I’m visiting in an old house that’s been converted to apartments. Victorian? In the basement is a kind of museum and i’m looking around at the stuff. There’s an old card table that’s unremarkable except for the fact that i remember my parents had one just like it when i was a kid. There are two chairs at the table. They’re mismatched. One is from a diner set and has red sparkly vinyl covering the seat and back. The other chair has a solid color covering but i can’t remember what now. Beige? That one doesn’t have padding at the back – just grayish metal. Other than that difference, both chairs are the same style. I really like the red sparkly one and can envision how it would look with its matching table and chairs. Very 50’s “Happy Days” rock’n’roll style. My attention is grabbed by ?? sitting on top of a chest of drawers. What is it? I can’t remember now. It’s art of some sort. Not sculpture so much but something poured into a mould like we used to make as kids. What the hell is that called? The substance hardens into a kind of chalky material. Plaster of Paris? Anyways, this is very ornate and red gel-like material formed into something i remember i found to be very pleasing. I continue poking around and there’s an old electric icebox from the early days. It’s in perfect condition and very deco in style. The outer casing is a kind of flesh tone pink color but inside, aside from the chrome bars that make up the shelves, the drawers and door shelves are turquoise plastic. (Now that i think about it awake i realize it’s a lot like an old Metropolitan.) I'm especially amused at how short the fridge is - it only comes up to about my chin unlike today's monster fridges that are taller than i am. I open the freezer compartment and there’s a round black tray with a bottle of wine and some chocolates on it. Inside the freezer compartment (which is chrome) the ice trays are the same turquoise plastic. There’s an orange price tag on the outside of the freezer compartment. $825.00. I think that this little refrigerator it’s exactly the kind that Sharon has in her kitchen and i want to take pictures of it, inside and out, to show her how hers would look if she emptied it out, defrosted the freezer, and cleaned it up. I’m thinking 800 bucks is a not a bad price if she wanted to sell hers.
Now i’m back upstairs in the apartment. I don’t know whose apartment it is but i’m sitting on a small couch (love seat) when two women come inside. One is apparently the person who “manages” the little museum and the other is the person to whom the antique refrigerator belongs. I can’t really see the manager, but the owner person is dressed kind of bohemian and wears wire rimmed glasses and a kind of slouchy black velvet hat. She addresses me with “YOU broke the seal!” and i realize that must’ve been her wine and chocolate. I admitted i did open the freezer not realizing it was sealed. I went on to explain how i wanted to take pictures of it, inside and out, to show my friend because of its perfect condition. I described how Sharon’s was fridge so full of stuff and the freezer frosted over that i didn’t think she realized what a treasure she had. The bohemian lady immediately became friendly and began to tell me a story about the red mold sculptures and how they went with the refrigerator.
Upstairs again. Apparently i have been back down stairs to purchase the red molded sculpture things. They’re very dusty so i decide to wash them. As i’m drying them off, i notice the larger of the pieces has holes in it and i wonder if it had been doctored to look in better shape than it really was and i’m kind of disappointed. I decide it still looks pretty cool and start to dry the smaller piece of the set and it pulls apart like it’s made of hardened pudding or something. It’s kind of gushy and gross but i put it back together and hope it will dry okay and wake up.
Odd. I LOVE that old house! Hardwood floors. Heavy doors. It might’ve been that half-round place i went a few nights ago. Same era. Same ‘solid’ feel like old houses have to me. I think that those red things were actually the mould FOR the plaster, and not the finished work. So the image was in reverse. That would explain the red rubber-like texture and maybe why i can’t remember exactly what the “picture” was (although i think i could see it plainly IN the dream). Plaster plaques. Some kind of pastoral landscape with flowers in front (along the bottom), and a fountain in the center. Cemetery art? Not sure.
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