Clearing House

Last night, I opened the front door to my dearest friends and asked them – begged them – to take, take, take my treasures away. Though I am not a shopper and harbor a deep fear of purchasing anything non-edible, I have a knack for acquiring treasures of undetermined value. It's not the dollar value I wrestle with, but the sentimentality makes me hold on.

Paulina left wearing my puckered red ‘80s ski jacket while Jamie Lee made off with my Grandmother’s hot pink velvet feathered hat, circa 1940. Mat found a rugged olive coat, which fit him perfectly, and little Raidon fell in love with the alien ray gun from “Mars Attacks!” Thought we almost had a dream pairing with cellist, Hugh Fox, and the swanky men’s smoking jacket but the garment was too damn small. Talented singer, Karen Soo Hoo, was thrilled with her new keyboard (which includes a button for ‘Bossanova’) while part-time jewel thief, Rory, saw a shiny future together with his newly acquired .38 pistol. It feels good to give back, y’know?

Oh, and the books. Lots of books. The hilarious and astute cultural observer, Robert Ayala, was pleased with his copy of “The U.S. Constitution for Beginners” while the world-famous poet, David Holler, found himself captivated by “You Can’t Win” written by a petty criminal of the ’20 and ‘30s, Jack Black, with introduction by William S.Burroughs. All through the evening, folks wished me well, asked me about the Man and wondered aloud when or if they might come to Denver for a visit.

Now, I’m here with a house full of boxes and I ponder the nine years spent in this apartment. There was much laughter in the first few years but there were many dark times here as well. Overall, I’m grateful for the space. Rent control in a beautiful safe, Presidio neighborhood with tons of parking has been wonderful, if not surreal.

I am at a portal and am about to walk into a brand new life. An unexplored state, a new city at a higher elevation and a life of gardening, writing, horses and Love. I have tried not to overthink too much about what all this means but I know that it sounds like Heaven.

I hope my new place has plenty of storage space . . .