03 January 2017
843
R. Linda:
Well, if this is how the new year starts off, I am not sure I want to participate. My first assignment of the new year wasn't really mine, to begin with. The reporter who was supposed to have it was sick, so I took it since I was in the "area." I am not in the area, as this assignment was for the Great North Woods region of New Hampshire. I was south centrally located in the Monadnock Region and this was a two-and-a-half-hour drive in rainy weather with snow melting so the roads were icy. But the powers that be think because I live in New Hampshire and it is a small state everything is close by to where I LIVE! To make matters worse, an hour and a half into me drive, me heater stopped working! By the time I reached me destination I was a frozen block of Irish ice I was.
The assignment was to interview his lord and ladyship who came over here from Austria a year ago, bought what looks like a castle (ok if you blur your eyes it does), and they set to fixing the place up and I was told it was all done up in old world style. I don't usually do the style pieces, so this was me dipping me big toe in the water to try it out. I can tell you now, me big toe didn't stay in long.
I rang the doorbell which made me step back from the stoop because it did not ring like most doorbells, it bonged like a great bell in a tower. I even looked up to see if there was a tower and well there was no tower but a turret. The lights were on and it looked like a room, not a bell tower. Me mouth was agape at the sound so I was swallowing rainwater like a turkey until the front door slowly creaked open. I went to put on my best smile but it was quickly wiped away as I looked up at a gent who had to be 6'9" tall, skinny and gaunt with no smile. He reminded me of Lurch from the Addams Family.
"May I help you?" He said with a heavy accent as he slowly pronounced each word.
"Ah yes, my good man you may. I be Gabriel O'Sullivan from the news to interview his lady and Lordship. I believe I am expected."
"Come through." Said the deep voice as he opened the creaking door wider.
I stepped through into a vast octagon room with parquet flooring, a large brass candelabra hung from a very high ceiling, and candle sconces all around the rather elaborate room. I felt like I stepped back in time as there were armoured knights at intervals around the room and banners between each one. A lot of wood on the walls and a wood compass on the entry floor. I suppose the compass was there if someone was to take the south steps he or she would know what direction to take. Rather impressive if it was a castle, but like I say . . . it fell rather short of that.
Lurch (for want of a better name) had me hand off me rain spattered coat and brolly to him. He hung these on a hall tree built into the wall by the door. Then he told me Madame and Sir were upstairs in the lounge. To follow the stairs up, he would announce me from a speaker in the foyer so they'd know to expect me.
Ok, so I went up the stairs which were a rather pretty shade of brown marble and when I got to the top I could make a left or a right. Lurch had neglected to tell me which way to go, so I turned to point but he was gone. I moved to the right softly saying, "Hello?" but no one did I see and none answered. Great! I was about to get lost in a giant house and the possibility I'd never see daylight was nagging at the back of my mind.
I gulped, yes I did, I was unnerved R. Linda, I really was. As I was tentatively looking down a hallway, I saw a maid with a tray and did a John Cleese, "pardon me, excuse me," and she looked at me before entering, one hand holding the tray and the other, the doorknob. I had the distinct impression as pleasant as she looked, that tray would be thrown at me if I made a move and she'd be behind that door before I recovered.
"I be sorry but I be lost, I be the reporter . . . " but she cut me off with a relieved smile and told me to "come this way."
I followed her into a rather large room with a blazing fireplace that faced the door, bookcases faced each other on opposite walls and there were two fireside chairs and in the middle of both was not a table, no no, something quite unexpected but I was brought out of me surprise as the maid deposited the tray on a side table as she indicated with her head the two people sitting in the chairs had company.
I cleared me throat and introduced meself as the maid left and the two occupants of the chamber got out of their chairs to greet me. They were very nice as they asked after me drive and did I find the weather too bad, etc.
After the pleasantries were over the old man asked if I'd like his chair, and seeing there were no other chairs I told him I'd been cramped in the car for so long, standing for me would be just fine. And why do you ask? Because that thing that took me by surprise was a copper soaker tub. Oh yes, R. Linda, they had a tub pulled up in front of the fireplace, the two chairs on either side. You'd think a pie crust table would have fit the bill better, but no, no, it was a copper tub one would bathe in.
"I canz take zah tub if you like," the old man said, "no reasonz for you to stond." And he began taking his shoes off and I thought for a very panicked second he meant to take his clothes off too!
I guess my face looked like yes, I'd like a chair but no way did I want him in the tub so I told him no, he should have the chair. And he said, "Then you may haft the tub, I only ask you remove zah shoes so you don't scuffz it," and he sat down as did her ladyship both looking at me like aren't you going to get in?
