Jul 20 - Arriving in Chicagoland

Thursday, July 20, 1972 - Page 202
LOCATION: Chicago

Chicago - Dialogue Part I & II (1972) -- Hear it now: Shelf3D.com

Will you try to change things?
Use the power that you have, the power of a million new ideas
What is this power you speak of and this need for things to change?
I always thought that everything was fine... everything is fine
Don't you feel repression just closing in around?
No, the campus here is very, very free
Don't it make you angry the way war is dragging on?
Well, I hope the president knows what he's into, I don't know... 
Oooh, I just don't know
Don't you see starvation in the city where you live
All the needless hunger, all the needless pain?
I haven't been there lately, the country is so fine
My neighbors don't seem hungry 'cause they haven't got the time... 
haven't got the time...

(9:00 PM 7/29/1972)

(Between the beginning of the last sentence and the end, Mrs. Latka gave me a game -- the Labirynth, which consumed a great deal of my time [see July 29]) -- On with the notes:

Woke up on the floor, and we went to eat breakfast. Afterwards I called mom on the hotel phone, then we left. During most of the trip, Ken drove, & Me, Sue, and Mrs were in the back seat. She & me slept most of the time (I never really slept tho).

We got into Chi about 9:00 or 9:30 P.M. It was very hot and muggy. Mark & Larry came over for a little while, and left at about 11:30. Larry & Mark are the two other guys in Ken's band -- Mark is the leader. He's also going steady with Soo, and therefore hates my guts -- this would become apparent as the days went on -- Ken's air conditioner was busted so it was very warm in his room (approx 95°). I slept on the cot, and Ken slept on the bed (I insisted).

TOMORROW: Rock band Styx performs at High School dance

Jun 19 - Another flood in Rapid City

Monday, June 19, 1972 - Page 171
LOCATION: Newport Beach, California

(1:30 PM 6/20/1972)
It has been decided that I'm not gonna work any more at landscaping, and I'm leaving for S.D. [South Dakota] on the 28th (Jim & Cynthia are coming down for the 4th of July on the 29). Tom came back to Bethlehem --- Gil's in Pennsylvania burying somebody, and Rapid had another flood recently with 4 more feet of water. I've gotta get stuff prepared for the trip.

Still have not heard anything from the Latkas. Mayhaps I went too far with my irreverence in my last letter and they decided not to associate with me. Anyway, this book will return to South Dakota for another month or so.

Monday I woke up at 8:00, having got to sleep at 2:00. I got most of my photos selected to go with me to S.D. (to practice drawing) and I got to sleep at around 4 P.M., waking at 6:30 P.M. Mom had gone to bridge. I watched T.V. and washed the dishes. Went to bed about 1:30, ... [continued on next page]

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