Off The Charts (late night love update)

 You are not only doing your best, you are so far off the charts that it can't be measured. I mean, I always have to quote Jeremy Irons and say, "You have no idea." 😯

You asked "How are you?" I'm guessing you mean me (if not, please disregard). You might also mean yourself (rhetorically speaking). But in my case, I'm doing quite well, investigatively speaking and otherwise. I would love to see you. I think of you all day long, every day, and I await every message you send. Beyond that, I feel tuned in to you (and with you) all day, every day, to the extent you used to talk about (like that time you showed me the night sky).

You shine brighter than the brightest star. You have changed my life so miraculously since July that I hope you will see it in my eyes very soon, because words can't quite describe it.

So, that's how I'm doing, and I love you beyond all the love in the Universe and I want you to know it and feel it.

We are accomplishing amazing things. That's what you're doing. There is no one in the world like You.

No one. You are Off the Charts.

I love you. 💗💗 Forever. (back later with more)

11:26pm : Just checking in to say hi, if you are still awake (and even if you aren't), and to tell you that I remembered another detail from Good Friday 2015 at your house: you showed me your Marge Simpson mask, only it wasn't exactly a mask (more like a full-on Marge Simpson head?) (not sure). What I remember is her patented blue hair. You explained the plastic manufacturing process that created it.

Pretty cool, eh? Remembering specific details...

Of course, I also remember (ahem...) the man who was there that night. The guy who (ahem) "invited himself" into the house. He actually bullied his way in (but we're being polite about it).We'll just call him "G" for now (or "P.G." or even "P.G.M." if we're getting more specific). Sorry to bring him up, but I decidedly don't like him.

I'm learning more and more about him in my investigative research, and....wow. What a (jerk) (insert your own description).

Me? I'm being polite. 

But yeah, what an....(um)...guy. Absolutely fascinating! I wonder what ever happened to him, anyway? Maybe I could ask around.

(I wonder if he still wears Hawaiian shirts?) 

Anyway, they say "you learn something new every day", and that seems to be the case in spades.

I just hope, hope, hope to see you one day in the near future because I love you. I also wish I could write you a real letter so I wouldn't have to write to you this way. But it's what I've got for now, and I'm so grateful I can't tell you. You are my Mermaid, my Hero, my Everything, and I wish you a wonderful late night (sleep tight). 

I love you. 💗💗 

Hero (more than words can say) (late night gigantic love update)

You may already know this, but I love your Halloween costume even more today because you're my Hero, and I love you more than words can say. 💗💗 (back later with more)

(1:25am) It's late, but I'm back. I'm unsure what to write, however, because I'm (a little) overwhelmed (or verklempt if you prefer). "Talk amongnst yourselves" and thank you Linda Richman. I'm stunned (in a good way, because of you), and I'm also processing every new thing I learn. Today, I have learned much.

I'm also excited, because yesterday I received in the mail the proof copy of my latest book, called "Diane's House on Jamieson Street in Reseda". That lengthy title refers not only to a person, a home, and a location, but implies a mystery behind those three things (at least, I think it does). 

I like my title. It came to me all at once - straightforward and to the point. The mystery involves what happened to me in that house during the time (between May 4, 2009 and February 18, 2010) that I worked for the woman who inherited the house from her recently deceased sister (Diane).

It's quite the Horror Story (and true!), and the book that came in yesterday's mail, subtitled "The Diary", is only the first volume of a three-part whole. 

I've been working on it since January 2025. The second volume, entitled "The Meditations" will be out soon. The third and final volume is called "The Linear Account". It will cover not only my tenure with the woman who inherited Diane's House but will segue into my job as Pearl's caregiver.

Unlike my first two books ("Pearl the Wonder Girl" and "The Summer of Green Parrots"), this three-part series will not be immediately for sale. That's because it's too explosive.

Thank You, Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus, for the gift of writing and for truth.

And for the recovery of deliberately blocked memory.

Amazing Costume!

