“RAQUEL” & I .. This Is Our Story

[GraFXman]

• “RAQUEL” & I .. This Is Our Story (Journal)
  
  If you have been following (or suffering through) my last post “Doll Fever Strikes Again” Here Comes “Raquel” then you will know some of my background & details on why adopting Raquel is going to be a “Monumental Challenge” for me.
  
  This new Chapter will be about “Raquel and I” ..
  Our Story ..
  Our Journey..
  Starting at the beginning, in a single ongoing post (‘Journal’) because no matter what happens -or how it ends.. I want to preserve the history of this Story.
  
  Meet “RAQUEL”
  aka “Raquela .. Raquelita .. Raquelcita”
  - Because I speak Spanish, so why not be creative!
  
  At the beginning of my previous post I had detailed (for some to an exhausting degree of embellishment & saturation) the entire savage & riveting adoption process, without actually revealing her identity – until now..
  
  Her STATS:
  Raquel is a Body-A model from RealDoll.
  Standing at 5’3 tall and reported to be +/- 75lbs – which remains to be determined by my actual experience.
  Measurements reported by RD as being: 33”C chest - 24” waist – 35” hip.
  Inmho however, those succulent puppies of hers look more like “D”’s to me.
  She has those gorgeous hand-painted Green eyes made by RD.
  
  
  
  Light tan skin, fixed privates & comes with a standard blond wig, basic outfit plus I got the RD stand while I was at it..
  
  Raquela was introduced to me by Reggie from
  Galmato Haven
  
  He told me that She had belonged to only 1 previous Master and is like “Factory New, an un-adulterated Virgin” that didn’t require any maintenance or repairs prior to being adopted by me.
  Now that I’ve gotten to know Reggie quite well, I’ll take that as a true & factual statement.
  
  The “Adoption” process.
  After being introduced to Raquelita online – I knew instantly she was ‘The One’ for me even though I hadn’t given any consideration to my finances and how that would seriously affect me if I were to actually adopt her,
  I immediately proceeded to call Reggie on the phone.
  Considering todays common “impersonal” type of online/text only communication methods, I’m actually the old-school type who still prefers to actually TALK to people, 1-on1, and let my instincts maybe give me an idea of who/how they are as a person.
  
  The result was a no-brainer.
  Reggie and I probably spent over 1 hour on the phone.
  He patiently answered every single one of my barrage of questions without hesitation.
  It was just something in his voice/demeanor that inspired confidence, trust and faith in me to believe that I probably wouldn’t get “burned” with this man - like I have been so many times before.
  I went with my “gut feeling” and pulled the trigger without thinking any further.
  Done Deal – it felt like a “virtual hand-shake” from an honorable man.
  That’s the way I was raised, where a man’s handshake & word of honor is worth more than any dam piece of paper ever will.
  
  HOWEVER..
  Less than 24 Hrs later I was feeling a horrendously explosive case of “Buyers Remorse” once my brain actually came around to realizing what I had just done – OMG!
  Of course I contacted Reggie immediately to express my doubts & concerns.
  The financial part of the transaction had already been done so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but Reggie was totally a Gentleman and imho handled it as such without getting all bent out of shape or trying to pressure me in the event I did want to back out. I mention this only because I felt that was important – at least to me anyway.
  
  He remained calm, honest and straight-forward, answering any questions I threw at him even during my moments of remorseful hysteria. In the end I felt like he was letting me know this was ultimately only my decision to make. He didn’t try to convince or pressure me either way, instead offering me reassurances that I was walking on solid ground with him no matter what, plus some interesting/unique perspectives/suggestions I hadn’t even thought about.
  
  The deal was on – It still ‘felt right’ so I just needed to chill, get a grip and focus on this challenge (and 2nd Mortgage +lol+) in a positive way.
  
  From there on all the way through the day he shipped her, the follow-up, answers to more questions and updates by email/text were always prompt -so I can definitely swear to “Exceptional Customer Service”.
  In fact, he actually threw in a request I had for a minor “MOD” at no extra charge.
  
  To conclude, just like RD, I believe you can’t go wrong dealing with or buying from Reggie and yes, I would definitely get with him again without hesitation.
  If in the end I fail and it came down to it, I’d be more than happy to send Raquel back to him for a consignment sale – unless Brick is seriously interested as he stated and steps up to the plate.
  
  ~ Amen.
  
