Hi,

It was supposed to be bright, sunny and warm today.  Ixnay on the bright and sunny, it is in the upper fifties, but pretty breezy that makes it seem colder.

I got the tickets from the Carnegie Monday.  I have ten each for the Warhol and the Carnegie Museums of Art, Natural History and Architecture, they cost me nine dollars (about half off) and I pass that on to any guests staying here.  So if you are planning on a visit, just let me know if you plan on going to either museum.  Also, being a corporate sponsor, my ENTIRE staff get’s half off admission with a pass I have.  Got that Darronda & Stephen?  🙂

They may shoot part of a fairly major motion picture here!  That could be exciting.  Lionsgate has representatives scouting out the City for a shoot this summer and one of them stopped by today to see my Inn.  Apparently, Demian from the Pittsburgh Film Office has seen my Inn going towww.nickysthaikitchen.com and Peppis Cheesesteaks and was familiar with the outside of my Inn.  When Lionsgate called him to scout, this was one of the locations they wanted him to check out. He was pretty excited, because it gave him the excuse to see the inside.  He took lots of pictures.  It is very cool when I give a tour to someone that notices the details.  I have to laugh sometimes, I have all these museum quality antiques and hand painted murals throughout the first floor and the person I’m giving the tour to only comments on the banana leaf ceiling fans I bought at Lowes.

I was in that Japanese documentary they shot here and at the glass factories in Connellsville about Louis Tiffany two years ago.  The glass factories up by Ohio Pyle still make glass for Tiffany, and I think this is the company Youghiogheny Opalescent .  I’ve never found anything on line about the Tiffany documentary, but I do have a CD of it if anyone is ever interested.  It was pretty cool, the actor that they had portraying Louis Tiffany amazingly looked like Louis Tiffany.  The actor they had playing his son had similarities, but that was about it there.  Pittsburgh Film Makers shot a scene for a movie here a few months ago.  I’ve also been the back drop for a number of photo shoots (not counting my brides).  But if the Director and Producer want to use my Inn and we come to terms, this will be the biggest so far.  I think my Inn is THE ideal location for a backdrop for so many things.  Everything just seems to flow together.  It’s bright, cheery, comfortable and dramatic.

I was on line about a month ago and ordered two cold hardy banana plants.  I had two when I first did the Courtyard, but they died their first winter.  I didn’t receive an invoice with the final amount, estimated delivery date, etc.  When I received my credit card statement, I had been charged and so I Googled the name on the statement and found the web site again.  I got  a phone number and when I called it, the number was no longer in service.  I went back to the web site and there was a “contact us” button that brought up an e-mail addressed to Ted @ this nursery.  So I sent him an E-mail saying I tried the phone number and it didn’t work and that I need to speak with someone about this charge/order and gave him my phone number.  He sent me back an E-mail that he was too busy to call me.  He told me to look on the invoice for the delivery date or send him the invoice number for him to look the order up (I don’t have an invoice).  A series of E-mails went back and for, with his tone continuing to get worse.  I canceled the order, paid four dollars more with another company that I hope is more customer concerned.  If Ted treats his customers this bad, and they’re the ones giving him money, I can only imagine what he does to those poor defenseless plants.  I wouldn’t want a plant from his nursery (or maybe I should be looking at it as rescuing a pound puppy).  🙂

Well, that’s it for today, have a great evening and keep warm,

ed