January 1, 2009
Happy new oven
…listen
…about the musicYears, ascending.
Last night, also known in many circles as New Year’s Eve, we threw our first real party since moving here two Mays ago. Our house was warmed by an amazing, diverse, fascinating, and loving group of new island friends. As long as we’ve lived here we’ve not been able to get over just how terrific the people on this island are.
As midnight grew near, many of us stood in the kitchen, our feet warmed by its toasty, radiant heated slate floor. Like many Northwest homes, we’ve got a mostly shoes-off policy indoors and had encouraged revelers to arrive wearing their nice socks without the holes. All complied. I was impressed by some of the creative approaches to sock fashion, my favorite being the guest who came with a pair of foot “gloves,” sporting a separate opening for each toe.
With no television service and no clocks in the house, like casinos that maintain 24/7 timeless, windowless choronology-free environs, it dawned on us that the sole source of external confirmation that the year had indeed changed, would be the oven clock. Why humankind enjoys proof of an otherwise randomly determined calendar moment that will occur whether we observe it or not is a mystery to me, yet I participate in the folly with glee each year.
So there we were, a cadre of warm-footed, nicely socked, New Year’s Nerds, staring intently at the digital readout on my Thermador convection oven and cheering as the numbers clicked over. Anyone can watch a ball fall in Times Square, but few revelers can tell the tale of how they spent New Year’s in a kitchen watching an oven turn.
When we bought this lovely kitchen appliance, little did I know how socially valuable this particular feature would be. I remember commenting as I programmed the time, date, and yes, even the year into the electronic keypad, that if anyone actually needed an oven that told them what year it was, then they probably shouldn’t be operating an oven or any other potentially dangerous kitchen device, like, say, an egg beater.
So, let’s see what’s cooking for 2009. And do our best for a good recipe! Happy New Year, Happy 2009!
Glenn Buttkus said,
January 5, 2009 @ 7:48 am
I think most of the kelphistos were aware of the Non-TV policy there in the Shapiro abode, but no clocks? There is something very daring about disregarding time itself. You must have a wristwatch or two, or how would Charles make it off to work, and you to do your commutes? I owe my soul to Comcast, cable, telephone, and computer broadband package. I am so very envious and curious as to your reality.
Your New Year’s Eve party sounded wonderful, and your description of the revelers all stand around on your radiantly heated slate floor in their colorful socks watching the countdown on your oven is priceless. I can’t wait to share this with my spouse.
Your musical clip, Evensong Ascendit @ 1:24 was timely indeed, and as I listened to its chords and notes for that long minute plus, 2008 seemed to click by in a blur, all of it, the joys and pains and surprises and deaths and births and sunrises and sets, all together, hand in hand, a spirited quick cavalcade right between my ears.
You are one of a kind, Alex. Thanks for being you and for your resolution to continue to be so for 2009.
Glenn
Glenn Buttkus said,
January 5, 2009 @ 8:11 am
I could not help myself, being infatuated with your prose, and I found the linebreaks necessary to create the Shapiro First Poem of 2009, to be followed by others I’m sure. I posted it over on FFTR, and even found a pic of a Thermador convection oven.
Years, Ascending.
Last night,
also known in many circles
as New Year’s Eve,
we threw our first real party
since moving here two Mays ago.
Our house was warmed by an amazing,
diverse, fascinating, and loving group
of new island friends.
As long as we’ve lived here
we’ve not been able to get over
just how terrific
the people on this island are.
As midnight grew near,
many of us stood in the kitchen,
our feet warmed by its toasty,
radiant heated slate floor.
Like many Northwest homes,
we’ve got a mostly shoes-off policy indoors
and had encouraged revelers to arrive
wearing their nice socks without the holes.
All complied.
I was impressed by some of the creative approaches
to sock fashion, my favorite being
the guest who came with a pair of foot “gloves,â€
sporting a separate opening for each toe.
With no television service
and no clocks in the house,
like casinos that maintain 24/7 timeless,
windowless chronology-free environs,
it dawned on us
that the sole source of external confirmation
that the year had indeed changed,
would be the oven clock.
Why humankind enjoys proof
of an otherwise randomly determined calendar moment
that will occur whether we observe it or not
is a mystery to me,
yet I participate in the folly with glee each year.
So there we were,
a cadre of warm-footed,
nicely socked,
New Year’s Nerds,
staring intently at the digital readout
on my Thermador convection oven
and cheering as the numbers clicked over.
Anyone can watch a ball fall in Times Square,
but few revelers can tell the tale
of how they spent New Year’s
in a kitchen
watching an oven turn.
Alex Shapiro January 2009
Alex Shapiro said,
January 5, 2009 @ 8:12 pm
No, there’s no anti-clock fetish here, I promise. I often wear a watch when I’m out and about, although I tend to check my cell phone for the time just as readily, since, unlike, say, a Barbie clock, it’s more accurate in an atomically correct way 🙂
I have no clocks on the wall. Why? Because all the analog ones have an audible tick… tick.. tick that is akin to sonic torture for me, no matter how quiet the ticking is. And all the digital ones light up in insulting, casino-bright numbers that just stress me out.
The upper right hand corner of my computers displays the time, in the soothing jewel tone of my choice. I suppose that instead of watching the oven turn, we could have watched the laptop click over. I find the oven more charming. Our friend Jeff had a great idea for next year, now that we’ve begun the New Year’s Oven tradition: next year, we’ll place a cake, pie, or cookies in the oven to bake, and back-time them so that they are done exactly at the stroke of midnight. The oven timer will chime DING! and we will all celebrate the new year with freshly baked sweets. Yum!
Barry said,
January 9, 2009 @ 10:17 pm
Happy New Year Alex,
Loved the sock hop n oven story as well.
I’m a cell phone clock person also. I have so many little electronic thingys with led lights on them all over the house. It’s never really dark unless the power goes out.
We had two parties to attend. One was a sophisticated cocktail and wine party, followed by a down home family oriented one at another friend’s home. I dressed for the latter party and basically balanced out the cocktail dresses with my blue jeans. Both were fabulous.
Stayed up til three and slept until two. Holidays are great!