Nov 14 - News from Chicago's Sue Latka

Tuesday, November 14, 1972 - Page 319
LOCATION: Newport Beach, Santa Ana, Anaheim

8:30 PM
Got the 7:00 A.M. bus. It started raining at about 6:45. Got to work at 8:45 and spent most of the day painting. It rained pretty good until about 3:00 or 2:00, then I replaced a couple of light bulbs which required the use of a looong aluminum ladder. Ken was there training after about 3:00. I got to page 62 in "2250." Got off work at 5:00, got home at 6:45.

I got a letter from Sue (she calls herself "Rusty" now) and she sent copies of some pictures. I'll mention their location in this book after I find a place for them. Had some broiled steaks for dinner. I'm still on one meal a day on weekdays. Mike got the Chevy Impala sold so I won't be stuck with having to buy it. That's good & bad -- good cause I'll have more money, but bad cause I won't have any transportation to go East in. I guess I'll hop a freight. No pro'lem.

From Sue's letter it seems she's getting sweet again -- Mark got dragged into the army, so she's not stuck with him anymore. So mayhaps on my way east I'll stop off in Chicago. The picture hereto attached was taken inside Bethlehem Cave, in the Shrine of the Watchacallit.

That's Bruce's hardhat, those are my hands, and Mike took the shot. I'm not bothering to track down the exact date, but it should be easy to find -- Around July 18, 19 or 20 [it was July 18], the time the Latka's got the tour. I watched the regular shows tonight -- "I've got a Secret," and "Maude." Nothing else good was on.

TODAY's NEWS: The Dow-Jones Average

In all its years of fluctuations, the New York Stock Exchange ticker showing the Dow-Jones industrial averages had never ever closed higher than 1000. But on November 14, 1972, the D-J average did it, finishing up the day just over the 1000 mark -- LIFE magazine, December 1972

TOMORROW: Movieland Wax Museum

Aug 27 - Flying with a bomb on Western Airlines**

Sunday, August 27, 1972 - Page 240
LOCATION: Bethlehem; Rapid City; Salt Lake City; Los Angeles; Anaheim

(2:18:30 AM 8/30/1972)
BLECCH! I shan't use that blue felt pen again -- It soaked thru the page. Que sera, will be -- Sunday? What happened Sunday? Bruce woke up later than ever before, about nine, because he forgot to set his clock. He told me yesterday that he will be returning home [to Chicago] in the first week of September.

I got up for good around 11:00 -- Bruce was reading "The Merchants of Venus" in my "IF" magazine. Sr. Sylvester banged on the door. "Get up you sleepy boogers" she said. Bruce was wanted to entertain tourists in the Shrine. Yesterday he had to take some tourists into the lower cave, tho he'd never before done it and was qualified only for tours to the Shrine. Brad was already giving a tour and Jim was ill, so he was stuck with it. He improvised a lot. So now he's qualified and has to give tours.

I read a bit more of "I'm OK, You're OK," tried to call home again but failed, and talked with Fr. Henry, giving him my address so he can visit when he returns to California. He's trying to become a chaplain in the Navy, so will be in San Diego for awhile.

It became 1:30, and my flight left at 2:50, so I tried to find some transportation. I saw Bruce at the cave entrance with some tourists -- he'd finished one tour and was starting another. I told him I had to leave, so he quit what he was doing and eventually got around to driving me. We left in the van at 1:45. I was fairly sure I'd be late, but we weren't, tho it was pretty close. We got there at 2:30. Bought the ticket for $55 (Student Standby), but had trouble with the guy -- he wanted two forms of identification but I only had a Driver's License and Social Security card. He reluctantly accepted it, filled out a form, wrote the ticket, took my money and said the baggage had been taken out already so I had to carry it out myself. This was fortunate too, because my duffle bag weighed 80 lbs, and 70 lbs is the legal limit for single parcels. I packed the bomb in the Abbott's cabin that nobody belonged to -- It weighed 10 lbs by itself.

[I think I should explain that. The little 20-inch "bomb" was a World War II souvenir that nobody wanted so I adopted it as a cool curiosity. It didn't contain any explosive -- it was just a harmless paperweight -- but I wouldn't advise anyone to take something like this on an airline today.]

The World War II bomb I had in my
duffle bag looked something like this

I came back with more than I went with, tho I discarded a couple of things any way. I staggered to the 737, left the duffle bag for the packers, and found an empty seat in the back (the very last seat). I stared out the window all the time -- We flew over Mt. Rushmore and I was on the right side (the right) so I saw it clearly from the air. Such a thrill.

Got into Salt Lake City Int'l Airport at around 4:15 and had to wait. The flights to LA were filled, so standby didn't help much. They had no room for me on the first flight, but I just barely managed to get on the 6:30 flight -- If I'd missed it I'd have to wait till 11:00. I bought the new Analog while waiting.

