ON FUN ~ Andy Town...

You have heard the term "Man Cave" before I am sure.  Usually a basement space that has been claimed by the man of the house as his own little spot to do with as he likes.  A shrine of favorite things.  Things that often the woman of the house won't allow anywhere else.  Man Cave sounds so primitive, so grunt-worthy, so completely manlike in its lack of creativity.  We prefer the term Andy Town for the little slice of our basement that Andy has created for himself.  Since he's out tonight playing softball, let me give you a tour. Off we go down into your typical basement...

Our collection of Wheaties boxes with Boston related sports teams greets you on your walk down, to let you know that you are entering a fun place.

Watch out! Don't trip over the cat. Tedy is a constant escort into Andy Town. He is a boy kitty named after a Patriots linebacker after all - he fits in down here just fine.

This is what greets you as you turn to your left at the bottom of the stairs. I am convinced that Andy has placed these items very strategically to deter my entrance into Andy Town, knowing they are two of my least favorite things: The Three Stooges and The Jeter Cup.

If you can get past the decoys, you will see on your left The Chair. This is a chair donated to the cause by my father, who upgraded his old recliner for a spiffy new one. This wasn't going to sit in our family room so Andy made it the centerpiece of Andy Town. This is where some serious music listening takes place folks. Do you see all of those CD's? That is but a fraction of the sprawling collection. Andy doesn't believe in i-pods or MP3's. He wants albums, tapes and CD's with cover art and liner notes that he can hold on to and examine while he listens to tunes.

And here is the view from The Chair. A boring stairwell wall in a basement converted into a forever growing collage of Concert Boy's music and memories.

Here is a closeup of some of the wall - it just happens to represent some of Andy's favorite things. A snapshot of his dearly departed old kitty and best pal Elvis is in the top left with the American flag beneath. Then we have Bob Marley, Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan images.  And to the right is a snapshot of the Red Sox winning the 2004 World Series along with former Bruins great Ray Borque hoisting the Stanley Cup (albeit for a different franchise).  Flanking the sports area is a winter photo of a farm near our old apartment and an eclectic collection of beer caps.

Whenever I come down here looking for Concert Boy, his sidekick Tedy is usually perched right above him on The Chair, absorbing music lessons.

On the other side of that wall of CD's is the dart board. There is plenty of room back here to throw from the official distance and the big wooden board with the colorful beer coasters keeps the heart of Andy Town safe from stray tosses.

And while you're up - grab a round of frosty ones out of the beer fridge tucked under the stairs. While I'm down here I might as well settle into The Chair and listen to one of my favorites...

I know. I'm such a geek. Tedy the cat seems to prefer tunes to spoken word listening. Guess I'll leave Andy Town to Concert Boy. Everyone needs their own special space after all. Even when they do stay out past their bedtime after softball ;0)