Dec 08 - Took a day off and drew a picture

Friday, December 8, 1972 - Page 343
LOCATION: Newport Beach

December 1972

(6:00 PM 12/9/1972)
I got up at 11:00 A.M. and called Mike for the day off. Bought tooth paste, T.V. dinners and, for my libido, bought Playboy, Oui, & Penthouse. Washed dishes. Didn't do much at all. Got to page 85 in the book. There are still ants around, but they're just homeless isolated critters who I mercifully dispatch. Chunk called about 10:00 wanting to play chess cause he din't have anything to do. Mom drove me there, and we played 4 games, and I lost 3, again. I left at 11:30 and got home by 12:30 ---

Above is just a little artistic portrait I made today: 12-9-72.

TOMORROW: Decided I am a psychological mess

Dec 07 - The Blue Marble***

Thursday, December 7, 1972 - Page 342
LOCATION: Newport Beach, Santa Ana, Anaheim

Once a photograph of the Earth, taken from the outside, is available — once the sheer isolation of the Earth becomes plain — a new idea as powerful as any in history will be let loose. -- Astronomer Fred Hoyle, 1948

Photo: NASA (wiki info)

72's NEWS: 12/7/1972
Astronauts on Apollo 17 took a famous photograph of Earth that came to be known as The Blue Marble. The photo captured 41 years ago was the first clear image of the Earth because the sun was at the astronauts' back so the planet appears lit up and you can distinctly see blue, white, brown, even green. It became a symbol of the environmental movement of the 1970s and it's the image that gets put on flags, T-shirts, bumper stickers, and posters.

[I also used this historic picture at the end of my Star*Reach graphic novelette, "Out of Space - Out of Time" — See it here: The Star Boundary ]

The crew of Apollo 17 was about 28,000 miles away from Earth when they snapped the Blue Marble picture. It was the last time that astronauts, not robots, were on a lunar mission — since then, no people have gotten far enough away from Earth to take a photo like it. -- Text from The Writer's Almanac (12/07/2013)

Another iconic photo of our planet known as Earthrise was taken on December 24, 1968 by Apollo 8. Here is NASA's recreation of that event.

(6:00 PM 12/9/1972)
I was about to leave for the bus at eight when Chunk appeared in the Barracuda. It was too wet to work (he's got a job in Laguna) and he came by for the money to buy the tool he needs -- I keep forgetting what it's called [probably a socket wrench]. I gave him $20 for it. He drove me to the Ivanhoe so I got there at 8:30, pro'ly the earliest I've ever started working. Wasn't much to do that day so I had to procrastinate alot. I vacuumed the pool and did some painting. I ate at the Hamburger House again, and Mike gave me money to get him a sandwich which I did.

Left around 4:00. While waiting for the RTD a guy in a van asked me where I got the hat. I told him South Dakota and he decided it was too far to go for a hat. I waited at the RTD terminal for a half hour. Got the Dave bus at 6:30. He got me a cup of coffee. It was a cold day, with temperatures in the lower 50's. I got off the bus and called Chunk, then walked to his apartment. The last half mile I had a ride from a guy who stopped for me. He was about 20, long haired & moustached. He told me the world was all fucked up & I agreed. He was a Capri - ah, Sagittarius he told me after asking what sign I was. Any way, I saw my Honda and played four games of chess, losing 3. Watched the beginning of a Bogart/Hepburn movie (The African Queen) and left at 9:40, walking home. It took me an hour to walk that far [about 5 miles]. It rained most of that night and some the next morning.

1951 Theatrical release poster

TOMORROW: Took a day off and drew a picture

Dec 04 - Dreaming of Jeannie

Monday, December 4, 1972 - Page 339
LOCATION: Newport Beach, Santa Ana, Anaheim

(4:30 PM 12/9/1972)
Woke up at 9:30 & got the 10:00 bus. Rained hard from morning to about 2 or 3 in the afternoon, then it stopped, getting very windy, and the wind cleared away the clouds. I worked on the rooms (229, 230) and started to paint them. Got off work at 3:45, got the RTD at 4:15, and was home at 6:15. I bought a 10 ride pass that morning. Got off the OCTD to go to Sav-on to buy 2 batteries for the transistor radio I keep at the motel, a Mad magazine, and Star Trek #8, the new book I'll read after I finish the book on dinosaurs.