Got into LA around 7:30 (note the 1-hour time difference) and saw it from the sky for the first time in the daytime glowing golden through the smog. Beauteous. Tried calling Mom, then Dad, then Chunk -- Nobody home. Called Laramée and she told me to take a bus -- She was too tired to pick me up. Tried calling Mom, Dad or Chunk a few more times -- Got the operator mad. Gave up and took a bus -- Closest I could get to N.B. was Orange Co. Airport.

Ticket cost $4.00. Bus stopped at Disneyland Hotel, and I decided to get off there tho I had a farther ticket -- No refunds. I had $16.00 left so I wandered around until I found the lobby (the bus stopped under the monorail where there are a bunch of lockers -- I put my 35¢ into the only locker that didn't work, but I left my bag in it any way figuring no one could steal an 80-pound duffle bag even if they wanted to).

I asked the fellow in the lobby if he had any rooms for one person one night. They had a "Crash Pad" for business men for $16. I took it. An old fellow drove me out to the room (1930). I tipped him 25¢ tho, as he pointed out, I had carried the 80 pound duffle bag -- he took the quarter anyway.

From my room (which had an air conditioner, B&W TV, shower & king size bed) I telephoned Mom. This was around nine o'clock. She decided to come by -- while waiting, I took a shower and watched one part of the special series on Da Vinci. Went out to meet her at 10:30 P.M. She drove home around 12:30, and called again at 1:00 A.M. I got to sleep around 2:00 after playing with my recorder.

TOMORROW: Disneyland for $4.95

Aug 26 - Preparing to hit the road again

Saturday, August 26, 1972 - Page 239

LOCATION: Bethlehem, South Dakota

11:30 AM

I finished Waterclap last night before going to sleep. Woke up today at 9:00 when Fr. Henry asked me & Dennis to sign a Bon Voyage card for the McKeevers. Dennis & I are always the last ones to get up. I went up to the house for some cold hot chocolate and peanut butter, talked with Joe a bit, and read an article about Nixon in McCall's. About 10:00 everyone gathered in the chapel to say goodby to Joe & Ed who left with the McKeevers (Mrs., Grandma, and Pat & Christi & Devon -- I don't know where Mr. was). He said he'd send me the Art books in a couple of days after he and his brother had hitched back home, in Kearny (That's pronounced "Carney"), Nebraska.

With the Mc's and Joe & Ed gone our population has dwindled quite a bit. Fr. Gil is still gone, Jim Farmer is sick so Brad alone is in charge of the cave, but even tho it's already 11:31 A.M., Saturday, there haven't been any tourists. I'll be doing some tentative packing. Whenever the mail gets here it'll pro'ly have my money in it, so I'll be leaving tomorrow almost certainly.

8:00 PM

I got everything packed, putting in more than I came with. The stuff just barely fit. I took a bath (shower, rather) because I was smelling like the wrong end of a sewer -- I had no clean clothes to wear. Slept from about 4 to 7. The only people here are M.R., Fr. H, Sr. S, Mary, Tom T, Brad, Bruce, Dennis, and Jim. That's an unusually low population. I got the money order today for $80. While I was on the phone with the airline, Mary slipped an 'I Love You' card into my back pocket. Nothing personal, just a nice gesture. I wrote the Italian equivalent [Ti Amo] in Old English and gave it to her. Nothing personal, just a nice gesture. [For more about the Shrine's "I Love You" cards, see January 12]

TOMORROW: Flying with a bomb on Western Airlines

Aug 25 - "Guess Who" concert in Rapid City***

Friday, August 25, 1972 - Page 238
LOCATION: Bethlehem & Rapid City, South Dakota

10:30 AM

Woke up at six when Bruce's alarm went off. The full moon was still glaring in a sky just beginning to turn blue. I waved at Bruce and went back to sleep. Woke up again at 7:00 when Tom woke me up to shake my hand and say good bye. I went back to sleep and Bruce woke me up at 9:00, left, and I went back to sleep. He woke me and Dennis up again at 10:00, and kept us up. Everyone is working now.

There are tourists outside, and the tape was finally changed on the Musac speakers that blare out for the tourists. For the past two days it's been "Quando Quardo," "A Room Without Windows, A Room Without Doors," "Me And My Shadow," and "Two For Tea." Now there's something like Bach in a Moog Synthesizer.

Today is town day. We'll all be going into the big city to see the "Guess Who" concert. Until then, s'long. --

The Guess Who - American Woman

(11:00 AM 8/26/1972)
A while after lunch, and after beating Bruce in a game of chess that we took up from Joe and Tom Tucker after it was 2/3's thru (and after beating Ed swiftly), Me, Bruce, Joe, Ed, Jim Farmer, Dennis, and Tom Tucker got in the van and drove to town. We had to stop in Piedmont to pick up a package for Dennis from his brother full of health food. We had some groceries to pick up, so we spent an hour or so in Safeway -- I took a roll of film to a nearby drugstore to get it developed.

