Getting paid :)

I think its when the lady of the house is unaware that her loose top is exposing something pleasing to look at...

Actually Stanley, I'm with you... it's the only thing that keeps me going because the business side of things kinda suxx sometimes.

Finished a system a week or so ago, and left my client Star Wars 3 in the DVD player. I met my client on Friday when he got down and gave him a brief orientation. I came back Saturday morning for something else and the wife met me at the door. She looked like a kid on Christmas telling me how great it was. She went on for 10 minutes raving. THEN the husband shows up a few minutes later with the same look and story. Needless to say they were stoked. I really dig when a customers expectations are surpassed and they tell you.

Oh, and I forgot;

As a project is finished up, client with HUGE wine cellar asks..."Mr Papa, do you drink wine?"

OOHHHhhhhhhh, Yeeeaaaahhhh.

Client, member of numerous elite and ultra private shishi yada yada country clubs where weeds are outlawed, golf shop doesn't even have a cash register; "Big, you play golf? We should go play."

Id be happy with just a little hanky-panky once in a while screw getting paid;]

Ditto.

Well, now that you mention it... Yes, that usually brings a smile to MY face!!! As i get older, all the ladys of the house seem to be getting younger!!! Whew!

I was at one with a loose bottom. :) I was on the floor putting a mount on the back of the plasma and she was sitting on the couch in some really loose shorts with nothing underneath. Good times.

When the 12 year old girl in the house lokks up, bright eyed, and says COOL!!!

The media room, was built over the top of the old swimming pool! (Indoor Pool). I don't recall how they framed it out... But it's not like one of those floating floors with the rubber float pads and all.
But the floor being suspended, and not laid on top of the slab directly gives it a nice ability to move a little with the bass! The 2 Sunfire subs are up front on each side of the screen firing through the front wall... The front wall is a false wall, and all of the front Genelecs and Subs are flush with the wall, behind some Guilford of Maine fabric. Behind the wall is a space about 3 feet deep, and we filled that up with mid to high density insulation to soak up any misc. resonances.
It is kind of amazing though how those subs manage to shake the floor like they do.
I had actually considered floor mounting some transducers, but the budget was getting thin, so I passed on it.
The client was a real grinder when it came to costs, so instead of having a seperate company install the wall panels & treatment, the finish carpenter and I made them. I've done theaters that were many times more expensive in the past --- but this one (minus the chairs), came in at under $30K --- and it looks and sounds better than some of the $150K plus rooms done a few years ago, plus the nice thing is we kept it really basic & simple to use.
It's sort of cool to be in an industry that keeps cranking out better sh*t each year, and provide a better Theater experience than what it would have cost a year or two prior.

I realy like interacting with the clients.

Most are incredible people that I'm realy glad to have had a chance to meet.

The occasional meal and a 'cocktail' at the end of the day and an invite to party's would almost make it worth doing for FREE!

By far the BEST part is the look in there eyes after you have handed them the remote and they find out they can actually operate it without 'cheat sheets'!

THEN they fire up a DVD and look like a kid at Christmas when hear the sound of a "real" system (compared to the Blose or hodge-podge of Sams and Wallmart crap we replaced)!

That and the multiple "thank you's" make this job worth while.

"I can actually use this now!"

"I have had this system for 2 years and it never looked and sounded like this!"

"DID YOU FEEL THAT!"

Those great comments make it worth while.

"Hey Mr Papa, after you drink this bottle of Chateau 'd Yquem and play a round with me, I want to talk to you about my wife. She's a nypho and I don't have time to 'satisfy' her, if ya know what I mean..."

I'll take the wine and golf then sub out the service contract to you if this ever happens bruddah.

The best part is being able to play with rich people’s toys that I will never have enough money to own. Also every guy likes building things and when I get to sit back and see that I helped create and build a home theater I gives me an awesome sense of accomplishment. I do also like watching everyone else on the job sight come in the room and be in awe of what we have done. I feel like Tom Hanks in cast away when he says, “I HAVE CREATED FIRE!!” but I’ just a dork like that.

I had a client who was so happy when we were just starting to tweek his new system that he kept asking how much to write the final check for. He just wanted to start playing with his new toys! 3 Years later, and we just started to pull wire today for his theater in his new house.