Watched T.V. -- Mom was gone to play bridge. I watched "I Dream of Genie," "Stand Up & Cheer," "Laugh-In," a special on the next 30 years of space flight inspired by the Apollo XVII flight on the 6th, a half hour of a Peter Fonda movie "The Hired Hand," and "The New Bill Cosby Show." Chunk called -- said he thinks he found the pro'lem [with my motorcycle] but needs a $12.00 tool to fix it. Mike has one (it's to unscrew bolts) but his brother had borrowed it and din't have it. So Chunk's going to buy one cause he needed it anyway.

Barbara Eden of "I Dream of Jeannie" -- this rare photo features a clear view of her actual belly button which was strictly forbidden by censors on her NBC TV show. The original sitcom aired from September 1965 to May 1970, so in 1972 I must have watched a syndicated rerun. (wiki info)

TOMORROW: Big Computer Convention in Anaheim

Dec 03 - Tacosumi's 9 lives

Sunday, December 3, 1972 - Page 338
LOCATION: Newport Beach

(4:00 PM 12/9/1972)
I woke up when Chunk phoned at 9:30 wondering if I wanted to go to a big bike race at Saddleback. I din't, but he did. I worked on Tempus Fugitives and read the book, getting to page 214. Showed Grampa Bill (his name is actually Charles A. Wilimovsky -- the "Bill" is derived from his last name) my fossil collection and fascinated him.

I washed the dishes & din't watch much T.V. Mom made G. Bill's favorite meal, pork roast & saurkraut & dumplings, and Chunk came over to eat it too. He stayed till 9:30 (he came over at 6:00) talking about Europe & paddling & stuff. He left, and mom drove Bill home -- they were going to go to the Ivanhoe to see L&M but decided not to, it was too late.

I took a bath. When Chunk was there I gave him the $40 for the bike -- so now it's paid in full [As noted on October 17, I'd already given him $40 toward the total price of $80 for the defective Honda 100 motorcycle]. I found out that day that Tacosumi has a gaping hole in her chest about the diameter of a cigarette. She must've impaled herself on something. That leaves her with about 6 of her 9 lives left. She licks it alot. That's about all for Sunday. I went to sleep around 1:30 A.M.

TOMORROW: Dreaming of Jeannie

Dec 02 - A visit from Grandpa Bill

Saturday, December 2, 1972 - Page 337
LOCATION: Newport Beach, Santa Ana, Anaheim

(4:00 PM 12/9/1972 ...continued from previous entry)
The bus eventually arrived and I got on the OCTD about 3:15. At that time of day, dozens of brats from Mater Dei High School rode home. Good grief, they're insane. Anyway, I went to the bank to put in one check and cash another (so I withdrew $60). Now I've got $113.52. I checked all the deposits I'd made since I started the account (March 12, 1968) and, not counting interest, if I'd never withdrawn any money from the bank, I'd have just $662.61 by now. Not much for 4 years of saving.

I got home by 4:30. Today's (Fri) the first day of Chanukkah. Shalom. I went to sleep about 7:00 P.M., and at 9:00 mom went out to get Grampa Bill and returned about 12:00. I stayed in bed, but was awake between 9 & 10 and 12 & 1. On page 190 in book ["Dinosaurs" by Björn Kurtén].

My maternal grandfather Charles Wilimovsky
(a famous artist in his day) who we called Grampa Bill.
To see samples of his artwork, please go here: Wilimovsky  

SATURDAY -- Chunk came by at about 7:30 A.M. to go paddling, passing Grampa Bill who was sleeping on the convertible couch in the living room. Chunk got the paddles from the cabaña -- I was awake and he said he'd pro'ly be back later. I wanted to give him the remaining $40 for the honda. He got a job again (he left the last one cause the company din't have any contracts), so he said it'd pro'ly be 2 more weeks before the bike was fixed.

I woke up officially at 10:00 A.M. and talked with Grampa Bill for an hour. I showed him & mom the pictures from Chicago [October 7] and those nudes I drew [October 28]. Played scrabble, and I won one game, & lost one. We went to a movie at 5:00 -- "The Wrath of God" & "They Only Kill Their Masters." They were good, especially the first one. Got back by 9:30. Watched T.V. till 11:30, then went to sleep about 12:00.

Original 1972 theatrical poster

Video Cover based on 1972 theatrical poster

TOMORROW: Tacosumi's 9 lives

Nov 24 - Thanksgiving - Part 2***

Friday, November 24, 1972 - Page 329
LOCATION: Newport Beach, Anaheim

5:30 PM [...continued from previous entry]
Afterwards, while Dad was getting some sleep, Chunk & I went paddling in the down river canoe he & Joe have been practicing in. We went all around Lido Isle and returned by 8:15, after only a half hour. It was a clear nite and a fairly full moon was just rising redly. Anyway, Dad, Chunk, Me, & Mom ate the turkey dinner. I had hardly anything cause I was full of steak.

