Hibou

I can only go so far...

My wife and I had just picked up my daughter from the Newark International Airport... she was so tired but so relieved  to be off of this 12 hour flight.

That clip of the episode of Doctor Who that I posted, "Heaven Sent" , in these past couple of months, has become my favorite. 

And that would be because I'm one hundred percent feeling like this is me right now... this is where I'm at and damn you, Steven Moffat for this episode. 

I'm sorry...

Thank you Steven Moffat for this episode... I've watched it a few times over the course of these past couple of months.

Maybe I didn't have the foresight to see this but here we are...

According to Doctor Who WIKI, The Confession Dial is a small, circular disk used as part of a Gallifreyan ritual act of purification.

(Editor's Note- I've been mildly obsessed with the history of the Cathars for many years now...)

The Confession Dial allowed a dying Time Lord to face their demons and make their peace before their mind was uploaded to the Matrix. 

Now how could I NOT be attracted to that?!

So...

My Confession Dial.

I can do this...

... I hope.

... and why can't I go past that last post?

On 8/7/2023 at 2:40 AM, Hibou said:

The last stop I wanted to make, actually the last stop that I HAD to make, was a stop in Ashley, Pennsylvania... just outside of Wilkes-Barre.

I think it was right about here that I was no longer driving.

Rather, The Shadow was guiding me!

 

 

It's like I'm stuck here...

On 8/7/2023 at 2:40 AM, Hibou said:

The last stop I wanted to make, actually the last stop that I HAD to make, was a stop in Ashley, Pennsylvania... just outside of Wilkes-Barre.

I think it was right about here that I was no longer driving.

Rather, The Shadow was guiding me!

 

 

Two months ago. 

Two months since my last post on this timeline.

My wife and I had just picked up my daughter from New Jersey (from Japan) and two months from when I (on this whim) decided to go on this history bending tour though Pennsylvania.. my home away from home for so many years!

After the last tour of Centalia, PA. and after the tour of the remnants of the great St. Nicholas Breaker in Mahanoy, PA., I decided at the last minute to seek out the ghost of the great Huber Breaker in Ashley, PA. - which was just outside of Wilkes Barre, PA. 

Why this final destination? 

Well, this was the home of the historic BlueCoal and home of the sponsor that would lead to the success of The Shadow in the late 1930's and this picture was the first of the gateway to that region...
 

Maybe I shouldn't have cloaked this from the TVA after-all...

My timeline has been destroyed.

I'm not sure where to restart this story... I thought going back to Pittsburgh, PA. would be the point but then I felt that I have to go back to where I last left my life at the last entry.

The story surrounding my journey through Pennsylvania's coal cracking region in the north east. 

I can't believe I'm at a loss here. If there was ever a need for outside influence, it's here and now.

Damn.

This is about the point that I would involve the mechanism of 'Technical Difficulties'.

RIP Robbie Robertson... a long time favorite of mine and I certainly didn't see this coming as well.

I picked up the pen like Hamilton...

I wish.

Rather, I'd like to make a deal with God at this point in my life.

(Probably the best cover I've heard in a long time!)

Now this was weird (or was it?!) but this decision of mine to replace my son's NM98 happened to coincide with the opening week of PulpFest in Pittsburgh, PA.

And this is where I need to deviate from the 'sacred timeline' in order to fully and accurately tell this story.

Bear with me...

Please.

So yes, if he had still been in possession of that X-Men #4 during that time, that would've been stolen as well. 

It was this year in late July that I had decided to repurchase yet another copy of New Mutants #98 featuring the first appearance of Deadpool as that's my son's favorite Marvel character... I decided upon that especially after hearing of the Deadpool 3 news and the feature of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine as I had mentioned here before!  He had to have this book back again and we were both highly anticipating this movie. 

I kept him up-to-date- on all of the rumors and news regarding this movie that was shaping to be absolutely epic!

In order to do this correctly, I'm going to have to rewind the dreaded hands of time a bit further back than I had originally planned.

I have to go back to the post where I talked about my son's copy of New Mutants #98 that I purchased for him, to replace the one that was stolen from him, decided to press it myself... submitted it to CGC and ultimately got a 9.4 on it.  At the time, I thought it was a 9.0 book prior to pressing and I was really proud and happy to have been able to do that for him.

