Frequently, I will fall madly in love with a piece of furniture that leaves even my closest friends & allies scratching their heads in confusion. Such was the case with my new desk. When I first showed it to my husband, I could tell he was skeptical, but knew better than to say so...When the glimmer is in my eye, just back away.
It was love at first glance on Craigslist for me:
So I contacted the owner to arrange a viewing. We had several conversations over the course of a few days while attempting to fit our schedules together and I learned that the desk had belonged to his mother and he had the pity-able task of sorting out her belongings. I told him that I was a furniture maker and would take really good care of it...that I wasn't sure if I would refinish it, or leave it alone, but either way it would be loved. In a small way, I think these exchanges may have been a bit therapeutic for him, as I sensed he was perhaps a bit choked up on the other line.
I should mention, in addition to being incredibly kind, he was also extremely fair with the price ($45 for desk, chair, & mirror) and generously offered to deliver it to me for free.
So yesterday, when he showed up, it was an easy no brainer. I saw it on the truck, knew it was love, handed him the money, and brought it in the house. It was a little dirty from being in storage, but a little simple green & elbow grease was all it took to clean up nicely:
While pulling out one of the drawers, my husband discovered hidden treasures had fallen into the back of it. I couldn't believe it - a beautiful desk AND hidden treasure! I had hit the jackpot. The best things we found: an antique bottle opener, stolen from a San Francisco hotel called The Raphael; a porcelain lid to a tiny box (this must have made her CRAZY trying to find it); an old silver swiss army knife? or nail cutter?; and best of all - a tiny gold skeleton key with a #2 on it.
Doesn't that just pique your sense of wonder & adventure like crazy???!!!! WHAT on earth does that key open and HOW will I find it?
Well, those questions may have to go unanswered. I plan to call the man today and offer him what I found...but I'm REALLY hoping he doesn't want them back, because I love them so much! I would like to keep them with the desk, either displayed behind my computer or in a shadow box on the wall. Each item has so much history and so many secrets to tell...If I am allowed to keep them, I know they will provide endless inspiration and possibly good luck while spending long hours feverishly writing at this desk.
When I was a desk jockey in San Francisco, I frequently changed my desktop image to something happy and tropical because I was, well - unhappy & cold. Now that I'm back in Hawaii, I wanted to put some images out into the internets, in case anyone out there is searching for warm, flowery, happy, tropical, Hawaii wallpaper:
As the pipe clamp blisters began to pop and heal on my hands, I knew I was in a race against myself to find my next gig in woodworking. I had just quit my job after I was put on a mandatory 72-hour work week schedule, which was neither safe nor necessary in the warehouse where I was a full time furniture maker. From my first taste of sawdust, I was hooked. I loved everything about it, especially the aches & pains associated with putting in a hard day of manual labor.
I had moved thousands of miles from my industrial Michigan factory roots, only to go to college and decide the blue collar life is what I wanted. I quit my job, only when it was obvious that it would either kill or permanently injure me...but it was still one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make. Besides the fact that I love it, I realize now how wrapped up I was in the identity of being just one thing...In my working life, I have always had to have at least three side hustles going on and I've done everything from nude modeling, to being a maid, a well-paid executive assistant, an extra in movies, a make-up artist, to an apprentice sander in a woodshop.
When I call home to update my family, typically, whatever it is I describe is met with unconditional love & acceptance, even if there is a tinge of it not necessarily being understood. As a woodworker, I was finally able to align myself with an identity - one thing that I loved being and doing...and it was so much easier to explain that!
Predictably, when the job fell apart, I scrambled for any paying gig I could find on craigslist. As it turns out, it was a good time to be involved with film making and I even signed up for acting classes. Being involved in the process is as exciting as it seems like it would be - even the long hours of waiting, while being completely dressed to the nines for a 6:00 a.m. call time, shouldn't be exciting, but it still is.
Around this time I also found work as a fit model, working for a local design house. It's a job that pays very well but the work is inconsistent. Still, I am extremely thankful to have it, even if it is a bit weird for me to use it as an identifier at the dentist's office and have the receptionist squeal and ask me a bunch of questions about the job. That's a rock star moment, I'm not going to lie, but it's completely foreign to me to identify myself as "model" in any capacity...especially when "factory rat" was a closer signifier just weeks ago.
I'm not sure if all the discomfort in lacking a fixed occupation or identity squarely rests on my shoulders, or if I am reacting to other people's confusion when I try to explain, "Well, I'm actually a furniture maker, but I'm out of work, so I'm doing the acting and modeling thing, while looking for another woodworking gig." Who does that? I'm not sure if I even understand myself anymore.
In the long run, it's probably a good thing that I am so versatile & adaptable - I always have something relevent for any type of resume I'm creating for myself (and I have at least 3); but I long for the day when I have a short answer to the question, "So what do you do?"
My first job was working as a make-up artist in my mom's cosmetic shop, which was located in "the dead mall" across the street from the mega-mall, where everyone respectable went to shop. The only folks who ventured into the dead mall were those with bizarre fetishes they wanted to try out in "public" without actually being too far out into the public sphere. My four hour shift was often punctuated with high school principals and construction workers in drag, trying out the new high heels they just scored at Payless; a 60 yr. old woman dressed as a naughty school girl being led around on a leash by her husband; your occasional flasher; foot fetish guy who would creepily make me show him the colors of "toenail" polish we carried and on & on...
