Note from Tampa
August 29th, 2012




Oh. Oh no. How did that happen? (Prices redacted so as to keep this post sfw.)



  1. Galley Wife August 29, 2012 at 5:10 pm

    Man, this reporting gig is hard. Let’s revisit your newsletter from today…

    Now, back to Tampa. This is the part where I say, “Wish you were here,” because it really is a blast getting to cover a political convention. There’s really nothing quite like it. Part Barnum & Bailey, part civics classroom, part Olympic Games, it’s fun and strange and wonderful in a distinctly American way. If you ever get the chance to go to one, take it.

    …Especially if–correctly gauging the likeliness that being in the convention center among your people might tempt you to pull the left lever and knowing you’ll need something to jolt you back to reality–you google ahead and discover there’s a comic book shop nearby. And since you have a rental car that’s paid for by the day, not the mile, and you’ve got time to kill before Paul Ryan’s abs take the stage since you already filed your piece, it would be irresponsible not to investigate it.

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  3. WershovenistPig August 29, 2012 at 5:14 pm

    I see you’re already in trouble, prices redacted or otherwise.

    I have that issue of DD in the collection. Probably paid $2 or $3 for it in the mid-to-late 80’s. Really thought the photo background was nicely done.

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  5. Galley Friend J.E. August 29, 2012 at 7:37 pm

    I’ve been using that issue of DD, bought for 12 cents back in the day, for a shim under my desk. You mean that’s wrong?

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  7. Galley Wife August 29, 2012 at 7:40 pm

    CPW, you realize JVL is hoping he can delete your comment before I see it. (And, of course you have that issue in the collection.) But now we get to do our little dance, where I say something arch about him “squandering” the college funds, and he widens his eyes (not quite enough to meet mine) and says with an almost-straight face, “Don’t worry, love–these are the college funds!” And then I just gaze at him until he breaks what passed for eye contact. : )

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  9. Kathy August 30, 2012 at 9:01 am

    Well, at least there is no Mall of Gomorrah in Tampa, so you should be well away from further temptation.

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  11. WershovenistPig August 30, 2012 at 12:54 pm

    GW, 12-cent Silver Age comics probably offer a better possibility of a return-on-investment over the next 15-20 years than investing in real estate, stocks, 60’s muscle cars, gold, tulips, etc.

    Ok, 10-cent Golden Age comics might be better, but they were expensive even back in the 80’s.

    I say this in JVL’s defense. However, when it comes time for you two to start paying college tuition, I’m not sure JVL will be so eager to liquidate his, um, investments.

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  13. Galley Wife August 30, 2012 at 2:26 pm

    My point exactly. There will be no liquidation. There will only ever be more of those narrow white boxes–the ones he thinks I don’t know about. So far we just have an ING account. Maybe we should turn to tulips? But CML may well be in jail by the time she’s ready for college, so that’s one less tuition check to worry about now. 🙂

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  15. Nedward August 30, 2012 at 6:28 pm

    Mrs. Galley, if it’s compliant with household protocol/journalistic ethics/Davis-Bacon he can take all of mine gratis. Right now there are 400+ Marvel back issues in the basement, in the space-age plastic bags and everything; they cost me several hundred $$$ 20 years ago so naturally by now they must be worth, like, bank

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