Just thought I'd post this pic of my beloved cuspidor which is no longer with us. For those of you old enough to remember going to the dentist 30 or so years ago, a cuspidor is the "spit bowl" that you would expectorate into after the dentist rinsed your mouth out. Nobody (except maybe for some real old-timers) use these anymore. This particular one was a gift from my brother-in-law Jim, who removed it from an old dental office downtown that was being gutted out and remodeled about 13 years ago. Rumor has it President Harry Truman "spat" into it during an emergency dental visit he had to make while passing through Jacksonville years ago. That story is too good to be made-up!
Anyway, when I left for Japan in 1997, it went into storage for 4 years, then came out of storage when we lived in Rockville, Maryland from 2001 to 2003. It then followed us to Virginia Beach from 2003 to 2005, going back into storage in 2005 when we left for Japan. My wife hated this monstrosity, and even attempted to paint it to make it look more presentable. I liked it and thought it had a certain amount of kitsch to it. I even made a little barrier that fit inside the porcelain bowl so I could throw my keys, wallet, and spare change into it when I came home from work. Now, after zigzagging across the globe a couple times, our last team of dim-witted movers managed to break the bowl. I suppose I could have done some research on eBay or dental supply companies and found a replacement bowl, but I just went ahead and threw it out. I'm surprised the garbageman took it because it weighed about 100 pounds! I know Akemi hated it, but I think she actually felt a little melancholy to see it eventually go. We'll miss you cuspidor!
2 comments:
Blasphemy! That thing was awesome! I went to a flea market in Macon a few years ago and found a wooden wheelchair just like the ones in "Big Trouble in Little China", I so would have bought that thing had I not been in my mustang with nowhere to put it.
Dude! I totally remember that wheelchair (and that movie). I'm not really sure if I liked that movie or not, but I am somehow obligated to watch at least some it whenever it's being shown on cable (kind of like "They Live", with Rowdy Roddy Piper!!).
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