Empty Sapphire Bottles, Unknown Chess Opponent

So three Saturdays ago, September 1st, I'd had a couple of Martinis at home and finished up a fifth of Bombay Sapphire.  It was getting late, time for bed, but first I had to take the dogs downstairs for their evening constitutional.  I leashed them up and grabbed the empty bottle for the recycling at the end of the hall but then, for some reason, I decided to take it down the stairs with me instead and, in an alcove beneath and along side the stairs (maybe five by ten feet, I'm guessing), I stood it up in the corner out of sight of the exterior doorway.  Why did I do this? I have no idea.  But as this is an empty space crying out to be filled with something (or so I earnestly believe), I'd often thought about what could be done there - an art installation, perhaps, or maybe Waiting for Godot.  Which, in truth, seemed fairly unlikely (common space - lots of foot and paw traffic to and from Green Lake Way just to the right of this wall), but it crossed my mind nonetheless.  The next morning, Sunday the 2nd, I took the dogs downstairs and, again, for no reason, really, snapped a picture of the empty bottle.

So, then, two weeks go by, it's another Saturday night, and the evening produces yet another empty Sapphire bottle.  And, of course, why wouldn't I hustle this bottle downstairs to stand guard beside the other one? I mean anybody would do that, right? I snapped a picture of the two of them but didn't like the way it came out, didn't save it and, then, for the most part, I forgot about my Sapphire bottles.

Now it's maybe Monday or Tuesday of this week, and I happen to look at the bottles on my way out the door, and think, just maybe, something is different.  I thought I'd stood them next to each other, but now they were one in front of the other.  My imagination, I figure; likely I simply forgot my last arrangement.  But I decided to run a little experiment, and I moved one bottle so that the two were coming out of the wall at a diagonal.  I didn't bother to snap a picture because I didn't really think anything was up. 

The next day I returned and the bottles had been turned around, labels facing the wall.  Still, it didn't occur to me to begin snapping pictures; instead, I laid the bottles on their side, one on top of the other and, when I returned the next morning, found this -

And, so, it finally occurred to me that perhaps I had to get the camera clicking sooner than later because somebody was putting forth a very nice effort and, as I said, this is a common space, and for all I know building management or maintenance or somebody would catch wind of this and put the kibosh on it (undoubtedly it's a safety hazard, am I right?).  So I moved a pawn, then added a circular coaster with one of my crosses -

And, then, yesterday morning this -

Though I should be specific - they added the candle and the motivational CD; I made my move and added the matchbook (Keens Steakhouse, NYC) before snapping a picture.

Finally, I went down late last night and discovered the bottle in the foreground (some type of pumpkin ale), so I added a John's Grill (San Francisco) cocktail napkin beneath it, a leaf alongside, and even lit the candle before taking my snap -

And that is where we stand now, Saturday afternoon.  I plan to continue the game, of course, and adding and/or subtracting items from the general tableau as we go.  But I have already decided this - I am not a very skilled chess player, so when it looks like the game is up (should this all last that long), I am simply going to remove their king from the board and leave some type of ransom note behind.

I will post photos daily as we move forward, you can be confident of that...


IBL:mm