Sep 20 - Progress on Tempus Fugitives, my time travel series

Wednesday, September 20, 1972 - Page 264
LOCATION: Newport Beach, California

3:21:48 AM
Sorry about wasting a whole page on that bomb -- I used to be a real nut about that stuff. On the 4th of July, I wouldn't buy fireworks, I'd build them. I got pretty good at it, but the better I got the more lethal they became so I quit. I'm still something of a pyromaniac tho.

Anyway, I exercised before going out to tan at 11:30. Came in at 12:30 and went to sleep. I read a few stories in "Assignment in Tomorrow," an S.F. anthology. I woke up at about 8:30 and had dinner. Mom made a steak. It is now 9:35:15 P.M., and I'm going to get the place cleaned up. It's pretty cluttered with all this research I'm doing. I'll get rid of everything that doesn't apply directly to T.F., and get to work.

(3:36:00 AM 9/21/1972)
I did tidy up the place, and researched alligators and crocodiles, and related subjects in Nat. Geos. that had info I wanted. Tempus Fugitives is developing nicely -- I get new ideas constantly. It'll be chock full of brilliance. If it doesn't sell, nothing I can write will.

All this work paid off when the story became a comic book series
published in Star*Reach magazine (Tempus Fugitives PDFs)

I did my exercises and at 10:30 A.M. I went out to tan my hide on the raft (heretofore I've been doing it in our parking space on the chaise lounge) -- I basked till 11:00, and dunked myself, then turned over in the sun. At 11:30 I got soggy again and tanned front wise again, dunked at 12 and tanned the same side again, then dove and sunned my back till 12:30, then swam to shore (saw Bill again -- he's that great looking gray-haired fellow I mentioned before) and I dried in the sun on my towel I left on the beach for 5 or 10 minutes. I showered in the shower room and came home to take a bath.

Read more in the Nat. Geos then went to sleep at around 4:30. I got burned outside, but at least I'm darker. I woke up at 2:30 or 3:00 A.M. It was mid-70's today. 'L be hotter tomorrow. It's now 3:34:16 A.M.

TOMORROW: How did stegosaurs mate?

Sep 09 - The Aquatic Ape Theory

Saturday, September 9, 1972 - Page 253
LOCATION: Newport Beach, California

3:25 AM
Got up at about 1:30 (officially) when Dad came over (he came around about noon) and Lara & Mike popped in (about 1:00). Dad's doing a lot of leather work now as a hobby. L&M are getting more involved with managing [at the Ivanhoe Motel near Disneyland]. They all left shortly after I got up. I can't recall doing very much today.

I read a condensed version of "The Descent of Woman," which is about the aquatic theory of evolution. [Written by Elaine Morgan (wikipedia info), this book influented my graphic novel, Tempus Fugitives (info), in which I incorporated a segment featuring prehistoric seaside females. One compelling bit of evidence supporting the "aquatic ape hypothesis" is the pattern of hair on the entire human form -- it clearly demonstrates the flow of water over a swimming body, thus indicating a long period of evolution that occurred in marine environments.]

A new "Psych. Today" mag came today (nobody recalls subscribing to it, but it's in Mom's name). Anyway, there was an article in it called "Louis S. B. Leakey & Robert Ardrey in dialogue on Man, The Killer." I just finished reading that.

Chunk called today around 5:00, then he and Murray came by to pick me up. We drove to Bob Kirkebey's to get a fourth to play chess, but he wasn't home. Then we drove to Bill Somebody's -- a friend of Murray's & Chunk's and a fellow I very vaguely recall from Schwinn. He used to work there before I did. He's living in an apartment with Diane, a girl who looks alot like Kim Darby, an actress. Anyway, we stayed at their apartment awhile, then we all drove to Chunk's in Murray's car. We stopped at Tim's house on the way so I could get a second chess set -- Tim, as I already knew, was at Disneyland, so I had to get Mrs. assistance in unlocking his door and stealing his set.

On the way to Chunk's, we stopped at a red light -- the one at Newport Freeway, I think. There were two cars in front of us. The first car had a guy in it who came out to talk with a girl in the second car, then he got back in his car. This seemed odd, so Chunk did the same thing -- he got out of Murray's car to talk at her. By this time the red light was used up, so we locked the doors and took off before Chunk could get back in. Back at the apartments Chunk caught up [Chuck was an experienced long-distance runner], bought some wine, and we played chess. I played a couple games with Diane, winning one, losing the other. Chunk played Bill a couple, beating him in both. I played Bill & stalemated. He, her & Murray left about 12:00. Chunk & I played hockey -- I won, 50 to 42. Rah. I left, running home. So I got my exercise. About a half hour after I got home, I met Taco [my cat] and we walked to the dock.

TOMORROW: Chuck teaches me to ride a dirt bike