Just kidding. In all seriousness, we DID go to the prison, and I tried to snap a few pictures, but MIL got a little nervous when I whipped out the camera and said they might think I was doing recon for a prison break (not her exact words, but that's what she MEANT), and that it was not such a great idea to flash my camera around. So, I only got a few shots, and even though I met a few of NH's finest criminal masterminds, I did not get my picture taken with them like I had hoped. Sadness.
Anyway. The reason for the trip was these babies:
"please ignore my scary basement"
This is a pair of 1920's era bookcases that were in my house growing up, and according to my Mom, came out of her grandmother's (her mom's mom) house at some point. I love them and have had them for a few years now, but they have definitely seen better days. Especially after spending the last year hanging out in my basement. Don't they look like they have such promise?
It turns out that the NH State Department of Corrections teaches trades to the inmates, and one of these is woodworking. So they make new furniture and also repair and refinish old furniture! On the CHEAP. Handy right? Like, you can take a picture from a Pottery Barn catalog to them and they can make you an exact replica for a fraction of the cost! Isn't that AWESOME!?
Well, I wanted to take these guys because they need some serious repair work on their bottoms. See?
"obviously not child-proofed"
I did not want to try to redo them myself because of this, and because they are not solid wood, I was afraid I would destroy them trying to sand them. So, now they are going up to the woodshop at the facility in Berlin, NH to have their pretty selves repaired and painted white. Nice, yes? And, since there was NO WAY I was going to drive all the way up into the boonies of NH, I got the okay to drop them in Concord yesterday, and today they will ride up to Berlin on the prison truck. Awesome.
To make a long story sort of shorter, you cannot just drop stuff off at the prison whenever you want. You have to first call Dude in Berlin and describe your pieces. Then you email pictures. Then Dude emails you a form that you have to fill out and fax back, basically stating that you are not planning to smuggle contraband into the prison in your furniture. (Except nails are cool apparently, since my bookcases were riddled with them and Dude said it was fine.) Then you have to wait for the okay from Dude to make the drop. THEN you get to take the labelled furniture (with an EXACT copy of the form you faxed to Dude) up to Concord and drop them off. And finally, a nice inmate comes and takes them out of your car for you! Just the coolest thing ever.
So this morning my bookcases are on their way to Berlin, and I should have them back in a month or so, and I can't wait to see how they turn out! And share the result here of course!
For your enjoyment, I have provided a few more photos of the day, and when I go to pick them up in a few weeks, I will be doing an important blog report on THIS TOTAL AWESOMENESS, AKA Corrections Creations, that sadly was closed on Tuesdays. I can't wait. Don't you want to be on my Christmas List this year?
Here's The Photo Montage I Know You Were Hoping For!
"please note my awesome 1960's doorbell box in the background."
"George Adams, AKA: Dude"
"Don't you love what I've done with the kitchen? That wallpaper is EPIC."
"NHDOC. Looks like every other building in NH, since it is made of bricks."
"Making the drop at Warehouse Door 9. Sort of sounds like a trendy new bar."
"You can come in, but you can't get out!"
"You KNOW you are totally jealous. And, obviously I wore stripes. I call this look, 'prison chic.'"
This is kind of really super awesome. Great idea!!
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