Today in Columbus, Ohio it's raining. During the past couple of weeks I've been refurbishing my deck, replacing 131 boards - I'm half done. Today is actually a fine day for extracting nails from cedar planks, for the most part eight nails per plank. The present deck project is actually phase two. Phase one (the easy part) was completed a few years ago. My motivation in commencing phase two was exercise. My wife and I live in a subdivision. I find it quite boring to walk in my subdivision for exercise. I love walking; but there has to be an interesting terminus to my walking efforts - a book store, a record (CD) store, a café. When I was growing up in Highland Park, Michigan, on Saturday mornings I would walk up to Sears department store. In those days, Sears had a vinyl record department (even appliance stores had record sections). Stan Getz's Jazz Interpretations # 2 was purchased at an appliance store on Victor Ave.. Oscar Pettiford's Bohemia After Dark was purchased at Sam's department store in downtown Detroit. Elizabeth Anscome's book Intention was purchased at J. L. Hudson's department store. Essays on Frege was purchased at the terminus of a Sunday walk from Wayne State University's student housing to Paperbacks Unlimited in Highland Park. The exercise opportunities - mental and physical - pre-Amazon were robust.
I appreciate now John Cheever's story about the guy who was bent on swimming in each of the swimming pools in his neighborhood. Subdivisions sans cultural necessities are apt settings for cases of hysteria.
I sometimes think of that story too. Swimming the way out of town.
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Sharon, thanks for your reply. I think that I've gotten four replies so far, and you are responsible for two of them. Keep up the good work!
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