As I Lay Frying by Fay Jacobs

Author:Fay Jacobs [Jacobs, Fay]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781602821750
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, Inc.
Published: 2009-12-15T05:00:00+00:00

November 1999

FAY JACOBS, THIS IS YOUR LIFE

First let me say Mea Culpa. I’m sorry. I realize now that I’ve failed miserably in my obligation to keep my loyal readers fully informed. What we had here was a failure to communicate.

Three times during Rehoboth’s October Pet Parade, fairly irate readers, none of whom I’d ever actually met before, stood before us, hands on hips, indignantly saying, “You didn’t tell us you got a second dog!”

Well, with my humble apologies, I now announce (belatedly to be sure) the arrival of Paddy, the second Miniature Schnauzer to move into Schnauzerhaven. He joins his older half-brother Moxie, rounding out our brand new family. Which all goes to prove what a difference a year makes for pets and people.

Whew. Halloween night marked the first anniversary of the passing of our beloved Max. In the Jewish tradition, family and friends gather a year after the death of a loved one for a ceremony called an unveiling. It’s a great comfort to be together again a year later, grief in perspective, to unveil the cemetery monument. Then you go pig out on lox and bagels. I’m not sure if I’m the first to have hosted a canine unveiling, but I figured a loved one is a loved one and why not.

And, as always accompanies these kinds of things, came reflection. Here we are, on the cusp of Y2K, with champagne and survival supplies at the ready. I can’t believe we’re here. Not in Rehoboth, not in 1999.

As I got dressed for Halloween costume parties around town, I remembered the first time I ever thought about the turn of the century. It was 1961, when my best friend and I, decked out in Roy Rogers holsters and cowboy hats (and we had no idea of our future orientation?) sat counting the decades ‘til 2000 on our fingers (which, by the way, is still how I do my checkbook). Holy Dale Evans, we’d be an ancient 51!!!!

I don’t have a clear picture of the drooling old biddy I imagined at the time, but you can bet I didn’t conjure a 51-year-old lesbian, dressed for Halloween as Tinky Winky. Reality rocks.

No crystal ball ever foretold this Big Apple native, happily partnered, overwhelmingly Schnauzered and living in the small town equivalent of Gayberry RFD.

But I can tell you exactly how I got here, based on my own personal Cliff Notes—my life on a single page. It arrived in the mail, compliments of an anal-retentive pal who’s had the same address book since the Kent State shootings. She photocopied the “Fay page” for me. The antique address book entries are in bold. I’ve added an accompanying travelogue.

Fay @ American U. Dorm - Theatre major; insane crushes on leading ladies, but no idea an alternative future is possible. Dating male law student. Why am I miserable?

Fay & Bobby in Bethesda - Oy. Still lusting after Dolly Levi & Hedda Gabler but married, just to pacify the folks, to that accordion player. Start visiting fabulous disco 70s gay bars with the community theatre crowd, me as the token straight.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.