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Couch #25 – Melanie – June 24th, 2010

THE INTERVIEW

Couch #25 belongs to Melanie.  She lives in an apartment in a tri-plex in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles with her dogs and the occasional stray.  The couch is a glorified dog bed and cat scratching post.  Melanie dated a lovely man for years named Jon.  He was in a movie called “Manure”.  Everything in the movie was brown.  The couch came from that movie.  Melanie has slept on the couch many times, normally during the day.  She finds it very comfortable, but she can sleep anywhere.

Melanie works at an Animal Hospital.   She started there in nursing, but now manages the place.  That means a lot of paperwork and dealing with complaints.  When they let her, she does still get in the trenches and do some fun nursing work.  People are surprised that Melanie works at animal hospital.  Living in Los Angeles it seems that everyone is an actor or a writer or a producer or trying to do something like that while waiting tables. Melanie is also one of five children.  People don’t always figure that either.

Melanie had zero pets when she started at the animal hospital, but now has quite a collection.  She now has three dogs, Scout, Marshmallow, and Penny.  She also shares another dog, Nochi, with a friend.  Melanie also has a couple of cats.  I always remember Scout, but not always the names of the others.  Scout is Melanie’s partner in crime.

When she’s not working, Melanie can usually be found walking or hiking with the dogs.  Summer is beach time and Melanie takes her beach time very seriously.  She likes body surfing.  Melanie also takes photos for fun. She can just shutoff and have a nice relaxing chill time enjoying herself while taking photos.  Melanie also likes hanging out with her brother or her family in Simi Valley.  She doesn’t party a lot but does occasionally go out and get a little rowdy.  Melanie is like a grandma.  She’s in bed at 10 o’clock and gets up early and she likes it that way.

Photography is her hobby.  She wishes it could be more than that, but there is something really nice about it being something that she just does for the love of it and not have to rely on it for anything.  That’s her only hobby.  Well, that and stealing cats from hoarders.  Melanie likes to do that and it’s really easy in her neighborhood.

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