Fish don't fry in the kitchen; Beans don't burn on the grill
The ink may still be wet on a purchase agreement I signed late this afternoon to acquire a condominium unit in Des Moines. An earnest deposit was placed, as well, for a top floor (penthouse?) two-bedroom property across from Iowa Methodist Hospital in the shadow of downtown. It's parcel of a brick building originally constructed in 1900 and currently undergoing a complete renovation. There are hardwood floors, a marble countertop to come in the kitchen, a caste-iron bathtub (to truly pamper oneself,) and a partial view of the city's downtown-- a very good view, perhaps, when the trees out front become dormant.I chose the property last weekend following a leisurely stroll around my Sherman Hill neighborhood. This journey also included a stop at the new Gateway Market, about five blocks away. Gateway is one of those high-end groceries specializing in organic products, smelly cheeses, and preppy beers. I finally determined that I could afford to purchase this particular condominium provided that I never shopped at the Gateway Market.
This change has been some time in coming as my financial prospects have greatly improved since that fateful day a year and a half ago. I know the tension surrounding my financial status has probably been about as thick for you people as has the final season of "The Sopranos," and such as in that series, blood may yet be spilled. As the property will not be available for occupancy until probably September 1st, my pal Rob Semelroth (who has been getting an undue amount of positive ink lately,) has graciously agreed to take me in as boarder for part of the summer. Rob stayed with me for a couple weeks in transition a few years ago and has been sponging off my HBO for nearly a decade. During negotiations, I talked him down on the rent from "paying the cable/internet" to "taking one of the ladies off his hands on one of those embarrassing evenings when he has mistakenly lined up a pair."
Saving a month or two on housing should help me budget for all the crap I'll need to buy. Topping the list of necessities is a couch, a couple of good-size rugs, a kitchen table and chairs, and some wind chimes for the screened-in porch. For the first couple of months, at least, the whole place might just be one giant dance floor. Which gives me an idea for a mortgage party...
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One of my broadcast and writing heroes, Studs Terkel of Chicago, turned 95 last week. Roger Ebert, in the pink and back at his keyboard, commemorates the special day.
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This exercise might be somewhat enjoyable for you baseball fans. Gene Wojciechowski put it together-- match the baseball superstar to some of his early scouting reports.
posted by CM @ 5:06 PM
4 Comments:
I understand why you wouldn't want your beans to burn, but I've never understood why you wouldn't want fish to fry in the kitchen. Isn't that the point of its preparation? I love a good fish fry.
Those scouting reports are interesting. Roger Clemens' reports must have been passed down as oral tradition, because I'm pretty sure the era before he was a big leaguer pre-date all written languages.
Which room will be turned into the shrine to the St. Louis Cardinals?
TA
That would be the second bedroom-slash-blogging room.
Based on current standings, you may want to find out where that trash chute in the hallway leads and see if that space is available for a Cardinals shrine.
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