All the News that’s Fit to Print

Not much new in the last couple of days.

Slowly getting my bedroom put back right. I started painting it two weekends ago. Instead of just doing a plain old paint job, I decided to do something “fun” since it’s taken me four years to finally paint the room where I lay my head each night. It’s got an old world yellowed look going for it. I’ll take pictures when it’s actually completely straight. It’s funny how one thing leads to another leads to another leads…. well, you get it… Painting led to moving furniture, which led to cleaning the carpets, which for some reason led to going through all the stuff in the boxes under the bed and bundling up most of it to give away. I’m in one of those purge moods right now. I’ve still got to clean and put the curtains back up and re-hang some pictures (not going back where they came from because of all the furniture moving). Maybe I’ll finish before 2006.

I’ve got to finish, though, so I can start my next project. Drumroll please? I’m reupholstering my Grandfather’s 1950’s chair. It’s been a planned thing for literally years. Let me preface all this that the chair has been recovered before – I’m not tossing out the vintage fabric. My grandmother saw to that being gone long ago, but the frame and look of the chair is still very 50’s. The ironic thing is my Mom and I were looking at Fabric. I picked a brown instead of the sort of camel color that’s been on there as long as I can remember. Mom remarked that it was practically identical to the original fabric. Cool! I’ve done a couple of other pieces in my house before, so I’m not completely scared about this. I recovered a love seat that I have left from college days. And I bought a chair and recovered it for my living room. And I made an ottoman out of an old table, so I’ve got some experience. The good thing were all these projects didn’t involve a piece for which I have sentimental attachment. It’ll be at least a few weeks before I start.

On a sadder note:

I can finally comment on the closing of Drake’s Comics. As Chris, the owner hadn’t really said anything to the whole world, I felt like I should honor that. He told most, if not all, of the subscribers weeks ago that this was coming. Tonight, there was a sign on the door letting us know that the store is closing in April. I’ve been going to Drake’s for my weekly comic book fix for over three years. I was trying to find a shop closer than the one in Decatur I’d been using since I lived inside the perimeter. And I knew I’d found the place the first time I went in. At the time, he was sharing space with a collectible toy store. There was a great friendly vibe to the place and the store has its own Cat, Felix. I knew I had found the one. Not only was it super-close, but I knew I would enjoy going there. Not surprisingly for anyone who is into comics, all ten of us, it’s becoming harder and harder for the specialty shops to make a go of it. The industry seems to be dying a slow but sure death.

Chris is going into a new soccer gear business with a friend. The comic shop isn’t entirely dead, however, as he’s going to take his business online. And those of us who live in the area can still catch up with Chris and get our fix. I’ll miss Wednesday nights at the shop, gabbing with Chris and the other regulars. A little piece of my routine is biting the dust next month, and it’s demise is not going without notice.