Monday, April 18, 2005

Brownie the Couch, Or My Living Room Looks Like a Frat House

I've been having some inquiries into the fate of Brownie the Couch (Derek's couch that we've been housing). First, back story:

Brownie is a low brown sectional with long pillow-back cushions; he had been in Derek's possession since I've ever known him (I think he said it's from his Grandma's larger sectional). I inherited Brownie when I moved out, since Derek had moved to Saskatoon and couldn't take him along. As well, we didn't have a couch, and there's a whole bunch other story behind it, as well.

Recently, Becca was going to live with us this spring, but now is going to be living at Rescue College, at the Regina Rescue Mission, and I believe it's furnished. So, she doesn't need most of her own stuff, but those who were housing her things in Regina while she's in Ohio couldn't keep her stuff after April 30. Karl is taking Becca's couch and love seat in the fall, but isn't moving out until the fall. And so, Meg and I have taken two more couches into foster care. Our rocker armchair is now in my bedroom, and we even have a couch in front of our fireplace. Our living room looks like we're living in a frat house; the only decor is couches from the 1970s.

But poor Brownie. We really can't take him for any longer, and Derek might be moving into a furnished place next year. And so he told us just to get rid of him. However, Salvation Army won't take him, on account of his torn seat cushion (you know, the one that the corner cushion hides) and missing leg. They called Brownie a "health hazard." But we really don't want to have to cart Brownie off to the dump: he is still a serviceable couch, in spite of the fact that Brownie is terrible for napping (big ridges where the sections meet), and once when I spilled water on the couch, I when I mopped it up, blue something came out of the cushion (I'm assuming ink). Not to mention the fact that my allergies mean that Brownie makes me sneeze. (Okay, realistically, I should not be in contact with any of our upholstered furniture. I had to cover the armchair with a blanket, because I was getting rashes on my arms from touching it.)

My friend Brandy's offered to put Brownie (and the arm chair) on Regina FreeCycle, where you can advertise things you're giving away for free (and also find things that are being offered for free!).

And so, Ariann and Derek, that's the news about Brownie: no news yet.

I am wearing: a Pinky and the Brain t-shirt I got from my brother for my birthday several years ago (black, with a glowing green Brain) and my Paris pyjama pants.

I am smiling because: I'm hugging the soft pink stuffed bunny that I bought when my Grandpa died.

I could use: some more commas in this post.

1 comment:

Life of Turner said...

Oh, Brownie. Maybe I will have to find a way to keep him around. I love that the Salvation Army couldn't even take him. Just don't talk to my sister about people trying to give stuff to the SaliAnn. She works there, and wow there are a lot of stupid people who don't understand why the store will not take certain items. On a somewhat related note, you may notice that Salvation Army donation bins are mostly removed, at least in Saskatoon. That's what happens when someone gets pricked with a needle some druggie left in a bin when he slept in it overnight (along with other unpleasant surprises). Anyway, moral of the story is that the legend of Brownie lives on. As Dr. Ian Malcolm says in Jurassic Park, "Life finds a way." So does Brownie.

Derek out.