We left there and drove downtown (we passed the P.O. so I checked in it to see if my letter had come -- They told me I had to go to the annex on Jackson Blvd). We stopped in a men's store and bought a sweater for Gil's birthday which is Monday (he's still gone, picking up Jamal in Canada). We then proceeded on to the fairgrounds where the concert would be -- Bruce and I gave the guys our $6 for the tickets, and drove back to town.

In a Standard station that gave credit to Bethlehem we got a tire fixed (the rear tire went flat while Tom drove down to the hiway. He was going to drive into Rapid, but the van's problems forced him to start hitching from Piedmont). Bruce had to drive back on the balled spare tire (that's "bald," I think). We got the tire fixed & put on, we went to the P.O. annex at 5:30 but it had closed at 5:00, then we went to a liquor store to buy Dennis his Burgundy wine.

We drove back to the fairgrounds, found Dennis, and Joe led us to everyone in the stands. That was around 6:00. There were 5 groups that I saw (there were others B4 I got there) -- Before The Guess Who were "Teen King & the Princes" who did facetious performances of '50s songs; "Archangel," a bizarre group who were more dramatic than musical; "Sail Cat," the band that recorded "Motorcycle Mama" (Sue bought the single of that song in Chicago), and just before the "Guess Who" was "Jo Jo Gunn" who made noise that everyone liked so much they had to do an encore.

Before & during the "G.W.," Jim returned to the van because he was sick, Bruce left because of a headache -- then Tom & Ed left too. After the "G.W." had done 4 or 5 songs, Dennis, Me, and Joe went back to the van. Bruce said he'd seen Sue and said we'd have to wait for her because she was going to follow us back to Beth.

Joe & I went back to the concert to find her -- She was up front near the band. She said she could find her way back to Beth by herself, so we went back to the van (thru the same hole in the gate we came in, illegally). We left at 12:15, got back at 1:30.

[Side note regarding this flyer]

The sheet attached hereto was handed out as we entered the main gate at the concert.

The Guess Who - No Time

TOMORROW: Preparing to hit the road again

Aug 24 - Not minding Lawrence of Arabia**

Thursday, August 24, 1972 - Page 237
LOCATION: Bethlehem, South Dakota

10:30 AM [continued from previous entry]
was read (Bruce is a big Bradbury fan and he said the story was like "Fahrenheit 451"). Yesterday (Wednesday) was a very good day. Fr. Gil left last night at 10:00 P.M. to drive to the Canadian border to pick up a defector from Jerusalem who's at the border. So he'll be gone when I leave. I found out the "committee" is made up of Brad, Mary, M.R., and Gil. [It was this esteemed "committee" that decided I didn't belong at Bethlehem. I agreed with them: it was time to move on.]

(10:30 AM 8/25/1972)
Thursday I wrote Soozwol a letter and put it in the package with the peace symbol pendant I made. I worked on an alabaster ring for myself and was almost through with it when I put it under water to see what color it would be. As I was drying it it broke into four pieces. I've given up working on alabaster for the time being, but I'm bringing home a couple of chunks with me.

Took a much needed shower. Watched T.V. (The Julie Andrews Special) among the other Tom [that's Tom Scheuring not Hildebrand], Mary, Joe, Jim and Ed. Ed was lighting [wood] matches, so I thought I'd do the Lawrence of Arabia stunt -- letting the match burn down to your fingers until it goes out and acting as if it didn't hurt.

[There is a scene early in the movie in which Lawrence demonstrates this in front of fellow soldiers -- one of them tries to do it but shouts and drops the match saying, "Ohh! It damn well hurts! What's the trick then?" Lawrence replies, "The trick is not minding that it hurts." This attitude is put to the ultimate test when our hero becomes a prisoner of the Turks and is brutally tortured. Try not minding that, Lawrence.]

The "match trick" scene from Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

Everyone was properly astounded so I had to do it several times. Now, of course, I have blisters on my thumb & index finger.

[After the second or third time the heated skin became thick and numb so the flame didn't hurt at all anymore. There's the "trick." But the blisters eventually turned into little circular scorched patches that looked like black plastic. This took a long time to go away as I mention in the days that follow, finally reporting that the blisters were mostly healed on October 2, 1972.]

Got to sleep at about 12:30. Began the last story in the last anthology -- Asimov's "Waterclap" (about an unclean porpoise, I told Joe).

(11:35 PM 8/26/1972)
By the way, as Tom S. was packing I noticed some pictures Tom H. had taken. Tom S. let me have the ones I wanted and they are on PAGES 116 & 117 [April 25 & April 26] or they will be when I put them in.