  
  Honorable Mention.
  I feel compelled to express the following here openly – if anything, it’s a matter of Honor as well.
  
  In the many months prior to meeting Reggie & Raquel, I had been talking rather exclusively with Jeff from BCD (Booty Call Dolls) as I was considering all the various choices & options such as TPE vs Silicone, YL vs other Mfg’s and so forth.
  
  It was a really tough time (for both of us) because I was literally drowning in doubts, concerns, indecisiveness and all that – not to mention the $$ factor.
  Poor Jeff had to endure all my shit during that whole time, yet never once wavering, expressing frustration or refusing to return my emails/texts, etc. I know that I can be a real pain sometimes, so I’m surprised he never failed me when for sure others would have flipped me off already long before – and in fact some others I had talked to practically did!
  
  I could literally copy everything I just said about Reggie as I sincerely feel the same way about Jeff, a true & honorable Gentleman who went the distance with me.
  I’m sure anyone who has/is dealing with Jeff would undoubtedly say the same, so if it ever came to it I’d definitely buy from Jeff as well without hesitation, I can attest to his character – and have the emails to prove it.
  
  Jeff, if you’re listening, all I can say brother is..
  
  
  
  Despite all the choices & options you presented, all of which were great btw, I just wasn’t “feeling it” for some reason. If Raquel had been available and sitting there in your shop, I can absolutely guarantee you we would have proceeded with the adoption because that’s exactly what happened the moment I saw her.
  That’s just me, it’s mostly about the “gutsy-feels”.
  
  I hope you’re not too disappointed in me..
  Who knows.. there’s always tomorrow and maybe once I get a good grip on all this, with some actual first-hand experience under me I might even consider adding to my Harem, or maybe just something “else” -whatever that may be.. right?
  Take care my Friend, sincerely wishing you the best of luck!
  
  
  Raquel finally arrived late Tuesday 05/28/19 as promised – in what can only be described as an unnerving “Close Call” encounter with the you-know-who & guest.. amidst all the other hectic things I had going on that day..
  
  The next post (in a few days) will of course start with:
  “Day One – The “Raquela Reveal” - and getting acquainted with her..

[Dollarhyde]

Great story DM and congrats on Raquel...

[Brick]

I am so totally impressed with this and all your posts, I want you to do my eulogy when the time comes......

[GraFXman]

Great story DM and congrats on Raquel...

Thanks DH!

[GraFXman]

I am so totally impressed with this and all your posts, I want you to do my eulogy when the time comes......

• 
  
  It would be an honor to write it!
  Can I have harmony? +lol+
  Maybe write a will something to the effect of:
  "There will be a Tazer at the funeral - last person standing gets all my stuff!"
  I'd definitely win that one cuz I'm immune to tazers for some reason!
  
  Well, unlike some of my other posts I'm going to try and keep this one more along the lines of a 'Journal/Documentary', less grafx saturation and weak humor, rather a more serious and informative presentation with ideas/suggestions and solutions to my particular situation of mobility that may ultimately help others with similar issues..
  btw.. the work you, Izzy & others have done with the rails & rigs just blew me away and gave me countless ideas! - I didn't even know about CRD!
  IMPRESSIVE!

[izla111]

Congratulations DM!!! Glad to hear Raquel arrived safely. Let the games begin brother!!! LOL!!!

[GraFXman]

• DAY 1(+) – Raquel Arrives.
  
  As I’m sure every new Doll owner knows & even those who already have a few Ladies, “D-Day” (day of delivery) is a nerve-racking experience filled with anxiety and turmoil to say the least.
  
  It was no different for me, with just a few unusual twists to add a spicy flavor.
  On the morning of Tuesday 05/28 the first thing I did after downing 2 cups of mud of course was to immediately jump online and look at the UPS tracking page..
  Yup, this was happening alright!
  
  
  
  For those who read my previous post, today wasn’t exactly an ideal day for this to be happening – in fact, the worst possible!
  1). I had an entire crew of Contractors to deal with all day long for an extensive Reno project going on at my house.
  I wasn’t able to focus at all on the Contractors/Reno throughout the entire day as I was constantly thinking about the UPS tracking page, her arrival scheduled for ‘End Of The Day’, and repeatedly going online whenever I could get a moment just to see if there were any further status updates – which is like opening the fridge door every 15 minutes in the hopes that some new food had magically appeared.
  I’m guessing many of you will know what I was going through..
  
