Extreme Ironing

I'm not sure I fully grasp the concept behind Extreme Ironing - but maybe that's fine. Performance art is meant to be thought-provoking, after all. And I always prefer to think thoughts that include at least a speck of humor.

Go ahead and suffer for your art, if you must. Roll around in a plastic wading pool filled with broken whiskey bottles; I'll be at home watching "The Office."

Although you'll never catch me lugging an ironing board to the top of Mount Etna, I do own an unusual "found object" that connects me to the Extreme Ironing crowd. While passing the household section of a local grocery, I spotted the ultimate ironing board cover: Its packaging features a soft-focus photo of a young suburban couple - standing outdoors, and striking an awkwardly passionate pose - directly behind a sun-dappled ironing board.