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July 22, 2006
Mr. Glass and The Kenmore
Unfortunately, (or perhaps fortunately...) the two characters from the title are not related but are, instead, separate stories.
Some may recall tales of "Dr. Giggles" and his "BREAKFAST IS OVER" antics. Well, the last few nights have seen the addition of a new eccentric (read: crazy, drug addled, or psychotic) neighbor into the mix. After a night of mysterious 2AM buzzings of various apts in the building and repeated crashings that resulted in a bashed-in hallway wall, I knew something was up. Little did I know that it would be Mr. Glass. J and I had a very enjoyable dinner out and I was sewing (more on that later) until 2:30 AM. We finally went to bed and then were awoken in the 5AM range by broken glass and cries of "LET ME OUT OF HERE!!!!". Well, needless to say, the police were called by multiple neighbors. This did not prevent crashing and banging from ensuing, perhaps it precipiated it. Who needed to be let out of the apartment? Why could he not simply open the door? Was he under house arrest of some type? Undergoing paranoid hallucinations? Drunk? All of the above?? After a while, the newly christened Mr. Glass (anyone remember Unbreakable?) quieted down. This was until about 7AM, when the crashing began anew. Going to work this morning, I noticed that the door had been broken down and replaced with a piece of plywood bolted in by the police (case # on the door!). The bottom bolts had been damaged, as if the new "door" had been kicked repeatedly from the inside. When I passed, light jazz was playing and all seemed tranquil. The mysterious identity of Mr. Glass remains... a mystery. Oh and, I almost forgot, another registered sex offender moved into the neighborhood a few weeks ago. Coincidence? Probably.
Onto exciting news #2! I bought a new sewing machine. "New" is, of course, being used in the most figurative way possible. After realizing that my little Bernette is probably going to cost more to repair than it did to purchase, I thought about getting a used machine that would stand up to the test of time. I checked the Star Tribune online and lo and behold! An estate sale starting at 10AM the next morning. I trudged on over there and found my new little friend. Are all estate sales so grungy and depressing? I almost got weepy picking up a beautiful aqua glass, thinking that the owner was probably dead and her kids were selling off her stuff mercilessly. Then, the owner of the aforementioned glass came over and told me about her sewing machine. She had bought it in the 1950s to match her sister. Hers was a beautiful singer table-mounted model that was snatched by a seasoned garage-saler from right beneath my nose. So at least she wasn't dead, but she was moving into a tiny little apartment. She said her husband said they were going to a prison cell. So, not dead, but still a sad story. Her snotty daughter's machine is the one I ended up with. It is a lot like my mom's and had been serviced recently, so the $50 I spent was pretty good. She wouldn't budge on the price and was running that show with an iron fist. Anyway, I cleaned it up and it still looked pretty ancient. J suggested I make a cozy for it (isn't he the cutest?!?!?). The receipt for the Sears layaway was in the manual and it had the same house listed. The thing is even older than I am! I can't imagine living in one house for that long. I don't think they vacuumed the place the whole time...
I wish I could have afforded some of the lovely machines recommended to me on Ebay, but even as good deals, they were out of my range. This one sews really well and is SO QUIET!! It has its own quirks, but I think I should be able to work with them. I have not yet gotten over the fact that a machine doesn't have to be embarrassingly loud in order to work. I guess I just figured that was the downside to sewing. Ha! Well, now none of my crazy neighbors can complain that it is me making all that racket at 2AM...
Posted by loyd0008 at July 22, 2006 6:09 PM
Comments
I think you found a deal just the same. My first 2 (or was it 3?) machines were Kenmore. When DD1 was born, my grandmother gave me her Kenmore which my parents had bought her in the 70s as a gift. That machine worked like a charm and that was after she worked with it EVERY DAY FOR 20 or so years. She made all 20+ grandkids stuffed animals every single Christmas, she made quilts aglore. This machine will serve you well until you can afford your dream machine. Don't lose hope about it. ;o)
Posted by: Jill at July 23, 2006 9:37 AM