Anyway, it appears that Vox is now the dead mall. Of course, I'm sure there are still many "respectable" folks on here...but more so, there are a lot just letting their freak flag fly. And I love it. You are my people and I'm happy to be back. But don't send me pictures of your penis. Thanks.
Hello Members of Girl Germs,
I am very sorry that I went MIA for so long and spammers have been allowed to contaminate this space. I'm back now and ready to lay the smack down. I nuked as many spam posts as I could find and members that are clearly robots...but I'm sure I didn't catch everything. If you see something that should be destroyed, please let me know so that I can take care of it.
Thank you so much for adding all this wonderful content to the group - I have enjoyed catching up with everything I missed and have learned a lot. Also, you have inspired me so much! I can't wait to start writing again!
xoxo,
Miss Scotch
just tuned the teli in to the new digitarse signal and found myself watching 'Loose Women'............., before you know I'll be slumped every afternoon, in my pants, large belly bulging over my elasticated waistline, porridge spilled down my vest, awaiting death, time eroded by teli entertainment ..
There's a reason why Speech Debelle's album has sold less than 3000 copies, it's rubbish, the amateur ramblings of someone who thought there were homeless, but, was in-fact was in eerrr homes, yes, it wasn't very nice, but for the millions of children who are sleeping on the street throughout the world all their lives, its hardly poverty is it ??! A western dilemma, like Marvin Gaye said when he could afford to jab most of Columbia up his nostrils, 'for those of us who live a life to socialise', but he probably included himself in that.. makes previous winner (now residing in the 'where are they now' slot) Ms Dynamo, and Gomez look likes contenders... This is what happens when you let journalists and music critics vote on things... Quite why Bat for Lashes haven't won - twice, I don't know, I can't stand her stuff, but at least its better than Speeches... it's ****** rigged... look out for some Speeches albums on eBay shortly, as all the journalists who we're asked to listen and vote try and make a couple of extra quid out of the album that they don't actually want to listen to-ever again, because they're all too busy playing 'Beatles Rock' game on psII (or whatever the **** it is.)
I had just been sniffing, no, not cocaine, you naughty doo-goooders... Avril Lavigne's new fragrance... it's just what we need, Avril's new smell, .. I heard she had been working day and night, her chubby little legs folded under a bench, her little hands, pummelling the pestle and mortar, with lots of lovely things, all gathered from her fragrant home garden, some herbs thrown in, nurtured and formulated by her superb scientific mind, her fantastical sense of smell, and the deep knowledge that she knows what us ladies want to wear (perfume wise)... thanks Avril, so kind, its what the world needed, along (and happens to co-incide) with your new CD recording... She joins the ranks of Pink , and eerrr Jade Goody, with her own lovable nose twitching super odour... I just had 1 problem, its a very minor thing, and I don't want you to take it personally Avril, after all your dedication and hard work... my bottle seems to contain something reminiscent of formic acid, mixed with Parazone, a bit of toilet bleach, crossed with Dettol, because like your music, it's completely sterile, peurile, formulaic crap... well, if it smelt of crap that would be something, as it is, it smells of nnnoootthhhhing. Just what the world needs, another Avril Lavigne album , and heeerr eeerr new fragrance... STINKERS ! OOoooohhh handbags at dawn..
xxxx
if anyone knows what the point of Muse is please let me know... Public School twats from the Home Counties (the rich part), they've gone and done it, and taken almost the whole riff from the Doctor Who theme tune as their new single, to a Gary Glitter beat... since, as far as I'm aware the BBC own the music to Doctor Who (having ripped off the composer in the 60's), and since the BBC are playing it , they may as well pay themselves direct, save sending to the other gangsters of the music business PRS... what's the point in the money going round in 1 big circle, come to that what's the point of PRS, or the ****** BBC, or MUSE for that matter.. long live Rock, **** off Muse, you thieving ****'s , if I have to see that skinny little dipstick up there again fiddling around with his noodling guitar I'm going up there and pinch his arm till he cries - Genesis tribute Act... !! I'd like to see Amy Winehouse get together with Muse and make a record, so they could form a band called MUSE WINEHOUSES, so they can subsequently open a chain of restaurants under the same monicker - no good reason really, I just like the idea of a chain of Beefeater style diners called Muse Winhouses
XXX
I have to admit to feeling completely sick this-morning, having just seen the 32" Rat that has been discovered in Papau new Guinea... They might think its a cute little (!), fluffy rodent, personally, I am thanking the Lord Jesus that its a long way away (at the moment). They've said it likes to be handled, ... pukerello.. http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8215000/8215144.stm
on my mind though is another Rat , DANNY BOYLE, the rat who has earnt $85 million. from Slum Dog Millionaire, whilst the child star Azhar Izmail, has earnt £1000. from it... The dirty low down rip-off dogs (rats), earning millions for themselves and giving nothing back. His father (Izmail) has died from TB (yes TB?!!), whilst Danny lives it up in his super rich lifestyle. Izmail's money was spent on his father's treatment, what else can I say, I'm speechless, these horrid, nasty money grabbing pigs.. Just go and give out the cash Danny . If it happened in Britain there would be multiple lawsuits, and outcry, but because they are India, they can be exploited and used. Danny, I coming to see you, get your chequebook out. Put him in the catagory with super-rich bankers.
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