"Post No. 563"

Got in that 1919 Cupples & Leon Company 3rd. series edition of Bringing Up Father in the mail today. Not in the best of shape (about a "Fair minus") but complete enough to read and enjoy and add to my collection. It's nice to have one of these old "Platinum Age" comics around again, and this is currently the oldest of comic books I have in my current collection.

I took mom back to the heart doctor today and thought about going by Waldenbooks to check out the new stuff, but I had yet another one of those fitful nights last night where I'd sleep an hour or so and wake up, back and forth all night. I finally got up around 6AM but probably didn't actually sleep a full three hours and was pretty beat. By the time I drove her up there, waited around an hour and a half, and took her to get some lunch, it was all I could do to keep myself alert enough to drive the 45 miles back home. (Plus i fo9rgot my 25% Off coupon I could have used on something at Waldenbooks;That's life.)

I've had some better luck with current on line auctions here of late. In the past month or so I've actually sold two different items, albeit at minimum bids, but at least they both did sell. The first one was a "Bugaloos" metal lunch box (with no thermos or strap) from 1971 that I'd picked up at the local flea market for $4. It got almost an instant bid for $9.99, and, although I was hoping it'd go higher, closed at that price. Still a profit of $6.

Then I found several really nice looking pure pewter fantasy figures (a good oz. in weight) holding a lead cystal ball at a close-by "thrift shop". I bought one for myself and an extra just to see if it'd sell, and sure enough it got a minimum bid, too, at $9.99. Considering I only paid $1. each on those, I made a fine profit and am even considering picking up a couple more for some future auction and running that item again since I already have photos taken to list it.

Been watching a few of my favorite old horror-ish-type flicks on the AMC Channel, such as "The Bride of Frankenstein", "The Invisible Man", "Frankenstein meets The Wolfman", etc. Some of these are pretty hookey, but have some great effects especially considering the era in which they were made (mostly the 1930's to early 1940's), when everyone (or, at least real people) did the stunts physically and there was no such animal as computer animation or special effects. Watching these reminds me of the days of my youth when I collected (and couldn't wait for a new one of) those great plastic Aurora monster models and the smell of testor's glue! (Which is probably "why" I'm half brain-dead today.)

Halloween is upon us. I won't be handing out "trick or treats" this year as I won't get home until that's well underway in this community, but I may go down to mom's and help my wife hand out candy to the local kids since mother can't go back and forth to the door easily this year. And...speaking of such...., I think I've seen the best halloween outfit yet, worn by a man that I'm sure did so unintentionally just today while traveling the road to the doctor.

As we drove up the old road this afternoon, there was a construction crew, and some of the men were of the Hyspanic persuation. One man was wearing the following: Work boots, work pants, a pull over-hooded shirt, a high-visability orange safety vest over that, holding a "stop/slow" sign,and, of all things, wearing a sombrero on his head over the hood of the sweatshirt. But that wasn't the best part. The middle of the hat (the crown) was one of those highway, stripped caution-cones with red and white stripes! Now THAT'S something you don't see everyday!

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