Dec 30 - Boring Saturday reruns

Saturday, December 30, 1972 - Page 365
LOCATION: San Francisco

Finally got to sleep around 6:30. The card game broke up at 7:00. Around 8:30 the damn Imperial's horn went off and mom went out to turn it off -- I slept thru it fortunately. We were sposed to leave for Tahoe Saturday morn but everyone was too wasted. Everyone woke up around 4:00 but I promptly went back to sleep. I woke up again at 6:00 and mom came in to get all my dirty clothes to wash (that included all my clothes practically) so I tried to go back to sleep cause I couldn't go wandering around with no clothes. I took a shower. I eventually obtained some clothes and went upstairs at 7:30 for a dinner of hamburgers. Watched T.V. alot -- UFO, All in the Family, Bridget Loves Bernie (Jim went out on his bike for milk & film -- I gave him $5 to help out on the cost), Mary Tyler Moore, Bob Newhart, & Carol Burnett -- all reruns already. Played Will a game of chess and beat him -- we all went to bed early -- Jain at 10:00, mom at 10:30, us boys at 11:00. 'Tis now 11:20. We're getting up tomorrow at 6:30 to go to Tahoe. It's supposed to be snowing there, or so said the weather man yesterday.

TOMORROW: TIME REVIEW: Final 100 days of 1972

Dec 29 - Pinochle, pinochle & more pinochle

Friday, December 29, 1972 - Page 364
LOCATION: San Francisco

Got up at 3:00 or 4:00. Mom left to get Jain. Will did the dishes. I amused myself for a while -- played chess with Will & lost too often. Jim arrived around 5:00. I watched T.V. alot & made designs on a grid. Time passed, and around 8:30 Carol & Roark showed up. We all played a long time -- first everyone in 7-handed pinochle -- Winners stayed at the big table to play 2-partner pinochle (I was a winner) and the others (Roark, Jim, Mom) played cutthroat pinochle on the small card table. Then (tho I won as a partner of Jim) everyone (Carol & Roark, Mom & Jain, & sometimes Will) played pinochle.

ORION, the 1971 Parker Brothers "game system"

I played Orion (Algol = Demon Star) with Jim and beat him alot. He crashed, and I observed the card players, then Carol bowed out with Jain to do the dishes, and Me & Roark, & Mom & Will played. Jain finished the dishes and became a partner of Will in a new game in which Roark & Mom were partners. Carol read a magazine. I came to bed at 5:30, with a headache. Beer, cake, ice cream, potato chips, arm wrestling.

72's NEWS
Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 crashes into the Everglades in Florida, killing 101 of 176 on board.

TOMORROW: Boring Saturday reruns

Dec 28 - Hanging around & not doing much

Thursday, December 28, 1972 - Page 363
LOCATION: San Francisco

2006 photo of Lombard Street seen from Coit Tower

Last night we went down Lombard St. and over the Golden Gate Bridge. I woke up this morning at 1:30. Took a bath. Mom & Willie soon left to pick up Roark at work. I stayed home, ate three turkey sandwiches and got educated watching Sesame Street. Roark arrived, and Mom & Will went to pick up Jain. I talked with Roark awhile (he had to stay to see Jain about something) about Sony, Pinochle & various other stuff. Jain & Co. arrived & Willie & I played chess. Jim came, & Roark left soon.

Will & I went out to fix the handle on the rear right door (it came off when we returned from the movie). I also fixed the left rear door's ashtray lid that wouldn't close. Met Al (a neighbor) out there. Came back, Jim went out & returned with milk and cigs. Jain's sick, and went to bed early. Me, Jim, Will & Mom played pinochle till 12:00. Me & Will won. Then Me, mom, and Will played till 3:30. Will won tho mom was in the lead most often and I took the lead once with slick cheating. 'Tis now 3:45.

