Rumors of my death...

...have been greatly exaggerated.

Well, not so greatly. I mean, I'm not dead, this is certain.

But for a moment there I sure felt pretty gone.

Oh dear S&Pbrains, I am okay, I have been merely struggling with something I am sure many of you have also experienced from time to time.

Depression.

It's one thing to love the image, another to feel like that image all the time.

The causes and cures are my own, and certainly none of your problem (or business, really), but I will say that it takes me out of my life for a time, every time. 

And I am heartily sorry for this ridiculous span of Skull&Pumpkin-less down time. 

I feel guilty for having followers, almost. I am afraid my own fears and folly will bring you all to breaking down the door of this li'l pub, chanting for my aching head, the lot of you a seething, swimming mass of monster-madness...

Now, don't worry, if you cared enough to worry. I am alright -- my incredible wife and family are always supportive and uplifting, and I am coming back.

Just kind of taking some alone time in a cold, sad Winter.

 I am also finding my Hallowe'en love slowly pulling me back into sanity, back to myself...

And I must come back, I must.

Not just for my own sanity... but because there's something wonderful coming in a little over a month...

... and I've got monsters to build.

Thank you for being patient, and for understanding.

Send me some good ol' fashioned Hallowe'en Loving vibes, would you?

I'll be back.

EDIT:
In honor of my first post in quite some time, and just to shake off the dust of Christmas, I have removed all the Christmas songs from the jukebox and replaced them with a few pieces I felt I needed to hear in my process of returning to life.
First, because I miss my friend Andy Williams, I felt the need for a little Days of Wine & Roses, this version by two other musical legends, Bill Evans and Toots Theilmanns -- if you have to ask who's playing what, you don't listen to jazz nearly enough.
Second, because I miss the sunny, windswept Fall, guitarist Will Ackerman's Shape of the Land lays in quite nicely.
Third, because I miss my childhood, the theme to Dusty's Treehouse. It was only on L.A. TV in the '70s, but was then picked up nationally on Nick in the '80s.
And finally, because I miss Disneyland and my favorite ride of all time, I give you the entire 22 minute audio bed for the Haunted Mansion -- every scream, rattle, clank and cackle. It's what you would hear if your Doombuggy paused at every scene in the ride until all the audio was played.

Enjoy some new tracks.

Again... I'll be back.

DDSProcess

Punxazombie Phil.

Whether he saw his shadow or not...

I think we're in for some trouble.

DDearlySPring!

It's all up in the air.

Well, dear ol' friends, I realize things have been decidedly quiet around this old homely humble house of Hallowe'en hoopla, but keeping busy does have its merits. And visiting family is always worth whatever one may miss in the meantime.

Still, I am not feeling very happy about not posting anything at all since last month -- last year, actually.

But I felt right now would be a good time to post a little 'hello', since I am currently flying over the southwestern United States at 30,000 feet.

So here it is, an S&P first, loyal patrons -- a post from WAY up high.

They really know my tastes, this airline...

"This is your captain speaking. You are now free to move about the pub..."

But in all seriousness, let me tell you -- I wish you could all see how beautiful our world is from up here.

Oops, the seatbelt sign is on again. 

Aw, you know what? Screw it, we have to move our legs -- how about a little...?

Honestly, it is a very cool thing to have blogged from 30,000 feet. I hope the minor novelty of of such a post can go some way toward making up for my lack of posts thus far.

I'll be back soon.

DDSPleaseforgivetheabsence!

My calendar changeth over.

Waiting on Guy Zombardo & the Orchestra to play in the new year...

A prosperous, joyous 2013 to you all!

DUMDUMSHREKPOPthechampagne!

A long winter's nap.

Today's view from the front windows at the Skull & Pumpkin.

DDSnowyskeletonandPumpkins!

Winter.

The solstice is here.

Winter rests her heavy hand on the shoulder of Autumn, and Autumn relents -- sad, relieved, anticipating the end of the next Summer.

And even with cheery songs, happy faces, gaily lit and decorated surroundings...

There is much in it of Hallowe'en.

This is because, like Autumn, a great part of the beauty of Winter is its darkness.