2012 French PROMETHEUS Trailer -- A disturbing fascination with Lawrence of Arabia

TOMORROW: "Guess Who" concert in Rapid City

Aug 23 - All about the PEACE Symbol**

Wednesday, August 23, 1972 - Page 236

LOCATION: Bethlehem, South Dakota

Here is the inspiration for the British designer, Gerald Holtom,
who created the Peace Symbol: The Third of May 1808,
an 1814 oil painting by Spanish artist Francisco Goya

(10:30 AM 8/24/1972)
Got up at 9:30, about. Did some work today -- Tom & I loaded the cement blocks into the van, then he, me, Bruce & Joe drove down to the sewer to carry the blocks to the odoriferous tanks and place them on top. Each block weighed a hundred pounds, so we took our time. By the way, yesterday while sawing away on my alabaster, two guys from Pittsburgh showed up. I talked with them an hour or so. I also bought a gold chain from the Gift Shop.

Now -- back to Wednesday. We really had fun working, and we finished by lunch time. I continued work on my [alabaster] chain, broke it, gave up, and started working on the peace symbol pendant Sue wanted (she wanted to buy one of the wooden ones sold in the gift shop, but they're all gone so I made one out of alabaster).

The first Peace Symbol lapel badge (ceramic, 1958)
made for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament

The internationally recognized Peace Symbol was designed by artist Gerald Holtom in 1958. It is a combination of the semaphore signals for N and D, standing for Nuclear Disarmament.

Semaphore symbol for letter N

Semaphore symbol for letter D

Here, Holtom explains how he first got the idea for this logo.

"I was in despair. Deep despair. I drew myself: the representative of an individual in despair, with hands palm outstretched outwards and downwards in the manner of Goya's peasant before the firing squad. I formalised the drawing into a line and put a circle around it."

Hmm. As you can see in the painting at the top, the peasant's hands actually appear up, not downward (No problem. Artistic license can never be revoked.)

It's all finished -- on the back it says "Sue Latka -- U.S. Grade A Gov't Inspected." [That's a joke based on my name, "Grady"]. Everyone was impressed at how well it came out. Bruce finished his cross, but broke a piece off the bottom while sanding it.

After dinner, Bruce & I went to the rock shop in the entrance bldg to get some emery cloth (we had to break into it through the window because it was locked) -- in the rock shop, collected by Jim Jorgenson, is a fantastic collection -- I drooled over the fossils, and Bruce had to pull me away. There were fantastic ammonites, nautiloids, shark's teeth, mammal teeth, coral, crinoid stems, snail shells, arrowheads and stone tools, agates and crystals.

There was a flood control meeting tonight in the Reception Center and lots of people showed up. Bruce, me & Joe got talking, and our discussion became very intellectually stimulating. Joe (Ed's brother) is very bright. He saw my artwork and is going to send me the books of the Famous Artists course. Far out. In the process of our discussion, lasting till 1:00 A.M., my story "The Typewriter" [end of page: continued in next entry]

TOMORROW: Not minding Lawrence of Arabia

Aug 22 - Publicity campaign for McKeever VIPs

Tuesday, August 22, 1972 - Page 235
LOCATION: Bethlehem, South Dakota

11:30 AM [continued from previous entry]
Also yesterday, I got a letter from Greg Langevin. He was the guy who stayed at Bruce's house before I called, and he left here for the same reason I was asked to leave -- he's not a devout hypocrite. I woke up today at 11:00 (it's now 11:36). No work today for most of us (hark -- I hear the cement mixer mixing) -- because today is Town Day, and many of us are in town, including Bruce who drove.

(10:30 AM 8/24/1972)
It turned out today wasn't town day, due to lack of interest. Several things occurred this day. I continued work on my alabaster chain, obtaining more useful tools from the shop in the retreat house. John Bauer showed up today because his grandparents were going thru the cave. He was here an hour or so. He's going into the Navy and will be getting married soon. Tom Scheuring and I did a little more removing of the concrete pile.

For the past few days me & Bruce have been entertaining the McKeever kids, Pat Jr., Christi, and Devon (4, 3, 1) [Pat McKeever Sr. was a prominent politician]. The McKeevers are going to leave soon, so part of the day was consumed with two photographers taking publicity shots (Five McKeevers walking hand in hand down the wooded lane).

Tuesday was another big tourist day. Also a few people came to the retreat house to stay over night. Me, Bruce, Jim & Ed played poker for awhile -- I did all the winning. Bruce & I left, and stopped in the retreat house where Jim, Jane (the McKeever's babysitter) and Sr. Sylvester were gathered. Later that night I played two games of chess with Sue Nemeth, and then she (she is a campaigner for the Mc's), me, Jane, and Dennis played scrabble until 12:30 when Gil came in to break it up and tell us to go to bed. -- I wrote a letter to Greg.

TOMORROW: All about the PEACE symbol

Aug 21 - Holoexinoninframetasuperquasiomnidehyperirreantipreundounscrabble

Monday, August 21, 1972 - Page 234
LOCATION: Bethlehem, South Dakota

(11:30 AM 8/22/1972)
Bruce woke us up as usual (Us is the three people who share his room: Me, Dennis (who sleeps beneath me) and Ed (who sleeps beneath Bruce) -- and we all sleep as much as possible -- in fact, as I write this, it is 11:20 A.M., and Dennis & Ed are sound asleep -- I woke up at 11:00) -- Bruce always wakes up at 8:00, then he wakes us at about 9:00, then we go back to sleep. Monday he woke us up and left -- we eventually got up, and I found nobody was around. I gave up looking and came back to Abbott's Cabin to read.