2004 picture of the Golden Gate Bridge with downtown San Francisco at rear left

TOMORROW: Pinochle, pinochle & more pinochle

Dec 27 - Poseidon Adventure

Wednesday, December 27, 1972 - Page 362
LOCATION: San Francisco & Sausalito

2005 photo of Sausalito from Bridgeway, the city's central street

Rained. Woke up at 9:00 when mom tapped on the window to get me to open the front door for her. She'd driven Jain to work but had no key to get in. Went back to sleep -- awoke at 12:00 or 1:30 and mom made us some turkey sandwiches.

2009 photo of entrance to the interactive "Mechanical Museum"

Then Will, Me & Mom drove to the earthquake site, then to Cliff House's Musée Mechanique, then to Jain's warehouse to pick her up (4:30). Drove around alot from there. Drove home after that and ate some food. Then we (Me, Mom, Jain, Will & Jim, who rode his bike to work) drove to the Poseidon Adventure (out at 9:00) then to Roark & Carol's (left at 11:00), then home by 1:30. Drove to Sausalito & Jack in the Box. Played chess with Will till 2:00. Went to sleep 2:30.

Original 1972 Theatrical Poster (info)

Academy Award Winning Theme from The Poseidon Adventure: "The Morning After" by Maureen McGovern, with scenes from the movie

TOMORROW: Hanging around & not doing much

Dec 26 - Out with the Christmas tree

Tuesday, December 26, 1972 - Page 361
LOCATION: San Francisco

The Weidner's San Francisco House as it looked in 1956

Woke up at about 5:30. This morning Jim had to take the bus because his tire was flat. Willie was fixing it when I got up. Jain was home already, having been driven & picked up to & at work. Jim got home soon. Willie & I chopped the branches off the X-mas tree & took the trunk down, then the branches (at Jain's insistence). We ate some more turkey with the left overs & then we played pinochle till 12:30. Jain, Jim & mom went to bed. Mom & Jain talked for an hour or so in bed while Willie & I played poker & chess. Quit (at Jain's insistence) at 1:30. Got to sleep around 3:00, sleeping with Cornelius (Jim's cat).

72's NEWS
President Harry S. Truman died today at 7:50 AM from pneumonia. He was 88. Question: What was his middle name? Answer: He didn't have a middle name, just an initial. (wiki info)

TOMORROW: Poseidon Adventure

Dec 25 - Merry Christmas to Vietnam***

Monday, December 25, 1972 - Page 360
LOCATION: San Francisco

The biggest ever bombing campaign by B-52 aircraft took place over Christmas 1972 when the U.S. dropped at least 20,000 tons of explosives on North Vietnam, mostly Hanoi. More than 1,000 Vietnamese died. [BBC 12/24/2012]

Christmas Day -- I woke up at 5:30. Had a big Turkey dinner and then I took a shower. I dried the dishes. Played pinochle a long time. Jim & Jain had to work the next day so they went to bed at 12:00 and Me, Mom & Will played pinochle till 6:30 A.M. Tuesday.

72's NEWS

To celebrate Christmas, the U.S. bombs North Vietnam. This results in widespread criticism of President Nixon.

After the Paris Peace Accords of January 27, 1973, all U.S. combat troops are withdrawn by March 29, 1973. In December 1974, North Vietnam captures the province of Phước Long and begins a full-scale offensive, culminating in the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. bears the names of 58,195 soldiers who died in the war. A greater number of veterans died of suicide after coming home.

The Defense Department officially reports that 950,765 communist Vietnamese were killed between 1965 and 1974. The true figure is much higher. Following the war, American Vietnam vets who killed themselves are estimated to be between 50,000 and 100,000.

The suicide rate among current 2013 veterans is more than 20 per day according to conservative & incomplete estimates by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. That's about 1 self-inflicted death every hour. The true figures are even higher. [See CNN, November 14, 2013]

WAR, good God y'all, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing.

