Jul 09 - Geri from Europe trip visits*

Sunday, July 9, 1972 - Page 191
LOCATION: Bethlehem, South Dakota

5:00 PM
This being a Sunday full of Nuns, there were more rituals than usual. I got up at 8:45 and everybody went to mass at nine. I din't. I played chess with Mike Mills (presently I am one game ahead of him) during which we attended a prayer meeting, and Geri Langer showed up while it was in progress, along with a few other people. I had breakfast today for the second time since I've been here -- it was at 9:30 so I couldn't miss it.

I played Penny some more games (won 2 or 3, lost one). Saw Geri's pictures that she took when we were in Europe. A couple loads of tourists came today. As usual, today is warm and fairly clear. Finally, I've caught up again. Swell --

This beautiful star on the main building's
chimney served as The Shrine of the Nativity's logo

(12:00 PM 7/10/1972)
Sunday was a very lazy day -- I spent my time at the old entrance of the cave overlooking Horseshoe Bend and read "World's Best SciFi, 1971" (The Thing In The Stone). Penny & Geri left with Geri's gang, and we all had an affectionate farewell -- they'll be back soon. Very soon, I hope. Geri let me have whatever small prints of her Europe photos I want. They are on pages 112 & 113; 120 & 121.

Played some more chess, and played poker until midnight. I won extremely well, beating everyone. Jeff left early Monday morn. Sunday nite was extremely windy and the skies were clear and silent, but on the western horizon I could see the electric flashes of a lightning storm, sometimes illuminating the sky for several seconds.

Sister Somebody sewing something

TOMORROW: Geri's photos

Apr 18 - TIME-JUMP: 1971 trip to Europe

Tuesday, April 18, 1972 - Page 109
LOCATION: Newport Beach, California

11:03:36 PM
Cursory organization implementation. Mostly watched TV, from 7:30 to 11:00. Rained today.

[TIME-JUMP]
A YEAR AGO --
April 11, 1971: Lost on Subway, Mom called the NYPD -- their services were not needed.
(April 14, 1972: "Lost" in Backbay, Mom called Harbor Patrol -- their services were not needed.)
April 12, 1971: Night before, we'd gone to the Radio City Music Hall to see "A New Leaf," and the fabled Rockettes -- on the 12th, saw the Statue of Liberty, and lots of museums.

"A New Leaf" theatrical release poster, 1971

April 13, 1971, checked out of the Tudor Hotel, NY, NY, drove to Kennedy Airport and flew to Copenhagen. I became employed by Father Hugh Farrington to lead the Orange Group (along with a fair haired lass name of Geri Langer). Sight-saw in the bus, then Geri Lee Langer (Same initials as me, G.L.L.), went bicycling in Denmark. After that, the gang (including Tom, mentioned earlier in the year) went on a hydro-foil to Sweden, where we stayed for about 10 minutes. Got back to the Hotel exhausted way past midnight.

April 15 (oops, I missed a day somewhere), flew to Milan, viewing the Alps from above. Saw more sights, then bussed to Florence. That night, Tom, Geri, Me, Peggy Latka & Soozwol Latka (Ken chickened out at the last minute) went to a Firenza discotheque. Mr. Latka dubbed it an opium den.
April 16 -- Herded in a bus to Rome.
April 17 -- Saw churches, ruins and various other sights.
April 18, Sunday -- Had mass in St. Peters (despite my heathen convictions). We went to see "Joe" in Italian. Got lost, found Gil. Finis 11:28:36

"Joe" theatrical release poster, 1970