Winnie came by again after having a second dinner with her mother, and she & Chunk drove me over to L&M's. Larry returned, and after awhile, about 9:30, Dad & Lar & I & Mom drove to L&M's [at the Ivanhoe motel] and we stayed there for quite a while. About 10:30 P.M. a group of 100 people in two bus loads came -- the Chowchilla High School Football band. L&M were pretty busy, & we entertained ourselves watching the girls and things thru the closed circuit T.V. There's an intercom from the Apartment to the Lobby entrance outside where the camera is and Larry talked thru it to the girls and guys out there. It was a riot. Chunk & Winnie left early, and the rest of us departed at about 12:30. We got back, Dad left, and I showed Larry my fossils, then he left, and I got to sleep at around 2:00 A.M.

6:30 PM
Friday I got up at about 9:00, and I took a bath. Mom drove me to work, and she stayed there an hour, leaving about a quarter to 12:00 (so she must've been there more than an hour, since I got there 'bout 10:00), anyway, she talked to Lara a while. I watered plants, hosed the driveway, replaced an inaccessible light bulb, and helped the maid. A new one was hired -- Laura. She has experience, having worked at the Cosmic Age Motel. She was applying for the job when I returned to the Ivanhoe Wednesday.

New maid's previous job: Cosmic Age Lodge
1717 S. Harbor Blvd, Anaheim, California

Anyway, all the feminine pulchritude enhanced the landscaping and the day was warm and sunny. The coke machine broke, so I wrote an "OUT OF ORDRE" sign for it. Ken arrived at one, so I was asked to leave, which I didn't mind doing. So mom came back to pick me up after being home just a half hour. We went to Canspec in L.A., and drove thru a few mobile home parks.

This report card here is explained on page 324. [That's November 19 where a note at the bottom says "At November 24 (a year from when it was sent) is a typical report card from school. Example of my great stupidity."]

I know this cheap carbon copy is very faint so I will repeat the info here:
LYDA III  GRADY - REPORT DATE 11/71 - GRADE 12
PERIOD - COURSE TITLE - "MARKS" - TEACHER
01 - BOYS PE 9-12 - "F"  GAGE J
02 - SEMANTICS - "NC"  MAUTHE A
03 - SOCIAL PROB - "F"  DONALD R
04 - SR MATH REV - "D"  ROSER G
05 - DRAMA 1-2 - "F"  LINDQUIST P
06 - PHYSIOL 1-2  "F"  ROBERTS D

I'd like to point out that these grades reflect the fact that I simply decided not to go to school anymore because it started too damned early. It was not worth interrupting my sleep. If you paid me, maybe I'd get my butt up at 7 or 8:AM, but school didn't pay, so why bother?

TOMORROW: Holiday Aftermath: Big motel cleanup

Nov 23 - Thanksgiving - Part 1***

Thursday, November 23, 1972 - Page 328
LOCATION: Newport Beach

TURKEY DAY

11:30 AM
The new book I've been reading on the bus and waiting for the bus these past few days is "The Age of the Dinosaurs," by Björn Kurtén, one of the books Mark got for me. Haven't seen him since. I'm now on page 74 -- occasionally I skip a page or two of innocuous things I already know too well. The busses of the OCTD are taking the day off, and Mike doesn't need me today, and it's Thanksgiving, so I'm not going to work. I woke up at about 10:30. I've been working on T.F. notes.

[Side note] THE DRAWING ON THIS PAGE IS A LARRY BROCKWAY PRODUCTION [Dad's friend Larry was an excellent artist and this Santa Claus sketch demonstrates his talent]

(5:00 PM 11/24/1972)
It being Thanksgiving, we were beset by relatives and acquaintances. First came Dad and he answered my question about what caliber bullet you'd need to shoot out the ear of a sauropod. Larry Brockway ("Brock") came shortly thereafter. Then Chunk came with Russ Nichols, a paddler who was in the '71 Canoe & Kayaking World Championships, and this year's Olympics. Larry & I had a steak dinner (the turkey was still cooking, & Larry had to leave at 3:30 to man the 'Hot line,' a phone service, sort of).

A shot of our trailer in 1973. At the left is my Imperial and Chuck, and I am wearing my South Dakota hat. 

