Good Morning. Hello. How are you? #1472
Day 2 of cleaning out my mom's apartment.
Good morning. Getting off on a technicality again. It is 9PM here in Alaska. Settling into bed. Another long day of going through my mom’s stuff. The hard part is done. Everything has been touched, identified, put in appropriate piles. My sister, eldest cousin and I just spent three hours reviewing my handiwork for the day, assigning items to assorted friends and family members, doing a little jockying here and there. I mostly came out all right. Did not get the silver. Got the China. Got the baleen, that was the thing I wanted most. Been in the family for close to a hundred years now. It’s uncarved, except the whaler’s name and Barrow, AK on it. Presented to my grandfather back when he, you know, ran the US government as its sole representative for an area the size of Texas.
Important reader update: I do not know what the hell is up with you guys all receiving multiple copies of yesterday’s email. I am sorry about that. One reader said they got it 15 times! Someone texted me just an hour ago they got it again, 22 hours after I sent it. I have put in an email to Buttondown support. I will keep you apprised. But the big question, of course, is: is this happening because I’m in Alaska? Or maybe because it’s a different time of day? Or is it a coincidence? Mysterious!
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Oh shit. Looks like the Slack macro did not sync to this computer. Whoops. Well, hey. We have a GMHHAY slack. You should join. Reply to this email and I will hook you up.
Lotta elderly residents coming by inquiring about things. One bought the nice lifting chair. One more-or-less accused my mom of stealing her plastic garden table, only to discover no, it was a different one. Hers had a pebble pattern on it, this one does not. One brought my mom’s mail — Harlequin romances. Those people know how to handle a death of a subscriber, by the way. Easiest bill to cancel: Harlequin romances. Several said very nice things about my mom. I had a few longish talks with the residents about how nice it is growing old with all these people you know. It really does seem pretty amazing.
My Aunt bonnie came by to take some more stuff. My brother-in-law came by with my nephews to take away the mattress. I saw a lot of relatives today.
I went through my mom’s work papers. She had a hilarious folder called “gems” that had some of her best memos and evil notes people would send her (she was the VP in charge of discipline at the school). I learned about a giant cheating scandal of all these kids the year ahead of me, they all stole a test from a teacher and passed it around. Dozens and dozens of kids. Somehow my mom cracked the case. Actually, I know exactly how she cracked it: a couple do-gooders reported it to her. But if you’re part of the great West Valley class of ‘89 cheating scandal, I’ll never tell you who they were. But I am on to you. I know who you are.
Got her phone cancelled and they told me I was the nicest person they had talked to all day. I told them I had terminal cancer and I didn’t have time to be mean anymore.
Went to another Alaskan Thai place for dinner with my sister and cousin and, reader. Holy shit. Halibut spring rolls. Amazing.
Spent an hour on the phone with stamps.com technical support because for some reason they won’t let me print UPS labels, which SUCKS because I have like 6 boxes too big to ship USPS and now I have to actually GO to a UPS store and wait and I am so not into it.
I did get a $20 credit though, so, hey. Not nothing. And they still work for USPS.
Been driving brother-in-law’s truck and it, like, takes gas and doesn’t have a backup camera and I swear to god, the first time I backed up, I just stared at the radio, where a backup camera would be in my truck. Didn’t even realize I needed to, like, use the mirrors.
I just got back to the hotel, left my wallet at mom’s apartment so i had to get another key. I did my usual schtick, told the people at the front desk I worked here in 1989. The young girl looked horrified. The 30ish one indifferent, the older one laughed and said “showing your age.” I looked up at her and said “don’t you remember meeeeee?” She looked horrified and laughed and said she was in Florida in the 80s, son.
What else can I tell you. It’s emotional shit, man. Ebbs and flows. Her handwriting on things gets to me the most. Oh and then I found her pile of mementos from my dad’s funeral, and all the cards of sympathy she got when he passed during covid. That was rough.
But a lot of joy, too, it’s nice to see all my cousins and nephews and whatnot, and it’s pleasant to put things in piles and think “oh, Jack would like this” or whatever. Val is rubbing off on me.
I miss my daughter, I miss my wife. The time zone is a killer for talking on the phone. Im just finishing and getting home now, Emma’s probably been asleep for like four hours.
Tomorrow I go pick up my mom’s ashes I’m sure that won’t be emotional at all nope nope nope.
BUT beyond that, we’ll then be in logistics mode. No more sorting. No more discovering new things. Lotta dump runs in my future.
Oh shit, actually. I went to the collection center here, except they call them “transfer centers.” I love the assorted euphamisms. A lot like the one back home, also has a “free stuff” section. I left a ton of free stuff there and people were so excited. Just scooping it up. And, like, yes, there was a seasoned flipper there, but most of the people were families, people who need the stuff.
I took a risk and said “hey actually you guys need any food? I have all this pasta and soup I was gonna take to Breadline but it’s on the other side of town so if you want it, it’s yours.” And this woman was so grateful and happy and god damn did that feel great.
Gonna be a lot more runs there tomorrow. My mom would be happy. She loved giving shit away. Which is making my job pretty easy this week. Thank you, mom.
Been listening to KSUA this whole trip, the radio station I helped re-found with my friend Chris (Chris do you want a GVEA lantern? I saved it for you). It’s still good! I love the casualness of the staff. They talk about their DJ sets as “playlists” which is interesting and new. I find myself Shazaaming a lot of good tracks. So, for the media of the day, here is one that I learned about today:
Thank you, KSUA.
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Thanks for reading.
And hey! Maybe buy one of my books!
Good Morning, Hello, How Are You vol 1.