The Terrible Catsafterme

Autograph collecting has always been a fun hobby. But I’d have to say it used to be more enjoyable in the past before it became so god-awful commercialized. It used to be that gathering autographs was the combined result of effort, talent, and luck. Now it’s mostly about the money. I don’t want to come down too hard on the Ray Courts Hollywood Collector’s Show or the celebrities who attend it, but it seems to me that the hobby is just getting out of hand. On Friday morning, February 16, Bob picked me up from David’s house and we headed for the show, held in Burbank. On the way, we stopped to see the grave of Oliver Hardy in Valhalla Cemetery, which meant more to me than most of the living people at the Courts show! Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve just spent well over an hour scouring photographs, documents, and collapsing inward inside my own head trying to piece together my trip to Hollywood during the Summer of 1995. If I had to do it all over again, I would be sure to keep some notes as to what I did on an important trip like this. For example, in the picture at left, I have no idea why I’m posing in this doorway! When it comes down to it, the dates aren’t all that important, but they are nice to know. Fortunately, I have enough memories and photos to keep the trip alive in my head for the time being as I try to record what we did. Read the rest of this entry »

Dave, Jimmy, and I spent Thursday, February 15 at Disneyland. It was my fifth time there and 2007 was now being touting it as “The Year of a Million Dreams.” Since Dave is an employee of some merit at Disney (remember the great tour?), he is capable of getting in his guests free of charge. This is a great perk for him…and us as well. Of course, it wouldn’t matter. Spending the day at Disney with Dave is treat enough, as he knows many of the ins-and-outs of the parks. Read the rest of this entry »