Surprising Friends - 100 Reasons I Love Peekskill - Post 54

Surprising Friends. You never know what the day will bring here in downtown Peekskill. Some of us are a bit sleep-deprived what with the noise from all the overnight Main Street repaving going on. Downtowners have been griping to each other but not to the city - we know it needs to get done and that it's just for a few nights. You do find out about people's sleep habits. Brian says it's been keeping him awake. Alexis says she sleeps like a baby and doesn't hear a thing. I can go either way.

Yesterday I woke up rested and with a rare light workday ahead of me. I had a lot of backlogged life build-up projects to tackle, though. Mid-morning I got a text from my friend and neighbor, artist John Agne. "Do you have an hour to spare?" It was the one day I actually did have an hour to spare. He texted that he'd be right over.

The night before I'd done an impromptu close-up magic show for John and a friend. He said he was coming over to repay me. I had no idea what he meant, and when he arrived with an armload of tools, power cords dangling, I still had no idea.

John announced that he was going to refinish my butcher block kitchen island! After two years of constant use and abuse, it was in bad shape - stained, rough and nicked. We carried it out onto the terrace, and John proceeded to sand it down. He then applied a food-safe finish he'd brought, and we carefully carried it back inside. It looks beautiful!

John's newest art project involves layered wood, so his woodworking tools are out and set up in his studio - thus his inspiration to pop over and refinish my butcher block. Such a nice surprise.