HOLLY NADLER
508-687-9239
Intimations of hope and health in the economy are about as rare nowadays as white buffalo, but a couple of dollar signs are going ca-ching! in local cash registers. The other day I visited my old buddy in real estate, Lisa Lucier, in the chapel-like upstairs of Ocean Park Realty. She reported demand for summer vacation rentals is showing all its usual January robustness.
Said Lisa, “I’ve had clients interested in a certain house who’ve tried to use the bad economy as a bargaining chip. I’ve called them back with the message, ‘Sorry, that rental has been booked.’”
Lisa’s theory is that people may have jettisoned winter holidays in favor of keeping up the tradition of a summer week on the Vineyard. Of course, we both reasoned that these same big spenders might plan to roast weenies on the backyard grill, and pack last year’s T-shirts rather than buying new ones, but still . . . In past economic dips (well, maybe this is less of a dip and more of a dig — a Big Dig — vacationers have eschewed their usual couple of weeks of European travel and come to the Island instead, so we might be seeing the same kind of windfall. All we can do is keep our fingers crossed, toss salt over our shoulders, pray for day-trippers, and hope to God there’s no fighting in Gaza, or anywhere else, to keep our Secretary of State from her and her hubby’s August Vineyard vacation. And can she bring the new prez?
Another Oak Bluffs business that is doing more than okay is Kerry Scott’s delightful Good Dog Goods boutique. When I ran into our esteemed selectwoman at the library Christmas party, she expressed surprise at all the people buying stuff for their pets. In turn, on the news, I’d learned that the PetCo chain posted a profit (a profit? what’s that?!) for this past fiscal year, and this simply reveals that, when no coins jingle and no cash flutters in our bank accounts, we can always stay home, read a book or watch re-runs of The Wire, all the while cuddled up with our dogs or cats or iguanas. Scientific studies have shown that animal-cuddling improves health, both mental and physical, and prolongs life. There is no research that reveals similar benefits from fancy eateries or the purchase of $500 sweaters, though presumably if they allowed pets in restaurants or pricey stores, the salubrious aspects of these activities would accrue.
But I’ve strayed from the topic . . .
Right! Signs of prosperity in O.B. . . . Paula Catanese of the fab Craftworks gallery on Circuit avenue, told me that her honking big soaps, each the size and heft of a horse’s hoof, continue to fly out the door (not forgetting that a flying Craftworks soap would land with an explosive thud, but not before stopping a convoy of Humvees in its tracks). So with this ongoing craze in soap purchases, we can safely infer that, while we may be caught in a Second Great Depression, we’re all squeaky clean!
So much happy news and so little time . . . In the continuing saga of my friend, Kathy Quinn, visiting from Paris, she has in fact found a year round rental here in O.B. In moving here, however, she needs to rid herself of certain phobias — she’s frightened of spiders, serial killers, and the shortage of good espresso coffee. I’ve assured her that Mocha Mott’s will see to her espresso needs, and that our supply of serial killers is drastically dwindling. I have informed her, in no uncertain terms, that she will need to confront the occasional spider, though very few of them are black widows, brown recluses, or blond borgias (the last one I invented; I love to kid my old pal).
On Tuesday, Feb. 3 at the Oak Bluffs library, the time is at hand to learn basic computer skills and to discover strategies to help you continue learning. Instructor Rick Hammond will be presenting. No prior computer experience is needed; this course is for beginners. Call the library to reserve a space at 508-693-9433.
And don’t forget to log on to oakbluffslibrary.org to sign up to receive bulletins for all programs! We’d all be fools not to!
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