james has added a few things to the living room since i first peeked through the window that first day of school , most of which i 've seen gracing the neighborhood curbs this past month : an orange-and-brown plaid couch that could only have come from the seventies , a small television that still has a vhs slot , and an uneven coffee table that 's only standing because there 's a thick copy of the wall street journal beneath one leg .