Now if I remember correctly, that post kind of tied into the post regarding that copy of X-Men #4 and the first appearance of the Scarlet Witch.  That story was one of my favorites to re-tell, to be honest.  As it turns out, in a bizarre way, I saved that book in a way that I couldn't have imagined a couple of years ago. 

So last year, my son developed some health issues and was hospitalized for a couple of months.  That was a very difficult time for all of us as we had to try to help him retain and maintain his apartment that he shared with his "friend" and roommate who, at the time, was unemployed.  My wife and I did all we could to help him during these months and ultimately, my son got better and was able to return home... what we didn't realize at the time, was that for those couple of months that he was in the hospital and going through physical rehabilitation, pretty much everything that was of value to him, had been stolen. 

And that would include that CGC 9.4 copy of New Mutants 98. 

And here we go...

On 8/7/2023 at 2:40 AM, Hibou said:

The last stop I wanted to make, actually the last stop that I HAD to make, was a stop in Ashley, Pennsylvania... just outside of Wilkes-Barre.

I think it was right about here that I was no longer driving.

Rather, The Shadow was guiding me!

 

 

...

...

The last post of my life was made on this day at 2:40am on August 7th.

I don't know what to write about anymore.

(But I'll try)

I could tell you every single little detail of every single little day from the point of this last journal entry to now, but what good would it do me? 

I've played around with timelines, I've revisited the past on numerous occasions... I've humored myself with this apparent "cat and mouse" game with the timekeepers I call the TVA... but then there's real life and the hell that it can bring to oneself.

No.

"Hell" is too convenient of a term to use here but unfortunately, it's the only word that comes to mind. 

What do I do now?  Where do I go... what have I become?

I'm not in a good place - that is about the only thing I'm sure of these days.

I'm far from the same person I once was... trust me, there have been numerous times over the course of the past 2 months that I so wish I could actually be The Shadow from the Lamont Cranston Radio Days... able to appear anywhere, at anytime, undetected, in order to attempt to solve the latest and greatest mystery facing our hero and heroine, the lovely Margo Lane.

As it is... that's all fun fiction though, that which has passed across the highways of time.  From their ears to yours and to mine.

Thankfully, I have a wonderful family and I actually do have a true to life Supergirl by my side even if she is currently 70 miles away to the west.

And this Supergirl is my amazing daughter who conquered her studies in Japan just so she could join us for our darkest moment in time as a family.

One month ago, my wife and I moved our daughter into her dorm for her final year at college... it was this moment here, when I told her that I couldn't have survived without her help and without her steel resolve...

She's amazing.

So, what is this about?

What am I doing?

I have an amazing family and my dearest friend Rob, I will have to lean on you for a while. 

I'm sorry...

Sadly, you know all too well what this is about.

I'm currently in the middle of a Hurricane.

What the hell do I do?! 

I know I've come here before in order to save my life and is that where we're heading once again?!

In the middle of a hurricane - what do you do?!

Well...

Sure, I guess that's a start, but for those that know me best... writing isn't going to end this.

The only way to truly find closure with a matter such as this is to declare war and that's precisely what I've done...

God help me.

Beyond comics and beyond fundamental speculation - this is where I'm at.

Yes, I've bought comics within these past couple of months and yes, I'm prepared to accelerate my interests!

So, I'll start from where I left off on the early Monday morning from August of 2023, but do keep in mind...

I'm ending this soon enough.

If I had only known.

 To be continued…. 

Maybe I do.

I have no idea how to start this…. 

As I type this, it's 20 minutes before the day that is known as 9-11. 

The day when so many families suffered through so much devastating emotional loss... "a date which will live in infamy".

I'm not suggesting that 9-11 has supplanted the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, rather I'm joining the two episodes. 

You see, my mind has been forever transformed over this past month. 

Tragedy is tragedy and who are any of us to dictate which experiences we should prioritize over any other. 

In the end, we all suffer... we all carry with us, huge emotional losses... and yet we desperately try to carry on. 

By any means necessary.

Last night I couldn't stop writing. 

I'm going to have to take a break for a while though while I work through some personal family matters.

The last stop I wanted to make, actually the last stop that I HAD to make, was a stop in Ashley, Pennsylvania... just outside of Wilkes-Barre.

I think it was right about here that I was no longer driving.

Rather, The Shadow was guiding me!