It had rained heavily in the morning, and it rained sporadically all thru the day, just enough to prevent us from working. But a bit of work was done -- I got some more of the discarded cement in the van to be taken to the dump -- Bruce & Joe built some more forms for the area that will be cemented between the retreat house & Post Office.

There were lots of tourists. Tom & Bruce got a lot of Alabaster from Spearfish (Geri's uncle carved alabaster), so Bruce & I started some carving. He's making a cross, I was making two links, but they broke just before I finished. Fr. Gil notified me I should remove myself from the premises due to my lack of religious commitment, which is good cause I wanted to get back to California as soon as possible anyway.

I called mom to tell her I'd be leaving this week. Played chess with someone who I beat. Played scrabble with Fr. Henry & Dennis and beat them [Father Henry's score sheet below]. Bruce & I tried to construct a fairly large word from the tiles -- we came up with:

HOLOEXINONINFRAMETASUPERQUASIOMNIDEHYPERIRREANTIPREUNDOUNSCRABBLEYOVOXDJZIPSKIYEINGOUSALLY... ETC., AD INFINITUM, AL FIN.

We haven't determined its meaning yet.

Scrabble scores

TOMORROW: Publicity campaign for McKeever VIPs

Aug 20 - Scrabble plus a new hat & boots

Sunday, August 20, 1972 - Page 233
LOCATION: Bethlehem, South Dakota

(10:10 PM 8/19/2013 [continued from previous day])
a lot of new people here, including Mary and the McKeevers. Bruce got back to Beth Thursday from his trip (he left on July 29th). Tom Hildebrand's in Rapid, having left Beth pro'ly for good. Mike Mills & John left cause Fr. Gil didn't want them here.

Anyway, I got here, took a shower, watched Bruce & Joe play a game of chess, helped Bruce & Joe take a load of concrete block fragments to the dump, then played a game of chess with Bruce, but the game was interrupted when Bruce & I went to help Fr. Gil clean up some overflowed water from the women's rest room at the reception center. Then Bruce took a shower, dinner was had, and the chess game resumed -- Bruce won. That's the first time he's ever beaten me. Then me, Fr. Henry, M.R. and Jim (not the old Jim (he left) but another one) played Scrabble -- M.R. kept score (it is attached to this page).

We quit playing at 10:00, now here I am in the top bunk of the Abbott's cabin (same place I had when I left), trying to get organized. The hat I bought is here -- the boots came, and my birthday presents from mom was an I.D. bracelet which I'm now wearing.

10:00 PM

Got up around 9:30 A.M. It was fairly clear & sunny -- it rained and lightninged last night -- it lightninged tonight too. I read another chapter & a half of "I'm OK, etc." Keith Koball showed up today -- haven't seen him since January. Heard Wheezie's getting married to Debbie soon.

There were more tourists again today -- Brad said it's been the busiest week for tourists he's seen. Called Mom at around 7:30 P.M. Read an Article by Asimov in the Sat. Review which contributed to my temporal travel theories. That about takes care of today -- saw Pierce & Dorothy today. Put new sheets & a blanket on my bed. That's all. G'night.

TOMORROW: Holoexinoninframetasuperquasiomnidehyperirreantipreundounscrabble

Aug 19 - Creepy Eerie Vampirella**

Saturday, August 19, 1972 - Page 232
LOCATION: Rapid City & Bethlehem, South Dakota

10:00 AM
I just woke up. Last night I went into Rapid again (it's about half a mile away) to pass the time. It was beginning to get cloudy, though it was still warm. I went into Becker's Drugstore and found -- forsooth -- a Creepy Magazine! Haven't seen one of those in years. I had to buy it of course. Along with Eerie there is another illustrated monster mag -- Vampirella. I bought that too. I also bought the new If that was there.

Creepy Issue 7 -- February 1966

Eerie Issue 81 - February 1977

Vampirella Issue 18 -- August 1972

Wandered around the town some more (one out-of-towner asked me where he could get some acid -- good grief). Got back as the light was fading -- read a few stories, then tried to get to sleep but it was only 9:00. So I wandered around some more. I cut my hands on the broken glass of the door, and I had a hamburger at Snow White's a few blocks away.

As I was walking back the rain started -- since 8:30 lightning had been flashing around, but now it was right above us. It was a good storm for a while -- the streetlights went out, thunder shook the house, rain came down in torrents. It lasted less than a half-hour though. The lightning persisted, but the rain was gone.

I read some more stories in my mags, and finally got to sleep around 12:30. It is now 10:25 A.M. and the skies are clear and warm. Soon I'll start hiking to Beth.

