Living With Middlebrow

Middlebrow came to live with me in Olympia in early 1991 and I went to live with him in Bellingham in the fall of 1994. Both residencies lasted for about two and a half months. In both instances there were four of us living in two-bedroom apartments and in both instances the guest stayed free (technically Middlebrow paid rent, but it was something like $90/month, which is the same as free). And, humorously, in both instances I wound up being the Villain of the Household. Perhaps it's because Middlebrow is so durn agreeable.

The dates seem to bookend Middlebrow's unexpected decision to become a literary fellow. No one really saw it coming. Back in 1991 we were both dumb jocks. I was studying fim which is a longshot career but when you're in college you don't think about that kind of stuff (the real world and so forth). So I had a goal but no plan on how to get there. Middlebrow, however, seemed even more aimless. But when I went to live with him in Bellingham three and a half years later his Meteoric Rise within the Academy had already started. I think he always felt behind, that he got an intellectually late start or something like that. We went to public school where good grades and vigorous discourse just weren't valued and encouraged. So in 1991 we were dumb jocks but in 1994 we were dumb jocks who wrote formal verse.

Living with Middlebrow was always a good time. The roommate situations got tense pretty quickly but Middlebrow and I always enjoyed ourselves. In some ways we were like forbidden lovers huddled against the enraged shouting of everyone else--two people against the world.

Here are twenty things to do when you are unemployed and living on Middlebrow's couch in Bellingham:

1. Entice Middlebrow's roommate B away from his writing for games of chess.
2. Study GRE practice tests.
3. Buy lottery tickets and become absolutely convinced that you are going to win.
4. Play the Jump-Over-The-Couch-And-Dunk-In-The-Nerfhoop game.
5. Entice Middlebrow's roommate B away from his writing to play the ongoing Cribbage SuperSeries. Play with two boards: one for the game itself and one to keep track of victories. First player to win 120 games wins it all.
6. Keep threatening to read Middlebrow's copy of "Clarissa" until he says you're not allowed.
7. Watch B's chess videos w/ host Raymond Keane.
8. Annoy B's girlfriend by just existing.
9. Think about the future.
10. Entice Middlebrow's roommate B away from his writing to play Around the World on the living room Nerfhoop. Invent new rules and variants. Spend hours doing this.
11. Look at the job listings and circle one or two things. Call on them tomorrow.
12. Go w/ Middlebrow to the pub.
13. Dare to put some of your own music in the living room CD player.
14. Go to the library and get some old BBC "Connections" videos w/ James Burke.
15. Wednesdays decide it's too late in the week to be productive on your job hunt. Resolve to start afresh on Monday.
16. Think about the past. Feel like breaking up with your girlfriend was a mistake.
17. Read "No Exit," "Rhinocerous," and other appropriate existential comedies.
18. Work on pointless and easily abandoned writing projects.
19. Sit around.
20. Play basketball with Middlebrow.