Tuesday, September 27, 2022

Girls & couches: I mean, girls and my couches thru the years

This past weekend, I had out my old laptop and was looking at some photos, and at my different sofas thru the years, and girls that sat on those sofas. 

Since I don’t have anything worth blogging about at the moment… let’s take a quick look back.

1. Rebecca and my denim corduroy couch, early 1990s

This is Rebecca, who I went to high school with in the 1970s and worked with in the early 1980s.  We became good friends, and a few years after I left our hometown to find my fortune in the big city, she came up to pay me a visit.

This was my second place in the city, my first “real” apartment with my own furniture and no roommates. 

(Sadly I had to give up this apartment and find a new place when the owner went on the lam for various criminal activities and deserted the property.)

Anyway, It’s been 25 years since I last spoke to Becky, I can’t believe we didn’t keep in touch.  The last I heard, she married a minister and moved to the South.  I hope she’s happy.

 
2. Rossi and the same corduroy couch, circa 1992
 

This is Rossi, who I dated for approximately a year.  She was a doll!  But she had strict rules on how men should behave, and over time it drove me nuts.

Do you remember that Arnold Schwarzenegger movie Kindergarten Cop?   We were at the show, I was laughing my fool head off at those kids in the movie and Rossi nudged me and whispered “Real men don’t find this funny.”  I said “That does it” and got up and walked out. 

(Since we came in her car, it’s not like I left her stranded. I walked 3 miles home.)

She called me the next morning to break up and I asked how the movie ended.  I didn’t hear from her again until 10 years later, when I ran into her at Macy’s.  I asked how she was doing, she said “Unhappy, Doug!  I married someone who’s obsessed with toy trains!  He’s a boy, not a real man!”

3. Skye and that corduroy couch for the last time, circa 1995

Skye worked in my company’s Oakland office (near Pitt University) where the “downtown people” like me frequently visited for weekly staff meetings and such.  She was super-smart and very funny, and we enjoyed making each other laugh.

Skye met her husband Michael a couple years after we dated, became a Bible school teacher (which surprised me greatly) and raised a family. 

Sadly, she died from cancer in 2018. She was only 55.  RIP, Skye.

 
4. New artwork, a new couch & a new girl: Renee and the blue leather couch, 1998-2001

The first time I met Renee was at a dinner party hosted by my boss Kathy G (who was friends with Renee at the time).  I had a little too much to drink, and was doing celebrity impersonations of people like George Costanza & Tonya Harding for Kathy’s guests.  The following Monday, Kathy said “Doug!  my friend Renee is crazy about you!”   Uh-oh!
 
(I wasn’t too keen on dating my boss’ best friend, but agreed to meet her for dinner.  When the check came and I insisted on paying, Renee crumpled it into a ball and put it in her mouth.  Craziest thing I ever saw and I liked crazy.)

We wound up dating almost 3 years, but ultimately parted on good terms.  We just didn’t have enough in common to pursue something longer lasting.  I’ll always have fond memories of Renee and wish I could’ve been more her type. 

(And I sold the leather sofa to my middle sister Donda in 2001.) 

5.  Saving the best girl (and best couch) for last:  my niece Sophia and one giant dark green sofa, 2010

 
This dark green sofa came along in 2001.  The little girl (my 5 year old niece at the time) came along a few years later, in 2004. 

Sadly, the couch is gone.  I practically lived on it for 17 years and wore out the frame and tossed it out in 2017.  As for this 5 year old munchkin, she’s now 5’9” and almost 18l!

But I’ll always have fond memories of both.  Nerd smile

32 comments:

  1. Hi Doug, what an interesting post! You have great taste in couches. Interesting to see how the artwork changed above them too. You obviously have always been such a tidy guy. Lovely ladies you dated, so sad about Skye. Sophia is adorable and has turned into a beautiful young lady.
    Take care Doug.❤️
    Robin

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    1. Robin, you always have the nicest things to say. Thank you so much, you're very kind. Hope you have a super day. 🙂♥️

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  2. Yes, interesting how you took photos of your girlfriends on your couches! Who paid the check that the one popped in her mouth, lol!?

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  3. Sorry, I forgot to add my name. Joyce in FL

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    1. Hi Joyce--well, I think I let Renee get the check on that first date. 🙂

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  4. Ha ha ... I like your surprise ending. Great post!