My brother's gravesite at Arlington National Cemetery

From the Pogo comic strip by Walt Kelly

TOMORROW: Out with the Christmas tree

Dec 24 - Car troubles on Christmas Eve

Sunday, December 24, 1972 - Page 359
LOCATION: San Francisco

Christmas Eve. Got up at 8:30 and got out & on the road by 9:45. We were going to Tahoe, but the car broke down. Tried to fix it but couldn't. I got a ride to the H.P. [Highway Patrol] and got a tow truck called for. Rode back with cop. Still waiting.

The tow truck arrived at 3:00 P.M., manned by a nice young bearded fellow. It's illegal to ride in the car being towed so Mom & Jain rode in the tow truck and we three rode in the back of it. We drove 'bout five miles to a place near Placerville, landing at a gas station. The thing cost $19.50 I think.

He left, and the guy at the gas station took over. Went out to get a piece (the hose for the power steering), came back, installed it, and we paid him and left. It took an hour in all, at least. There was a dog there that kept us company. Got home around 7:00.

Cynthia came over. Jim & Will & I played chess. Roark & Carol arrived and we all sat around & talked & opened presents. Finally they left at 1:00 or 2:00. Will, Me & Jim played poker. And we all got to bed around 5:00 or 6:00.

72's NEWS

Swedish Prime minister Olof Palme compares the American bombings of North Vietnam to Nazi massacres. Consequently, the U.S. breaks diplomatic contact with Sweden.

TOMORROW: Merry Christmas to Vietnam

Dec 23 - Going bowling for the first time

Saturday, December 23, 1972 - Page 358
LOCATION: San Francisco

I slept till 2:00 the next day. At 11:30 Jim got up to drive Roark around looking for cars. I declined, and slept until everyone was gone -- Willie was away at Fisherman's Wharf, and Mom & Jain went shopping. I read from the numerous multitude of magazines in the house. After awhile, Roark & Carol (his wife) came by, along with Jim who drove them around. Roark's still searching for a car.

Jim & I played some chess, then drove Roark & Carol home. He returned & we played more chess, and Willie got home with my present which he kept in a bag. I played Willie some chess games too. I came out very well with both of them. We went out bowling, which I had never done, and we played 5 games. I won the last one, getting 110 points after I got the hang of it. Cost me $10.50.

[Jain is my mother's sister. Willie, Jim & Roark are her sons. She also has one daughter, Cynthia.]

Mom & Jain were home when we got back at about 8:30. I did some weight lifting with Willie and had some pizza. Then we all watched T.V. for a while and I played chess with Will then Jim till about 12:30. I finally got to sleep about 1:30 or later.

TOMORROW: Car troubles on Christmas Eve

Dec 22 - Saw John Wayne as we left for Frisco**

Friday, December 22, 1972 - Page 357
LOCATION: From Newport Beach to San Francisco

Woke up at 11:00 and took a bath. Mom got home from work at 11:30 and did the dishes & various other stuff. I threw clothes and junk into my duffle bag and we left at around 12:30. Driving along 17th street we saw John Wayne and his little kid [Ethan Wayne, born 1962] in his custom made station wagon. A minute later we saw Chunk [my brother] in his dented busted unpainted Barracuda. So we were off, leaving behind the familiarities of Newport Beach.

John Wayne at the 1972 Cannes Film Festival

Wayne was driving a customized Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser station wagon (wiki info). The clamshell top provided extra room for the Duke's tall cowboy hats which he often wore when he didn't want to bother applying his toupée.

Here I am again confronted by the faultiness of memory. I went on the internet to snatch a photo of JW's 1972 car and I found these two. They are the same vehicle but they look completely different and I can't tell you for certain which one we saw him in that day. Probably the top one because it is less flamboyant. I think I would have remembered steer horns on his hood.

The trip thru L.A. and to S.F. was uneventful. The weather changed from warm & clear to cold & cloudy but it only sprinkled on us for a few minutes. We got to San Fran at 8:00, and Me, Mom, Jain, Willie, & Jim went out to an Italian restaurant for food. After which we drove around for a while, getting back home at 1:30 A.M. It was very foggy after we got out of the restaurant but it cleared in an hour. I got to sleep about 3:00 A.M with a headache I had all night.

