Thursday, February 21, 2008

Thoughtful Thursday

Why, hello, dear readers!! It is so very nice to be back. "But wherever could you have been, dear Baroness?". Let me tell you. For the last 4 days, The Baroness has been submerged in Crazy Scandinavian D.I.Y. World, in the land of hexagonal screwdrivers and pictorial instruction manuals, of wooden dowels and Phillips screwdrivers. I did have fun, mind you, and came to realize that this flat-box furniture is the adult version of Lego. Finally I have emerged from the cardboard jungle, with renewed appreciation for the furniture makers of the world, and with an inexplicable craving for meatballs, gravlax, Aquavit and Ingmar Bergman movies. Heavy on the Aquavit.

Today's Thoughtful Thursday comes from yet another fabulous recommendation from my dear friend, the Countess KR. Also known as the Book Pusher. And the Soup Angel. She is always steering me towards wonderful things. She knows that I find reading obituaries fascinating, so she sent me this. She knows that I love words, so she sent me this link. She knows that I adore the funny, so she sent me the link to www.macaronimaniac.blogspot.com. In Macaroni's profile, she humbly professes/confesses to playing the accordion. This fact alone made my ears perk up. The fact she's wearing leopard skin just clinches the deal. The Baroness strongly urges you to check this relatively new blogger out. Unless, of course, you don't really find humor humorous. Then you should watching Bergman instead of me.

Here I discovered a truly witty lady, and with her permission, and high praise to her cleverness, I give you her interpretation of the great Walt Whitman's "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry", written from the perspective of a high-school-shopping-mall-dweller. Enjoy.

Oh you acid-washed jeans wearing teen,
Oh you harried mother with stroller,
Oh you security guard letting a young shoplifter off with a
warning,
Oh you lamp store sales clerk on a brief smoking break,
I walk with you all along faux-travertine floor-tiled avenues of
commerce

Together we go to the food court, celebrated provider of
sustenance,
Together we eat of the bounty of the food court,
Quenched are we by the flowing waters of Orange Julius,
Quieted are we by injudicious ingestion of Carvel soft-serve
The last hot dog sits lonely beneath the heat lamp,
The man will come along who will eat it

What sturdy youth flock to Spencer's for novelty gifts,
What aging fellowhood seeks out the toiletries aisle of CVS,
The poet walks with them singing their sorrows and singing their
joys,
The song of the people rings out from emporia
Attention shoppers we have a special today

For Macaroni's entire post on Walt Whitman, click here.



12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh don't you tell me you didn't enjoy the world that I live in.
Ikea is great ya'll.
The pictures tell you exactly what to do!!!
What in the hey did you build though?

Wonderful World of Weiners said...

How can someone with such a cool blog name have readership lower than double digits? (saw you at Scarlett's blog) Had to come over and check you out!

Cool blog - I'll be back. That menas your readership has increases by one! Yeah for me!

Hallie

Shelley Jaffe said...

Countess Leah: We were building, building, building office furniture - desks, bookshelves, credenzas. B and I are now sharing the downstairs office - I'm looking at it kind of like a cage match - two people enter, one person leaves...

You know that I love Crazy Scandinavian D.I.Y. World. Props to the I.

Shelley Jaffe said...

Countess Hallie: Welcome! I'm honored you're here. Any friend of Scarlett's is a friend of mine. Except the ones that owe her money. Or have a Sea Captain's whistle that will crash my computer...:)

Not Afraid to Use It said...

Dude, I would move into IKEA if I could. And I am about to move 20 minutes away from one. I think Hubbie is going to have to confiscate my credit cards and freeze my bank account. The majority of our furniture is from IKEA, but we shipped it with us from Sweden. I need to see pictures of yours. Get posting, woman. You can't have talked about this without adding photos!!

Wonderful World of Weiners said...

If giving you my new purse would make me sick, I think I'll stay sick! I love it too much to part ways!! Maybe coughing up a lung now and again really isn't as bad as I thought it was!

Hallie

Shelley Jaffe said...

PHOTOS? Exactly what century do you think I was born in? I just figured out the link thing; you can't rush progress. Maybe I attempt to do this a few Wordless Wednesdays from now. Until then, I suggest lingering lovingly over your catalogue - we're in the "Gallant" office furniture section (brown black) - nothing too fancy-schmancy - pure utilitarian. I think, for a time, we actually had an Ikea charge card, but that had a negative medical impact on my husband's heart - something to do with plaque and $1 hot dogs...Oh, and the total at the end of every month. A little out of hand.

The Guv'ner said...

After many years of practice I now speak Ikea. Me and my allen key will never be parted. I especially love getting to the end of whatever you're building and finding you're missing a screw.

OK that happens to me generally...ha.

Still. Count your hardware before you build people.

Lisa said...

Hey BVB!!!! Many many thanks for introducing me to the world of Macaroni ... she's simply mahhhvelous!

My sister and I once spent 9 hours putting together an entertainment center from that 4-letter word Swedish place you mentioned, only to find out we did it wrong. Anotr 3 hours later, we were done. ugh!

And finally ... You know that hot dog that's been shrivelling under the heat lamp for 3 days?? Well, Davey Dogs will be the guy to eat it. His unconditional love of hot dogs is what earned him his nickname.

Hope this finds you well and staying warm in the Canadian tundra! ... Babs Peapod

Anonymous said...

May I come over and suggest some lighting accents for the room?
Or perhaps some lovely magazine files from the craziness that is home organization?
Just so you know...
Richmond ikea sucks.
And I can't believe you wouldn't travel to see me at the big C ikea.
I am hurt.

Shelley Jaffe said...

Countess Leah: You are a tough customer to keep happy. Once I'm back from my holidays, I will get my shots, cancel the paper, and make the journey out to your fine place of business. I'll even buy you a $1 hot dog - if you quit grousing. Please.

Anonymous said...

I can't eat those hot dogs actually.
I've had so many, that even the thought of them makes me want to vomit.
I get them for less than a dollar.
So it just cheapens them even more.
Blah.

 
Blog Designed by Rita of CoffeeShop