10:10 PM
I started my way to Beth at 11:30 -- I arrived at 2:00. I hitched, and four rides got me here (the last one was a group that was coming to Beth too, so I got the driver all the way up). Of the group that was here before, Bruce, Brad, Tom Shearing, Father Henry, Sr. Sylvester & M.R. are left. There are [end of page: continued in next entry]

TOMORROW: Scrabble plus a new hat & boots

Jul 19 - Trip to Chicago begins*

Tuesday, July 19, 1972 - Page 201
LOCATION: Bethlehem, South Dakota and Sioux City, Iowa

(7:30 PM 7/29/1972)
(I haven't been bothering to write in this book -- instead I just wrote notes on any pages I had handy, [example attached] making this task easier and less obvious -- here are those notes, put down in this book -- they are obviously very sketchy)

Example of first-draft note pages

The 19th was McGovern's birthday. It also was the day me and the Latkas left. Bruce woke me up at 6:00 A.M. as I asked, and he wandered off around 6:45 to read the Bible, and I walked out to the woods to contemplate. I walked up to the house at 7:30 for breakfast. M.R. [Mrs. Rogers] was stunned to see me up so early -- so was everyone else.

Sue Latka in front of main building

Sue and Grady crossing washed-out road

The Latkas and I left at about 9:00 A.M. We all said goodby to everybody quite extensively. We drove till about 7:00, usually with Me, Ken & Sue in back. We slept some. -- We stopped in Sioux City, Iowa at a Western Motel. We three kids went swimming, and afterwards Ken & I went to a nearby Pizza Parlor. The others ate at a restaurant near the motel. There were lots of fireflies there by the pool -- it was the first time I'd seen them.

Ken and I played tether ball by the pool. I took a shower, and by 11:00 we all were in bed -- Sue on the cot, Mr. & Mrs. were in the center, and Me & Ken in the second double bed. Early in the night I moved to the floor to sleep to avoid Ken's snoring and moving.

TOMORROW: Arriving in Chicagoland

Jul 17 - Pranking McGovern's Secret Service***

Monday, July 17, 1972 - Page 199
LOCATION: Bethlehem, Rapid City & Mt. Rushmore, South Dakota

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME,

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME-EE

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

[This is the day I turned 18... but I didn't tell anybody]

(9:00 AM 7/18/1972)
This was a fairly big day of which I can record only the highlights. At around 9:30, Me, Brad, Greg, Tim, Mike, and Bruce went in the van to the airport (One tire was low so we had to change the right front tire B4 we left). There was a fairly large crowd at the airport -- between 500 & 1000. This was because a guy named George McGovern was going to fly in. To pass time before he got there, we picked out the various Secret Service men milling about. Mike, me and Greg picked out an obvious one and shadowed him everywhere he went -- we knew him as the Guy in the Purple Tie. Bruce sauntered around, appearing as if he too were an S.S. man -- so did Me, Mike & Greg. Greg bought a newspaper and a Vote Republican Button, and stood in front of the Guy in the Purple Tie. I stood on his left, walking back and forth. Mike stayed on his right. We stayed very close to him all day.

[Grady2013 says: My gang and I couldn't resist mocking these Secret Service agents who were bravely trying to blend in despite their sunglasses, black suits, ties, and earplugs. I appeared particularly ridiculous wearing a corduroy jacket, blue jeans, boots, sunglasses, long hair & mustache, positioning myself discreetly against a wall, occasionally placing my hand against my head as if listening to an invisible earpiece and then whispering into a hidden microphone in my sleeve. These agents were clearly aware of me and my friends. I was expecting one of them to walk up to me and say, "Knock it off, punk." But as I look back on it today, I think they probably didn't confront us because we were doing pretty decent impersonations of SS agents, and maybe McGovern would have approved of bodyguards disguised as hippies.]

Norman Rockwell was a McGovern supporter

McGovern came in and I got within handshaking distance of the guy, but I didn't. Fr. Gilbert was there, and he exchanged a few words with him. There was a big speech of course (Greg wandered thru the crowd whispering "Nixon!... Nixon!... Nixon!..." An old lady kicked him in the shin). I kept an eye on a second S.S. agent all the time. When the thing was over, me, Bruce, Mike, and Greg executed a masterful feat of tailing the Guy in the Purple Tie all the way to his car in the parking lot. Bruce stood a car away to his left, I stood closer by on the right, Mike walked slowly and casually right up to the Guy, and passed him. There was an antenna on the center of the car's ceiling, and he had lots of electronic equipment inside.

Greg, Mike and Bruce posted themselves in different areas of the road his car had to take when he drove out -- I stood behind his car, watching. He stayed parked for about 15 minutes, then he walked back to the terminal. I followed. So did Mike. Then Bruce and finally Greg. Brad and Tim by this time had left the parking lot and were waiting. We walked cas- [here the text is continued on the next sheet - page 200, July 18 ] ually to the van, the van moved, and we all sprinted to it, jumping in and took off for a fast getaway -- We went to K-mart after that, and I had some food. Mike saw the Guy in the Purple Tie there. We looked all around for his car and couldn't find it.

