50 Couches in 50 Nights

My name is Dean MacKay. In June and July of 2010, I slept on 50 different couches in 50 consecutive nights. I took photographs of the couches, both as a couch and as my bed. I took portraits of my hosts and interviewed them. I documented their homes on film and digitally as well as in a journal. I was treated to home cooked meals and intimate secrets. I was cared for when I was ill and checked in on after I was long gone. There were sleepless nights and busy days and times spent discussing the past and dreaming about the future. I drank a lot of coffee at a lot of different coffee houses. There were old friends who became closer and acquaintances who I now call my friends. There were even strangers who invited me into their homes. Threads were woven among them all. My skills were honed as I practiced my craft on a daily basis. I learned many things about my hosts and I continue to learn many things about myself. These times are unforgettable. This journey was initially born out of necessity. The economic times had taken their toll. But the fruit of this labor is not simply financial. It is emotional and spiritual and societal. I tapped into something that is still developing. And as it develops I will share with you this knowledge as well as providing you a way to share it with others. I hope that you will support me as this journey continue and grows. I plan to unveil many things from this work including a coffee table book on the couches, and perhaps other books and a documentary. I'm also hoping to get the blog carried on a major website. Of course, and second project is also in the works although what form it will take has yet to be determined. Any assistance or advice that you can offer to further these projects is welcome. Your support, both financial and emotional, is crucial to my success. Thank You. © Dean MacKay 2010

50 Couches in 50 Nights has written 48 posts for 50 Couches in 50 Nights

Couch #7 – Buffy – June 6th, 2010

Posted by 50 Couches in 50 Nights ⋅ June 16, 2010 ⋅ Leave a comment

Couch #7 belongs to Buffy. It was given to her by neighbors across street less than a year ago. It has an issue with leg and is propped up on some books. It is leather and kinda new. It is very comfortable. Buffy is single and lives in a 2-story duplex with her roommate Patricia, in Silverlake, California. She has a cat named Birdy. She is currently making a CD of her music every month and selling them in her CD of the month club. People can subscribe to the entire series or buy them individually. She also does child care and psychic healing and loves the earth full time. Buffy likes to lay on the grass and look at the sky and watch the wind. She likes to read, drink wine with friends, play music, and sing. Buffy also likes flowers, likes to dance, although she doesn’t do it that often, and cooking. She embroiders and collects records. Buffy is from Utah and grew up Mormon. She has lived in San Francisco. She sees things…like fairies. Buffy is clairvoyant. We met through our mutual friend Kate at the Cha Cha Lounge. We only met once more, when Kate was moving away. We missed each other at the Leslie and the Badgers record release show. One of her favorite songs is “The Christmas Song” by Nat King Cole. She likes the movies “What’s Up Doc?”, “The Jerk”, “West Side Story”, and “The Misfits”. She loves mashed potatoes. She thinks that 50 nights might not be enough, and hopes that I get on NPR, Oprah, and Jon Stewart. Her fortune for the day was “Every heartbeat creates a miracle”.

So there I was on Sunday, June 6th…in Nico’s apartment with some time before I would head to the next couch and some things to do. I had a place to myself for the first time in a couple of days and wanted to get some things done while I had the peace and quiet. There were any number of things that you take for granted when you have a room of your own. I was also tired, as I had yet to really adjust to sleeping somewhere different every night. Things would get done, but at more leisurely pace. And I was hungry. It was lunchtime and as has become an occasional part of my routine, I decided to wander the neighborhood to see what I could find to eat. I made my way up to Sunset Blvd. and was immediately greeted by The Counter, custom built burgers. As they are not cheaap, I went looking for something more reasonably priced, but found myself turned around and headed for a delicious burger. I deserved it. As I believe I have mentioned before, I had eaten very frugally for months. There was alot of cold cuts, salad, and the occasional home cooked meal that I would prepare in bulk and eat for a week. I wouldn’t really eat out unless you count In N’ Out Burger. Now that I didn’t have to pay rent for the month and couldn’t cook anywhere, I thought I would occasionally treat myself to something delicious and June 6th was one of those days. I ordered up a the basics, to go, and headed back to Nico’s to pig out and get more done. Before I knew it, it was time to go and I headed over to Buffy’s for the evening.

Continue reading →

50 Couches in 50 Nights

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.