  2). To compound my anxiety and vigilance, the ‘Wife’ and that unexpected week-long Guest I have staying with us, both having gone on a mini-vacation to the beach on Sunday, were due back that afternoon – coinciding unfortunately with Raquel’s delivery..
  Rather than add my typical explosive grafix sentence enhancers, I’ll just leave it up to your imaginations as to what I was going through that entire day – suffice to say it was HELL on my nerves!
  
  By around 3pm I was already exhausted and ready for a power-nap, but couldn’t from wondering ‘What-If’ UPS showed up earlier than expected..?
  
  
  
  At around the same time I decided to take a sneaky pro-active advantage while preparing myself mentally for the worst case scenario – I began using the "Find My Phone” GPS utility every 15 mins to determine exactly where the Wife & Guest were..
  Aha! .. They were definitely heading back alright!
  
  The clock was ticking like a time-bomb in my head..
  Between 4pm and delivery I probably looked as wired as a College student high on whatever drugs right before final exams..
  
  Close Call!
  Right at around 6pm just as I was about to lose my shit, I could hear that huge UPS truck coming up the street..
  Phone-tracker indicated that Wife & Guest were still around 15-30 mins out..
  I had already left the garage door open and a hand truck/dolly sitting right smack in the middle by the front to help move the box out of the way as fast as possible after unloading..
  My vehicle is parked on the left side of the garage next to a large ‘workshop’ area so if I could get the box on the other side of my car and into the workshop, laying flat on the dolly, it would likely go unnoticed..
  Just as I’m heading into the garage I see the UPS truck CONTINUE driving on up the street – WITHOUT STOPPING - or turning around right there at my house – OR COMING BACK right away as expected if he had gone to turn around just up the street!
  I thought I was going to have a dam heart attack!
  WTF happened to the truck???
  I can’t see up the street from where I was so I had no idea where he went..
  Phone Tracker: 20 MINS OUT!
  
  Within minutes (that felt like an eternity) I hear the truck coming back down the street – STOP – and back up into my driveway right in front of the garage where I was nervously waiting next to the dolly..
  
  Awkward Moment.
  This driver has had this route for years, he knows me -AND THE WIFE- quite well (since he delivers at her job too)..
  Super nice guy!
  
  After the obligatory friendly greeting, the first words out of my mouth;
  “Last load for the day huh?”
  [Driver]: I wish! Still have plenty more to go!
  * They really work these boys to death at UPS don’t they? Poor guy!
  [Me]: I thought you had forgotten about me bro!
  [Driver]: Nah, had some other deliveries to do up the street first..
  [Me, trying to hide my obvious anxiety]: Oh ok, let’s get this done then!
  
  That dam box, aside from looking beat to hell and slightly opened(?) is HUGE!
  [Driver when I asked]: Yea, label on here says 110 lbs
  WHAT??
  If Raquel weighs +/- 75lbs - where the hell did the extra 35 lbs come from??
  REGGIE! What the Hell did you pack in there man!
  Can’t be the stand because that came in a separate box..
  
  Of course since this driver knows me so well (and Im obviously in a chair), he offered to help me get the box on the hand-truck/dolly and put it anywhere I wanted in the garage.
  [Driver]: Where do you want me to put it?
  [Me, the eternal idiot]: Ok, put HER on the dolly first, then….
  DAM! At that moment I realized what I had said then saw the puzzled look on his face..
  [Driver]: “Her”? What? Huh?
  [Me internally trying at quantum lightspeed to reach for a plausible reply]:
  Yea, you know…. Her – Him – The Box, whatever Bro!
  Sorry, I’m just SO tired from all this construction shit today I can’t think straight..
  
  That’s what happens from talking on here so much with all of you and constantly referring to Raquel as “Her”
  I refuse to objectify! +lol+
  
  He lays her down on the dolly and wheels it around my car to the other side..
  The usual bye and stuff, then he leaves..
  I could easily whip up another 4 saturated paragraphs to describe my RELIEF!! at that moment – but I won’t put you guys through that again..
  
  
  
  I just HOPE this driver doesn’t go being a blabber-mouth the next time he delivers to the Wife’s job..
  “Uh yea, how did it go with that huge heavy ass box I delivered to your house the other day?..”
  F-M-L!
  
  Well no sooner had I closed the garage and made it back in the house..
  Guess who shows up!!
  Phone-Tracker: “0 mins out - arrived”
  Aha! .. The Wife and Guest..
  [Me trying to act all cool & nonchalant]:
  “Oh Hi Honey! Didn’t know you were back already.. how was your trip!”
  
