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 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 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