I tell ya! I did not know what to say or what to do, but since they looked at me and the tub expectantly, I sighed and got me big self into the tub. Yes, I did and you know I did. I can be such a nutter I know, but they gave me no choice is all I can say in me own defence. Did I look ridiculous, you betcha! Did I feel that way too? You know it. Here is what looks very much like THE tub.
843
R. Linda:
Well, if this is how the new year starts off, I am not sure I want to participate. My first assignment of the new year wasn't really mine, to begin with. The reporter who was supposed to have it was sick, so I took it since I was in the "area." I am not in the area, as this assignment was for the Great North Woods region of New Hampshire. I was south centrally located in the Monadnock Region and this was a two-and-a-half-hour drive in rainy weather with snow melting so the roads were icy. But the powers that be think because I live in New Hampshire and it is a small state everything is close by to where I LIVE! To make matters worse, an hour and a half into me drive, me heater stopped working! By the time I reached me destination I was a frozen block of Irish ice I was.
The assignment was to interview his lord and ladyship who came over here from Austria a year ago, bought what looks like a castle (ok if you blur your eyes it does), and they set to fixing the place up and I was told it was all done up in old world style. I don't usually do the style pieces, so this was me dipping me big toe in the water to try it out. I can tell you now, me big toe didn't stay in long.
I rang the doorbell which made me step back from the stoop because it did not ring like most doorbells, it bonged like a great bell in a tower. I even looked up to see if there was a tower and well there was no tower but a turret. The lights were on and it looked like a room, not a bell tower. Me mouth was agape at the sound so I was swallowing rainwater like a turkey until the front door slowly creaked open. I went to put on my best smile but it was quickly wiped away as I looked up at a gent who had to be 6'9" tall, skinny and gaunt with no smile. He reminded me of Lurch from the Addams Family.
"May I help you?" He said with a heavy accent as he slowly pronounced each word.
"Ah yes, my good man you may. I be Gabriel O'Sullivan from the news to interview his lady and Lordship. I believe I am expected."
"Come through." Said the deep voice as he opened the creaking door wider.
I stepped through into a vast octagon room with parquet flooring, a large brass candelabra hung from a very high ceiling, and candle sconces all around the rather elaborate room. I felt like I stepped back in time as there were armoured knights at intervals around the room and banners between each one. A lot of wood on the walls and a wood compass on the entry floor. I suppose the compass was there if someone was to take the south steps he or she would know what direction to take. Rather impressive if it was a castle, but like I say . . . it fell rather short of that.
Lurch (for want of a better name) had me hand off me rain spattered coat and brolly to him. He hung these on a hall tree built into the wall by the door. Then he told me Madame and Sir were upstairs in the lounge. To follow the stairs up, he would announce me from a speaker in the foyer so they'd know to expect me.
Ok, so I went up the stairs which were a rather pretty shade of brown marble and when I got to the top I could make a left or a right. Lurch had neglected to tell me which way to go, so I turned to point but he was gone. I moved to the right softly saying, "Hello?" but no one did I see and none answered. Great! I was about to get lost in a giant house and the possibility I'd never see daylight was nagging at the back of my mind.
I gulped, yes I did, I was unnerved R. Linda, I really was. As I was tentatively looking down a hallway, I saw a maid with a tray and did a John Cleese, "pardon me, excuse me," and she looked at me before entering, one hand holding the tray and the other, the doorknob. I had the distinct impression as pleasant as she looked, that tray would be thrown at me if I made a move and she'd be behind that door before I recovered.
"I be sorry but I be lost, I be the reporter . . . " but she cut me off with a relieved smile and told me to "come this way."
I followed her into a rather large room with a blazing fireplace that faced the door, bookcases faced each other on opposite walls and there were two fireside chairs and in the middle of both was not a table, no no, something quite unexpected but I was brought out of me surprise as the maid deposited the tray on a side table as she indicated with her head the two people sitting in the chairs had company.
I cleared me throat and introduced meself as the maid left and the two occupants of the chamber got out of their chairs to greet me. They were very nice as they asked after me drive and did I find the weather too bad, etc.
After the pleasantries were over the old man asked if I'd like his chair, and seeing there were no other chairs I told him I'd been cramped in the car for so long, standing for me would be just fine. And why do you ask? Because that thing that took me by surprise was a copper soaker tub. Oh yes, R. Linda, they had a tub pulled up in front of the fireplace, the two chairs on either side. You'd think a pie crust table would have fit the bill better, but no, no, it was a copper tub one would bathe in.
"I canz take zah tub if you like," the old man said, "no reasonz for you to stond." And he began taking his shoes off and I thought for a very panicked second he meant to take his clothes off too!
I guess my face looked like yes, I'd like a chair but no way did I want him in the tub so I told him no, he should have the chair. And he said, "Then you may haft the tub, I only ask you remove zah shoes so you don't scuffz it," and he sat down as did her ladyship both looking at me like aren't you going to get in?