A T-Shirt that John Wayne gave to Chuck when he
was invited onto the Duke's yacht, the Wild Goose
(See Chuck Lyda biography) 

TOMORROW: Going bowling for the first time

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 25 - "Guess Who" concert in Rapid City***

Friday, August 25, 1972 - Page 238
LOCATION: Bethlehem & Rapid City, South Dakota

10:30 AM

Woke up at six when Bruce's alarm went off. The full moon was still glaring in a sky just beginning to turn blue. I waved at Bruce and went back to sleep. Woke up again at 7:00 when Tom woke me up to shake my hand and say good bye. I went back to sleep and Bruce woke me up at 9:00, left, and I went back to sleep. He woke me and Dennis up again at 10:00, and kept us up. Everyone is working now.

There are tourists outside, and the tape was finally changed on the Musac speakers that blare out for the tourists. For the past two days it's been "Quando Quardo," "A Room Without Windows, A Room Without Doors," "Me And My Shadow," and "Two For Tea." Now there's something like Bach in a Moog Synthesizer.

Today is town day. We'll all be going into the big city to see the "Guess Who" concert. Until then, s'long. --

The Guess Who - American Woman

(11:00 AM 8/26/1972)
A while after lunch, and after beating Bruce in a game of chess that we took up from Joe and Tom Tucker after it was 2/3's thru (and after beating Ed swiftly), Me, Bruce, Joe, Ed, Jim Farmer, Dennis, and Tom Tucker got in the van and drove to town. We had to stop in Piedmont to pick up a package for Dennis from his brother full of health food. We had some groceries to pick up, so we spent an hour or so in Safeway -- I took a roll of film to a nearby drugstore to get it developed.

We left there and drove downtown (we passed the P.O. so I checked in it to see if my letter had come -- They told me I had to go to the annex on Jackson Blvd). We stopped in a men's store and bought a sweater for Gil's birthday which is Monday (he's still gone, picking up Jamal in Canada). We then proceeded on to the fairgrounds where the concert would be -- Bruce and I gave the guys our $6 for the tickets, and drove back to town.

In a Standard station that gave credit to Bethlehem we got a tire fixed (the rear tire went flat while Tom drove down to the hiway. He was going to drive into Rapid, but the van's problems forced him to start hitching from Piedmont). Bruce had to drive back on the balled spare tire (that's "bald," I think). We got the tire fixed & put on, we went to the P.O. annex at 5:30 but it had closed at 5:00, then we went to a liquor store to buy Dennis his Burgundy wine.

We drove back to the fairgrounds, found Dennis, and Joe led us to everyone in the stands. That was around 6:00. There were 5 groups that I saw (there were others B4 I got there) -- Before The Guess Who were "Teen King & the Princes" who did facetious performances of '50s songs; "Archangel," a bizarre group who were more dramatic than musical; "Sail Cat," the band that recorded "Motorcycle Mama" (Sue bought the single of that song in Chicago), and just before the "Guess Who" was "Jo Jo Gunn" who made noise that everyone liked so much they had to do an encore.

Before & during the "G.W.," Jim returned to the van because he was sick, Bruce left because of a headache -- then Tom & Ed left too. After the "G.W." had done 4 or 5 songs, Dennis, Me, and Joe went back to the van. Bruce said he'd seen Sue and said we'd have to wait for her because she was going to follow us back to Beth.

Joe & I went back to the concert to find her -- She was up front near the band. She said she could find her way back to Beth by herself, so we went back to the van (thru the same hole in the gate we came in, illegally). We left at 12:15, got back at 1:30.

[Side note regarding this flyer]

The sheet attached hereto was handed out as we entered the main gate at the concert.

