2004-05-25
When I bought our old house, the first thing I did was have a screened-in porch added on to the back. I was out there all the time. Ever since we moved to our present place, I've carped about the lack of a screened-in area. There's a nice deck and lots of other outdoor places to sit, but none that offer protection from rain or insects. None that feel cozy. We've talked about building something but in the meantime, we discovered these reasonably priced gazebos--metal frames with roofs and mosquito netting. So we got one and B made a platform and set it up for me this weekend and I totally love it.
Sunday we headed out to find some furniture for it. Last week B had been on an errand in a town an hour from us when he'd noticed some kind of store or house with vintage gliders on the lawn. They appeared to be for sale, but he was whizzing past and couldn't be sure. Yesterday he wanted to drive over and take a look but I was hesitant. I thought it unlikely the place would be open on Sunday and there was no way to call or look them up. I bristled at the thought of two hours in car for nothing but decided to be a good sport. (Because, truth be told, the night before I'd been a hideously bad sport about something else and I felt contrite.)
Well, we went and found a really great glider (kind of like this but red and sans cushions) in very good condition. We also picked up a pair of chairs of the same style that need to be sanded and painted.
While we were in that town, we visited an ice cream store we'd be wanting to try for a while. It's run by a dairy farm--it's not every day you get to meet the cow responsible for your creamy treat. Although Clay has occasional dishes of ice cream at home, this was, to my knowledge, his first cone. He took to it like a natural.
[Notes: B managed to cut his hair last week and yes, that is me behind him.]
And speaking of being on intimate terms with the producer of one's dairy treats, I'm on a campaign to wean Clay by the end of June. I've just kind of had enough. Wish me luck. Unless you think I'm being heartless. Though, honestly, give me a break. The kid will be two and a half.
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The other day, in the grocery store parking lot, Clay and I ran into my old friend Marie, whom I haven't seen in a year and a half.
We met when we both worked at the university and were both single. We were tight for a couple of years, then she moved away to go to grad school for a while, during which period I met B and cajoled him into moving here. Then she moved back. I still worked at the university and we'd have lunch together occasionally but things were never the same between us. We never stopped enjoying each other--she is one of the funniest people I have ever met--nor was there any ill will. Maybe we had enough between us to be friends when we were in the similar boat of singlehood but not quite enough to span the chasm between single and coupled.
When I quit my job and starting working in another part of town, even our lunches stopped. We'd still see each other every so often, usually at my initiation. But then we moved to the sticks and Clay was born and that's pretty much been that.
Anyway, we stood in the parking lot and caught up. She said, "I'm seeing someone!" Since I've known her, the guys she's dated have all been intellectual, emotionally unavailable black guys (she's white). There have been three or four of them--talk about having a type--and all the relationships seemed fairly doomed from my perspective due to the emotional unavailability. She went on, "He's white! He's shorter than I am! He's fat! And bald! I love him! He's divorced, he has two kids. He had a vasectomy, but I think he's open to getting it reversed. I finally had it with guys who were bad for me. I'm sure it would've happened sooner if I'd been in therapy but better late than never."
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