our first sunrise over a flea market

there's not much in this world that would rouse dabney from a deep slumber at the ungodly hour of 4:30 AM (besides maybe an early international flight departure preferably to somewhere like thailand or japan).

trolling the internet last night, she came across this ad. (click to embiggen.)



surprisingly, she made the suggestion that we go and check it out before the design vultures zeroed in. that meant a very early departure of 4:30 am for the obscure north shore flea market. i don't know why, but i unwittingly agreed to be her accomplice.

so there we were at a little after five in search of "the biggest yellow penske truck we've ever seen." the thought of its insides filled with mid-century treasures and sugar plum fairies danced in our heads.

after a short scan of the field, no big yellow truck.

we patrolled the motley crew of dealers and their menagerie of antiques and curiosities.

there was the woman selling old trophies...


the old guy selling rusty tools and jars of nails...


and it was hard to miss the vendor selling the most random assortment of odds and ends, including two bags of egg noodles.


but absolutely no sign of herman miller chairs. no george nelson clocks. no isamu noguchi lamps. no charles eames - not even ray.

"oh perhaps he had a late start."
"maybe a flat tire?"

by six am, we knew we had been duped and were convinced that allen funt was going to show up, mic in hand, doing an exclusive for stuff white people like.

we're still unsure of what exactly happened - if it was a sincere mistake or stupid prank.