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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Melanie Munk, Features Editor munk@heraldnet.com   Published: Tuesday, November 27, 2007 Caveman stay home if he have own 'manspace' By Linda Bryant Smith Herald Columnist For the past few weeks my husband has spent a lot of time in the garage putting up insulation and wallboard, moving his stuff around, and talking (lots of talking) to the guys in the neighborhood when they stop by to observe his progress. I have never thought of him as a trendsetter and yet, according to a home design magazine I picked up in the foyer of a roadside restaurant, he is. It seems all this garage time is an act of freeing his inner caveman (after 71 years of apparent repression) to reclaim territory and create a "manspace" that is his alone. In this manspace he can look me in the eye and say, "Don't touch that, it's mine." He can have piles of old RC Airplane magazines. He can listen to sports-talk radio and Rush Limbaugh without interruption. He can decorate to suit his moods and interests so all his model airplanes, even works in progress, can be displayed. There's a refrigerator-freezer for ice-cold drinks, fishing worms and other live bait. He can relax as he pleases in a chaise "longue" leftover from camping trips, pour himself a drink and invite recent escapees from yard work in dirty work pants and muddy boots to join him. In the beginning he describe his project as "fixing up my garage so it's the way I want it." However, as I read him the magazine article about manspaces while he fought traffic on I-90, that potent inner caveman just popped right out with a big ol' grin and said, "Honey, that's me." The depression that followed the sale of his beloved truck seemed to lift as he envisioned his future afternoons hanging out with the guys in his manspace. I came home to explore this trend in a more logical way. It turns out Sam Martin, a writer from Texas and the author of "Manspace: A Primal Guide to Marking Your Territory" describes many examples of this concept in his book published a year ago by Taunton Press. "Manspace is about a man's sanctuary, a place where he can go to unwind and relax. It's about a place where men can let go of everyday stress and relive childhood memories of collecting baseball cards, telling stories by the campfire and going fishing, playing games or just hanging out with the boys," Martin explained. "Amen, brother," said the caveman at my house as this was read aloud. Sadly, our budget permits only a basic cable system, so we don't get the DIY cable channel that is currently featuring episodes of "Man Caves." These are co-hosted by an expert in design and construction, Jason Cameron, and a classic example of modern caveman, ex-NFL lineman Tony Siragusa aka "The Goose." The channel's Web site describes one episode in which Siragusa and Cameron help home­owner Larry Cannalonga and his best friends create a customized themed sports bar in Larry's basement. It includes such elements as seats from the old Boston Garden that have been converted into barstools and other Boston Celtic memorabilia. Now clearly Larry's budget is a little more than my husband's, since he added a parquet floor, wainscoting and a vintage tin ceiling. I have heard Orin mention sweeping the garage floor when he finishes and a pending trip to the dump. On his Web site (www.­manspacesite.com) "Manspace" author Martin is currently featuring a remodeled carriage house in Kelowna, B.C., the work of architect Alex Marriot. There's a two-bedroom guest suite upstairs with a shower, spa, two bathrooms and large lounge area with a poker table and a workout room nearby. The upper tier of the garage is a collector's showroom for up to 20 cars. Downstairs there's fully equipped "dirty garage" where guys can work on cars. Of course it's a tad pricier than most. The house and manspace sold for more than $5 million. Martin's is significantly smaller and cheaper. He put up a 12-by-14-foot shed in his back yard as an office since, as a writer, he works at home. The structure has large glass-paneled windows on three sides, electricity and a finished wood interior. Price tag: $3,000. Meanwhile, back at our place, my husband is hard at work. He's hauled down stuff from the upper storage space that amazes even him. I hear a lot of muttering about "why did we ever save …" when he comes in for lunch and dinner. I, on the other hand, have a real reason to celebrate. While he was getting those boxes down he came across a 10-gallon plastic tub filled with work clothes from my days at The Herald. I packed them for our move from Camano Island 10 years ago and somehow they never got in the house. There were a couple of suits, slacks, skirts, sweaters and a blouse … all in classic styles and colors. It's like I splurged at Nordstrom and came home with several new winter outfits. Not that we go out so much that I need dressy clothes, but it sure is nice to go to church on Sunday in something "new." I am a happy camper. Meanwhile the garage conversion is a slow process on a miniscule budget, but my guy's inner caveman is running the show. He has new purpose. All is well. Linda Bryant Smith writes about life as a senior citizen and the issues that concern, annoy and often irritate the heck out of her now that she lives in a world where nothing is ever truly fixed but her income. Send e-mail to ljbryantsmith@yahoo.com.

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