Saturday, January 3, 2015

Suum Cuique

Okay. Who in the hell decided that it would be a fantastic idea to put cup holders into recliners and sectional sofas? And I'm not talking those cheap, fake leather sectional things. I'm talking expensive shit here. Could anything possibly say, "We're Americans!" with more brass and sass than buying thousands of dollars worth of living room furniture that has cup holders in it?
Ay yi.

Well, anyway. We bought nothing but lunch and lunch was delightful. It occurred to me that we had chosen this one day to shop for two things which are found in stores where people working for commission rush you at the door.
"Can I help you? My name is George (Irene, Gupta, Maggie, whatever)." Handshake. As if to let us know that this was not to be just a business transaction but a real and true relationship!
"Uh. Where are your dishwashers?"
"Let me show you!"
And then the dog and pony show would commence and doors would be opened, the decibel levels of the various machines would be bragged about (some dishwashers are apparently so quiet that when they are operating, they emit a beam of light so that you know they are actually on!), racks were pulled in and out to demonstrate their smoothness of glide, their functionality.
And, well, that about covered it. I mean, how much is there to talk about dishwashers?
"Does this come in black or only the stainless steel?"
It almost all boils down to whether or not you want to support local business and pay extra but be assured of personal service or buy at one of the Big Places and get it cheaper and have to deal with the service you get. And of course, the salesperson is going to be local no matter what so there is that too.
Again I say, "Ay yi."
And since I'm going to have to clean out a cabinet and make room for this machine and Mr. Moon is going to have to do some carpentry and plumbing to make a place for it, this is not an urgent decision. Not like a washing machine gone to hell or a refrigerator or stove. We've been washing dishes by hand for over ten years and it hasn't killed us yet.

So we haven't really made a decision, much less a purchase.

After we hit the appliance stores, we commenced onto the furniture stores. I have no idea what it is that I really want except something to sit/recline on to read with room enough for pillows and a grandchild or two which is not as big as a sofa. Something cozy. Something pretty. Something NOT beige or brown or leather. This seems to be an unobtainable object. Perhaps it's not the big chair and ottoman that I really want. Perhaps I want a chaise longue. But the fact of the matter is, I saw nothing which pleased me esthetically at all and only one thing that was halfway comfortable and I have to tell you that was leather.
Jeez. I thought it was going to be so easy.
I'm just not used to buying new furniture. I've always either inherited my furniture or bought stuff from thrift stores. Or antique stores in a few situations. I even bought a chaise once at a thrift store and I do still have it but our dog Pearl had a bad habit of digging caves into furniture and she dug a cave into that piece as well and I'm sorry, it is just ugly and I have it in my office with an old bedspread on it and a pillow in the crater she made. The most interesting thing about it, besides the hole, is that the back upholstery was attached very cleverly with velcro, making me wonder if it had been someone's hiding place for their stash. Unfortunately, I did not find a pound of cocaine in it which would have financed a decent piece of furniture.

But, we never got cranky. I didn't even get cranky when Mr. Moon spent approximately 35 minutes returning a bird feeder. I did a crossword and read part of a New Yorker. And having lunch in the middle of all of that helped. I took Mr. Moon to Ted's Montana Grill and he liked the place a lot although he was a bit horrified that a hamburger could cost $17. Well, la-di-dah. It was a bison burger and had horseradish cheddar and mushrooms on it and it's about the best thing I've ever eaten so whatever. I'd much rather eat one of those every year than eat a Wendy's hamburger EVER so in my mind, with my logic, it all makes perfect sense.
And may I repeat once again that it's a good thing I married that man because if I hadn't, I'd be living in a van down by the river and would not even be able to entertain the idea of buying a chaise longue for the library, much less a dishwasher.

And now we're home and will be eating various leftovers for our supper. There's fish and there's black-eyed peas and some of my husband's lunch which he did not finish although I ate every bite of mine. And one of us will wash the dishes and that will be fine. I told my husband the other day that if he put a window in over the sink, I really wouldn't need a dishwasher and he laughed. But that would require an electrician as well as carpentry work because the breaker box is right where the window would go. Cheaper to buy a dishwasher.

And so it goes in the life of a sixty-year old woman on one day in the beginning of a new year. I am excited and thrilled that same-sex marriages will legally commence in my state starting this week. I'd give a lot to know who the first same-sex couple will be to walk into the Jefferson County courthouse in Monticello to procure a marriage license. Will it be the guys who live down the road from me who fly the rainbow flag and who have loved each other through thick and thin, illness and health, for a long, long time? Will it be two women I know who have stood by each other for most of a lifetime who have rainbow colored rings tattooed on their ring fingers on their left hand?
Golly. It's exciting. I read in the paper that a Tallahassee Unitarian minister has four marriages lined up in her church for the day gay marriage becomes legal. And guess what? I officiated at a marriage ceremony there many, many years ago for two women and they are still married (although not legally, as far as I know) and I'll never forget the titty cake served at the reception.
And I will tell you this- as backward in many ways as this county I live in is, the motto over our beautiful old courthouse is Suum Cuique, which is Latin for Each To His Own.

To each his or her own. Amen.

You want cup holders in your sofa? Go for it, baby!

You want to marry the person you love?
I give you my blessings and apologize that it's taken this damn long.
Time to go heat up the black-eyed peas.