Russ had brought a projector, & audio visual set up for a film he made about the 71 Championships (his brother wrote & performed the music) -- so we saw that. It was done very professionally, and was about 15 minutes. Before it started, Winnie dropped by -- so there was her Barracuda, Russ's van with two canoes on top, Larry's convertible VW, and Dad's Audi parked all over, and with 7 people in the trailer 'twas a bit crowded. After the movie Russ & Chunk & Winnie left -- they had an appointment for dinner at the Beechers'. The Beechers are parents of a friend Chunk knew well who died in a bike accident a year or two ago with Mike McEvers, and Murray & Bruce Englar.

Anyway, Larry had to leave soon after that for the Hot Line. So I occupied Dad for a few hours with all the new books I got, and in a few hours Chunk returned. I showed him my fossils & paleolithic tools -- I had forgotten he would be interested in them because of his preoccupation with Indians (He's proud of the few drops of Cherokee & Blackfeet he's got in him). [End-of-page: Thanksgiving Day events are continued in the next entry]

TOMORROW: Thanksgiving - Part 2

Nov 05 - Chuck & Joe beat our canoe-racing nemeses

Sunday, November 5, 1972 - Page 310
LOCATION: Newport Beach, CA

2:30 PM
Got up about 12:45. It's a sunny day (yesterday it sprinkled a bit, the day before was sunny in the low 80s) but the sun has moved to a wrong position so the veranda is in shade. That's my excuse for not getting tanned. Yesterday I rearranged the furniture in the living room. Today mom is watching football and potting some plants. I read some more in "The Magus" today and am now on page 363. Chunk & Joe yesterday went to some canoe races (I was invited but declined) -- they beat the two guys who had beat Chunk & I by 1 second. Joe & Chunk beat them by 20 yards. That's not surprising. [This refers to a memorable event at the LA Canoe Races on May 21, 1972]

(6:30 PM 11/7/1972)

I washed the dishes and ate a packaged Polynesian dinner. It was the last thing I would eat in quite a while.

TOMORROW: A food-free day

Oct 25 - Another new maid named Linda

Wednesday, October 25, 1972 - Page 299
LOCATION: Newport Beach, Santa Ana, Anaheim

(12:50:00 AM 10/26/1972 Thursday)
Got in to work at 9:40 as I did yesterday (Left on 8:00 bus) -- It has been foggy in the morning for the past several days but this morning was the foggiest. Afternoons are hot & clear tho. Painted all day. A new maid was hired and she's been working since Monday. Her name's Linda too but she's plump & dumpy but has a reasonable personality. Left work at 6:00 and got to Newport & Coast at 7:15 where I told Mom to pick me up, and she did. Chunk was home to eat dinner -- he & Joe'd gone paddling again. We had dinner and watched T.V. He ate & left.

I got a letter from CRM Books. About a month ago I sent a coupon from Psych. Today for Anthropology Today. They sent the coupon back -- the price had changed. So I sent a check and will mail it tomorrow. That's all.

TOMORROW: Day 300... 66 to go

Oct 18 - Called in sick, Chuck teaches me blackjack

Wednesday, October 18, 1972 - Page 292
LOCATION: Newport Beach

10:30 PM
The way I wake up for work is this -- I set the alarm for 5:30 (that's the time when Lohman & Barkley come on -- but I usually don't have the energy to turn them on) -- when it goes off I reset it for 6:00, then sleep, and set it for 6:30 when it goes off, and get up finally at 6:30 to get the 7:00 bus. But today I missed the 7:00 alarm so set it for 7:30 so I could get ready for the bus at 8:00. Missed the one at 8:00 tho, so crawled out of bed and called Laramée at 8:30, saying I was sick. Then I slept till 1:30.

It has rained intermittently (it's raining now) -- once in the evening it rained so damned hard it felt like a monsoon -- solid water in the air. Anyway, I did the dishes in a few hours. A prize-winning Czechoslovakian kayaker appeared at about 9:45 (Chunk was gonna go paddling with him). Chunk wasn't here so I called his home but he wasn't there -- Joe went to wait by the bay. Chunk showed up here a few minutes later and went out for him and they paddled. About 7:00 they returned (it was raining then). He left his C2 here (downriver racer) -- Chunk stayed to eat our food and watch the end of "Godzilla vs. The Seamonster," and "the Paul Lynde Show."

Then we played poker and I learned to play black jack. I beat them both at black jack. Chunk left around 9:30. Mom and I played till 10:00 (when she lost all her chips). I'm on 112 in Ray's book and I sewed my backrest and am going to sew my pants. I've got a lot of work to do tomorrow.