We then went to McDonald's, and then proceeded to Mt. Rushmore, where I met -- guess who? -- No! Not the Guy in the Purple Tie. I met the Latkas, coincidentally. They were going to Beth when they left there.

[To me, this was a stunning moment of synchronicity that I will never forget. I unexpectedly found myself at Mt. Rushmore, and suddenly I noticed that Sue Latka was standing beside me. "What the hell?" The Latka family had magically appeared at the same time & place as me, even tho I thought they were in Chicago and they thought I was in California.]

You can't visit Mt. Rushmore without remembering "North by Northwest"

Our gang went to Rapid from there, picking up a few hitchhikers on the way. In Rapid, Mike and I went to see "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes" [4th in the original series of 5 movies]. Greg and Tim came to see it too. Brad stayed in the Van, and Bruce hitched home.

Original theatrical poster, 1972

After the movie we went to Alex Johnson's for a Coke (Greg, me and Tim), and Mike and Brad went to Penny's to buy stuff. Then we went back to the Van, but before that I stopped at "Leather Unlimited" and bought a hat. $21.00. They haven't made it yet tho. Then we drove home.

This trailer pretty much tells the whole story

The Latkas were there. Sooz is playing hard to get. Ken [Latka], me, John and Tim talked some up in the Reception Center. Ken slept with us in the Abbott's Cabin, and we all told dirty stories till One, then we went to sleep. Tha's all. --

[For future reference: The Latkas are a family from Chicago who I'd met on a tour of Europe in 1971. The Shrine of the Nativity arranged frequent tour groups to various locations as a source of funding for the Church. The five Latkas consisted of the father, Ted, the mother, Stephanie, the son, Ken, and two daughters, Peggy and Sue (who also called herself Sooz, Soozwol, & Rusty). Peggy did not accompany them on this trip to South Dakota, but I saw her again when we arrived in Chicago.]

A hardhatted Sue Latka preparing for her Bethlehem Cave tour

TOMORROW: About Bethlehem Cave & The Shrine

Also born on July 17

Donald Sutherland, actor
James Cagney, movie star

David Hasselhoff, actor

Diahann Carroll, actress

Phyllis Diller, comedian

Mark Burnett, TV producer & writer
F. Gary Gray, director

Erle Stanley Gardner, writer

J. Michael Straczinski, writer

Angela Merkel, German politician

Camilla Parker Bowles, duchess

DISNEYLAND! (Broke ground: July 17, 1954 -- Opening Day: July 17, 1955)

Jul 16 - Swimming holes in the wilderness

Sunday, July 16, 1972 - Page 198
LOCATION: Bethlehem, South Dakota

7:30 PM
I got up around 10:30. Just about everybody was at mass, so I wandered off on my own, in search of the legendary swimming hole everyone's been talking about. I walked to the creek barefooted over rough terrain. I'm trying to develop a thick sole on my feet so I can go barefoot painlessly. Ouch. I'm still working on it.

Anyway, I found Lion's Head where me, John & Bruce had been before, and I followed the creek to search for the other one, reputed to be a 12-foot deep pool with a diving rock. I came upon an adequate swimming area where I decided to stop. I call it White Stream because there's an area in the creek where the current is stronger creating a white streak. There was a pool about 6 feet deep, and I went swimming. My heart wasn't too content because the water was so cold, so I didn't swim long. I tanned most of the time. I tired of that soon and wandered off down the creek, tripping merrily over the stones barefooted.

I found the pool they were talking about. So I returned to White Stream and prepared to leave. Half way up the cliff I noticed several people going to Deep Drop (that name is tentative). They were Jim, Tim, Bruce, Mike, John and Greg. I joined them after a treacherous descent down the cliff. We left at 3:30 and went up to eat dinner. It was a fairly sunny day. -- Fr. Henry beat me in 3 games of chess today, they were good games tho.

9:00 PM
Mom called at 8:30. It may rain tonight -- clouds fill the sky thickly. (And I call myself a riter.)

TOMORROW: Pranking McGovern's Secret Service on my 18th Birthday

Jul 13 - Politics & the Democratic Convention**

Thursday, July 13, 1972 - Page 195
LOCATION: Bethlehem, South Dakota

THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION

George McGovern, South Dakota Senator,
friend of Father Gilbert, and one of the directors
of Bethlehem's Shrine of the Nativity
(see my encounter with him in the July 17 entry)

The 1972 Democratic National Convention was held at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, Florida, on July 10-13, 1972. It nominated Senator George McGovern of South Dakota for President and Senator Thomas Eagleton of Missouri for Vice President.

Senator Thomas Eagleton of Missouri

Eagleton later withdrew from the race when it was disclosed that he had undergone mental health treatment, including electroshock therapy, and he was replaced on the ballot by Sargent Shriver of Maryland.

