$15 Makeover

The Sitting Room

We had a loveseat sitting in a room filled with clutter. Nicknamed the mudroom, this space rapidly turned into a junk room. Piles of shoes and boots, recycled cans and bottles spilling out of their containers, and unpacked boxes made a room where dreck and detritis trapped massive dustballs and decayed leafy matter.

Underneath this chaos was a lovely room waiting to be transformed into something, anything. Filled with light from 4 screened windows, it has a wood floor and a wood-paneled  accent wall. I spent a few hours emptying the room of everything but an old loveseat, an Adirondack chair Mark made in wood shop and an antique deacon's bench we bought from the previous owner. I planned to sell or donate the loveseat. I wanted to replace it with 2 wicker chairs.

Jeffersonville was having a town-wide sidewalk sale on Saturday. Anyone could rent a table and haul their  knicks and knacks into town to try to unload them. We live 2 blocks from town, and didn't have that much to sell. We set everything up outside our house waiting for cars to stop and shop.

We sold the loveseat for $15, as well as a few other items, for a total of $26. At 4:30, I was bored by the concept and put everything away, which wasn't much.

The next day, Marty and I were driving to a barbeque in Pennsylvania when I saw 2 white wicker chairs on the side of the road. They were 2 for $15! This was meant to be. Marty loaded them into the car and drove off to PA. Buck was a little squeezed but he didn't mind.

That's the new and improved mudroom above. It will only be used as a sitting room in the warm months due to lack of heat. Then it will revert back into the mudroom, which I hope I can keep  relatively free of dust bunnies.

John Irving's Latest

I've read a lot of John Irving. A Prayer for Owen Meany is by far the best in his oeuvre. Most of the time, Irving annoys me with his repetition and silliness. His new book, In One Person, has those characteristics in spades.

The topic is unique: sexual choices that don't necessarily fit neatly into categories. He  explores the infinite forms of desire, leaving out only the celibate and the addicted. LGBTQ is the contemporary shorthand for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning. There are characters in the book that fall in these broad categories and there are ones who fall somewhere in the spaces between. Hermaphrodites aren't considered. You'll have to read Jeffrey Eugenides Middlesex to learn about that.

The only admirable non-heterosexual in the book is Ms. Frost, a transgendered former wrestling champ who works as the village librarian. She's someone I'd like to know: thoughtful, accepting and widely-read. I don't think I've ever know a Ms. Frost, but then I only know people who fit into neat categories. Transgender is squishier. At least these people are able to carry out their preferences in ways they couldn't before.

Irving's treatment of the AIDS epidemic is superb. He presents it like a murder mystery, dropping clues along the way. Some of us know more than we want to about how AIDS ravages the body.There's a lot to learn in Irving's book about the disease.

Irving takes a shot at snooty people who quibble about terms like transsexual and transgendered.

"I just love it when when certain people feel free to tell writers what the correct words are. When I hear the same people use impact as a verb, I want to throw up."


Between you and me, Mr. Irving, it's best to ignore the idiots.

This One's for You, Jim B.

Today I went for a short run in the country, the first time I've run since early January in Peru. There were many reasons for the drought: boredom with running; overall body weakness; the weather (just an excuse). I kept saying I was going to start up again but just didn't. My son Mark kept asking me when, ma?

Today I had a cup of jo and put on my running gear. It was cool and sunny. I ran about 1.5 miles in a loop back to my house. I felt great. Now I have to make sure I do this every day and increase my miles.

Running made me think of you, Jim. I love to read your commentary about running because you're honest. Thanks for the inspiration!.

A Night With 21-Year Olds

I'm tired this morning, having stayed up until midnight. Mark and three of his friends came for dinner. All of them are on the track team. I don't think I've laughed so much at a gathering. My son is very witty, and his friends encourage him. We had meatballs, pasta, salad, garlic bread, washed down with beer and sangria. The youngins are all in training, so mostly water was imbibed.

We had an extended discussion explaining the difference between seltzer, club soda and sparkling water. It got pretty esoteric We went on to tonic and cognac. There was a lot of talk about running strategy. We went for ice cream at 10:30, bringing Buck along. Marty drove them back to the dorm and I started the massive clean-up in the kitchen.

It was great to spend time dipping my toe into the fountain of youth.

Mothers' Day with My New Baby

 

Splendid in the Grass

Mariel was in Peru. Mark was in Princeton. Harry was in Poughkeepsie. It was the first Mothers' Day since 1988 that no children joined me on the ,barring severe family dysfunction, this mandatory holiday.

Was I depressed? Of course not. My newest baby joined me. We adopted Buck, a 2.5 year old Bouvier de Flandres last week, all 100 lbs. of him. He is sweet, lovable and attached to my hip. His flaws include eating shoes and constantly nudging me which makes me more unsteady than I already am. We weave down the street like drunken sailors, people commenting everywhere we go. What kind of dog is that? Can I pet him? What a beauty. Buck is very laid back and seems indifferent to all the attention. I admit, I enjoy the reflected glory..

It was a beautiful weekend in the country. Except for 6 loads of laundry, I didn't do a damn thing. I went to Yoga, had a massage and cooked delicious food. Margaritas brook-side were a special treat. Marty took a bike ride and did various chores like put down grass seed and take out the patio furniture. Buck enjoyed the long walks and the sensation of cool grass on his belly. We stayed for an early Sunday dinner and drove to Manhattan with minor traffic. Wonder of all wonders: we got a parking spot on the correct side for Monday. That means I'm writing this blog rather than sitting in my car waiting for the street sweeper to come by.

Toast to Rhode Island

 Johnny Cakes, Dictionary, Scrabble

There was a little diner in East Greenwich, Rhode Island called Jiggers. It's out-of-business now, not because it wasn't good, but because of back taxes and bankruptcy. I always ordered fried eggs with sausage and Johnny Cakes. Johnny Cakes are a Rhode Island specialty, borrowed from the Native Americans, I'm guessing. It's just cornmeal, sugar, salt and water, fried up like pancakes. Like pancakes, you can eat them with butter and maple syrup.

I made Johnny Cakes for breakfast today. Here's to native Rhode Island food and my friends who joined me at Jiggers..