TOMORROW: Lots of Nu Navaho Flat White

Oct 17 - Dealing a Clockwork Orange***

Tuesday, October 17, 1972 - Page 291
LOCATION: Newport Beach, Anaheim

(1:00 AM 10/18/1972)
Got the 7:00 A.M. bus. Work today was repair of hardware, a little detail painting, and I organized the tool cart. Mark & Mary worked today. Linda is no longer with us -- she had a kidney problem and can't work, so Mike's hunting for another maid. Mike & I back-flushed the pool today. I got up to page 103 in "S.W.T.W.C." [Something Wicked This Way Comes]

Took the bus back from 10 to 5. Got into Santa Ana about 5:20. OCTD bus appeared 6:00. Got home around 7:00. Murray called and asked if I wanted to see Clockwork Orange. Later Chunk & He came by in his cruddy old station wagon and drove to the Peddler fish 'n chips place where I had my only meal of the day -- a BarBQue sandwich, a Turkey Sandwich & potato salad. Then we drove toward the movie at Fashion Island, but his car died about a mile from it. Our attempts to revive it were in vain despite the fact we took it to a gas station. (It died at a corner where there was a Shell & a Standard. We had to push it across the street to the Shell. They couldn't get it going.) So we left it there and ran to the theatre, getting there in about 7 minutes. We were late but not too late.

1971 Theatrical Release Poster
When I saw this Stanley Kubrick film in 1972 it was Rated X, but this verdict was appealed and it was revised to an R rating.

Watched Clockwork Orange and the second picture, "Dealing" (which I'd seen about half a year ago, it's pro'ly noted in this book somewhere), and it was all over at 12:30.

[I first saw "Dealing" on May 12, 1972, but I could not remember this film & found no record of it online... I just checked again and discovered this Wikipedia info -- "Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues" is an adaptation of a Michael Crichton novel co-written with his brother Douglas. It starred Barbara Hershey and featured John Lithgow as a supporting character in his first film role. I still have no memory of it even tho I saw it twice. Below is a photo from IMDb.]

This memorable 1972 comedy/drama/thriller was a marijuana caper flick

Walked back to the Shell station and Murray's car started fine. He drove me home & I gave Chunk 40 for the motorcycle which he's gotta get into running condition. Tha's all. ---

Malcolm McDowell discusses the movie on the occasion of its 40th Anniversary

TOMORROW: Called in sick, Chuck teaches me blackjack

Oct 04 - Satirical Employment Application***

Wednesday, October 4, 1972 - Page 278
LOCATION: Anaheim & Newport Beach, California

Original 1965 theatrical poster (wikipedia info)

(8:30 PM 10/4/1972)

Worked today after catching a bus at 8:00 and arriving at the Ivanhoe at 10:00. Mike was off at a meeting -- I vacuumed the pool & inspected rooms, among other things. Mom came to pick me up at 5:55 as usual. Chunk came over, said a friend of his was selling a Honda 100 motorcycle for $75, so I can have it.

Then he & me rode on his bike to his place (I called Tim before leaving to see if I should return his chess set, but he said it wasn't necessary), and we played 4 games of chess whilst watching T.V. ("Mister Moses," a Robert Mitchum thing). We won 2 apiece. The last one was dubious and mom came by to pick me up at 10:00 before its completion. She told me Winnie had broken up and was off at college somewhere (Santa Monica or some place like that). I got to sleep too late, after 11:00 sometime.

Incidentally, the "Application for Employment" hereto attached was written whilst I was in room 113 Tuesday. I gave it to L&M and left. Mike read it & laughed so hard he cried. I din't think it was that funny. Had to write another one Wednesday for real.

TOMORROW: Learning the job

Sep 15 - I am a pallbearer at the funeral**

Friday, September 15, 1972 - Page 259

LOCATION: Newport Beach, Santa Ana, Huntington Beach

4:00 PM

I woke up naturally at 6:00 A.M. and turned on Lohman & Barkley. Told mom to get up at 6:30, and around 7:30 we drove to Chunk's. I went up and got him, then we went to Grandma Dot's [Mobile Home in Santa Ana] and waited there for a car to be supplied by the mortuary [Brown Colonial Mortuary, Santa Ana]. It was a wide long car with a great deal of leg room -- Dot, Mom & I sat in the back -- Chunk & the driver were in the front.

