Introducing...

I'm Jeff, aka J Segal, artist, designer, furniture maker, home builder and general creative type. In August, 2017 the reset button got pressed on my life. My partner, Bob, of 26 years had a major stroke, leaving me in charge of his care and "closing up shop" on our life together.

I haven't had a real job in a decade, Bob worked hard and busted his hump to pay the bills, while I built our dream house, served him gourmet meals, and made art while absorbing way too much YouTube philosophy.

Everyone around me just expected me to cower in my home until the sheriff came to put me out. But one day I saw an appraiser photographing my house and I decided I'm not going to sit around waiting to be homeless. I'm not going down that way.

The intent of this blog, moving forward, is to document the rebuilding of my life starting from about as close to zero as I care to get. Selling the house, shedding my stuff, and putting my talents to better use. Its scary and overwhelming, but the idea of taking charge has me very excited.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Roads and Rage

Image
So I decided, out of sheer boredom, to go to an event tonight happening in a nearby church basement. Funny thing is, every route out of my neighborhood, emphasis on “hood,” is under construction. You can enter, but it is nearly impossible to leave. We're on lockdown I guess. But I know a circuitous zigzag of roads that got me there, to the event, despite the urgings of orange signs telling me to turn back. On the way home, I decided to take the official detour route. The route that funnels all westbound traffic from several closed arteries down one 4 lane main road. The speed limit is 30, so anything above coasting puts one at risk, but I’m in no particular hurry. I’m not, but apparently a blond Mullett-headed ape in a muddy monster truck had some place to be, and urgently. Perhaps he had just left one of the many nearby strip clubs and was in a rush to give the ol’ lady what the girls had made for him. So on this particular road there is an intersection which seems custom ma...
Read more

My Take On The Double-Take

Image
Lately I’ve noticed that I’ve been getting looks in public, and not necessarily the good kind. As I move through public spaces, I tend to keep my head up and make eye contact with others I pass by. It has always been important to me to hold me head up rather than shrink, hide or demure. Jordan Peterson even has a rule about this. Act as if I’m somebody who matters is roughly what he says. One of the challenges in this approach is that one can sense whether they (pc pronoun use) are being generally approved of- accepted or rejected on appearance. I’m a very visually oriented person, so I’m keen on the give and take of these visual signals. In my head, it’s, “ How do I look? How am I doing? How am I being received?” This informal polling data will guide my future fashion choices. So as the season has turned chilly, I’ve been searching for my Winter Look. The clothes, coats, pants I will be wearing this season. Part of this season’s styling for me is the wig and hat. Hats are warm, ...
Read more

I'm Creating Again

Image
I’m thinking I should probably say something. It’s been awhile since I posted a blog. I moved in February, and didn’t even have internet access for a couple weeks. I’m just now unpacking to the point that I can actually find anything. How did I accumulate so much stuff? And why is it that my house, which is one room plus a basement larger than my apartment, doesn’t seem to hold everything I brought from there to here? So, yup, I bought a house in a very inexpensive neighborhood in Akron, Ohio. I've been a homeowner since I was 20, so its nice to have a place I can work on and really make my own. I did some remodelling in my apartment, but having only stayed a year, I didn’t exactly reap the benefits. Plus, I felt the landlord was kinda shitty and ungrateful that I put a new kitchen and new floor in his shabby apartment. But maybe I’m imagining it. Built in 1946, my basic 2 bedroom workers cottage sits on a corner hilltop lot overlooking a wooded valley. Not much has changed s...
Read more