Ravings of a Textual Deviant

I have a research challenge that has exhausted my paltry research skills.

I am looking for information about the Charak Furniture Company of Boston, MA. I have one of their pieces, a revolving bookcase, that was sent to me by my grandmother. I’d like to get an idea of its value in order to find out if I need a special insurance rider for it. However, there’s not a lot of information out there on the company itself, and although its pieces pop up pretty regularly in auction catalogs, I can’t find any mention that they ever made revolving bookcases, despite the label on mine.

So far, I have discovered that Charak was based in Boston, and considered a very fine furniture- and cabinetmaker. They appear to have been in business from the late 1920s until the 50s or 60s. They were originally known for traditional styles and colonial reproductions, but ultimately ended up making a midcentury modern line of furniture. Many pieces are numbered, and all of them appear to have been handmade with very nice woods, like mahogany and maple. The postwar pieces are allegedly hard to come by; the item I have is dated 1949. They were competitors with Kaplan Furniture of Cambridge, MA (”Beacon Hill Collection”) and the Old Colony Furniture Co. of Boston, MA and, later Nashua, NH. One of their prominent designers was Tommi Parzinger.

This item looks quite similar to mine, but the inlay pattern is different, and mine has a leather top.

Other Observers should feel free to add their field notes in the comments.

Magnus Carpetbane is native to Indianapolis, IN. Approximately 2.5 years old, neutered male; short-haired gray and cream tiger. Subject 5 is an indoor cat with a known residence, and a close associate of Subject 6. Surname was earned as a result of his vigilance and enthusiasm in protecting his owners from a wide variety of floor coverings; most notably area rugs, but also the occasional bathmat, yoga mat, or random piece of dirty laundry. Subject 5 is thought to be a bit dim, having failed remedial door-opening on at least once (complete records not available), been outwitted by chipmunks regularly, and mistaken a set of glass fireplace doors for a window for over a year.

Subject 6: Minx

Minx is native to Louisville, KY; currently resident in Indianapolis, IN. Approximately 14 years old, neutered male; long-haired tuxedo. Subject 6 is an indoor cat with a known residence, and a close associate of Subject 5. In contrast to his close associate, Minx appears to be very intelligent, and has indicated that he comprehends the use of telephones, car keys, doorknobs, lighters, power tools, ATMs, kitchen appliances, and the Electoral College, although he rarely bothers to make use of this knowledge.

Spouse and I just signed up for a Community Supported Agriculture program. I’d heard about them, and it’s one of the things I had been wanting to try for a while, but I finally got a round tuit, in the form of an article on farmers’ markets in Indianapolis Monthly. Saturday just ended up being a serendipitous day; I went to the bank, so I had cash (not a usual thing for me), I wasn’t in a hurry to be anywhere else, and I was out early enough to actually get to one of the markets. And when one of the growers told me that they were still taking summer season orders…well, I went for it. The grower I chose also has a mushroom barn, which is a huge plus; we can go through a surpring amount of ’shroom in a week.

I’ll let you know how it goes. In the mean time, I need to find some good recipes for radishes.

ETA: One of the things that got me excited about a CSA program, beyond the merits inherent in eating local and feeling good about the methods of food production, was CavLec’s description of her experience. She’s ahead of me on the curve, as usual.

There’s been a lot of flooding in Indiana, but most of it has been south of us. Last week, our shed got its feet wet, which means we’ll be either repairing or replacing the lawnmower. However, we have not had any water in the house, and we’re fine as of this morning.

I’m really glad that we don’t have a basement, though…because the neighbors who do have basements also had indoor pools for a while there.

So, thanks very much to everyone who inquired–we’re fine, as are my parents.

Last weekend, one of our friends brought over some catnip that she assured us was particularly potent. Minx and Magnus each got a small sample, and I put it back in the gift bag and, I admit, forgot about it. (I do have one or two other things on my mind right now.)

The boys, however, did not forget about it. Normally, they’re not jumpers, but just because they choose not to doesn’t mean that they can’t.

Fiancé and I came home after a long evening of errand running and were greeted at the door by Magnus…who had small green flakes of something clinging to his fur. All of the green plants in the house are fake, so my first thought was to check the kitchen herb-and-spice rack. I’ve never caught him on the kitchen counter, but I’m not convinced that the leap is beyond him. Nothing was out of place, however.

Minx then came up to me, purring like a newly-repaired Italian sportscar. He also had small green flakes of something in his fur. I went into the living room and saw a four-foot diameter scatter of small green flakes, and a gift bag tipped on its side on the floor.