Wow! That is an amazing Halloween costume. In fact, it's more like an embodiment. You become the Halloween characters you create; you are a world-class costume designer (among your other talents), and I'd love to know what inspired this year's choice. Also, the location: is it one of the old Broadway district theaters in DTLA, by any chance? I've been to many concerts at The Orpheum, The Mayan, Ace Hotel, The Belasco. The interior looks like one of those. Anyway, I hope your night was as great as your costume, and we lucked out because, as predicted, the rain didn't amount to much. I was out and about for almost 4 hours and my hair didn't even get wet enough to wring out (I refused to bring an umbrella). Saw lots of trick-or-treaters in Reseda & Northridge, not quite the swarm I expected for a Halloween on Saturday night, but a steady flow...

I voted a little while ago, though I must admit I wasn't thrilled with any of the candidates. Here's a confession (which you probably already know 'cause I've probably mentioned it) : I'm not really a Democrat anymore. I'm still registered as one, but (and don't kill me for saying this) ("he said, cringing") the Dems have run California into the ground. Neither the State nor Los Angeles is what they once were. The main thing I'll be glad for (and don't kill me again!) is that Gavin Newsom will be gone. He is, without question, the worst Governor we've ever had, by a mile. If he runs for President, he'll lose because all his opponent has to do is show what happened to our state under his watch (okay, I'll shut up now).

I mean, I used to be so far left (in my 20s) that I was almost a commie (not really, but very far left). Now, I'm hard-core to the right (I don't like terms like right-winger). Or maybe I'm just a centrist with a strong law enforcement stance. On a side note, you should be very proud of your history with the Reagan Library. Another confession: I didn't like him when he was President because I was a far-left (near commie) in my 20s. Now, I think he was one of the best Presidents we ever had. You could say I've lived and learned.

Ideally, I'm a John F. Kennedy/Bill Clinton Democrat. But I moved to the right when (don't kill me!) the Dems ran Kamala two years ago. That was the worst election of all time, because you had Harris on the one hand, who would've destroyed America had she won, and you had Trump on the other hand.

I was the #1 Anti-Trumper in The World in 2016 (a scientifically proven fact). But then I actually voted for him in 2024, because of the alternative, and because his daughter-in-law Lara Trump (who was also his campaign manager) did an image-makeover on him, where she turned him into Friendly Trump who hands out fries at McDonalds, and who does a pie chart showing how he'll bring down grocery prices.

But he didn't. Instead, he broke one of his main campaign promises not to start any wars, and prices are higher than they were under Biden (who I voted for but didn't know he had dementia).

Anyway.... More Halloween! There's a house on Plummer just east of Yolanda that was decked out all through October, and then on November 1, after The Big Night, the owner lit up only two or three ghosts, with a sign that said "Every Day Is Halloween". I thought of you, and me too. 💗💗

I love you. 💝💝

Halloween Cheerleader (11pm Update)

Hooray for the Morning Pumpkin Walk! I love it, beyond cool, and I've gotta go next time (hint hint). 💗💗 As your Halloween Cheerleader and Weather Watcher, I've been keeping a close eye on tomorrow's forecast. The hourly version is now available, and though some rain is predicted for the late afternoon and evening, it's intermittent, and only 0.03 inches, which (hopefully) won't be more than a drizzle or a few drops on and off. Not enough to ruin the evening, in other words (fingers crossed).

And we won't let it stop us anyway! Even if it's a full-on downpour thunderstorm (um...don't say that, Ad).

Back later tonight with more. I love you! 💗💗

11pm : I'm back, just finished watching "The Magnetic Monster" on Tubi. Last night : "Them" (the giant ant movie with great L.A. River locations). The night before that: "The Thing from Another World" (not as scary as John Carpenter's 1982 remake, but classic nonetheless). As you can see, I'm on a sci-fi kick this week. Had a great walk tonight, up to the Granada Hills Ralphs and back. That's part of my grocery shopping routine; when I go there, it not only saves gas but accounts for my nightly miles. I have several different routes I take; one of them goes past Northridge Park, which tonight brought back memories from the Days of Yore and gave me goosebumps. It was positively Halloweeny, I tell you.

I'm liking what I've heard from the new Tony Iommi solo album (ultra heavy), and looking forward to Steven Wilson's upcoming release "Requiem from a Village", the previews of which sound fantastic. SW's band features an incredible musician named Randy McStine, who's known mostly as a guitarist (and a great one) but he can play anything. I shout him out here because about 16-18 years ago, when he was just a wee lad (probably a teenager), he used to frequent the King's X chat board, and occasionally chimed in on some of my comments about various bands, including Roxy Music. Well, tomorrow's the big night. I'll be kind of all over the place: Reseda, Northridge, all around CSUN. Mostly on foot (though I'll drive to Reseda). Gotta hit all my spots. People would be surprised at how haunted the area is...👽👀 (I'm a good tour guide)

I hope you have an amazing day and night with no rain. Happy Halloween!