We got to the big church where folks from Dot's & Brazzel's trailer park and the Heekin family was, plus a few other people. The main attraction was the three or four beauteous Heekin girls. At 9:00, me, Chunk, and 4 other guys (Heekins, etc.) pulled the casket outa the Hertz [actually Hearse] and stuck it on a dolly, then they wheeled it up and stopped it in front of the dias, or whatever, and for about a half hour the priest talked and we people (about 25 of us in all) listened. The priest always mispronounced the deceased's name -- he called her BRAZzel with the accent on the first syllable. After the lil' talk, they wheeled the coffin back to the vestibule and we stuck it back in the Hertz. Then we got in the car, and the other cars got into position. The priest got into the Hertz, and we took off at 20 mph with a bike cop escorting the procession to Huntington Beach where the cemetery was.

Good Shepherd Cemetery & Mausoleum
8301 Talbert Avenue, Huntington Beach, CA 92646

Then we yanked the box out and stuck it on the strange contrivance on top of the grave. Then Mrs. Heakin, Mom, Dot, Me & Chunk sat in the chairs in front (everyone else stood) and the priest talked some more. Then us relatives signed a book, and after malingering a bit we took off again, and the guy drove us to Dot's. About 10 people showed up at the trailer (the Heekins I guess) and we chatted for an hour or so, and ate ham (I cut it) that Mrs. H brought. They left, then we left. Got back at quarter to one. I did my exercises not long ago.

TOMORROW: An unfinished sketch

Sep 10 - Chuck teaches me to ride a dirt bike

Sunday, September 10, 1972 - Page 254
LOCATION: Newport Beach, California

TODAY'S GRANDPA BILL'S BIRTHDAY
ALSO JIM WEIDNER'S ----

7:30 PM
I got up about 2:00

8:00 PM
(it's no longer 7:30. I went to get something to eat, then listened to Fibber Magee & Molly) -- Chunk called at 3:00 and got here about a half hour later. He came on his Norton and we rode to his Apartments. Then we went dirt riding. He's got three motorcycles: The Norton, the BSA (which I rode) and the Suzuki (which doesn't work due to an electrical problem). The BSA is strictly a dirt bike -- I walked it to a construction area where dirt has been bulldozed into various formations making a pretty good course (POSITIVELY NO TRESPASSING) -- He had a hard time starting it cause it hasn't been ridden lately. I got the hang of it pretty quick and pretty soon I was riding over mounds and down little hills and all that type of stuff. Didn't fall down at all.

We rode to the 76 Station in front of Chunk's apt. and got 20¢ worth of gas in the tank since it was getting pretty low. Then we rode back and went over another area with a steep hill to go down just before a steep hill to go up. Didn't fall over on that one either but I killed the engine quite a bit and that bike's hard to start. Chunk ran into me once when we were swerving over rough terrain, and he broke the BSA's kickstand. At around 5:30 we quit because the throttle cable was pretty frayed and could break off completely. Rode back to Chunk's, played a couple of games of chess (I stalemated him in one, check mated him in the next). Then he drove me home around 7:00.

TOMORROW: Bloody blisters from the "Match Trick"

Sep 09 - The Aquatic Ape Theory

Saturday, September 9, 1972 - Page 253
LOCATION: Newport Beach, California

3:25 AM
Got up at about 1:30 (officially) when Dad came over (he came around about noon) and Lara & Mike popped in (about 1:00). Dad's doing a lot of leather work now as a hobby. L&M are getting more involved with managing [at the Ivanhoe Motel near Disneyland]. They all left shortly after I got up. I can't recall doing very much today.

I read a condensed version of "The Descent of Woman," which is about the aquatic theory of evolution. [Written by Elaine Morgan (wikipedia info), this book influented my graphic novel, Tempus Fugitives (info), in which I incorporated a segment featuring prehistoric seaside females. One compelling bit of evidence supporting the "aquatic ape hypothesis" is the pattern of hair on the entire human form -- it clearly demonstrates the flow of water over a swimming body, thus indicating a long period of evolution that occurred in marine environments.]

A new "Psych. Today" mag came today (nobody recalls subscribing to it, but it's in Mom's name). Anyway, there was an article in it called "Louis S. B. Leakey & Robert Ardrey in dialogue on Man, The Killer." I just finished reading that.

Chunk called today around 5:00, then he and Murray came by to pick me up. We drove to Bob Kirkebey's to get a fourth to play chess, but he wasn't home. Then we drove to Bill Somebody's -- a friend of Murray's & Chunk's and a fellow I very vaguely recall from Schwinn. He used to work there before I did. He's living in an apartment with Diane, a girl who looks alot like Kim Darby, an actress. Anyway, we stayed at their apartment awhile, then we all drove to Chunk's in Murray's car. We stopped at Tim's house on the way so I could get a second chess set -- Tim, as I already knew, was at Disneyland, so I had to get Mrs. assistance in unlocking his door and stealing his set.

