"Post No. 728"

Thanksgiving went well for us this year with my aging mother still in relatively good health. My wife and I went down to her house and I cooked a 8 lb. turkey breast and between mom and my wife, plus items brought by my Aunt Sally and Cousin Leslie, we enjoyed a nice meal. In fact. I overate and ended up with indigestion and after I came home had to take a couple of Tums and lie down for a good two hours.

Today was Black Friday for us in retail and a very hectic day, not just with the many customers, but both I and one other person was attempting to order items for the store from the wholeside side and restock shelves, but it seemed like everytime I turned around I had to stop what I was doing to do "something else" for someone. But I did finally manage to get the tools out in my section of the store and we called an extra employee in to help on the register so we could get caught up a bit. Sales were down, naturally, but not as bad as they could have been. Still it's nothing like the days about 10 years past when we'd do $7-10K and had 6 or 7 people all running around like chickens with their heads cut off trying to help the customers.

Won a few issues of HULK V2 which will just about complete a set from 92-111 giving me the run of "Planet Hulk/World War Hulks" at last. Expect them in soon. I still haven't gotten to my regular comic book shop and that's been 2 years last August the last time I visited there.

Finally have started work on the 6th. issue of that lmt. series that I've worked on now for the past (almost) 2-1/2 years. Most of it's in pencils so even if I do finish the first 6 issues before the end of the year it'll take another good year just to ink the thing. In the meantime, I have another project I want to work on that I'm getting antsy about.

Woke up to ice and snow some this morning and frigid temperatures. Yesterday it was in the 70's and today it barely got into the 40's. "Supposed" to warm up this weekend.

My leaves are gone now. Cold weather's on its way.

"Post No. 727"

Today is my mother's 86 birthday, so a very happiest of birthdays to you, mom!

Been a while since I last blogged, but I've posted a lot of personal photos and a little more artwork over on my Facebook page (in case anyone wants to click on it and take a look). Won 7 or 8 silver-age comics that I should be able to pick up before the end of the week. A couple of issues of Tales of Suspense (#'s 93 & 94, I think), a handful of Gold Keys such as Space Family Robinson 19, Mighty Samson 10, and even a Doctor Solar 2, an odd issue of Archie's Mighty Comics w/Steel Sterling & The Fox, and...something else (I forget right off). The Doctor Solar is the best one of the lot. The issues of TOS has the first mention and first app. of the cultish character, "Modock".

Also picked up two nice store DVD copies of "The Posidon Adventure" and "Jaws", a couple fave flicks that I'll enjoy rewatching on some rainy day off from work.

Yesterday was very busy for me on a day off from work when I once again emptied the gutters and raked/mulched those up, put plastic on an outside windown (which was a real pain in the ass), and used some "Great Stuff" sealant around places on the roof. Also had a guy come over and clean out/relight one of our heaters. Just getting things more prepared for colder weather.

Work has picked up, and I don't think it's all just Christmas shoppers, either. They say the economy isn't any better, and for people trying to find jobs that's maybe true, but people ARE spending well. In fact, we just had one of the best weekends saleswise in retail since last year.

We have nothing special planned for Thanksgiving this year. My cousin's wife has been in the hospital very ill since last May, so no going out in the country for that again this year (perhaps, never again sadly), but we'll cook a meal and take it down to mom's to eat. Christmas will be a bit skimpy for us as my wife has yet to find another full time job.

Been busy working on that limited series I've previously mentioned here. Lack about one full issue having half of that done, but, most of that's still in pencils.

I was happy with the results of the national elections, but not too pleased with our local ones. (Well...you take what you can get.)