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    1. Ha thank you Tom. And I really do mean that as I came very close to not posting this! 🙂👍

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  5. I liked all those couches, but I especially loved the stories that went along with the photos. How fitting that Rossi's husband was obsessed with toy trains! (serves her right) LOL

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    1. Haha thank you Margaret! I worried that I was sharing too much backstory, so what you said is very appreciated. 🙂♥️

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  6. You come up with the most interesting and original things to post about, Dug. Nice sofas and cute girls too... especially that last one! And I can't believe that someone would tell her date that real men don't do... whatever. Don't think that one would have worked out in the long run. And I like the Ficus Benjamina plant in the 6th pic!

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    1. Thank you Rian, I'm not even sure why but your comments always give me a chuckle. You're just so honest, I love it. As for Rossi and her real men rules, at least I can laugh about them now! The thing is, when I ran into her 10 years later, she couldn't have been nicer or more sweeter. I hope she's happy. 🙂

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  7. I really enjoyed this post. Great job with the cute girls posing and the stories behind each. So sorry about Skye. Way too young. I was going to say that Rossi got her just deserts but then you told Rian she couldn't be nicer last time you saw her. I'd have picked out Becky for you mainly because you two looked so cute together.

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    1. Patti, thanks so much. I can't believe I made this a blog topic, just that when I noticed I had a theme going on... Well, Becky is the one girl I didn't date. We were just very good friends for a number of years but thank you for the compliment! 🙂👍

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  8. I loved this post, Doug, and learning about your couches and the cute decorations you put on them (i.e., girls). :-)

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    1. Haha! DJan, you make me sound like a Playboy and I assure you I've been a nerd from day one. But thank you my friend. 🙂🌹

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  9. Fun memories for the most part. I laughed at the story of leaving Rossi at the theatre, when you know it's over, it's over. And that's all I'll say about that.
    Your niece was a cutie and it seems she's grown (literally) into a lovely young woman.

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  10. No WONDER you have such anxiety picking out furniture and chairs! You needed Wayfair to have a girl model sitting on their chair choices. Ok, the couches and girls were cute. A denim couch sounds cool.
    Yep, I've got guy pics (deep in a box in the basement,) on my couches. But I didn't goof around like you did, cuz I married 3 of them. One way or another, the guys exited and so did the couch. I'm friends again with the one I DIDN'T marry 35 years ago. Look up the ones who aren't married right now. You still have your charming smile. Linda in Kansas

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    1. My gosh Linda, you were really married three times? Well, I have an older brother who lived with one woman for a number of years and was married to 4 others (and is now alone) so I'm really in no hurry to get married anytime soon. But good luck to you and your one fellow you didn't marry! You are funny and dear, thank you as always my friend ♥️🙂

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  11. Nice digs, nice furniture, good artwork, great women.

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  12. "Real men don't find this funny?" Seriously? Wooow.... That's a pretty pathetic thing to say. I must say your most beautiful girl is Sophia. You are just the nicest guy, Doug. Someone is out there just needing to meet you.

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    1. Thank you Kay! Well, hopefully Rossi got over her real men thing, but people rarely change. But thank you for the sweet comment about Sophia, and someone out there for me! 🙂🌺

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  13. I like all of your couches, the leather one best. I had a pair of yellow corduroy two seater couches for a while, but sold one and gave one to one of my kids when I got a small two and a half seater black leather couch. I like the leather because it is easy to just wipe it over and voila! it is clean. The fabric ones require drying time after cleaning. Now I have two leather recliners instead of a couch, I love them, but wish I also still had a big couch. If I ever have a house again, there will be a big couch!

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    1. Thank you River--my neighbor Lonnie doesn't have a couch either, he has 2 big recliners just like you. Meanwhile I don't even use mine, I do most of my sitting on the floor. :^)

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  14. Only saw your blog this morning, so most of my thoughts have been commented already. You were absolutely justified in leaving the immature Rossi and her weird imaginary gender boxes. Gads!! Thank you for the generous and interesting share, Doug.

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    1. Thanks Florence! Well to be honest, whenever I think about Rossi her legs come to mind before anything. Boy she had nice ones and I don't think it gets anymore "real man" than that. :^)

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  15. What a great post! Loved it. I am sorry you have not married someone who is compatible with you. Studies have shown that married men outlive single men. It's nice to share your life with someone.

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    1. Thanks Gigi--well, who knows maybe there's hope for me yet. :^)

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  16. Boy, the leather couch didn't last long, compared to the denim corduroy couch!

    Fun post.

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    1. Thanks Debby--actually, I believe I had the leather couch longer than the first one (and got my dates mixed up a couple years)! But I did like that first one best. :^)

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Thanks for stopping by. I'm glad to hear from you and appreciate the time you take to comment.