(and if you're up late, come join me in the Pumpkin Patch. We'll wait for the Great Pumpkin).

I love you!💗💗 (thinking of October 31, 2014...)  

I Hear Ya (No Rain!) (short 11pm update)

Yeah, I've been checking the forecast over and over. Just the ten-day, the hourly forecast doesn't yet extend to Saturday. It can't rain on Halloween! It's against the law. Right now, on Accuweather, it says "cloudy and cool, with a passing shower in the afternoon." It says "Total Hours of Precipitation: 0.5" Okay, fine. A little afternoon sprinkle...no biggie. But no major downpours, and no rain AT ALL after 4pm. Period. That's how it's gotta be.

It can't rain on Halloween night. I've been praying, and I'll continue. We'll have the hourly forecast by tomorrow. Hang in there and have faith (putting on Blind Melon "No Rain" for our theme song)...back later tonight with more. I love you. 💗💗

11:00pm update: I agree with you about the first Simpsons Halloween Special (there are many good ones, but the first is best). In a similar vein, were you a fan of "King of the Hill", and if so, have you seen the episode entitled "Hilloween"? Here's a preview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nO2_bhBr9AQ

(you'll probably have to cut and paste, I don't think it'll become a clickable link)

Anyhow, in the episode, Hank does battle with a neighborhood lady who thinks Halloween is evil and tries to ban it. It's a total crackup and will have you cheering. I loved "King of the Hill" (one of the best animated shows from the 90s)...I miss the days when network TV ruled, and the sitcoms all had Halloween episodes.

Bring back the 1990s!

Right now, I'm trying to find something watchable on Tubi. The other night, I found a flick called "The Houses October Built", a mockumentary in which a group of young people go on a cross-country motorhome tour in search of the ultimate Halloween Horror House, the kind with live actors and hard-core scares. It was pretty good, not great (and the sequel wasn't good), but it was an eye-opener as to the extreme nature of some of these "attractions", many of which try to blur the line between scary and assaultive (which isn't cool). Anyway, a lot of indie filmmakers in the DIY age are doing "found footage" films; I haven't seen any that matches "Blair Witch", still the champ after 27 years (despite the shaky camera and the overabundance of swear words). The first four "Paranormal Activity" movies are good, too.

That's all for now. (no rain!) (giant love!) 💗💗

You Are So Right (updated Friday night October 23)

 You are so right in everything you just said (music included). And you've got me and we can't be stopped. I love you so much that even God can't measure it. (back later tonight with more) 💗💗

9:00pm : I'm back, having finished my walk out to Super King for 49 cent avocados (yipee!) Looked for Halloween Houses, too, but didn't see many. There's a ton, though, on Rathburn between Sunburst and Rayen, the block I lived on from 1970 til March 1995 (the quake destroyed our house). Lots of good HHs all around the Northridge Vons area, too, and in the vicinity of Northridge Library. Man...I miss decorating Pearl's house. We didn't do much; just put up our Spider Lights and our Mailbox Ghoul, and lit up the two pumpkins I carved every year. But I loved doing that stuff (especially the pumpkin carving, always on Halloween Afternoon), and I would put on my orange silk shirt, and Kobi would put on his Pumpkin Poncho and spangled collar. We'd hand out candy to the trick-or-treaters (in 2014, we got a couple of older, taller ones).💗💗 Man, I haven't been able to decorate a house since 2019. Me and Pearl had an awesome Halloween Walk in 2020, though. It was during Covid, and Halloween was kind of cancelled (boo! you can't cancel Halloween!), but some folks did up their houses anyway, and I pushed her in her wheelchair all around The Tract (as we called the Meadowlark Park sector of Reseda). We went all the way to Lorne Street School, my elementary alma mater (and the subject of a future book).

Anyway, that was my last Full-On Halloween. 2019 was my last one at her house with trick-or-treaters.

I can't wait to do a traditional Halloween again. Since then, I just go for Major League Walks (all by myself), to enjoy the night vicariously. Last year I went to Reseda, to recreate my walk with Pearl. I really miss her.