The Guess Who - No Time

TOMORROW: Preparing to hit the road again

Aug 24 - Not minding Lawrence of Arabia**

Thursday, August 24, 1972 - Page 237
LOCATION: Bethlehem, South Dakota

10:30 AM [continued from previous entry]
was read (Bruce is a big Bradbury fan and he said the story was like "Fahrenheit 451"). Yesterday (Wednesday) was a very good day. Fr. Gil left last night at 10:00 P.M. to drive to the Canadian border to pick up a defector from Jerusalem who's at the border. So he'll be gone when I leave. I found out the "committee" is made up of Brad, Mary, M.R., and Gil. [It was this esteemed "committee" that decided I didn't belong at Bethlehem. I agreed with them: it was time to move on.]

(10:30 AM 8/25/1972)
Thursday I wrote Soozwol a letter and put it in the package with the peace symbol pendant I made. I worked on an alabaster ring for myself and was almost through with it when I put it under water to see what color it would be. As I was drying it it broke into four pieces. I've given up working on alabaster for the time being, but I'm bringing home a couple of chunks with me.

Took a much needed shower. Watched T.V. (The Julie Andrews Special) among the other Tom [that's Tom Scheuring not Hildebrand], Mary, Joe, Jim and Ed. Ed was lighting [wood] matches, so I thought I'd do the Lawrence of Arabia stunt -- letting the match burn down to your fingers until it goes out and acting as if it didn't hurt.

[There is a scene early in the movie in which Lawrence demonstrates this in front of fellow soldiers -- one of them tries to do it but shouts and drops the match saying, "Ohh! It damn well hurts! What's the trick then?" Lawrence replies, "The trick is not minding that it hurts." This attitude is put to the ultimate test when our hero becomes a prisoner of the Turks and is brutally tortured. Try not minding that, Lawrence.]

The "match trick" scene from Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

Everyone was properly astounded so I had to do it several times. Now, of course, I have blisters on my thumb & index finger.

[After the second or third time the heated skin became thick and numb so the flame didn't hurt at all anymore. There's the "trick." But the blisters eventually turned into little circular scorched patches that looked like black plastic. This took a long time to go away as I mention in the days that follow, finally reporting that the blisters were mostly healed on October 2, 1972.]

Got to sleep at about 12:30. Began the last story in the last anthology -- Asimov's "Waterclap" (about an unclean porpoise, I told Joe).

(11:35 PM 8/26/1972)
By the way, as Tom S. was packing I noticed some pictures Tom H. had taken. Tom S. let me have the ones I wanted and they are on PAGES 116 & 117 [April 25 & April 26] or they will be when I put them in.

2012 French PROMETHEUS Trailer -- A disturbing fascination with Lawrence of Arabia

TOMORROW: "Guess Who" concert in Rapid City

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

Aug 06 - Museum of Science & Industry**

Sunday, August 6, 1972 - Page 219
LOCATION: Chicago

Museum of Science and Industry

(1:15 AM 8/7/1972)
Got up for breakfast around 11:00. Larry graced us with his presence at breakfast, and then we all went to the Museum of Science & Industry (we'd planned to go to the Zoo, but the weather was menacing). Sooz, Mr & Mrs made one group, Me, Ken & Larry were on our own. We had a fairly good time. We all met back at the car by 3:30 (the car was the Oldsmobile, the one we drove back from S.D. in, so the picture I'd gotten from one of Sue's letters was in the car on the floor -- it had gotten there when she took it out of my wallet during the trip back -- real interesting, huh? Well, the moldy old thing is on this page.)

On the back of this little 2" x 2" pic, Sooz wrote,
"Grady, I am the one on the right, the one on the
left was a girl I met in Wisconsin. Io Ti Amo! Sue"

After the excursion to the museum time was killed variously -- Larry played Labyrinth, I wrote and started painting Ken's name on his helmet (I gave up the more ambitious operation of painting an octopus). Mr & Mrs got to see Ken's films, so I saw 'm again too. Mark may be dropping out of the band, so I'm not going to draw his picture (Rah!) -- Sooz is upset cause she is being blamed (distracting Mark from practice). Just one of life's little crises.

