My “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” spec is finished and ready to go out to enter the WB’s Writers’ Workshop. I have spent the past 2 months slaving away at writing then re-writing and re-writing again. I got opinions, notes, criticism and praise all of which I incorporated into my script. Then came the spell-checking and re-spell-checking then a final spell-check for spell-checking sake. I thought that was supposed to be the hard part.
So, today was my final step in the journey. All I needed to do was find 2 Acco #5 brads to fasten my script together. Easy task I thought. I live 2 blocks from a Staples in New York city, it would be an in-and-out process, certainly not longer than 5 minutes. I got to the first Staples around 3 pm to find out they were all out of brads. They referred me to the Union Square Staples, around 10 blocks away so I went there. No brads. They told me to go to Office Depot on 42nd street, so I paid $2.25 and jumped in the subway. I ask the kind lady in the front for brads. ”What are brads” she asks. I try to explain, but take a second and try to explain to yourself what a brad is and see if it makes any sense. It’s impossible to describe one. After about 4 store clerks looked at me like I was Alf just getting out of his spaceship from Melmac, they told me they were sold out of “paper fasteners” and why don’t I try Staples on 40th street. Being the eternal optimist, I got to Staples on 40th, and after the same 10 minute ordeal trying to describe what brads are, I find out that every Staples in the city is out of stock. I don’t know how that can be, like there is some run on brads like they are The One Ring from the “Lord of the Rings.” Now it is 4:15 and I have no brads and am running out of patience.
I return back to Chelsea, and find an arts and crafts store on a side road and am elated to learn that they have brads in stock. The kind elderly lady takes me to the back and shows me the 1/4 inch brads that I doubt could fasten together more than 2 sheets of paper. I am about to cry. I sit down on the stoop outside the store and contemplate jumping in front of a cab to ease the pain. But alas, I see a store across the street called “Showbiz Cafe.” Never heard of ShowBiz cafe before, and for all I know all they sell is bagels and schmear, but what the hell, its already 4:30 and my day has already been shot to hell. I go into Showbiz Cafe convinced the man behind the counter will laugh at me when I ask him for Acco #5 brads. To my astonishment the man tells me that they certainly do, and asks if I want 1 or 2 boxes. I cry for 10 minutes from hapiness and tell him I will take 2 boxes to avoid this situation ever again.
If you are from New York and are looking for Acco#5 brads for your script go to Showbiz Cafe (I seriously have no relationship with anyone there, they just have brads). The store is located on 19 W. 21st St. bt/w 5 and 6th avenues.
Cheers!
2 responses so far ↓
Chad // July 25, 2009 at 9:25 pm |
A friend of mine had the same issue. In Burbank.
Merrel Davis // July 14, 2009 at 9:10 pm |
I’ve passed by there a few times, noticed final draft boxes in their window. Glad you found the brads. I’ve had similar experiences in attempting to describe what exactly a brad is. So don’t feels so hopelessly alone!