Houston on Friday, 1/6 early PM, perhaps we should shoot for Saturday, 1/7 as the gift-presentation day? Or, if we need to shop for an art table on 1/7, Sunday 1/8? Will those dates work out for you?

I SO appreciate your offer to help with this -

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Will - sounds like you can keep your turntable? THAT was very sweet of you, though!
I see that Dan has a good friend in you, too -
I have a good feeling that he has more fan- friends 'out there' than he realizes!

Gina

[Henry Long]

Kaput: Yiddish for "Oh ****," or something. It gets a little lost in translation.

Hey guys, all round great ideas. Take it from me, a real art table and art lamp makes a big difference compared to drawing at the dining room table underneath an "Our Brand" 60 watt bulb. Chair? Just be sure its a strong one. And big.

To be honest, I got my art table when I was 14 or so from Santa. I felt like a "Real" artist, making up my own comic books (Sadist Humor, The Saliva Lad, Barf...you know, the Classics) and learning how to draw. Just sitting at it made me feel like Jack 'The King' Kirby himself! I still have that art table, but I tilt it horizontal and keep my collection of skulls on it (deer, rat, squirrel, skullduggary plastercast human) and computer scanner. In otherwords, I don't use it to make art. (I make art in my lap, in the studio, at the kitchen table or on the floor...but that may just be me.)
 
And I hesitate to bring this up, but here goes: Hospital Bills. Remember Sweet Relief I and II (Great music, by the way; covers of Victoria Williams and Vic Chesnutt songs, respectively)? Would a House-Warming Fund be better utilized in the form of a check to help Daniel's family cover hospital expenses? Does he have any insurance? I guess the neighborhood of $200.00 doesn't even pay for the hospital toilet paper, but it was just a thought.

Jordy- Sweet Relief III??? (All the missing artists from "Discovered Covered"..Neil Young, Pearl Jam, Lou Reed, Neil Diamond ((side thought-has anyone heard HIS new Rick Rubin produced 12 Song's CD? Already sounds alot like a Daniel-scripted masterpiece to my ears..."Delerious Love" is the first single I think...has Daniel's influence all over it...for real! Get Rick on the phone, buddy.))

Or maybe "Discovered Covered: The Benefit Concert." Have it coinside with the movie release...a few nights at the Beacon Theater NYC or Irving Plaza...that would raise a few greenbacks.

Where was I?
Umm, Gina...thanks for the PM. It's on its way.

[duckykramp]

Well my pal Dan came through, not only will he be bringing a turntable and reciever but he can also get a cd player and/or tape player componant if needed. just let me know what is needed soon so he doesn't bring something Daniel doesn't need and then my husband  will take it and it will sit in my living room for 10 years.

Dan will be here the first week in January, probably around the 4th. Let me know if I should drive out to deliver the stuff or meet you somewhere here in Austin. Dan is a big fan of Daniel as well so was more than happy to help.

[duckykramp]

I just read the other posts more thoroughly. There will be no charge for the stereo componants.

I was in the hospital last month and the $200 would really just disappear in the stack of bills and not really make much of a dent.

I myself use my art table alot but it's not a traditional one, it's a wooden top and legs from Ikea (they sell them seperately) no tilt to it. If Daniel is used to working flat perhaps we should make the same type for him. I believe the one I put together was about $60 altogether and it's nice and sturdy and large.

[Poonhead]

Drawing tables can usually be adjusted to be at an angle or flat.

[duckykramp]

Very good! My old cheap one just stayed at an angle so I was confused I guess.

[wickedwill]

If he has mediacaid or medicare and since he would certainly fall into the disabled catagory(mood disorders) they will take care of alot of it! I have had several surgeries in my days and the bills are ridiculous! Those bastards charge you for everything! The needle they stick in your damn arm!

In alot of those cases you just have to reflect on the saying "You cant get blood from a turnip" and pay them what you can! 20 bucks a month will go along way with the bill collectors! They are happy some folks are just paying!

I mean you can squeeze a nickel till the buffalo ****s, but at the end of the day you pay what ya can!


Dan get well soon and KEEP PUNCHING JOE!

[gina164]

Hi -

Dan's bro said Dan likes to work on a flat table, but if he gets into other mediums, I think it best to go with the tilting type...

Since we will be shopping right after the holidays, perhaps there will  be a decent sale, Ducky?

If you can check with the local art supply dealers to see if perhaps there will be a decent price for a large sturdy adjustable table and a large strudy chair, that would be great...If time does not permit, though, no worries - we'll get it done

OK - catch Y'all next year, folks!
Gina

[duckykramp]

I have next week off so I will have plenty of time to look around.

Merry Christmas!

[gina164]

I have next week off so I will have plenty of time to look around.

Merry Christmas!

Thanks, Ducky!

As you can/will see by my new post, I decided to delay my visit and the fan-forum housewarming gifts presentation until next month. I alerted Dan's brother and will work with him on what dates will be Ok for that - hopefully, you and I can still coordinate on this -

I'll be in touch with you privately, as soon as I get the new dates.

Thanks, once more, for your kind offers - I do hope that you and I can 'co-present' the gifts next month

Best wishes for a wonderful new year, Gina