Anyway...how about you? Are you going to any Halloween parties? What are you doing on the Actual Night? I'll be on foot, trying to cover as much ground as possible. On a side note, last night I did my walk at CSUN (I do five miles, every night. Gotta stay in shape, and it only takes about 80 minutes), and when I got near the gym, I thought I saw something glowing in the darkness. As I closed in, sure enough, someone (or several someones) had carved eight pumpkins (8!) and set them all in a row on a bench by the volleyball courts. It made my night.

I saw a good Witch movie last night, an Indie flick called "The Beldham" (on Tubi). I've seen a couple more: "The Witch in the Window" and "The Book of the Witch" (all on Tubi), and they were well done, but all were scary. That's expected, right? And cool. But I'm also looking for Good Witch movies, which are harder to find, and on another side note, I know which (witch?) movie will be the first one we watch together (hint, hint). 💗💗

On a musical note, Al Jardine of The Beach Boys played at The Saroya last night at CSUN. He uses Brian Wilson's old band and they're supposed to sound fantastic. He's 84, and now that Mike Love may be done touring, it might've been my last chance to see an Original Beach Boy. But the tickets were pretty expensive, so to paraphrase George Bush, "it wouldn't have been prudent" for me to do it. Glad I got to see Love and The Beach Boys last July at The Bowl. I also saw a Beatles tribute band called Ticket to Ride last Friday night at the Our Lady of Lourdes Fall Carnival. That was free, and not far from my apartment. If you like The Beatles, don't miss them next time they're in the area. I've seen 'em at least a dozen times.

I'm listening to the new CD by Rick Wakeman, called "Return to the Red Planet", but that's progressive rock (maybe not your thing?). Anyway, I've been listening to Rick (who was a member of Yes) since 1973, when he made the all-time classic "Six Wives of Henry the 8th", and he's Still Got It musically, even at 77. I saw Rick Wakeman at the Hollywood Bowl on September 27, 1974. I was 14. It was my third concert. 

That's about all I know for tonight (though my life is as weird as ever). I still say this could be The Best Halloween of All-Time (I just get that feeling), and I hope you're having a great start to the weekend. I'm with you In Spirit round-the-clock, and I love you with all my heart. 💘💘 (back soon) 

Gigantic Love (and great pictures!)

I'm glad you had a blast at Disneyland! It's kind of required, right? (and impossible not to have a blast). I love all your pictures and am wondering where some of them were taken. Downtown Disney? (the Pluto pic with the Halloweentime blocks in the background). In one pic, I see the Disneyland Hotel. Did you stay there? Did you do the three-day pass? Anyhow, lovelovelove! When I went with my sister (four weeks ago today), I got there before she did (seven minutes after Rope Drop) and I headed straight for Star Wars Land, as I think I mentioned in my Disneyland blog. But even then, right after the park opened, the wait was close to an hour for Rise of the Resistance and I didn't wanna wait that long.

Did you guys go on it? Either way, it's awesome just to walk all the way to that end of the park, and awesome just to see Star Wars Land itself (even if the lines are long).

I loved the pic of you and your friend on the Mark Twain Riverboat! One of my favorite rides! And the Carousel...💓💓

Every picture was great.

Man...I can't wait to go back. Are you going at Christmastime? (if so...canIgowithya?)

What are your favorite rides?

I like your orange sunglasses and (again) your purse, but is it the flip side of your purse from Knotts Berry Farm, or is it a different purse?

Gigantic love and fun. 💗💗

I've been Working on My Work, doing The Things I Do, while getting deep into That Halloween Feeling. Hey wait a sec...that could be a song. But on second thought, maybe not. We could never lose the Halloween Feeling, so there would never be a need to bring it back cause it's always with us.

(you see what I did there, right?)

But yeah, I'm working on my stuff, and that incident I wrote about in one of my recent blogs (The Mysterious Prank) down on Eddy Street turns out to be a lot more involved than I thought. Several more walks through that area have triggered more astounding memories for your Psychic Detective, including the identities of two other musicians who were with the main prankster I mentioned.

I'm watching one episode of "Dark Shadows" every day and looking for scary movies at night.

This is an amazing time, and I love you beyond measure. 💖💖