On the way to Chunk's, we stopped at a red light -- the one at Newport Freeway, I think. There were two cars in front of us. The first car had a guy in it who came out to talk with a girl in the second car, then he got back in his car. This seemed odd, so Chunk did the same thing -- he got out of Murray's car to talk at her. By this time the red light was used up, so we locked the doors and took off before Chunk could get back in. Back at the apartments Chunk caught up [Chuck was an experienced long-distance runner], bought some wine, and we played chess. I played a couple games with Diane, winning one, losing the other. Chunk played Bill a couple, beating him in both. I played Bill & stalemated. He, her & Murray left about 12:00. Chunk & I played hockey -- I won, 50 to 42. Rah. I left, running home. So I got my exercise. About a half hour after I got home, I met Taco [my cat] and we walked to the dock.

TOMORROW: Chuck teaches me to ride a dirt bike

Sep 07 - A long walk home in the dark

Thursday, September 7, 1972 - Page 251
LOCATION: Newport Beach, California

3:05 AM
By my calculations, judging from the number of pages I read in the last four hours, it took me a bit over 18 hours to read that book. Must learn to read faster.

4:00 PM
Got up around 1:00 P.M. Got the mail, exorcised and took a bath. Measured my mustache again -- it is now 43 millimeters long, generally.

1:00 AM
Straightened out my room, finally putting the excess garbage in the attic, so a couple of drawers got emptied. Chunk came by around five and we went to his house (we stopped at a McDonald's on the way so he could buy a couple of Big Macs for himself, and while I was getting off I busted his tail light and license plate -- he tried to fix it there but on the way to the house it came loose so I had to hold it up in one hand to prevent the fender, which the light and plate hold up, from scraping the tire, and in my other hand I held his hamburgers & my hat) -- we played Hockey until the Olympics -- he won. We played a lot of chess but we came out even, drawing one, stalemating one, and winning two or three a piece. Murray came over around 9:30 and he beat me in one game. Watched the Olympics till 11:00, then I started walking home -- Chunk was too tired to drive me, and Murray didn't want to. I ran a little of the distance (about 3 blocks), just to be healthy. [From Chuck's apartment to my home was probably about 5 miles, but I was accustomed to long walks so it didn't bother me very much.]

A half a block from harbor high a guy came the opposite direction and said "Good morning" in a strange accent as he passed me. I said "H'lo" but stopped, realizing it was Tim Hourigan. We almost didn't recognize each other in the dark. He was coming back home from a girl's house, and I came home with him. He showed me his giant new map of Tarmland, and we engaged in mirthful conversation for a while, had a couple glasses of chocolate milk, then I departed.

Walking out thru the alley I passed a couple of kids, barely visible in the dark. One of them said, "Peace," and I said, "Same to you, fella!" It did my heart good to say that. Got home at 12:15. ---

TOMORROW: Seeing "Follies" at LA's Schubert

Sep 06 - Coco's Pie à la Mode

Wednesday, September 6, 1972 - Page 250
LOCATION: Newport Beach, California

September 05 thru 06, 1972
Munich Massacre: 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Summer Olympics are murdered after 8 members of the Arab terrorist group Black September invade the Olympic Village.

Plaque in front of the Israeli athlete's quarters commemorating the victims. The inscription, in German and Hebrew, reads: The team of the State of Israel lived in this building during the 20th Olympic Summer Games from 21 August to 5 September 1972. On 5 September, David Berger, Seew Friedman, Josef Gutfreund, Elieser Halfin, Josef Romano, Amizur Shapira, Kehat Shorr, Mark Slavin, Andre Spitzer, Jaakow Springer, Mosche Weinberger died a violent death. Honor their memory.

11:00 PM
Woke up first at 5:15 A.M. The cat threw up, and since Mom's back hurt I cleaned it up. I'm not sure whether I woke up when the cat did it, or whether I hadn't yet gone to sleep. Anyway, mom woke up at the same time to get ready for work. I went back to sleep and woke up at noon when mom phoned to tell me to take the roast out of the oven (it was made yesterday & was sitting in there over night), and she asked me to wash the dishes.

I did my exercises (already it's getting tiresome), and didn't bother to take a bath or get the mail -- I think I'll perform both rituals every other day. Today was sunny & smogless due to last night's rain, so from 1:30 to 3:00 I tanned my hide. I'm beginning to get color back in my skin. Read more in the Exorcist (as of now, I'm on page 335). Did the dishes at 3:30 or 4:00.

