Skyclad Rides Again – The Lawlors

When I first arrived at Casa Claire, one of the most interesting items the previous owners had left behind for us was an old hot tub. This hot tub was situated in the small add-on room off the dining area, which once housed Parrots and now houses Lisa’s office – and also functions as the grans’ playroom.

Back then, Luke and I emptied the tub using a long garden hose, some sucking and a little gravity – the way one might empty a gas tank during the best of the seventies – and then using shoulder straps humped the monstrosity out ot the house and down around to the back under the old deck.

When Lisa and I had the deck replaced, the hot tub actually helped save me from certain death when I fell through the deck, but that’s another story that you will have to find in the back blogs from 2021. I was singing “Hi Ho” at the moment the deck gave way.

However, during that renovation, we discovered a small hidden storage space beneath the side deck that would be a perfect spot to place the hot tub once we were finished. So, we did.

I located a wonderful local hot tub technician name Brian who came around and worked his magic on the forty year old tub and got it running. I replaced the rotted wooden panels on the front of the tub, painted it a wicked looking red and added a name to this now animate creature – Skyclad, which basically means ritual nudity. Hung the obligatory mirror that I had brought with me from the Bronx, some other cool wall hangings and some rugs and voila.

Just for good luck, I also placed a small sculpture on the upper ledge that used to sit on a shelf in a bar my grandfather, Spaghetti, co-owned with his brothers in pre-WWII Manhattan, before he quit drinking.

That little oasis has brought me a lot of pleasure over the years, as you have not lived until you have run ten feet starkers in single digit weather to then instantly immerse yourself in lovely steaming, streaming water for some nocturnal relaxation. It’s just the perfect size for two. And Lisa always enjoyed a hot plunge.

In fact, I so loved my times in Skyclad that, as all the things I love in life, it worked its way into TWA.

Well this past cold winter, just when I needed it the most, Skyclad’s internal heart and mind went south, so I could not get the pump to operate properly so that the water jets were working. It was like sitting in a hot, outdoor bath. Just not the same without the pulsing currents and bubbles.

So we left it running to keep the heat going but otherwise abandoned it until the Spring.

Yesterday, Brian arrived at Casa Claire to perform a double lung, heart and brain replacement on Skyclad.

And Brian’s surgical skills were on point. He replaced everything, even the controller on the side, with a cool digital number that tells me everything I need to know, including what temperature we are cooking at.

Given that a brand new hot tub is going to cost you over eight grand, I was more than happy to pay the bill to have my Skyclad percolating again.

I mean, after all, Jimmy and Gina have made this hot tub famous. It is now a piece of literary memorabilia.

Of course, given that I have family visiting, the only creatures using Skyclad will be wearing bathing suits – my three little grand witches in training – who spent the whole time Brian was working spying on his progress. I am sure I heard some conjuring.

“Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and caldron bubble . . . “

(Macbeth: IV.i 10-19; 35-38)

They were very disappointed to learn that it will take 24 hours for the water to reheat. I’m beginning to feel like a toad.

Speaking of writing, yesterday – and just to show you how easy it is to juxtapose Pagan and Christian religious ideologies when you are a Celt – I got a call from my dear friend Pete Sheridan, the basis for the Buck Sheridan character in WTLLM.

As a little back story, the priest best friend character of Buck is based on Pete’s nephew, Lt. Jack Lawlor, USN.

That’s Jack at an event with his sister, Cara – more on her later.

Pete also has a magical niece, Jack and Cara’s sister, Colleen Joanne Lawlor,

who got a mention in the WTLLM acknowledgments with her friends at the Compassion Cafe and the Squat and Gobble restaurants. You rock, Colleen.

Now for some reason, when WTLLM was taking shape, we overlooked Jack’s other sister – and Pete’s goddaughter – Cara Mary Lawlor.

Well, the last thing we wanted was to create a family rift or suggest that Cara was not within the lengthy list of family members Pete – the most devoutly religious Catholic man I know (indeed, the pentacle wall art hanging by Skyclad almost gave him a heart attack) – recounts during his nightly prayers, so I quickly inscribed a mea culpa on the book cover

and popped it in the mail. Cara, forgive Uncle Pete, he loves you very much. He was very busy in WTLLM trying to save the world, with his wonder dog, Fergus.

So, that should cover the wonderful Lawlor family until the next book. And it has added to the equally magical backstory to The Claire Saga.

Well, Thursday – Friday’s handmaid – is now upon us.

You fine, five readers get that java in you and finish your work week with a masterstroke of genius today, so that Friday is waiting with open arms for any planning you have for the weekend.

I’m going to go check Skyclad’s temperature and then cuddle some kitties and make my rounds.

But whatever else we all get up to, let us make today a great one.