From the Jill Schwartz Memorial Library here in the wilds of Connecticut, this is obscure.

Season 4 in American tragedy, I'm your host, your friend, your ear lover, and literary mansplainer

in chief Michael Ian Black.

Once again, having clambered onto the Jack Jack Memorial Reading Throne, where I now lie supine,

construction continues here in the Jill Schwartz Memorial Library, although since last we spoke some progress

has been made the built-in fixture that will house our television, some books, knickknacks,

assorted mementos, photo albums, and hi-fi system. That is now roughly complete, although it is missing

some shelves and some doors. It is also painted. The painting happened today. It's been

painted a sort of aubergine color to complement the velvet sofa that I insisted we buy years ago.

Martha and I had gotten into something of an argument over this particular sofa.

In fact, I probably have mentioned it on this podcast before. It was early

days of the podcast, probably season one during the pandemic. If that is when season one began,

I don't even know, it might have even happened before that. But regardless, I had taken

some, you know, it was during the pandemic.

I had taken some poker winnings and purchased a piano for myself.

I thought, well, we're going to be stuck indoors by a goddamn piano, and I did.

And then I felt so bad about it, just that I had been so extravagant on this piano.

Not that it's a particularly expensive pianos as far as pianos go, but you know, you buy a piano, that's an investment.

And so I thought to myself, gee, I did that for me.

I got to do something for Martha.

And she'd been talking for a while about replacing the sofa that we had there in the living room.

And so I thought, well, I'll buy a sofa.

...