Chunk came by at around 7:30 and we rode to his place on Norton to play Hockey (he won unjustifiably, 39 to 40) and chess (we played several games -- I won only one -- rats). We left his place at 9:30 and rode to Coco's. Winnie was at the counter serving, so we ate there (Chunk made a phone call to John Bodkins first -- he had forgotten to call him at the apartments. It was about work -- he's landscaping a park in Pomona now). I had some chocolate pie and Chunk had some pie with a coupla scoops of ice cream. Left at about 10:15 and he drove me home. I'm gonna read some more in the book. By the time I go to sleep, I'll be on page:

3:02 AM
403 -- the end. FINIS.

TOMORROW: A long walk home in the dark

Sep 03 - Fun & games with Chuck, Murray, Bob, Tim**

Sunday, September 3, 1972 - Page 247
LOCATION: Newport Beach, California

2:00 PM
I just woke up. It's raining heavily outside. Just started. take that all you Labor Day vacationers. ---

(2:00 AM 9/4/1972)
Did more work organizing the magazines. At 6:00 Chunk came over on his Norton to take me to his home where Murray was. Played a game of chess with him & won. A guy named Dan came over and Chunk played him on Murray's tiny chess set. He (Chunk) won, while Murray beat me, then Dan played Murray & lost (Dan was supposed to be an extremely good chess player).

Chunk went out and bought a bottle of Pink Chablis, which we gulped. A guy named Pat came over, and I beat him. The Olympics came on at nine, and we watched a bit of that, Chunk beat Murray one game, then Murray & I (after I surreptitiously stole a dollar from Chunk) bought some more P.C. and then drove to Lido to pick up Bob Kirkeby, then we drove to Tim Hourigan's house and got him (around 9:45), then returned to Chunk's home. Whilst watching the Olympics, Tim & I played a few (2) games and he won both (blech) -- Chunk played Bob but I didn't keep track of the games.

Chunk drove Bob home on his Norton. Chunk returned whilst I was playing Hockey with Tim. Then Chunk & I played hockey (Chunk was just about drunk -- I had three full glasses of wine -- but what he had really hit him). We tied, 22 to 22, then I was ahead most of the time. Tim had fun watching all the pieces whirling around.

Wendy & Chuck in San Francisco -- August 1972

Wendy came in at 12:30, and we quit playing hockey. She wanted us to leave, but we stuck around for another hour, joking extensively. Then Murray drove me & Tim home.

TOMORROW: Reading "The Exorcist"

Aug 31 - Ghostly Sole Survivors**

Thursday, August 31, 1972 - 244
LOCATION: Newport Beach, California

(2:00 AM 9/1/1972)
Goddup at around 11:00. Got all my dirty clothes (which are all my clothes) bagged to get washed. Got slightly more organized and am getting into filing af all my mags. They'll take a while. Chunk called, then came to pick me up. We played ice hockey until the Olympics on T.V., then played chess. We finished the game we started the other day -- I won. I beat him soundly at hockey, and we tied at chess.

Chunk has to get up at 4:00 in the A.M. so he went to bed at 11:00. Murray came over at 8:00 when the Olympics came on and he took lots of double exposures with his camera stationed in front of the set with a tripod. When Chunk went to bed he and I played a couple games of chess. He won them both (humiliating). -- Connie came in. She thought I was Chunk -- and she hit me under that assumption. Winnie came in shortly after her, but she didn't mistake me. She & Connie talked, and Murray & I left after the (3rd?) game.

He drove me home, and he and I watched T.V. A few minutes of D. Cavett, a few mins of J. Carson (with J. Bishop), and watched a couple hours of "Sole Survivor," a strange movie Murray & Chunk had seen the beginning of (the day B4 our Catalina trip [June 4 and 5]) and wanted to see the ending of. It ended at 1:30. He left. We have ants. It is now about 2:10. G'night. --

"Sole Survivor" (wikipedia info) originally aired as a 90-minute "ABC Movie of the Week" on January 9, 1970. As noted here, it was rerun twice in 1972. This was a compelling Twilight Zonish ghostly tale starring Vince Edwards, Richard Basehart, and William Shatner, loosely based on a true story involving a World War II bomber named "Lady Be Good" that crashed in the Libyan desert in 1943. The mysteriously well-preserved wreckage was discovered in 1958. This incident also inspired an episode of The Twilight Zone TV series entitled "King Nine Will Not Return."

[Side note] Got a letter from Sue.

TOMORROW: Ant wars

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