Sure enough, both cats’ pupils were blown open such that there was just a tiny ring of iris. They were so mellow that they didn’t even run from the vacuum cleaner. Fortunately, most of the ‘nip got into the carpet, rather than the cats, so there was no post-indulgence puking.

Minx did snore even more loudly than usual last night, though…and that’s saying something.

Ever since we combined households, Fiancé and I have been paring down our stuff. We’ve just got too much of it. Granted, it’s mostly my stuff that there’s too much of; the packrat gene is strong—dominant, even— in my family. Still, I am fighting it. For example, we can actually park our two cars in our two-car garage. This makes me something of a mutant in the family. (My brother and his fiancée park all of their bikes in their one-car garage, but not the car. On the other hand, they’ve got a container garden on half of the driveway.)

Anyway, I thought about gift-wrapping a bunch of it and trying to convince wedding guests to take a mystery item home with them. Not so much the happening thing, though. And not just because gift-wrapping furniture is more trouble than it’s worth.

Instead, I joined the Fishers freecycle.org group. Oddly enough, Indianapolis doesn’t have one, but being on the northeast side, I figured Fishers was close enough. And they did let me in, so the moderators apparently agreed. I got rid of the first item on Saturday, a poufy, off-white loveseat with some cat scratch damage, which is exactly how I described it. (I was also willing to throw in the matching thow, although the eventual taker didn’t want it and I now have it listed separately.)

So far, I love it. Someone came to my door, we loaded it up in her van, and she took it away. Just that easy. And now, I have room for the much nicer, cat-scratch-free furniture that’s coming from my grandmother in a few weeks. (Muchas, muchas gracias to my aunt and uncle, who are bringing it out for me!)

I’m feeling a lot less pack-rodent-like, all the sudden. I was even inspired to clean out the trunks that we’ve had miscellaneous stuff stashed in to make room for games and puzzles that were previously in cardboard boxes. Those same boxes now hold empty jewel cases from our CD collection…that can go into a storage space and make the living room just a little less cluttered. And I feel a paperback purge coming on as well.

Maybe I’m heterozygous for the packrat gene.

Yesterday, when I got the email with the internal calendar for MPOW, I was amazed that of all the employees, I have the only May birthday. And it’s not that small a company, either. This situation prompted the following from a coworker…

ONE birthday in May!?!?!? All of [MPOW] and we have ONE birthday in May!!!!!!?????
 
If that’s the case, as far as internal [MPOW] correspondence goes, I hereby rename the month of May to Liorah in honor of Ms. Rapkin’s sole birthday.  So now we have Liorah Day vs. May Day.  Cinco de Liorah vs. Cinco de Mayo. etc., etc. etc.
 
Let it be written.  Let it be done.

As I am sure my mother will confirm, sharing is not my best thing.

I’ve got the cell phone of the dinosaurs (8+ years old) and as much as I like it, I think it’s going to have to be replaced. I’ve been looking around online, but I am not really happy with anything I see. I have looked at the Nokia 2610, and while the manufacturer’s reputation is generally good, that particular model is not getting good user reviews. The Sony Ericsson j300a, likewise, seems to meet my specs but doesn’t rouse much enthusiasm among users.

I turn to you, the Reading Public, for suggestions.

I’m looking for a very basic cell phone. I want definitely DON’T want a camera; one of MPOW’s client sites specifically prohibits them. I don’t need, and prefer not to have, text messaging, internet, music, video, GPS, or anything else fancy-schmancy. I want a phone, not a multi-functional device.

I am indifferent to bar or flip body styles, but I don’t think I’d like a slider or a twist.

I DO want quality–something that is reliable, sturdy, holds a charge, offers a good amount of talk time, is easy to navigate, and has excellent reception and speaker/microphone. International calling would be nice, but (alas) I don’t get out of the country enough for it to be necessary.

I would like to stay under $100, but will go higher if it’s exactly what I want. Any suggestions, either what to look into or what avoid, are welcome.

Minx went into the veterinary opthamologist yesterday and had his dignity greatly offended, both by the ride in the box and by being wrapped up in a towel for the exam.

His corneal infection is completely gone, and the blood vessels and edema will go away in 4-6 weeks. No need for surgery. No more oral meds, and we’re down to eyedrops twice a day instead of six times—a great relief to all involved, I assure you.

His Supreme Catness is expected to make a full recovery.