Beds

Bed! Bed, bed, bed, bed, bed, bed, bed, bed, bed.



I had no idea how good, how much of a difference this would make. No squeaking, no shifting and the blankets didn't drift much at all through the night. Same mattress we've had over a decade - still good, but it felt larger. The only way I think that works is that the frame is a little wider, so the edge of the mattress has a smaller beachfront, steeper drop-off, more usable, supported,space. Frame's also a little longer, which we bolstered with the rolled up army blankets at the foot to keep futon from sliding. This is a bed to be handed down. Not at all a second-best. Or, as usual in my life, an it'll-do. Having just a little more income really does make life less expensive, because one can get decent and lasting to start with. When I think of how much I've spent on it'll do starting out, and replacing it over and over, the waste, the cost, is extraordinary.

Started out in a crib, and in hard leather shoes to correct turned-in feet, I am told I kicked loudly through the night. Then a second hand youth bed was given to us, low to the ground. Liked it, never really understood why I needed a different bed. Oh, I wanted a canopy, but as recently noted, the one given me was not at all what I'd imagined. Lots of plastic parts, making it more of a toy. And way too far off the ground, the mattress suffocatingly deep foam.

When I moved out, I had a folding foam chair-bed, on the floor.


It was better than a bug infested secondhand mattress. Had a friend with such a thing, and I considered my foam monstrosity a blessing in comparison.

Later, a proper futon mattress, on the floor. For many years. Some of which are no longer in my memory, and I'm not sending to the warehouse for the records.

When I moved out on my own, I invested in the cheapest, plainest pine futon frame and mattress I could find, luxury. D and I got one of the fold out sofa-bed frames and used the now lumpy mattress on it as a couch. First full-time paycheck, and he wanted a really good mattress, a futon with springs inside, and it still serves us well. We slept on a very good air mattress in Boston until our truck arrived, used the old wood plain frame until it broke apart in a move. Got another cheap, slightly less-plain frame, which got us through until now. But, oh, the whining and squeaking and creaking! So many moves, so much dismantling, and it finally had quite enough, sheesh.

New frame is hardwood, ash and oak, instead of soft pine. Went together beautifully, clear easy instruction. We clambered on, and said "It's quiet. Not at all TOO quiet." Moby inspecting at all points, the first Under. Eleanor only coming in later, checking out the Under, then hopped up over the footboard, with a slight fumble at the higher jump. "Hey, that's not in my calculations!"

Last night, I heard Moby (yes, I know them by their walks) poking around, he jumped up, walked over me and onto D. Jumped down, around a few more times, up on me, over to D, settled down purring madly. They got up, to check on the food situation.

In the morning, D already up, I felt Eleanor in the small of my back, and Moby at my feet. Well, happy birthday indeed. The bed is a hit all around. An heirloom. We've done us a solid.

We both slept… um, all four of us slept well last night. Higher off the ground, it's simpler to arise, for us humans.

I'm enjoying a day with my dearest near, no need for anything else. Except a free cupcake from a local bakery, where we get our hot cross buns during Lent. Strange thing, I brought in a print-out of the email, handed her my ID with birthdate,"Hi, I got an email about a free cupcake for my birthday," which she didn't bother look at, well, fine. But neither did she say any version of "happy birthday." Also fine, but a bit odd.

D says to me, on the way home, "'It's my birthday, gimme a cupcake', 'Ok, here."" It was that strange. Not that I mind, she just had neither officiousness nor friendliness, and I expected one or the other. Cupcakes are not my favorite, but this one was nice. D got an almond danish for himself, because they didn't have lemonbars.

He opined yesterday, "I should have gotten you a cake or something!"

And I replied, "I don't really like cake much, and I'm getting a cupcake anyway." It actually was a nice cupcake, given that it was a cupcake.



We got groceries, my idea, all good. No rushing today, no crisis, all mellow. Errands are fine. Don't care what I'm doing, as long as it's together, and calm. Then we retire to bed. It's a very nice bed.