cherry picking

Some men like apples.  Some nectarines.  Me?  I'm a cherry man.

My plan yesterday was to take a detailed look at Costco's patio furniture.  Some pieces were fine. But I realized I was about to get caught in a trap I swore to Babs I would avoid.

I have seen far too many houses decorated as if everything had been bought at a Salvation Army thrift store between bus transfers.  You know what a mean.  No central theme.  No color thread.  I am trying to avoid that look.

Three areas in the house need furniture.  The library (formerly the living room).  My new living room.  And a yet-to-be-created dining room.  The latter two are upstairs.  The first is right off of the pool.

My first potential mistake (and I almost made it) was that I could buy a large set of outdoor furniture that would meet my living and dining room needs -- plus add a few pieces around the pool.  The problem with that technique is that it is predictable -- and boring.

I would like to create all three rooms to complement one another -- without making each room look so uniform that pieces are directly interchangeable.

Needless to say, I bought nothing.  And I am now without even the semblance of a plan -- other than the fact that I have learned a lot about what I am trying to avoid.  Better to do that than spend $20,000 and discover I have made a series of terrible mistakes.

One mistake I did not make at Costco was to forget to check the produce cold room to see if cherries had arrived.  They had.  I grabbed two cartons.

And I made myself a promise.  I never know what washing cherries have undergone before they go into my basket.  I was determined to give them a soak before I indulged.

My reluctance to eat them in the car was reenforced by the fact that my digestive system has been a bit tricky the past few days.  Cherries are usually not prescribed to settle stomach upsets.

That new-found self-discipline was strong enough to keep me out of the cherries until I pulled out of the Costco parking lot.  And I did manage to promise myself -- repeatedly: "Just two more -- and then I am done."
I told you I bought two cartons.  The photograph is my best witness of how good I am at keeping my word to myself.

My only other notable purchase was a new DVD player -- to replace the one that is eternally stuck on update.  My only criterion for a new player was the brand.  My sound bar and television are Samsung.  Thus, so is the new DVD player.

The new one looked familiar to me.  It is the same design as the old one -- only with less features, and it cost a bit more.

But my system is up and running again.  That is all that matters to me.  Once again, I had to crack the DVD region code, or I could not have watched any of my movies purchased in The States.  That would be all of them.

Last evening we had a lot of lightning and just a few rain sprinkles.  That is two days in a row with token rain.  Perhaps it is just the overture for the summer downpours.  Or maybe all we are going to get is a shower here and there. 

As our temperatures rise, the need for rain will increase.  For comfort, if nothing else.

But I am ready to face the summer.  For a week, I will have cherries.  And, for the rest of the time, I have my pool and an operating movie system.

With a bit of furniture, I will actually reside in my home.