  After all that I literally passed out cold in the recliner in my office for a while..
  POWER NAP TIME!!
  
  At least Raquel is safe & sound in the garage – for now.. except that box is WAY bigger and heavier than I expected!
  Had to strap the box to the dolly just to keep it from sliding off so I could move/pull it around the garage today for the Pix.
  Hmmmm…. I wonder.. Could that little bit of ingenuity be the first sign of creative innovations in mobility that lay ahead..? …….

  

  RAQUELS-BOX_1.jpg (170.32 KiB) Viewed 4662 times

  

  RAQUELS-BOX_2.jpg (124.43 KiB) Viewed 4662 times

  

  RAQUELS-BOX_3.jpg (149.3 KiB) Viewed 4662 times

  

  RAQUELS-BOX_4.jpg (141.14 KiB) Viewed 4662 times

  

  RAQUELS-BOX_5.jpg (96.28 KiB) Viewed 4662 times

  Let’s see what weird & exciting things happen on “Day 2”!!

[djcdoll]

Great write-up Doll_Master.
Looking forward to the next chapter of your new dollie adventure.

[GraFXman]

Great write-up Doll_Master.
Looking forward to the next chapter of your new dollie adventure.

• Thanks DJC!
  I'm predicting the next write might actually be rather boring.. we'll see!

[GalmatoHaven]

Those are some of the most incredible reads I'll have all year! I can't thank you enough for the acknowledgement and effusive compliments. It was a pleasure working with you and I can't wait to talk about some of the projects we discussed more thoroughly. You may need to add screen writing to your list of things to do. You know how to paint a scene my friend.

UPS determimes the weight by the size of the box. It would say 100 lbs empty (and fyi, cost the same to ship). That was a brand new box though, so I'm very curious why it looks like it got drop kicked off the moon.

I can't wait to hear the report when you open her up.

Reggie
Galmato Haven
www.galmatohaven.com

[GraFXman]

• Thanks Reggie!
  
  It’s been a real pleasure working with you as well and I appreciate all the follow-up until now.
  In the next post there are a few more details & things I’m going to mention about our experience yesterday when we had a chance to ‘open her up’.. one very thoughtful thing in particular that you did which to some may seem insignificant, but meant a lot to me..
  
  
  

  .. "I can't wait to hear the report when you open her up.."

  
  “Be careful what you wish for..” The “Report” on steroids is coming! -lol
  
  TTYS!

[GraFXman]

• DAY “2” - The Interim – Part 1.
  (Obviously these “DAY(x)” are in sequential order of events, not chronological order by date..)
  (Saturday, June 1st 2019).
  
  Well……
  As of last Thursday the BC* returned to her regular work schedule.. score 1 for relief in that regard.
  However, I still have to suffer dealing with this full-time attention-Ho aka ‘House Guest’ until Monday..
  Weekends are a total forget it when it comes to any form of privacy, in this case where both will either be hanging around all the time, or dragging me along to who knows where.. I resist as much as possible, but like the poor Dog who knows he’s being hauled to the Vet, I’ve got little to no options for escape.
  * “BC” for the youngsters who aren’t familiar, is old-school lingo for “Ball & Chain” aka “Wife”.
  
  Which is worse?
  The agony of waiting on shipping & delivery schedules..
  Or having your Doll nearby, so close – yet totally inaccessible..?
  
  Just like poor Raquel who is probably suffocating while stuffed in her box out in the garage, I’ll be choking on “Family Ties” until who knows when next week that I might finally have some uninterrupted & priceless “Home-Alone” time so I can set her Free and tend to her.. I know she’s going to be royally pissed at me for leaving her out there in this dam heat so long! - Hell, I hope she doesn’t melt on me!!
  
  So…
  Guess what Papi is going to be doing in the interim to vent some frustrations..?
  That’s right buddy..!!
  
  Writing up a storm to my heart’s content!!
  
  
  
  Random Shower Thoughts..
  I’ve had a few interesting thoughts about what’s to come.
  Has anyone else thought of, or gone through something similar..?
  
