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 08 - Influenza begins to hit most of us

Tuesday, August 8, 1972 - Page 221
LOCATION: Chicago

11:00 AM
Got up today at 10:00 A.M. Took a shower and ate breakfast. I called Bruce King's house and talked with his sister [Bruce's family was in Chicago, but I met him in Bethlehem, South Dakota -- See July 11, 1972]. There, I've fulfilled my obligation. I was going to go to Elmhurst with Mrs. (she'll be in the vicinity running errands) -- so I'm not now. The rest of the day remains -- what'll happen? Both Peg & Sue are home -- Sue has a cold, Peg has a sore throat. ---

(1:30 PM 8/9/1972)
Finished reading Poul Anderson's story. It was a good one (I finished it at 12:30 A.M.). Can't remember what else I did -- oh, I worked on my notes a whole lot, getting them organized & including my latest innovations. Wrote lots of Graffitti on Ken's Love poster. Larry came over around nine -- Mark & Sue came over later, so I moved downstairs to read the Anderson story. Mark's staying in Phredee Phrogg so I've gotta draw him -- I've also gotta draw Peg. ---

Picture taken by Mike Mills sometime in early July -- L to R are: Bruce, Jim, Brad (under pillow) & me (my legs, that is)

Photo from my days in Bethlehem, South Dakota

TOMORROW: The Hancock Building

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 10 - Geri's photos of Europe trip*

Monday, July 10, 1972 - Page 192
LOCATION: Bethlehem, South Dakota

7:00 PM
I've just finished putting in the photos Geri took [April 21 & 22; April 29 & 30]. I missed breakfast today, of course -- it was windy and somewhat cloudy, but most of the day was warm, clear and calm. I did various things -- hauled cement to Clint & Tom S. who put it in the forms, shoveled dirt away from the bank (just now I wrote "Happy Birthday to me," on July 17, 72), finished cement, constructed forms with Pierce (Dorothy, by the way, turned her ankle badly yesterday, so she's incapacitated), and began grading the land near Storm's.

Klint

Jeff's gone, most of the nuns are still here, two groups of tourists dropped by to see the cave, Mike Mills beat me in two more games of chess, and I read some more in "The Thing In The Stone" [by Clifford Simak originally published in Worlds of IF Science Fiction, March 1970: A man who suffered brain damage can see the ancient past & hear the traffic of the stars -- and a mysterious creature trapped under a mountain...]. I'm learning to find more time where I can now, so I'll be doing more reading, some writing, and possibly some artwork.

John, Bruce, Clint, Tom & Tom are gone now, out helping a doctor move his motorcycle from Wonderland Cave. Jim's out someplace playing his guitar (I can hear the music vaguely). I am now in Abbott's, and Mike and Greg are in the next room fooling with some psychological test. Brad is unaccountable as usual. Today Gil mentioned that he'll want me to do some art work for a pamphlet. Progress on that will be forthcoming. Now I'm going to write captions for the Europe photos. -- It rained for a while today, then cleared up. The Democratic convention took place. I lost in poker.

Tom Hildebrand, Father Gilbert's right-hand man

TOMORROW: Flood-Repair Meeting in Deadwood

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

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