Having spent the last few weekends cleaning out my Grandparent’s house, I’ve come to the conclusion that my pack rat complex runs in the family. Heck, it gallops! Going through boxes of my grandmother’s junk, I realized I have to start cleaning out my stuff. Yesterday, I rolled up my sleeves and decided to go through my “scrapbox collection” which consisted of 4 huge boxes that sit in the corner of my bedroom taking up way too much space. These boxes are filled with newspaper clippings, pictures, magazines, and other such memorabilia that I collected throughout the 1980’s and early 90’s. I have attempted cleaning these boxes many times but yesterday I actually accomplished something– not much, mind you, but something. There are now only 3 boxes remaining.

List of some interesting items I retained:

Shoe box full of obituaries. Earliest obituary is Ricky Nelson. Latest was Joanne Van Fleet.

Manilla envelope filled with dreamy pinup pictures of Johnny Depp.

A 1929 Photoplay magazine I had discovered years ago at my Grandmother’s house and promptly forgot

1976 newspaper with the headline: ELVIS DEAD

A spiral bound notebook in which I handwrote the lyrics to Tip Toe Through the Tulips, Mellow Yellow, etc in big bubbly handwriting.

2 years worth of Nigel Bennett fan club newsletters.
List of some items I junked:
A clothing tag from a pair of Mikhail Baryshnikov exercise clothes

10 High School play programs from the early 1980s. Bye Bye Birdie, Pippin, Annie Get Your Gun, etc…

A traced rendering of the Monkees tastefully done by some unknown middle school friend

High school love notes received in American History class from a boy who is now gay

1986 concert schedule for Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers… or on the other side, a smiley face done in crayons