All love...Ms. Moon















15 comments:

  1. Oh, shopping. Better you than me. And wow, that burger sounds GOOD.
    HAPPY NEW YEAR. Again.

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  2. speaking from my own experience, I would spend the money on a window over your sink, and forget the dishwasher. We had ours torn out when we moved in because we need the space for kitchen storage. I've never regretted it! Cupholders in a sofa? NO, wouldn't do that either !!!!!!!!!! But I *would* eat that burger
    Hugs
    Susan

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  3. I can just imagine how much cleaning those cup holders would require, not to mention the cords running all over the place to plug in the recliners. I love my dishwasher, I bought it at Appliance Direct for a pretty good price a few years ago. Gail

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  4. The main reason I have to remodel my kitchen is because THERE IS NO DISHWASHER- the most remarkable invention ever.

    I spent the week at a Zen monastery with two old women who were married in California and after Prop 8 took same sex marriage down, the State sent them their marriage license money back!!! What a stupid world.

    I love you.

    Beth

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  5. PS. when did you get ducks???? I loves me some ducks, I do!!!

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  6. Denise- That burger was worth seventeen dollars. That's all I have to say about that. And happy New Year to you again as well.

    Susan- Ah, I can do without this cabinet space and I have a door with with glass panels in it right beside the sink. It'll be all right.

    Gail- It will be interesting to have a dishwasher. And sometimes, "interesting" is enough.

    Beth- What bullshit, bullshit. "Oh, you're not married. Here's your money back." Bite my ass.
    Etc.
    I got the ducks from Bug when Kathleen died. They are a joy to our lives.

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  7. I got my favorite chair at Target. Nothing fancy but I love it.

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  8. I had a hard time getting by the FACT THAT YOU DO NOT ALREADY HAVE A DISHWASHER! How have a I missed that over these many years of reading about you cooking and entertaining?

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  9. we had $17 burgers at a fancy schmancy gordon ramsey restaurant in vegas- so worth it.

    love love love my dishwasher-

    i hope our stay in michigan is lifted soon. the new nickname for my state is michabama because we are now more backasswards then the damn south....


    xxalainaxx

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  10. Also, not a fan of cup holder furniture, except, of
    course, for a beach chair. We have lived both with and
    without a dishwasher over the years, and my partner
    much prefers with. So, with it is. Much the same
    weirdness here in Missouri, but sadly unresolved. We
    can now legally marry at both ends of I-70, in St Louis
    and Jackson counties, but no other counties as yet.
    We could get married in St Louis and Boone county
    would consider it legal. But we can't pop into the
    Boone County courthouse and get a license because,
    well, no one seems to know why. Never expected to
    see even this in my lifetime. Much progress along this
    convoluted path toward equality, but still so far to go.
    We will marry when it is LEGAL legal. Meantime,
    thank you for your kind thoughts. Kind thoughts from
    people who truly know love touch our hearts and
    somehow protect them from the crap the bitter
    meanies spew. It is good to know my someday
    marriage will never be a threat to you and Mr Moon.
    Thank you.

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  11. Ugh. I do not envy you the quest for new appliances. I can't even bring myself to shop for socks. Having a dishwasher is a luxury but trust me, when you get it, you'll be glad.

    I don't get the cup holder thing either, or the obsession with brown and beige leather.

    Have you thought about having the chaise reupholstered? You could probably get it done for what a new couch or chair would cost. And you can pick the fabric yourself!

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  12. Happy New Year and here's what I think! Stainless steel on the inside of your dishwasher. I bought plastic one time and it was not good. The cup holders, ugh. Now a tray for wine glasses would be a fine idea. I vote yes on the Steve's idea. Think of all the different fabrics to choose from!

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  13. dishwashers and sofas. took us a year to buy our sofa and we ended up getting the first one we looked at and liked. a cushy greenish microfiber with a bit of memory foam double recliner (NO cup holders...really, no wonder americans are so fat) with room for a snuggly third. and dishwashers. ack. the old city house's kitchen counters were not high enough to accommodate a dishwasher. the country house came with one but it took me three years of full time living here to finally embrace the machine.

    Happy new year Mary and I find myself lucky to count you as a friend.

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  14. Kelly- I should check that out! Thanks!

    Elizabeth- I feel really lucky to have running water (both hot AND cold!) so, yeah, a dishwasher hasn't been much of a priority. But now I want one. I got a bug up my butt about it.

    Mrs. A- It's funny. When I was a kid and lived in a town in Florida where lots and lots of Yankees came down to spend the winters, a huge percent of them were from Michigan. They must have felt very comfortable in our redneck culture.
    Let's hear it for 17 dollar burgers and dishwashers!

    Lain T- Hello and welcome! You made me laugh with your statement about your someday marriage never being a threat to my marriage. Ha! And in seriousness, may I say that I hope with all of my heart that it is LEGAL legal soon. Can't come too soon, can it? But hell yes, things have changed so much in my lifetime. It is slow progress but it is definite progress.

    Steve- I think it might be easier to shop for a dishwasher than for socks. I'd consider the reupholstery on the chaise but it's sort of a cheap thing and not that comfortable.

    Laura Johnson- Is this your first time here? Thanks for commenting! Yep. We've pretty much decided on the stainless steel thing. And see above about the reupholstery question.

    Ellen Abbott- I county myself lucky to have YOU as a friend. Happy New Year, dear woman!

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  15. We have been eating at Ted's on shopping days since the bison burgers were $6.95 and they did not taste like a salt shaker!

    If I had been washing dishes for years and years with no problem except dry skin (which I suppose you don't know about in Florida), well then I might continue to wash them in the sink.

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