{"id":2449019,"date":"2019-09-23T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-09-23T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/?p=313271"},"modified":"2019-09-23T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2019-09-23T06:00:00","slug":"andersen-overheard-at-an-aspen-restaurant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/andersen-overheard-at-an-aspen-restaurant\/","title":{"rendered":"Andersen: Overheard at an Aspen restaurant"},"content":{"rendered":"
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<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

I\u2019m sipping a glass of chlorinated Aspen tap water (abrasive nose!) and letting my thoughts wander. My mental peregrinations are high-jacked to a nearby table by an indiscreet conversation between a woman and two men.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith homes over 10,000 square feet, we have protocols to deal with any issues that might come up,\u201d assures one of the men. \u201cI\u2019m a project manager, so my engineering mind is well suited to these kinds of challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow do I know if 10,000 square feet is enough?\u201d asks the woman.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat all depends on your expectations for fulfillment,\u201d serves up the PM.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd how am I supposed to determine fulfillment?\u201d she volleys back.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe assign three different levels of fulfillment to a project, depending on size. It\u2019s up to you to choose an investment ceiling and square footage based on your needs,\u201d informs the PM.<\/p>\n

The other man nods knowingly. He appears to be the architect for the prestigious Aspen firm that\u2019s bidding for this woman\u2019s dream home. His nod verifies the PM\u2019s approach and assuages the woman\u2019s need for affirmation from two alpha men.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what are the levels of fulfillment?\u201d asks the woman.<\/p>\n

The PM folds his hands together, interlocking his fingers, elbows on the table. He speaks at his combined fists as if they form a microphone so the whole restaurant can hear: \u201cWe start with 7,000 square feet. But, mind you, this modest size represents only a modicum of fulfillment for any discerning client.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell \u2026 I\u2019m entitled to more fulfillment than less,\u201d intones the woman, \u201cso 7,000 square feet might not be enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, very discerning of you,\u201d congratulates the PM.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, where do we go from here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can go with extreme elegance in a compact space,\u201d says the PM, \u201cor, we jump up to 10,000 square feet. The very mass of a structure this size,\u201d he says, gesturing with facile hands that form a massive, amorphous shape in the air above the table, \u201cis imposing and therefore more fulfilling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seeing his cue, the architect intervenes: \u201cAnd we can make it as imposing as you like, with stone facades and ramparts, a gated entry and, depending on how regal you feel, a castellated tower that says, \u2018My home is my castle.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

The architect leans forward, palms pressed on the table. He fixates on the woman\u2019s wide eyes. \u201cBut if you really want the level of fulfillment that you, your friends and your business associates will respect \u2026 we jump to 15,000 square feet of pure indulgence.\u201d<\/p>\n

The woman glances back and forth at the two men. A faint smile parts her lavishly lipsticked mouth. \u201cAnd that raises the cost by how much?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo need to worry about details like that at this stage,\u201d waves off the PM. \u201cLet\u2019s explore the best options for designing and building the rich, opulent and fully appointed venue you deserve. Costs come later.\u201d<\/p>\n

The woman sips her cocktail thoughtfully. \u201cFifteen thousand square feet \u2026 I\u2019ll need to think on that \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

The architect pipes in. \u201cSo, how much time do you expect to spend at this incredibly fashionable domicile? Will it be your primary household or a special place to celebrate the big holidays? It\u2019s important to our design criteria if you\u2019ll actually be living here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, heavens, no!\u201d says the woman. \u201cWe don\u2019t actually live anywhere \u2026 just jet off to our homes here and there \u2026 wherever we decide it would be fun to stay for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGot it!\u201d says the architect, scribbling in a notebook and muttering to himself, \u201cEntitled itinerant vagabond homeless jet-setter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that you\u2019re saying?\u201d begs the woman, eyebrows raised.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing,\u201d says the architect. \u201cJust getting clear.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, back to concepts,\u201d imposes the PM. \u201cWill you bring in your own staff or hire locals?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t go anywhere without our own private chef,\u201d she states. \u201cThe house staff we\u2019ll hire locally.\u201d The woman taps her painted fingernails on the cocktail glass. \u201cCan we trust the locals to serve us in the manner to which we\u2019ve become accustomed?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFear not,\u201d assures the PM. \u201cIn Aspen, you\u2019ll be treated like royalty.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul Andersen\u2019s column appears on Mondays. He may be reached at andersen@rof.net<\/a>.<\/p>\n

via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m sipping a glass of chlorinated Aspen tap water (abrasive nose!) and letting my thoughts wander. My mental peregrinations are high-jacked to a nearby table by an indiscreet conversation between a woman and two men. \u201cWith homes over 10,000 square feet, we have protocols to deal with any issues that might come up,\u201d assures one […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2449019","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-27 04:47:23","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley's Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2449019","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2449019"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2449019\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2449019"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2449019"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2449019"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}