A note taped to the thermostat — on my side of the house — read: \u201cWhoever is turning the thermostat up and not turning it down, is throwing money out the window!\u201d\u00a0 I lived with a social worker, a Case Western Reserve nursing student from a strawberry farm in Lake County, and a telemarketer. I met these guys off a bulletin board at Case.<\/p>\n
I practiced guitar in the basement, trying to be Bob Dylan.<\/p>\n
When the<\/strong><\/span> social worker moved out, a woman came by to look for a room to rent.\u00a0 I met her at the house’s front door and said, \u201cWe\u2019re looking for somebody clean, quiet, and . . .\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCute?\u201d she said. She was wearing taped glasses. Nevertheless, she was not bad looking.<\/p>\n The strawberry farmer said to me, \u201cYou think she\u2019s Jewish?\u201d\u00a0 (He was always looking out for me.)<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s a<\/strong><\/span> nurse from West 45th<\/sup> Street,” I said.\u00a0 “Not likely.”<\/p>\n The woman rented the room. Then the landlord’s wife, Gertie, kicked her out.\u00a0 Gertie said, \u201cGirls spell trouble. I\u2019d rather deal with men.\u00a0 You should take that as a compliment, fellas.\u00a0 Why would a girl who makes a good living want to live here anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe, the landlord, chimed in, \u201cWe have to be indiscreet about this.\u00a0 What if you all start bringing in girls?\u00a0 It\u2019ll look like a whorehouse.\u00a0 You\u2019ve always been gentlemen till now.\u201d<\/p>\n I wen<\/strong>t<\/strong><\/span> down the basement to practice.\u00a0 I was making $9\/hour teaching blues harmonica at the adult-ed program. Not bad for 1977.<\/p>\n The nurse moved out, to her own place, a nearby double, and I called her and we went out. We hit it off.\u00a0 I told my parents, \u201cShe\u2019s from West 45th<\/sup> Street.”<\/p>\n My father<\/strong><\/span> said, \u201cAre her parents devout Catholics?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s Jewish.\u201d\u00a0 (She was. I wasn’t pulling my dad’s leg, for a change.)<\/p>\n My mother said, \u201cI\u2019m getting a new dress now.\u00a0 Get married. You can get divorced later. You promised you\u2019d get married when you\u2019re 27 and you\u2019re 27.\u00a0 A Jewish girl in nursing?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause she<\/strong><\/span> wants to marry a doctor,\u201d my father said. \u201cAnything wrong with her?\u00a0 She\u2019s a 26-year-old unmarried Jewish girl.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGirls are more independent nowadays,\u201d my mother said.<\/p>\n The girl and I got married the next year.\u00a0
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