And, as in the season just ended, we celebrate as Autumn People -- chilling tales of chilling nights, howling winds, icy caverns; frozen bed chambers in forgotten manors; ghosts, mysteries, madmen and monsters.

Wendigo, anyone?

A thousand generations of long nights endured in the deadest, chilliest, hoariest time of the year have inspired the imaginations of artists, authors, musicians, tale-tellers all over the world to ponder how fragile we can be, how hardy and hale and so easily turned to children in the face of the Great Mystery -- the year's end, the land's seeming death that is Winter.

And still so much beauty in which to find warmth, peace and light.

It is good to be back here at the Skull & Pumpkin.

It has been some time.

I see that no one has disturbed the dust, the cobwebs... the darkness.

Thank you all.

In light of the coming Other Holiday, I thought it was time to change out the ol' jukebox and add a touch of yuletide tunage to our publy party.

Of course, we always begin our jukebox with The Great Pumpkin Waltz -- it is the official theme song of the S&P. We always end it with Pumpkintime, our official incidental music.

Tonight I have added a piano piece from my own repertoire, recorded with the help of violinist Bobby Tillery. From the Stage (L) wings between shows at the Welk Theatre in 1999, comes our short interpretation of Ryuichi Sakamoto's haunting theme from the 1983 film Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence.

A difficult film that still manages to end with a kind of smile.

The next song has been here before, and I will always add it in December -- the Joni Mitchell song River, performed by James Taylor, available free at his website as a Christmas gift for his fans back in 2006.

It is simple, elegant, and sad... and therefore delicious.

And then, something I just had to share with you all, and for which you will all be so grateful that I expect boxes of coal mailed to the house -- a truly glorious version of Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer which I knew was going to be on our player as soon as I heard it done by Taiwanese pop group Cai Mi Mi & Five Petals (or Mimi Chai & the Five Petals or just Mi Mi Cai or Chai Mi Mi or The Five Petals or just Five Petals but since there are SIX of them, who in hell knows?)...

Their version of Rudolph comes from a 1968 album and I wish I had the rest of that vinyl.

Still searching. Christmas is coming.

And not coincidentally, our jukebox says it is here.

Of course, we begin with a Peanuts tune, so I had to add Vince Guaraldi's ultra-classic, ultra-jazz-trio cut Christmastime Is Here from the so-famous-and-classic-it's-in-our-DNA-since-1965 holiday TV special A Charlie Brown Christmas.

And then, because I cannot shake the feeling that a deep, long winter is repetition of a nearly Zen-like scale, I felt I should end our jukebox additions the same way I began them -- with a piano and violin duet.

This time, it is Barbra Higbie and Darol Anger playing their beautiful dance True Story, from their 1982 album Tideline.

Falling, falling, falling...

I surely hope That Other Holiday treats you right this year. It's certainly bearing down quickly enough.

For now, a wintry nap is in store.

Do stick around and listen, read, dig through the archives.

Good to be back home.


DDSanta'sPrepping!

Give me a break?

NO, I say!

I'm just busy.

I know, dear S&Pbrains, that I have been markedly absent from this humble little place for a while, but it really is strictly about my workload and my mind being... well, my mind!

I do want to assure you all -- if it's at all important to you -- that I am not "taking a break from blogging" or "going through a rough patch" or even "reevaluating my life".

I'm just... busy. And a kind of busy that keeps me from fully immersing myself into the darker -- and way more fun -- side of my life.

I can also assure you that come Christmas, everything will get back to what passes for normal around this spooky ol' place.

(I am also trying to locate a better audio hosting site for our jukebox and radio, which should explain why there has been no change to either for some time -- Podbean has decided my paid account no longer merits uploading multiple files at once, and adding five or ten mp3s one at a time? Yeah, not going to put up with that when I have paid to not have to hassle with it).

The Skull & Pumpkin, like all aspects of our Hallowe'en and Horror love, is always alive and well, even if your humble pubkeep has vanished for a time.

More posts to come, promise.

I mean... hell, Monsterpalooza's coming in April... and I have this feeling that Ray Bradbury and Uncle Forry might be having a nice chat together somewhere in that Museum...

I  hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving.

Please keep coming in, relaxing, perusing the library.

See you very soon.

DDSPatience!