As I look out the window, the Portland Fall colors are becoming more prominent. I just have to ignore the roof of the sausage factory next door. (See Post #1070). Last night’s movie, Judy, was interesting but depressing, depicting the after effects of her childhood stardom. It makes you feel good about being just a regular person, out of the spotlight. She could be stoned or drunk but once that spotlight hit her, she went into auto-mode and could belt out a tune. It also demonstrates why ASCAP is so important for artists, since she had no licencing royalties to support her family and died penniless at age 47. 

It will be a quiet day of football until my wife’s daughter and fiance come over to take some of the furniture that we’ve had to maneuver around this past week. It will open up some much needed space in our small apartment. None of our big furniture was designed for apartment living. As a result, closets are partially blocked, can only get out of the king-size bed on one side, drawers are crammed, and more trips to Goodwill are inevitable. I reluctantly unloaded a few large items in my sports collection at the card show yesterday in exchange for smaller treasures. As we continue to downsize, there’s a good feeling in working towards a burden-free life. Gathering was just as fun as clearing out, although finding new homes for our stuff has been challenging at times. 

The Halloween decorations are out. Skeleton Snoopy sits on my desk, and dances to the “Linus and Lucy” song when I shake its hand. The dogs are fascinated when it appears every year, as it has for the last 20 Octobers. Unfortunately, we’ll have no trick or treaters this year in our secured building, and will have to seek an alternative to give away candy. Halloween falls on a Thursday night this year, as there continues to be debate about moving it permanently to the weekend. I personally haven’t put on a costume in years and don’t miss the pressure of deciding what to wear. I’ll undoubtedly be dressed in what my wife sarcastically refers to as my “retirement uniform.”