Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Had a woman come in yesterday looking for autobiography. I told her that memoirs were mixed into the regular fiction -- I call them literary non-fiction. (It's no accident that so many of these memoirs are turning out to be hoaxes, because they're written like novels....)

Anyway, she looked around a bit. Something compelled me to ask if she was local. (It's funny to me how many people say something like, "No. I'm from LaPine...." To me, anything from Madras to the north, Chemult to the south, and Prineville to the east, and Sisters to the west is 'LOCAL.')

No, she was from Malibu. She had flown up in a Lear jet owned by her friend, (So pleasant not to have to go through the airport, she says) who was buying a fifth story condo in downtown, and she waved her hand vaguely in the direction of Franklin Crossing, but it could have been one of the other new buildings on Bond.

Wow, those aren't cheap, I said.

Oh, it was a million or more. She just bought it last month, and she's there waiting for the decorators, so I thought I'd look around downtown.

So not hurting from money, I venture.

Oh, they live in Malibu, right next to Lucas and Spielberg. Made their money in plastics. (I have a flash to the Graduate.)

And she's choosing to live in Bend?

Oh, no. This is a vacation home for them.....

She bought a 3.00 used book and left. She was a nice lady. Laughed when I told her about the Best Minimum Wage Job a Middle Aged Guy Ever Had. Made me repeat it a couple of times.

So, credit where it's due. DuBois or one of her compatriots just sold one of the big condo's.

And I feel like I've just had a second-hand sighting of a unicorn.

8 comments:

News Junkie said...

Oh m'gosh...What a great anecdote! It may seem that she left you with only a token reward for your hard work in creating an entertaining pastime for her, but that single 3.00 book purchase speaks volumes about her lifestyle that we all can learn from. This is what I have learned: If I had to choose, I'd much rather be a comic book store guy than an interior decorator.

Jumpin' Jack said...

You were taken. Lucas and Spielberg live in Brentwood.

Duncan McGeary said...

It's funny, I kept wondering if the 'friend' she kept talking about was her, but I finally decided not.

But, yeah, 3.00 used book, million dollar condo....

Duncan McGeary said...

What would be the point?

She didn't seem duplicitous....is Brentwood near Malibu? Sorry, California is a foreign country to me once you get past Crescent City.

Duncan McGeary said...

I must say, though, anybody going to the trouble of lying about it makes it kinda funny too. Like, where Bend's values seem to be, might be revealed by what lies get told.

But...I'm assuming that Lucas and Spielberg have some sort of summer 'cottage'.

Duncan McGeary said...

I'm feeling a bit defensive about this. She didn't manipulate me into asking the questions...unless she used some Jedi-mind trick.

But she could've been some self-important person, I suppose.

Anonymous said...

I think its just like 'chicken little', remember awhile back a couple came in your store.

I mean a lot of people read your blog, the SORE doesn't go a month without quoting you.

Probably because you write >1 a day, being a bookstore owner, ... You have credibility. Given that this woman came in your store gave you a load of crap, and spent $3, its pretty obvious that the RE crowd is just feeding you shit.

I can see the blog tomorrow 'Santa Barbara' Elite buying out Bend, you ever figure that these 70 tourist-folk perhaps in town or some other COVA/VCB welfare outfit in Bend is just having fun?? Knowing that all someone has to do is sneeze in your store and its on your blog in fifteen minutes.

I mean hell duncan, you could be real fun to fuck with.

There isn't a quicker way in this town to start a rumor, than to send in a decoy couple into Duncan's shop, and talk-shit. I can see tomorrow Bill-Gates is buying the Plaza, or Warren Buffett is coming to Bend for Bacon Wrap Tempura at the Deep....

juliejulie said...

Maybe it was Marvelous Sally! I hear she wants to meet you, she's a big fan, and she loves unicorns. Don't be so hard on her, she's broke, and she probably spent her last $3 on that book.