Lounging around, Jack style

Yes, sometimes it's like I bought this new lounge suite just for the dog...

St Andrew is cross

I watched this St Andrew's Cross spider construct his web on my front veranda over several days last week. Check out the amazing markings on his abdomen! The finishing touch was the set of zigzagging, white, diagonal lines which - when he was centred in his web - appeared to make his spreadeagled legs look even longer. The day I decided to take a photo, he'd moved up slightly from his usual location; I noticed he was busy wrapping a hapless, trembling insect with spider silk - for later use... as lunch.

It was only a few days after the arrival of the new lounge suite that I suddenly realised: the large pot plant the spider had used to anchor the web had been quickly slid out of the way of the front door in the dark, to make room for the removal of the two old lounges and the delivery of the big new one.

Wherever St Andrew the spider is now, I'll bet he's very cross!

Showing restraint

When I first moved here in 2000, I made myself a promise that the lounge room would be a "Star Trek-free" room, since I had a spare room to gussy up as a Star Trek Shrine, and a family room (with no family to put in it) for the overflow. But it didn't take long for the Star Trek videocassettes and CDs, and then DVD boxed sets, and even my wonderful "Piiiiiigs iiiiiin Spaaaaaaace" playset (with First Mate Miss Piggy, Captain Link Hogthrob and Dr Strangepork of "The Muppet Show"), to creep into the lounge room and help to clutter it up.

Well, now that the new lounge suite is here: the dust has been eradicated, for the time being, at least; the two caged birds have been banished to another part of the house; the walls, ceiling and skirting boards are all freshly painted; and I've shown great restraint by bringing out only the Trek CDs, DVDs, and just a few VHS tapes. And the antennaed blue mannequin dressed in his authentic "It's a Wrap!" Andorian outfit from "Star Trek: Enterprise", of course. Only the essentials...

Lounging around again

Well, the new lounge suite arrived tonight. It looks very comfortable. Perhaps too comfortable; recliners send me straight to sleep and this corner suite has two of them. And its such a pretty medium blue.

The delivery truck was due at 6pm, but a thunderstorm held them up and they didn't arrive till after 8.30 or so. I ate dinner sitting on the floor in front of the TV, the only furniture left in the front room.

The room has been freshly painted (making the rest of the house look shabby by comparison). And no sooner were the modules slotted together than Jack was up on one, and settled in for the evening. Looks like I'm testing out the suite's resilience to dog hairs much earlier than expected.

Lounging around

Today I went shopping for a new lounge suite. The old lounges (a three-seater with foldaway bed and a matching two-seater) have done almost eight years service here, and several years back at my old home unit. It had quite bold geometric designs on it originally and then, as the material became shabby, I bought lounge covers and the second set is just about worn out now.

When a lounge suite makes such a significant contribution to a house's decor, not to mention the significant inroads into one's savings/credit account, it can be quite daunting.

Add to that the need to complement essential existing room contents, such as; DVDs; CDs; a full-size blue mannequin dressed in Andorian ambassadorial robes; widescreen TV - that sort of everyday thing.

Add to that a Jack Russell terrier, who plays "mountain goat" on the existing furniture without fear or favour, and sheds white fur onto most materials that are within two rooms' proximity.

I settled for a made-to-order large corner suite, covered with a liquid-repelling, "ocean blue", thick, corduroy material - with recliners built-in. The foldaway bed will be hidden inside a matching coffee table, hopefully extending the life of the lounge. It also will come with two cube-shaped storage ottomans.

I'm looking forward to its arrival, but not to the many sleepy nights spent trying to watch DVDs that make meee sooooo sleeee.........

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..........