Sometimes the world we inhabit can be stunningly beautiful when least expected. Case in point: after winging through four hours of Maryland and Pennsylvania driving tonight, I stopped in at the carwash off of Benner Pike as it does a better job with bug splatters than the one on Atherton. Through some magic of alignment and happenstance of time of day, I managed to pull into the no-touch wash bay just as the sun was setting with the frosted door as a frame. The result was sublime.
Installment #13:
What is it? tiny Rubik’s Cube
What’s its deal? a random gift from Dusty
Where does it live? one shelf down from the Japanese vase featured in Installment #12
Any notable facts? I truly have no idea where Dusty got these, but they seemed to be given out frequently for a time – and I’ve still not actually beaten it
Installment #12:
What is it? antique Japanese vase
What’s its deal? inherited from my great grandmother when she died at just over 100
Where does it live? small bookcase between the living and dining rooms
Any notable facts? this vase is stamped “Nipon – 1906″ and originally lived in my great, great grandmother’s home on Mt. Washington, though no one ever knew for sure how it got there
Installment #11:
What is it? stuffed, fat cat aka “Fudgeball”
What’s its deal? Fudgeball sits around looking morbidly obese and disgruntled
Where does it live? wedged beside a throw pillow on the leather armchair, or on the floor if someone needs to sit in his seat
Any notable facts? while his description is familiar, it’s important to note that Fudgeball does not have stripes, and is therefore not Clyde
Installment #10:
What is it? scale model BMW 1 Series five door
What’s its deal? even though I’m 25, I still occasionally feel compelled to check the toy car bin at my local pharmacy
Where does it live? ladder bookcase – presently next to some “Pretty Kitty” matches, a jade bookend from Peru and a drinking glass (abandoned in my first Chestertown apartment) full of seashells
Any notable facts? the 1 Series five door is not sold in the states – and is a child-repelling five door – so I wasn’t really ever expecting to find it as a model car at Rite Aid
Installment #9:
What is it? snowglobe with a cat in it from the Warhol Museum
What’s its deal? it’s a cat in a snowglobe – I mean, what else do you want?
Where does it live? same table as Amber’s beloved landline phone
Any notable facts? Kate might think the vacuum was our first joint house purchase (or Rigel) but it’s actually this – which speaks volumes, when you think about it.
Installment #8:
What is it? postcard of Indian lovers
What’s its deal? purchased forever ago at an art museum I visited on a school trip for my Western Civ class
Where does it live? beside the oh-so-important landline phone on the end table to the right of the couch
Any notable facts? usually buried behind a wall of books after following me from one home to the next since high school
Installment #7:
What is it? “white mouse”
What’s its deal? one of hundreds of cat toys that, at any time, can be right under your feet when it’s dark in the house
Where does it live? wherever our cats feel like tossing it today – sometimes in the toy basket, though
Any notable facts? “white mouse” is less popular than “brown mouse” for reasons we’ll never fully understand
Installment #6:
What is it? carved Chinese box
What’s its deal? souvenir from Beth to me following her journey across China (sometimes on camel)
Where does it live? atop of a stack of books on the ladder-style bookshelf in the living room
Any notable facts? this box is empty inside, though it seems like it would be the perfect size for something…
Installment #5:
What is it? tiny glass cat
What’s its deal? gift from my cousin to me on my way into college
Where does it live? above the kitchen sink, below the leaves of whatever plants I’m rooting at the moment
Any notable facts? this cousin and I no longer speak