Sargent Shriver, statesman & activist

7:30 PM
We got to work late today -- about 10:00 A.M. We usually get started at 8:00 A.M., and finish at 4:30. Today we quit at 3:00 (I finished at 4:30, however). I worked on finishing cement that Tim (the new kid), and Clint (but later Greg) put down. Mixing was Mike, and hauling was John & Greg (but later Clint). We got 40 more feet done today. I'm reading "I'm OK, You're OK" (am now about to read 2nd Chapter). Lyle showed up today at supper. It was another sunny day.

(9:00 AM 7/14/1972)
Quite a few people came today -- besides five nuns, M.R. (that's Mrs. Rogers), Gil, Me, Tom, Tom, Tim, Greg, Bruce, John, Clint, Pearce, Dorothy, & Mike, there were a few temporary people: Lyle, Joe, Alexandria, Julie, Julie, Megan (all together in the same car), and a group with kids and Father Murphy.

Bruce baby-sat for a two & a half-year old kid named Sean, whilst his mother was in the cave. Jim & I assisted for a while, then I started playing poker with Greg. I beat him, just barely, and we got thru at 12:45. The Demo Con is still going -- McGov has his V.P. picked. Greg continues to be anti-McGov even though everyone else in this place is pro (McGovern, incidentally, is one of the inter-denominational directors of this place).

Jim's hand

TOMORROW: Serious cave crawling

Jul 12 - I'm OK, You're OK

Wednesday, July 12, 1972 - Page 194
LOCATION: Bethlehem, South Dakota

5:00 PM
Missed breakfast as usual. We worked on the laying of the cement (We: Me, Tom S., and Brad). The wall beside Storm's is getting started -- working on that are Bruce, Clint, Tom & sometimes me. On forms are Jim & Pearce. Dorothy is out walking around, so her foot is better. John, Greg & Mike were mixing and hauling cement.

Tom Hildebrand and John

Gordy left this morning for Minnesota. We had some tourists today, as we did yesterday. I almost caught a chipmunk yesterday, but it was too clever. I'll catch one someday. Yesterday, I learned a squirrel lives in the walls of Storm's. Hmm. I'm reverting to the events of yesterday -- that must mean I'm thru with today. Yes, it must.

9:00 PM
Mike & I spent some time throwing rocks into the Canyon and at nearby trees in the valley. We climbed down the original entrance to the Shrine of the Nativity and went in, walking out by just candle-light. Fr. Gil went to pick somebody up, I think -- Tim Somebody. There are going to be some more people coming up this week. I'm going to start "I'm OK, You're OK" now...

(The photos on these pages were put in on August 18, 1972. But I had them a long time already. Most were taken by Mike Mills, but I'm not sure exactly when.) [From 2013: I've taken the photos that were clustered on these pages and scattered them throughout July]

TOMORROW: Politics & The Democratic Convention

Jul 08 - Chess, Football & Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Saturday, July 8, 1972 - Page 190
LOCATION: Bethlehem, South Dakota

(4:00 PM 7/9/1972)
I woke up today at about 10:00 A.M. when Tom Shearing came in. They found me in the retreat house at 8:00, when they saw I wasn't in Abbott's. Before getting to work, I played a game of chess with Mike Mills and beat him. We worked on the walks leading from the reception center --- (TEMPORARILY STOPPED) It is now July 9, 4:30 -- to continue with last entry -- Mike and I layed about 30 feet of side walk, with Greg, Jeff, and Tom mixing, and Jim & Pearce making the forms. Tom H., Bruce, John & Clint worked at the Sheckle's again -- they'll be gone till Monday or Tuesday, so they won't work there again for awhile.

Mike & Greg mixing cement

I want to get this over quickly, so I'll go as fast as I can -- Six nuns came Saturday, so did Penny, whom I met in January. I played her a game of chess after supper (won of course). I tried to find Bruce so we could give her the psych test -- I found him in the Abbott's Cabin playing chess with Greg -- he lost several games, and things deteriorated into a philosophical/theological discussion that persisted till 11:30 P.M. (that's a period of several hours).

I gave Tom Shearing my drawing of the girl on page 153 [6/1/72],* so she's not there anymore [Side note: * See page 153 for info on that. (June 1)] -- he appreciates art so I let him have it for free tho he offered to pay. --- We played football today: Me & Bruce against Greg, Mike & John -- when Jim joined our team, we won, 21 to 7. Rah! --- Jonathan Livingston Seagull has made its appearance. I'm "in" cause I've read it.

Wikipedia: Jonathan Livingston Seagull, by Richard Bach, is a fable regarding a nice-guy seagull learning about life & flight, and a homily about self-perfection. First published in 1970, over a million copies were in print by the end of 1972, Reader's Digest had published a condensed version, and the book reached the top of the New York Times Best Seller list where it remained for 38 weeks.

TOMORROW: Geri from Europe Trip Arrives