I called Mom today and found out a few addresses I should see for her -- Mike S. [Michael Sarason, my brother-in-law] quit his job at the service station and got into insurance. Jain, Jim, and Will will be by again in a week or so, today was Laramée's [23rd] birthday -- Mom's is the 10th. Shawna called a long time ago -- so after I talked with mom I called her (direct -- costs $1.25 for 5 minutes). She's the same old kid. It is now one thirty -- Peg got home at 1:00 & was surprised to see me up -- I was reading a Poul Anderson story. I'm not on the cot -- I chose the floor tonight cause it doesn't creak. The end.

TOMORROW: Brandy, You're a Fine Girl

Jul 16 - Swimming holes in the wilderness

Sunday, July 16, 1972 - Page 198
LOCATION: Bethlehem, South Dakota

7:30 PM
I got up around 10:30. Just about everybody was at mass, so I wandered off on my own, in search of the legendary swimming hole everyone's been talking about. I walked to the creek barefooted over rough terrain. I'm trying to develop a thick sole on my feet so I can go barefoot painlessly. Ouch. I'm still working on it.

Anyway, I found Lion's Head where me, John & Bruce had been before, and I followed the creek to search for the other one, reputed to be a 12-foot deep pool with a diving rock. I came upon an adequate swimming area where I decided to stop. I call it White Stream because there's an area in the creek where the current is stronger creating a white streak. There was a pool about 6 feet deep, and I went swimming. My heart wasn't too content because the water was so cold, so I didn't swim long. I tanned most of the time. I tired of that soon and wandered off down the creek, tripping merrily over the stones barefooted.

I found the pool they were talking about. So I returned to White Stream and prepared to leave. Half way up the cliff I noticed several people going to Deep Drop (that name is tentative). They were Jim, Tim, Bruce, Mike, John and Greg. I joined them after a treacherous descent down the cliff. We left at 3:30 and went up to eat dinner. It was a fairly sunny day. -- Fr. Henry beat me in 3 games of chess today, they were good games tho.

9:00 PM
Mom called at 8:30. It may rain tonight -- clouds fill the sky thickly. (And I call myself a riter.)

TOMORROW: Pranking McGovern's Secret Service on my 18th Birthday

Jul 14 - Serious cave crawling**

Friday, July 14, 1972 - Page 196
LOCATION: Bethlehem, South Dakota

Bethlehem Cave helictites

(1:00 PM 7/15/72)
As it developed, very little work was accomplished Friday. It rained just enough to prevent any progress on much -- only two more sections were completed in the side walk. The second Tim arrived, Thursday I guess. I read some more in "I'm OK, I'm OK," & "The Little Prince." I took a brief nap but it was cut short by Greg & Mike. M.R. managed to get some clothes washed. I wandered through the cave alone (I think that is forbidden -- I'm not sure tho, so I'm innocent) -- I explored the three entrances of the cave, and learned a lot I didn't know before.

I walked around down below everything, where the old buildings are and met three squirrels and a rabbit. The squirrels were Irving, Albert and Horatio, but they didn't let me get any closer than 3 feet. I watched them for about a half hour. Horace, the hare, was more sociable -- he chewed on plants, hopping close to me. After a quarter of an hour, tho, he went away.

A map of 4 known miles of passages in Bethlehem Cave
(More continue to be discovered even today)

We went spelunking -- Me, John, Greg, Mike, and Jim. We saw lots of great things, and in the Sonora Room I got the feel of real cave crawling -- we had to go into contortions on a ledge above a deep lake to enter a narrow opening into a wonderland of stalactites, stalagmites and helictites. Beauteous. We wandered around for four hours, and it would take too long to describe it all.

The water went out on us at Beth, so we couldn't shower. We got to bed after midnight.

TOMORROW: Laying 50 more feet of sidewalk

Here is a formation in Bethlehem Cave.
What would you call it? Here's an easy way to remember:
"Stalactite" has a C in it (as in Ceiling)
"Stalagmite" has a G in it (as in Ground)

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 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