Bahumbug

Another week and another nauseating version of the Metropolitan Diary

Dear Diary:


The other day I was cleaning out my bookshelves a bit. I always place unwanted books near the curb but away from the garbage so that people can have an opportunity to take a free book.


My wife finds it difficult to throw things out, so when she came home from work, seeing the books, she brought one back into the house. It was a book from her college days. Inside the book, as a place marker, she discovered an unopened letter from a friend. The postage was an 8-cent airmail stamp. The postmark was from 1966.


I slit open the letter and read it to her. It was fairly ordinary stuff, but the last line read, “Good luck on your upcoming blind date.” That blind date was me, 43 years ago. I guess it worked out; we’ve been married 41 years.


Roy Alexander

Thanks for the extra information about you being such a generous person who leaves books on the curb. This is not something specific to you Roy; I do this all the time as do most people who live in the city. The fact that you are such a good samaritan has NOTHING to do with your story and is just added because you were given a platform to discuss it.   And honestly, you shoudl be recycling the books not throwing it in the trash anyway.

Seemed similar to the nugget from last week’s column which had this piece

Dear Diary:


In March 2007, I moved out of my apartment to make room for a total renovation. I gave my $139 television away, knowing that I could replace it later with one that fit the new décor. When I moved back to my “new” gorgeous home in August, I found that I wasn’t in a hurry to get a TV. In fact, I still don’t have a TV. However, I did watch a TV program in my home.


One day last September I was working in my study, turned on the radio and listened to the start of the ceremonies celebrating the former Yankees who played in what would soon be the former stadium. I looked up and noticed that my neighbor, about 25 feet away in another tower of my building, had his large flat-screen TV turned on to the program.


Pulling out my sofa and angling it a little, I got a good view of his screen through two sets of clean-enough windows. I sat back with a beverage and enjoyed the program almost as if the TV screen were in my living room. The sound was not in sync, but I easily adjusted.


There was one slight problem. When the ceremonies ended and the Yankees game began, I was still listening to the radio. However, a movie came on the TV. “Change the channel,” I wanted to yell over. I refrained.


Leigh Henderson

I’m so glad to hear that you are such a considerate person giving your TV away (as opposed to throwing it in the trash or putting it on the sidewalk like Roy Alexander would have).. No your boring story had to include the caveat that you gave yours away, can we assume it was to a very needy person?
I don't agree with throwing stuff in the trash especially stuff like TV's which will just contaminate landfills but do we have to hear about your genorosity..