  Forced-Fantasy vs. Reality.
  I’m sure that for many of us the whole concept of adopting these Dolls is to some extent a deep, exciting, fulfilling Fantasy of her being ‘almost real’ – and some of us (me included) push the very limits of the immersive abilities of our imagination to ‘force’ the Fantasy into a virtual existence, to where we treat, dress, talk to, model/photograph, take her out and care for (etc) our Babes with passionate attention to even the smallest of details.
  Nothing wrong with that imho.. go for it, only you can set the limitations of your Fantasies.
  
  Mind Over Matter – and Reality.
  Back when I spent nearly a year to the day hospitalized post-injury, laid out most of the time & constantly floating in/out of consciousness for at least the first month or so, there really wasn’t much else to do but occupy the time retreating deep into my mind to think.. and fantasize about alternate realities beyond the Hell my body was actually existing in..
  
  It wasn’t long before I discovered that I possessed an uncanny ability to conceptualize and create even the most incredibly sophisticated and complex scenarios, people, places -or anything I wanted..
  Of course, all the hardcore drugs and their hallucinogenic side effects that I was on certainly facilitated the ‘trip’!
  
  At first it was just like building a short Movie/GIF animation in my head, doing it over and over again until I had perfected every conceivable aspect complete with the most intricate of details, in full color and 3-D with THX surround sound that could rival even the most dazzling Hollywood production.
  
  From there I just went all out with it to where upon finally being released from the Hospital after a year I’d pretty much Mastered the Art of transcending and fully immersing myself into alternate-reality Fantasies – and bringing them to “Virtual-Life” in my immediate plane of existence whenever I wanted.
  
  The only drawback: I became so good at it that I frequently found myself having to double-check to see if what I was experiencing at the moment wasn’t in fact some ‘Fantasy’ I had created, or that I was just momentarily confused while transitioning back to the “Real World”.
  Yea, I scare myself too sometimes..
  
  Apparently I also scared all the Shrinks, Therapists and Counselors that I had to deal with during that time who were debating if it was really “Safe” to turn me loose on Society, or lock me up!
  
  
  
  Keeping the Fantasy “Alive”..
  Despite any super-powers I may have to conjure up Fantasies on-demand, it’s not infallible.
  Trying to manipulate reality to fit into the realm of the Fantasy is quite the challenge.
  
  I’ve only met Raquel through her online Profile at Galmato.
  Stunningly beautiful for sure, that’s what captivated me– and that’s how I see her with my mind’s eye.
  Ideally, the first time I see her for “Real” I’d love it to be under perfect circumstances – like going on that 1st date with your crush..
  Where she’s all ‘Dolled-up’, dressed to kill and simply breathtaking.. that would certainly validate the Fantasy and make it truly special.
  
  But that’s just not going to happen and I had better start aligning myself with the inevitable shock of reality waiting for me out in the garage..
  A battered box..
  Containing a lifeless, hairless, exposed, cold, silicone replica of a Woman – not to diminish the fact she’s an artisanal Masterpiece regardless.
  Not exactly how I envisioned or want to meet her for the first time, but unfortunately it is what it is and I’ll have to manage that as nothing more than temporarily throwing a monkey wrench in my otherwise perfectly crafted Fantasy.
  
  That’s why I’m so adamant about refusing to “Objectify” Raquel and insist on always using terminology such as “Her” “She” and “Adoption” to solidify and keep the concept ‘alive’ & brewing in my head..
  
  Does anyone else go through something like that..?
  Where it’s all awkward at first until you get her ‘settled in’, dressed and everything is perfect exactly to your liking - then you can begin developing and immersing yourself in the Fantasy..?
  
  You win some.. you lose some..
  I already went through all of this once before with my 1st Doll, ‘Katie’ – and it was a total disaster.
  With the exception of 2 brief moments over the span of a year, the rest of the time no matter what I did or tried, and regardless of any supplemental ‘mood enhancers’ or conjuring the full power of my imagination - I just couldn’t make the Fantasy ‘work’ for me – for one because Katie was so ‘different’ to begin with which made it simply impossible to ‘get into it’..
  
  Severe frustration from this failure combined with a disappointing sensation of being ‘chastised’ here in the Community (due to Katie being different) is what ultimately led to the total turn-off that caused me to disassociate completely from everything Doll related..
  
  No one likes to be shunned and I never would have believed that the cruelty of discrimination could extend all the way into the realm of Dolls.. but apparently it does, fueled of course by the opinions/perspectives of the IRL people behind the Dolls.
  Yea, ‘Peer-Pressure’ can be savage alright..
  
