monsters and memories

 One of the worst jobs I ever had (and god knows I've had some) was running a Spirit Halloween store in SF. I made great money with a fat bonus. The year was 2000. I put Bill on the payroll to receive shipments and organize the back room. Oh, and to walk with me to the bank with huge cash deposits. Sigh. I got this job because Bill knew Joe Marver. I get a quesy feeling everytime I see a Spirit Halloween store. But the history of this pop-up chain still interests me.

Spirit Halloween was founded by Joe Marver

In 1983, the entrepreneur owned a women’s clothing store in California, per Vox. A neighboring costume store did very well during Halloween — and when that store shut down, Marver pivoted his own business to costumes.

The “Spirit” name was pure coincidence. Marver wasn’t inspired by Halloween ghosts, but by the name of his shuttered store (Spirit Women’s Discount Apparel).

That first year, Spirit Halloween made $100k in 30 days. Over the next 16 years, Marver built Spirit Halloween into 60+ locations that were only open in the months leading up to Halloween (August, September, October).

Mall retailer Spencer’s Gifts…

… acquired Spirit Halloween in 1999 and growth exploded. Today, it runs 1.4k pop-up stores across Canada and the US.

According to Vox, Spirit’s real estate team works year-round trying to secure the best locations. While landlords — primarily mall operators and commercial real estate holders — prefer long-term tenants (5-10yrs), many accept Spirit’s temporary leases if nothing else materializes.

by rail and foot

SF should charge more for riding the J car with these outstanding views. Yesterday I walked and rode to meet Ken at the Wooden Spoon on Market Street. We had a lovely catch-up lunch for his birthday and I heard all about his job and applauded myself for being a retired person once again. 

 

theatre re-opens

 I met Neti at SF Playhouse yesterday for The Great Khan which was well done and fun. A Black teen age boy is helped by Genghis Kahn, the renowned Mongolian leader. It works...

post pandemic paint

 All these colors helped my spirit during my neighborhood walk yesterday. We try to avoid the Tyranny of Beige whenever possible. Nice blue sky too. All in all? Excellence with a latte, of course.

first we take Manhattan

 It will be impossible to describe the Leonard Cohen exhibit at the Juseum. Is is art? Not really. It is an experience and so profound and mesmerizing that all I can do is urge you to see it if possible. I'm still feeling a little wobbly from all my emotions. I remember the time that Dancing Jen and I saw Mr. Cohen in person ~ what a wonderful night that was. Gratitude abounds.

thud

 Okay, we lost. A great, tight game and now all of October opens up for me and I don't have to work around the baseball schedule. Damn, this one will hurt for a little while, however. 

trending now

 The moment the Blogmaid mentioned Squid Game on Netflix I read and heard about it all the hell over the place. I am a fan of South Korean movies and TV programs, so I know I will watch this at some point. I tried yesterday and it was a bit depressing for me, but I will try again. Eventually it will take.

coffee by the sea

 Ginger and I walked down at Pathetica yesterday and then had our mini brunch at a picnic table. It was gorgeous and just a bit cold, but bracing. Our Giants lost to the horrid Dodgers last night and so we have to endure Game 5 tomorrow night. Do or die. Or die. 

the mall ~ over and out

 Much as I dislike the suburbs, I loathe malls even more. But yesterday I hauled ass on BART to go to Sears at Tanforan in San Bruno. Big mistake. Sears and half the other stores and restaurants are gone and my big treat was a turkey sandwich from Subway. It was a semi-holiday for Indigenous People and Columbus, so what I noticed was all the fathers there in the food court with their kids. I could not wait to get back on BART and return to my city. We won last night's ballgame by one point. I can't take this...

garden pride

 About 8 or so months ago my friend Pat gave me two of her pathetic half-dead balcony plants and I have been giving them shower bucket water and Miracle Gro and will you look at them now? I have never grown mums before, but from now on they will be important to my garden. Sweet success!

something borrowed

 Here we have three of the Blogmaid's five devoted pets all stretched out as though arranged just for the camera. I know that they were more fun than last night's ball game. The series is now split. Sigh.

dinner and baseball

 It's been forever since I entertained and of course I planned this way before we knew about the playoffs, but that's ok because we hopped up between courses to check the score and then when the guests left I watched and listened to all the wonder of our win #1while I did the dishes. Hooray!

a very busy weekend

 The Blue Angels practice non-stop now and then back-and-forth over the weekend. I remember dear Marsha who always planned a trip out of the country during Fleet Week. War is not a game, but some sure love these loud, expensive war toys. Not me. 

it all starts tomorrow

 This will be such a nerve-wracking week coming up. I had to order all sorts of strange TV stations for the next month so I can see every pitch. Has City Hall turned orange? Coit Tower? I will check tonight...

some new mob action

 James Gandofino's son is in The Many Saints of Newark and I joined HBO Max so I could watch this movie between baseball games. So far, so good.

man, this felt so good

 Yesterday I deactivated my Facebook account. Instagram will probably be next. When asked for a reason I stated that this company lacked integrity. Understatement.

so today you can ask

 Annabelle doesn't like the part where we have to stand up in the 9th inning, but other than that we both had a delightful day in front of the TV as our Giants clinched the National League West. Fun stuff...

don't ask

 My new tee shirt ~ with many thanks to the Blogmaid. We lost (grrrrrrrr) yesterday so I'm already dressed for today's battle. So much for the concept that baseball is a slow and relaxing sport.

magic number is down to ONE

 

1pm game today. If we win we will clinch the NL West.

this morning's happiness

 From the Daily Pnut:

California began to effectively outlaw all-white-male boardrooms nearly three years ago, with the first quota law going into effect in 2018. Requirements that publicly-traded companies diversify their boardrooms have been criticized, mostly by conservative voices, and courts are still threatening to find ways to do away with the rules. But across the country, other companies have begun to take the advice to heart, hiring more women and people of color in leadership positions than ever before. 

 

The number of women in control of a corporate board seat is over 50% more than it was in 2018, when the first laws were signed in California. Women now control over a quarter of corporate board seats nationwide. Companies are also hoping to see these same diversity efforts across races and ethnicities, recruiting people of color rapidly. While courts are pushing to remind states that these rules could fall apart legally, other state and federal regulators are joining in to push for more diversity at the top. Betsy Berkhemer-Credaire, chief executive of the Los Angeles-based advocacy group 50/50 Women on Boards, said, “The ripple effect has gone across the nation,” and she thinks that in the next decade “it will be quite an anachronism to remember when corporations had all-white-male boards.” 

 

The Nasdaq exchange, which is mostly tech-focused, is requiring that almost all of its 3,000 companies have one woman, one woman of color, or one LGBTQ+ person on their board, or they will have to explain to their shareholders why they haven’t yet diversified. Republican senators fought against this rule, but federal regulators allowed it anyway. 12 senators wrote a letter saying the rule would sacrifice the economy for the sake of a social agenda, but the companies themselves seem fine with the rule, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and much of Congress do as well. Boardrooms shape the future of a company, and the companies we’re talking about here shape the future of our country, so any attempt to make them more representative of the population is a good thing. (LAT, $)