The apartment where somebody died

Isn't today a great October day? First bright sun, then terrible clouds, then rain, then more sun, then darkness and wind and branches beating against the windows. October, bring it on!

I witnessed a scene from my window that was like something out of Hitchcock's "The Birds." And no, I don't mean another fight. Remember that fight? Wow, that was something.

What happened today was, I started hearing this big squeaking noise, like a big squeaky wheel rolling past. I honestly thought it was some car whose engine needed adjusting. We have a lot of cars like that passing the house. But then it didn't stop.

It ended up being this gigantic cloud of birds in the tree two houses down. The same house where they had that fight! What is with that house? Anyway, these birds were in the tree making this noise and hundreds more were zooming into join them.

It went on for some time until suddenly, the chirping stopped cold, just like that.
I looked over and the gigantic flock had soared into the sky and they were all flying away. I figured they would be flying south but oddly enough, they were heading north. Well, maybe it is like Continental Airlines. When I went to California the first time to see Leonard Pennario, I was supposed to be heading west but Continental started me out by routing me to Newark. I'm flying in the total opposite direction of my final destination, thinking: Well, this is smart!

Which leads into my spooky story for today:

Remember when I flew out to see Leonard Pennario for the first time, when I was going to be staying three months? I think I mentioned what day it was.

It was Halloween night!

I flew in on Halloween night and all the people at the rental-car place -- Enterprise, not that horrible Hertz -- were in costume. This kid dressed as a pirate handed me the keys to my Chrysler 300 and then he got all chatty and gave me directions to a nude beach. I remember telling Pennario about that. We were giggling about it. Pennario told me about a time he went skinny dipping with some movie stars. You will have to wait till the book is out to read about that!

Writing this blog often makes me worry that Pennario and I spent too little time talking about music and way too much time talking about nothing. I can just see myself in the future arguing with some book editor.

Editor: What's this business about skinny dipping? Shouldn't we cut that out so we can put in more about Prokofiev?

Me: Aw, c'mon!

Where was I? Oh, Halloween night. Not only did I fly to California on Halloween night but I wound up staying overnight by myself in the apartment where somebody died. I had gotten a discount on this place because I guess it's the law you have to disclose when there has been a murder, a suicide or something along those unsavory lines. Pennario thought it was a great deal and I did, too.

The only nuisances that surfaced Halloween night were big trick-or-treaters I had to get to go away. I was relieved that was the worst thing I had to deal with!

It was weeks before I found out what had happened in my apartment. It is a creepy story! I will tell it tomorrow.

Until then, use your imagination!