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Jenna's
Diary appears every Friday
April 12
Irene is going
to make our apartment her class project! She decided that instead of doing
her own home she would work on ours first. How cool is that, to have the
services of a semiprofessional interior decorator! (Not to be a big fat
ingrate but in a way I think for once in my life I would have preferred
being second. If she'd designed her own house first and it was a disaster
then she would have learned from her mistakes when it came time to do
mine but what can you do. I'll try to gently guide her.)
Jeff isn't
so thrilled. The first thing he asked was how much this was going to cost.
He is turning out to be a real cheapskate. Even when I told him it wouldn't
cost a thing he didn't seem to believe me.
She is dying
to see the "bones" of the apartment (which I thought meant plumbing
but doesn't) but since we can't get in until the end of the month she
felt she would get a head start by picking my palette.
I was a little
disappointed because after all it is my palette shouldn't I get
to pick it? But Irene told me I'd have to trust her judgment that she's
had six lessons and I've had none. Besides she doesn't feel comfortable
outside the white/cream range. I thought that might be a little blah but
she explained that white is the new black so that sounded kind of cool.
A month ago
I wouldn't have felt comfortable in the white/cream range but I've changed.
I'm much more elegant. Being the partner of a professional and a stepmother
has really changed me.
I hope I get
to keep my wooden pig.
April 13
Jeff is away
on business all weekend and as much as I hate to admit it it's a bit of
a break. It is such a treat to throw my clothes on the floor before I
go into the shower and kick them out of the way when I come out.
I love making
toast and not giving a damn about the crumb tray, putting opens cans of
soup in the fridge without first transferring it to a dish and eating
spaghetti right out of the saucepan over the sink. It's not that I'm a
slob or anything but I am an artist and we do things differently. We don't
have time to think about mundane household tasks because our minds are
filled with deep thoughts.
There's a "Green
Acres" marathon on and I'm pretty excited. I'm going to lounge around
all weekend watching TV, eating and napping.
April 15
Irene and I
went to the Designers Emporium to look for a couch. Wow. I thought sofas
were in the $200- 300 range - max. My last sofa was only 10 bucks but
then again it was used and it did have a huge bloodstain on it. These
sofas started in the $2000 range. I told Irene I thought the prices were
out of line but she said that I was naive, that you only get what you
pay for. She said if Jeff and I really couldn't afford it we could probably
go to Ikea but because I'd spent the whole morning bragging about Jeff's
job and the money he makes it seemed a bad time to plead poverty.
There was a
really cool one with giraffes and stuff on it but Irene rejected it and
a really neat purple plush one but that got nixed too. She finally narrowed
the choices down to three. The colours all looked the same to me (white)
at first until she explained the subtle nuances to me and told he how
"in" they are right now. Which I already knew.
We had lunch
at Giuseppes and had a great chat. Everything isn't rosy in Irene land!
Everyone thought that she and Paul had a perfect marriage, but not so.
Apparently they've been seeing a counselor. Although I'm sad to see my
friend go through hard times I do feel it is her turn.
I'm not surprised
really. I never really liked Paul I always thought there was something
sneaky about him. What kind of guy makes a pass at another woman on his
wedding day? (OK, maybe it was me who made the pass at him but I was really
drunk. In any case kissing was involved and if I remember correctly, tongues.)
It's weird.
Jenny has a failed marriage, Irene's marriage is on the rocks. I seem
to be the only one who knows how to maintain a healthy relationship!
I told Irene
the two magic words when it comes to a a successful relationship: trust
and communication. I told her that these things are the glue that cement
my relationship with Jeff.
Like most people
in failed relationships she is incredibly cynical. Here I was giving her
the key to happiness and all she could do is snort. She made a really
catty remark something along the lines of "Oh, yes I see trust and
communication play a big role in your relationship. I guess that's why
you told him you were a gynecologist and he told you he was single."
Poor Irene.
She's lucky that I see the underlying cause for her hurtful remark. Jealousy.
April 16
Jeff got back
early. I wasn't expecting him until about 9 and thought I would have a
chance to clean up but when I got home from work he was already at it.
I don't know why he was wearing rubber gloves, for heaven's sakes. There
were just a few pizza boxes and Chinese food containers. I jokingly offered
him a face-mask and he said "no, that's OK I've got the worst of
it." Sheesh.
I showed him
the fabric samples for the couch and he barely looked at them before he
asked how much the sofa would cost. I told him that a half decent one
would cost about $2000 and he said that that was ridiculous that we could
just swing by Ikea and pick up one for a tenth of the price.
He is so naive.
He also said
the that the colours all looked the same to him and I kindly pointed out
the obvious differences. He was pretty tired and asked if we could talk
about it another time which I guess means I get to pick.
I was dying
to phone Jenny to give her the scoop on Irene's marriage but I'm not talking
to her right now because she's not talking to me.
I went to bed
and imagined the new apartment and my new life while Jeff snored gently
beside me.
Wow. I have
it all.
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