Feb 29 - A discouraging Leap Day***

Tuesday, February 29, 1972 - Page 60
LOCATION: Newport Beach, California

5:30 PM
I woke up at 7:00 and drove Mom to work -- we passed the 76 station by C&W's [Chuck and Wendy's] apartment and we saw Chunk in the gas station, staring dazedly out the window. He didn't see us. I drove home and took a bath, got dressed and drove to the 76 station to get the cooler from Chunk (he said he had seen me & Mom), after which I went to the stationery store where I bought three manila envelopes. I returned home to fill the water in the cooler, and mailed the manuscript to Galaxy (I'll get it back though because I used a 6¢ stamp -- it needs 8¢ at least) -- I got the mail and bought eight 8¢ postage stamps. Got my $87 tax refund and a letter from Sue with her picture. Then I went to the bank to deposit ten dollars, then I mailed the $10.00 check to Smithsonian (I got their membership card today -- I mean yesterday), and I drove back home.

At noon I drove to school where I saw Bob Bowman (he was surprised to see me and shook my hand which surprised me cause I don't know him that well) and I asked him if he knew where Matt was. He din't, but I learned that he has moved again -- from Oakwood apts to Tustin. After I talked with him, Mister Fish materialized and I found out Dennis Green had come by the day before (Mister Green is a friend from Junior High who is now at Orange Coast College), and Fish & I went to see Mary Lyons -- she was stunned to see me, so I gave her a copy of Moira-Quest (Mrs. Lyons is an English teacher who I had in my freshman, sophomore and junior years -- she's also a friend of Ray Bradbury and she's an SF buff).

From The Galleon 1972 Yearbook:
English teachers Mary Lyons & Margo Cunningham

We left her and went to the gang on the lawn. Meg ignored me, but she didn't project her beam of suppressed hostility. Saw Mary [Bavry] for the first time in ages, and we have a permanent temporary truce now. Shawna was upset to see me oddly enough -- she showed me a short three-word poem, so I wrote her a shorter one: "The Turbulent Sea" -- MOCEAN. It tickled her fancy. I saw Matt, Dan Huntzinger and Thom Granger, a sleazy lot that's getting a lot sleazier -- Matt's Dad bought him a Datsun. I saw Tim Hourigan for a moment, among another crowd, and Beverly who wanted to kill me even though the grass stains came out. I learned that Tim Hourigan has become a lush. Even he -- All American Boy -- is going downhill. C'est la vie. Tarmland can't survive with a drunk emperor [a reference to Tim's imaginary realm, à la Tolkien's Middle Earth].

Student crowd at Newport Harbor High School
The Galleon 1972

I was surprisingly witty and charming today -- must be the full moon. A new narc appeared while Matt, Huntzinger, someone else, and I were sitting on the lawn after the bell. He took my name, and I said I was going to P.E. right away. I found out that Matt & Dan are going to court tomorrow because of his & my A.P.B. [All Points Bulletin]. Odd thing as I was "going to P.E.," I ran into Mary on the curb with a hyper-sleazy group (perverts, smokers, heads, etc. -- one was definitely stoned), the sleaziest students warm the curbs of the school all day. The gang eventually vanished, leaving me, Mary, and a girl & her girlfriend -- one of whom I had given 50¢ to when Matt, Dan and Me were on the lawn just after lunch. I found out later it was for acid -- she had a dollar. I knowingly remarked the cheaper it is, the cheaper it is. Mary, Them and I discussed my favorite subject -- ME. I learned a lot. Apparently I have a rather unwholesome reputation, which, of course, is entirely inaccurate, but it does, nevertheless, lend some status to me, enabling me to enter the bizarre ranks of the ultra-liberals -- an interesting and sorry lot. I saw Donald and Terry today -- they've become something of an inseparable couple (couple of what I'm not too sure).

Anyway, the gist of the info I got from Mary about Shawna Wood is that she Woodn't -- not tonight or ever. The name of the girl I gave 50 cents to is Rae Lean (at least that's what she said it was), her friend was Jeannie, or something like that. I went to Sea Schwinn and talked with Dave. He sold the Campi for $120.00. He's taking a class in Marketing in college. Jerry only works on Saturdays -- he's a full-time college kid now. I found out a few more things about Shawna at Schwinn -- so I've got more ammunition. Let's see how good my aim is...

Shawna Wood
The Galleon 1972

(9:03 AM - 3/1/1972)
Missed by a mile. She really isn't that kind of girl. Why is everyone I know so virtuous? Such incredible luck.

Before I went to Shawna's, I noticed Matt Gold walking along the street opposite her house. I stopped, and he and me went to Thom Granger's a couple of houses away. We left there shortly (I stopped at Shawna's at seven to tell her I'd be late -- her sister (friend of Meg) saw me for the first time -- she was surprised) and Matt had to go to a house at Galaxy Street for a rehearsal or something. It took half an hour to find it. Then I went to get Shawna, and I established the fact that she Woodn't. It's hard to figure her out. Left at 9:30, or somewhere around there.

I think I'll banish myself from society -- I don't need friends anyway. I am a universe unto myself. Within a week I'll be alone in the world. Awww, how sad. Big deal. Who cares. Not I, said the little green pig. Disregard this stuff -- I'm drunk. People are not worth anybody's attention. Le'me see -- how many friends (or rather "acquaintances") have I got to get rid of. Well, from High School, there's Shawna Wood, Mary Bavry, "Meg Waldron," Robbin, Paula, Dana & Karen Boucher, Terri Sneathen, "Rae Lean," Beverly, Mary Lyons, Bob Rozelear, Shepard Salusky, Master Fish, Timothy Hourigan, Peter Shergalis, Craig David Harvey, Mike Lingels, Thom Granger, Matt Gold, Dan Huntzinger, James Simms, Bob Bowman, and Stan Eastman. From Sea Schwinn, there's Dave Olson, Darryl Eve, Jerry King, and a guy who's name I forgot just now. 80% of those people wouldn't notice I was missing. The rest would pro'ly idly wonder "What happened to good ole Grady," then they'd promptly forget. That's all.

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EXTRA BONUS LEAPDAY

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