  Well, here I am back in the ring again, ready as ever for “Round 2” – and it will definitely be the Final round/attempt I’m going to make with this.
  I’m confident it will be better this time around though – and I’m determined to Succeed!
  
  My next step:
  Figure out what I’m going to do with Her and that coffin she’s stuffed in that’s waiting for me out in the garage.
  Unfortunately, that’s going to take a chunk of time & effort, but this weekend is going to be a real challenge and maybe impossible since the ‘BC’ and house Guest are going to be hanging around ALL the time, or dragging my sorry ass off to who knows where..
  
  In talking to Reggie he is quite irritated after seeing the pix of her sarcophagus that I added in the post because that box was new when he sent her off – and now it looks completely battered, bruised, gashed and quite possibly opened since he pointed out all the sealing tape around the edges seems to be missing..
  WTF did UPS do to it..?? !!
  There’s also what appears to be an oily or wet seepage of some kind leaking at one corner of the box which truly concerns us..
  
  To make matters worse, yesterday my maintenance guy helped me to strap the coffin securely to the hand-truck/cart, lift it upright and park it behind a large table saw so it would be less ‘conspicuous’..
  Poor Raquel, it dawned on me later that she might even be upside down on her head.. CRAP!
  
  Given the opportunity, if I can rely on at least a solid 2 hr window of uninterrupted time I’m going to go check it out.
  Reggie and I agreed to work a ‘play-by-play’ strategy over the phone if I can even get to it..
  
  Stand by for..
  
  “WE INTERRUPT THIS BROADCAST FOR BREAKING NEWS”
  
  * Hmmmmm…
  
  
  That was an interesting choice of last minute terminology I threw in there..
  “Sarcophagus” .. “Coffin” ...
  Maybe Raquel is an unknown long-lost mysterious Egyptian Princess which I’ll have the honor of discovering for the first time?
  FANTASY CONCEPT ALERT!
  Uuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhh—wheeeeeeeeeeee!
  
  Can’t you just feel the wheels of Fantasy smoking from spinning at full-RPM in my head already!! +lol+
  Just change my user name to “Mummy-Master!!”
  
  

[GraFXman]

• DAY “2” - The Interim – Part 2.
  The Moment Of Truth ~ Inspection!
  Due to the extensive damage Reggie/me noticed Raquel’s ‘sarcophagus’ sustained during shipping we felt it absolutely necessary to conduct a thorough inspection ASAP!
  Of particular concern all the gouges, dents, scrapes and what looked like an oily/wet seepage of some kind at one of the corners.. was the silicone melting??
  
  Luckily for me, the BC indicated that her & our House-Guest were going out shopping or whatever for most of the afternoon and asked me to turn off the oven at 6 if they weren’t back yet..
  
  
  
  That means I’d have at least a solid 2-3 Hrs to figure out a way to conduct this inspection.
  
  Intro To Logistics & Mobility Solutions.
  I’ve seen so many awesome lifts. rigs, rails, gear and other innovative designs posted by Izzy & Brick as well as others on here and CRD that really opened up my imagination to the possibilities..
  
  However, I’ve decided that for the time being rather than go crazy and start buying all kinds of things that I’m thinking I need & may appear to be ideal solutions, I’m going to hold off for now and take it one step at time, proceeding as the need arises, taking the time to visualize/analyze the issue & possible solutions, do the engineering plans and then just McGyver the shit out of it.. like I usually do
  
  Rigs & Solutions Already At My Disposal.
  Objective: Moving/positioning/handling Raquel’s coffin around the garage for unobstructed access to do a thorough Inspection.
  
  What’s available.
  1. My Van, SUV and UTV are all equipped with winches.
  2. Additionally, at the rear liftgate the van has a built-in 450lb capacity hydraulic lift system with an arm that extends about 3-4 ft out to load/unload my big heavy-ass Power-Chair when I want to take it with me. The arm & hook for the chair can either be removed or re-configured in a number of ways leaving a ring or bracket to attach various loads (other than the chair) – I’ve used this option many times at Ho-Depot for loading bulky/heavy stuff into the back of the van.
  3. I already have a 10ft long ceiling mounted trolley rail system with a 2,500lb capacity electric hoist that I use to lift/suspend or move heavy stuff around in the garage.
  4. Literally everything in the garage from heavy table & miter saws, huge tool cabinets, large work benches and so forth are all mounted on either permanent or removable wheels so I can move/pull everything around to my hearts content with ease.
  5. I keep a manual ultra-lite titanium frame sports/travel folding wheelchair in the Van with me at all times for use around town.
  6. For inside & around the outside/garage of the house I have a powerful, customized 3-wheel scooter, which I can also load in the van if I want to..
  Obviously my entire house is outfitted with ramps and all sorts of accessibility equipment.
  7. Last but not least, for travel or getting around more efficiently/quickly at theme parks, huge box stores, rolls around downtown and such I have a comfy, high-back, customized and heavy AF Power-Chair with an on-board or remote control joystick. – I LOVE that thing!
  
