Monday, June 17, 2013

Grandma's House - 25 Years Later





























On Fathers Day at 11:00 AM, Sharon and I walked down to the corner of Gower and Rosewood to visit my Grandparents' old house.  This is the same home where my Mom and her brothers were raised, from sometime in the '20s until it was sold in the late 80's.

Probably my earliest memory is from this house: my Grandmother giving me a soapy bath in the kitchen sink (my siblings have similar memories.) We visited this house many times even before we moved up the street when I was almost 6.  This was the house for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, countless birthday parties, weddings, lunches, visits, and just plain hanging out any time we felt like it. Mom and Dad also made great use of Grandma & Pa for date nights or weekends, and would come retrieve us kids sleeping soundly in front of a roaring fireplace.

So, it was with a bit of trepidation that I prepared myself to see what was left of the old house, two owners and 25+ years later.

Foolishly, I had coffee but otherwise didn't eat breakfast or have any water or juice.  The temperature was already past 70.  So when we walked in and began taking in all the rooms, I got overwhelmed rather quickly. I told them I was doing two things simultaneously: admiring their home, but also feeling myself back in the spaces I knew so well and remembering how it was.

Moving into the backyard, which was pretty much unrecognizable (as was the kitchen), I suddenly had a full blown anxiety attack, and not just my usual, heart-pounding kind; I literally couldn't talk, couldn't breathe, couldn't think! All my anecdotes withered away into nothingness. I guess I hid my panic fairly well, because Sharon said she only realized in retrospect that I was acting weird.

Anyway, going upstairs helped a little, but any time I tried to speak, the panic feeling came back twice as strong. If I'd asked for a water, that would've helped tremendously; but all I could think was: THIS IS OVERWHELMING.

Lynda and Bob were very nice and accommodating, but I'm so pissed that I lost the ability to converse.

However, I finally got to show Sharon Grandma's house, and see again it for myself. And hopefully I haven't worn out the DiMuro welcome for good!



Friday, June 14, 2013

Eight Years Complete! Reset the clock for Year Nine!



















Eight years ago today, I met Sharon at the Waterfront Cafe on the Venice Boardwalk for lunch.

We met again the next day, because I couldn't stand the thought of not seeing her again!

Now into Year Nine, that first date has essentially NEVER ENDED. And I never WANT it to end!

I love you Sharon! Thanks for willingly facing another year of adventure with the idiot you call your husband!

(Above pic is from Date 4, at a wine tasting fund raiser for Nick's school.)

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Boe Hughes R.I.P.

Went to the funeral service for my Godmother and "virtual Aunt" Rose (Boe) Hughes this morning. It was really nice, relaxed, and sweet. It was held at Blessed Sacrament in Hollywood,  just a couple blocks south of my work, and the last time I was there was for my Dad's service.

The church is right next to the school "Elmwood" and I attended in the 8th grade.  In my book, everything takes place at one school, but in reality they closed down our elementary school and shipped us all up to Blessed Sacrament for our final year.

I took a picture on my way in. Not only did it FEEL like we were being taught by Nazis - it actually LOOKS like the Weimar Republic!




Thursday, June 6, 2013

More Fun From The Record Sale!

I was actually a bit disappointed when I first hit the $1 record sale last Saturday, but almost as soon as I got home, I realized that many of the records I picked were much more valuable than they seemed. At least a couple of them might sell in the +30 range, and there were quite a few that could go anywhere from $7 to $15 and beyond.

But the coolest find was when I returned at around noon.  Remember, at that point ALL the boxes of records had been pawed through by at least 50 hardened sellers & collectors.... yet I always find stuff that everybody else has somehow overlooked.

Amazingly, there was a signed Harry Chapin LP that I snatched immediately. I'm sure it was passed over because of a rip along the bottom front, and an identical rip on the back (probably where a promo sticker had been.) But right in the middle, clear as day, was a dedication from Harry to an "Ed" at the Tonight Show!


Though I was excited, I knew the signature hadn't been authenticated, so I listed it for 32.99 as a Collectible on Amazon, figurine the rips would keep most buyers away.

But Sharon suspected it might be worth more; she did a little digging and discovered that lesser Harry signatures were going from $300-$900, and up into the 4-figure stratosphere! (Seems absurd, but I actually saw a listing for $5,000.) When I did a quick visual match with other known Harry signatures, it was clear I had The Real Deal. I tried an online autograph authentication service and they confirmed, and a certificate is on the way.

So, now my plan is to get a nice framing job so that the ripped bottom portion is not visible, and start selling high on Ebay and see what happens.  There's no way we're not gonna more than make up our investment of $1 (plus authentication and framing.)

I love records!!

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Wild Coincidence

Picked up 90 records at the $1 record sale this weekend.  Some of them were hammered, but I actually found more than a few rare treasures, including a Near Mint Bozo LP that I've listed for about $44.

But the biggest surprise was a record & picture book of Heidi by Disney.  My friend Chris Assells noticed the listing, and told me his sister was the model for Heidi!

And suddenly, I can totally see the family resemblance!


Weirdest of all, it turns out nobody in his family even owns a copy! So, of course I'm giving it to him to pass along to Bonnie.