I tell ya! I did not know what to say or what to do, but since they looked at me and the tub expectantly, I sighed and got me big self into the tub. Yes, I did and you know I did. I can be such a nutter I know, but they gave me no choice is all I can say in me own defence. Did I look ridiculous, you betcha! Did I feel that way too? You know it. Here is what looks very much like THE tub.
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| Photo: courtesy of stylehive.com |
Yes, me legs were up around me chin but that was a great place for a pad and pen. No, there was no water in it, oh and I did take my shoes off first. You think it is funny? You try interviewing someone while YOU are lying in a bathtub that isn't yours. It didn't go well. I couldn't concentrate because of where I was sitting. They rambled on about the house and I didn't retain a word. No, I was more about the tub and me in it.
Finally, I asked why the tub was placed in a room that was not a bathroom and was rewarded with the information that the fireplace was why. I know, I should have quit while I was ahead. But no, I asked, "How is that?"
"Vell, you see dere we haft only the von verking fireplace and we do luff a nicez soak in front of zah fire. Until ve can get zah otter fireplaces verking we have zis."
Well, that explained it. I noticed the tub had no water facets and there was a large wooden bucket in the corner. Yes, I asked if that was how they filled it up and yes, it was. Matilda and Lurch took turns with the bucket. I'd love to have seen it filled by those two but had the wherewithal not to go that far in asking to see exactly how it's done so that I wouldn't be the one soaking in THE tub.
Matilda the maid did come back and took me for a quick tour of the finished rooms. All very elegant and old-fashioned, what you'd think of seeing in a castle, but the house wasn't a castle, so I asked Matilda why it was decorated like one and how people came to call it the castle.
"It's not a castle, you are right, not a castle in the literal sense. It's their castle, and they decorated it with what they brought from Austria where they did live in a castle." She shrugged like that said it all.
"Wait, why didn't they stay in the castle in Austria?"
"The castle was crumbling so because their daughter lives here they came here and well, they thought this place looked like a castle somehow . . . I think." She shrugged again.
I didn't believe her, I just couldn't and it was getting late, I still had nothing so I took my leave. It was only when I was 30 minutes away did I realise I had no heat in the car. The Great North Woods has miles and miles of a highway with no one on it and trees and little else. No place to stop for coffee to warm up or a general store to buy gloves and a muffler for frozen fingers and drippy nose. I tell ya, it wasn't worth it but I got YOU a story at the very least.
No, I won't be doing any more style pieces. As it is I now have to ring these people back up and ask me questions again, since I was that unsettled I retained nothing and wrote nothing but scribbles of a tub. Yeah, I don't know about me either sometimes. Awesome!
Gabe
Copyright © 2017 All rights reserved
Finally, I asked why the tub was placed in a room that was not a bathroom and was rewarded with the information that the fireplace was why. I know, I should have quit while I was ahead. But no, I asked, "How is that?"
"Vell, you see dere we haft only the von verking fireplace and we do luff a nicez soak in front of zah fire. Until ve can get zah otter fireplaces verking we have zis."
Well, that explained it. I noticed the tub had no water facets and there was a large wooden bucket in the corner. Yes, I asked if that was how they filled it up and yes, it was. Matilda and Lurch took turns with the bucket. I'd love to have seen it filled by those two but had the wherewithal not to go that far in asking to see exactly how it's done so that I wouldn't be the one soaking in THE tub.
Matilda the maid did come back and took me for a quick tour of the finished rooms. All very elegant and old-fashioned, what you'd think of seeing in a castle, but the house wasn't a castle, so I asked Matilda why it was decorated like one and how people came to call it the castle.
"It's not a castle, you are right, not a castle in the literal sense. It's their castle, and they decorated it with what they brought from Austria where they did live in a castle." She shrugged like that said it all.
"Wait, why didn't they stay in the castle in Austria?"
"The castle was crumbling so because their daughter lives here they came here and well, they thought this place looked like a castle somehow . . . I think." She shrugged again.
I didn't believe her, I just couldn't and it was getting late, I still had nothing so I took my leave. It was only when I was 30 minutes away did I realise I had no heat in the car. The Great North Woods has miles and miles of a highway with no one on it and trees and little else. No place to stop for coffee to warm up or a general store to buy gloves and a muffler for frozen fingers and drippy nose. I tell ya, it wasn't worth it but I got YOU a story at the very least.
No, I won't be doing any more style pieces. As it is I now have to ring these people back up and ask me questions again, since I was that unsettled I retained nothing and wrote nothing but scribbles of a tub. Yeah, I don't know about me either sometimes. Awesome!
Gabe
Copyright © 2017 All rights reserved