  Guess you could say I’ve got the whole Mobility thing figured out, at least for me personally..
  Like I said, from the beginning my #1 priority has always been striving to no end for complete independence & mobility in every regard.
  - and I’ve got another little surprise in store for a later chapter when getting further into the ingenuity, innovations, “Doll-Ability” & solutions aspect..
  
  After moving the large table mounted miter saw out of the way (which was partially concealing Raquel’s upright coffin strapped securely to the cart), I grabbed the handle and made the first attempt at pulling it out..
  DAM that thing is heavy! I could feel the weight bearing down on me as I changed the angle further down towards me to maneuver it out from the corner/hole he had stashed her..
  Keeping in mind that I’m also forced to use only 1 hand, my shoulder and/or body to do any of this because I have to use my other hand to maneuver the Scooter out of the way at the same time..
  Oh yea, dexterity, timing and piloting skills are crucial otherwise you’ll see me on the 6:00 O’Clock news:
  “Disabled man on Scooter crushed by huge box containing a silicone replica of Cleopatra”..
  
  I finally got the cart laying flat and used one of the straps to pull it out to the center of the garage..
  
  
  The Dreaded Moment Of Truth!
  While Reggie was standing by if needed, I cut away the tape and stickers around the lip of the lid and we were pleasantly relieved to find that apparently the box had in fact not been opened after all..
  All of the damages we had noted were merely superficial scrapes, bruises & cuts that hadn’t affected the contents. Who knows where that oily/wet residue came from, but at least it wasn’t from within and hadn’t seeped in or caused any damage to Raquel..
  
  * FOREWARNING! Considering this is a monumental once-in-a-Lifetime event of indescribable importance to me, I’m taking the liberty to indulge and savor this moment forever -with my typical sprinkling of graphical expressions..
  
  
  The time came to open the lid..
  I felt like Indiana Jones in the presence of discovering either unimaginable treasure,
  
  
  
  or horrors of sinister proportions..
  
  
  
  
  *DRUM ROLL PLEASE*
  
  
  
  ## DEEP BREATH ##
  
  AND THERE SHE WAS!!
  
  Her beauty radiating to the point of blinding me!
  
  
  
  I sat there motionless, soaking it all in for what seemed like hours.. and for once in my Life I was totally speechless.. (isn’t that amazing?)
  
  Reggie my man, you’re awesome!!
  I hereby bestow upon thee the title of “Master-Packer!!” – not be confused with “-Bator-“ of course!
  Dam fine job you did keeping Raquel, especially her hands & feet, as safe and protected as possible with foam on all sides, top, bottom -everywhere!
  
  To top it off, I really want to thank you Reggie in the most sincere way I possibly can about how much I truly appreciate the fact that you had properly and decently ‘dressed’ Raquel prior to sending her off on the voyage..
  – For a man like me who is rarely at a loss for words, I can’t even begin to tell you how much I value and how much that thoughtful “Gentleman’s” gesture meant to me..
  
  
  
  - Not that seeing her totally exposed, like most Vendors ship them, would have shocked me or anything, but it would have slightly derailed my fantasy of how I envisioned meeting her for the 1st time..
  
  The only somewhat disturbing issue we discovered is that yea, moron-me let my maintenance man put her upright on the hand-truck, but HEAD DOWN -as I had feared might be the case..
  SHIT!!
  Poor Raquel’s head was crammed up against the side of the box making her look like she had a broken neck!
  I told Reggie he might want to consider using bigger boxes for taller Ladies in the future..
  
  Reggie and I don’t believe there’s any serious/permanent damage to her neck/head though.
  I inspected her as best I could and it doesn’t appear to be major, other than she’ll likely have a painfully stiff neck for a while..
  In fact, when I looked into her eyes as I was examining, she seemed really pissed off and might as well have said; “You Fukin Idiot! Just wait til I get out of this dam coffin, I’m gonna rip you a new one!!!”
  
  

  

  RAQUEL-COMMENT-KILL-YOU.jpg (836.54 KiB) Viewed 4338 times

  Putting her back before the ‘BC’ returns.
  Laying the cart down from an upright position was one thing..
  using the strap to maneuver it into inspection position -relatively easy..
  But now I have to offload this heavy box onto the floor, turn the cart around and re-load it back on the cart – not to mention raising it upright again and maneuvering it back into the corner behind the table saw.
  
  
  
  It was an all-out fight to say the least – and remember, using only one hand most of the time..
  Plus bent over which presented the additional risk of the Scooter tipping over on me..
  I’d guess that to some of you it might have even looked like a UFC grappling brawl taking place
  
  
  
  I don’t know if it was the pressure/tension from worry over the BC coming back earlier than expected and catching me in the act, or some of that PTSD fueled adrenaline that gave me ‘Super-Gimp’ powers..
  
  
  
  .. or maybe I’m just a lot stronger than I actually realized, but somehow over the course of about 1 Hr. I finally managed to get it done..
  
  
  
  
  
  I returned to my office afterwards and just for giggles n’ grins I reviewed the footage from the surveillance cam in the garage..
  Believe me my Friends, it was one of the most hilarious things ever to watch me fighting with that box, having it fall over right smack on my feet while trying to get it onto the cart plus a few other embarrassing passages..
  -such as my shorts sliding down to my ankles a few times…
  -it’s a good thing I don’t feel anything in my feet cuz I bet that would have hurt!
  I was even tempted to upload the video for some real laughs, if it weren’t for the fact that the footage is just WAY too revealing -and I don’t know you all that well.. so that’s a “NO” dawg!
  
  In conclusion;
  - I’m extremely content to see Raquel apparently hasn’t suffered any major injuries.
  - I’m even more pleased to find out that I seem to be stronger than I thought, which definitely gives me a huge injection of confidence in knowing that I can probably deal with the weight/bulk concerns from here on out.. despite not even having taken her out of the box yet..
  - At the first opportunity I get on Monday I’ve got to get her out of that dam coffin so she can stretch out and I can conduct closer examinations.
  
  Has anyone else experienced the following..?
  - Compared to her pictures and what I had envisioned, Raquel is actually a lot smaller (is she really 5’3?) and considerably more anorexic, dainty and fraile than I thought she would be..?
  Poor thing probably didn’t get a single bite to eat during her entire trip!
  - In person, as well as her pix, it almost seems as though her head is disproportionately large for the size of her body.. ? aka.. “Cabezona” as we would say in Spanish.
  - Her “light tan” skin tone is actually darker than it looked like in her pix – good thing I didn’t go for the full tan otherwise she’d probably look like a green-eyed amazonic aborigine to me..
  
  All in all though, I have to say “so far so good”, I feel much better about myself / my abilities and I’m ecstatically pleased with her, Reggie and the entire process so far..
  
  

[djcdoll]

Another great write up Doll_Master.
It looks like everything is going well so far and Raquel has survived her journey to you and the little "box upside down" mishap in your garage.
I guess the next stage will be trying to get her out of the box, so I look forward to reading about you get on with that task.
Good luck.

[GraFXman]

• Another great write up Doll_Master.
  It looks like everything is going well so far and Raquel has survived her journey to you and the little "box upside down" mishap in your garage.
  I guess the next stage will be trying to get her out of the box, so I look forward to reading about you get on with that task.
  Good luck.

  Thanks DJC!
  
  
  
  I know I go overboard sometimes with Grafx, but I enjoy building it so I'm glad you liked it
  
  I'm sure getting her out of the box will be most interesting, if not funny..
  
  I was going to try and do that today, except I'm not so sure it's really such a good idea since I don't have anywhere to stash her yet - so then what do I do with her..?
  I'd just have to put her right back and go through that whole ordeal again.. not to mention the potential for causing her damage from the excessive handling..
  You can imagine I'm dying to take her out though!
  But Nah.. it won't be today;
  
  But you know me.. lol
  I think I've come up with the perfect stash-solution for her that doesn't involve the coffin and make her more readily accessible to me - INSIDE the house no less and right under the nose of the BC! LMAO!!
  
  At least I believe it's a genius solution, but it's going to take a few days to 'Prep' the space so for now she'll have to suffer out there in the garage a while longer..