Dec 16 - A day of bad writing and bad drawing

Saturday, December 16, 1972 - Page 351
LOCATION: Newport Beach

(12:00 PM 12/17/1972)
Woke up 'bout 11:00. Didn't do much worthwhile. I wrote my last weeks' notes into my more organized notebooks but was disheartened by their lack of literary finesse so I didn't do anymore work on T.F. I didn't feel like doing anything at all so I drew a picture. Yesterday (I mean Thursday) the new Time/Life Emergence of Man book came and it had a cute little photo of Jane Goodall with a chimp looking under her shirt. I thought it was symbolic of something, so I rendered it on pencil & paper, but it came out lousy. I need good quality, big artistic paper and the right equipment -- 'till then I can't go too far artistic-wise.

Since December 5, Harry S. Truman has been in the news -- he's been dying for 11 days but isn't dead yet [Truman eventually died on December 26]. Apollo XVII is Earthbound. The Viet Nam war is still lolling on, with Kissinger and Nixon running out of excuses to explain it. About 6:30 L&M came by for more of their X-mas decorations. They left about 7:15.

I watched the usual T.V. shows for Saturday ("All In the Family," "Bridget Loves Bernie," "Mary Tyler Moore," "Bob Newhart," that's it, ending at 10:00). Mom wanted her garment rack assembled that night, but I din't want to do it because there was no place for it yet in the cabaña. She was going to clear a place tomorrow, but wanted it built tonight to move it in later. More on that later. I got to 180 in "Catch-22" and got to sleep about 12:30 as usual.

TOMORROW: Dinner at home with Mom, Dad & Chuck

Nov 13 - Daybreak 2250 A.D.

Monday, November 13, 1972 - Page 318
LOCATION: Newport Beach, Santa Ana, Anaheim

11:22:36 PM
Woke up at 7:30. Took a bath, got the 9:00 bus, and was at work by 10:40. L&M had gone up to Big Bear Saturday and it blizzarded. Due to the high winds the pool was full of leaves & trash -- I fished them out and cleaned things miscellaneously. Planted Bagouneas (that's not how you spell it of course [should be "Begonias"]), replaced a photocell-operated light fixture on the roof, and did hardware work in the next three rooms.

I started a new paperback to replace The Magus. "Daybreak - 2250 A.D." (formerly titled "Star Man's Son") by Andre Norton. I bought it by mail in English class in the 8th grade. Never got around to reading it till now (now on page 34). Got off work at 3:30, got to the Arches at 5:15, got home on foot by 5:45. Mom wasn't home. I went to the liquor store and bought a couple of TV dinners, potato chips and the November Playboy. Watched part II of "Giant" tonight. 'Twas excellent.

Mom called saying she was gone 'cause she drove Chunk up north. Then she went to her bridge game where she is now. Chunk left the letter hereto attached for her -- I thought I'd include it as a handwriting sample and a testification of current event (testification? Is that a word?).

For the past month or so, Chunk & Joe (a Czeckoslavakian paddler) have been practicing C2 [that's 2-man canoe]. They're going to the world championship in Europe in June. That's why Chunk, Me, & Murray are going over there. When he's thru being champion, we're going to bicycle all over Europe. The old wanderlust strikes again. Actually I hate traveling but it's my literary duty.

[As it actually happened, I didn't return to Europe with Chuck, but he did win Gold at the World Championships in 1975, in C-2 Mixed Slalom (meaning man/woman canoe) in Skopje, Yugoslavia, and again in 1977 in Spittal, Austria, paddling with the legendary athlete, Marietta Gilman]

Chuck Lyda & Marietta Gilman running wildwater slalom on Truckee River, CA, 1975
(NOTE: In Wikipedia her name is spelled "Gillman." That's incorrect.
Her name is properly spelled "Gilman." See Chuck Lyda Biography)

Here is one of the photos she sent me that is now on Chuck's Website

TOMORROW: News from Chicago's Sue Latka

Oct 06 - The guy I'm replacing confronts Mike

Friday, October 6, 1972 - Page 280
LOCATION: Newport Beach, Santa Ana, Anaheim

11:11 PM
Got to work at 9:40, getting the 8:00 A.M. bus from here. Mike was still asleep when I got there. I did my routine work (cleaned the pool, tested the chlorine & acid -- added about a gallon of acid -- checked the heater rooms, etc.) then Mike and I moved some furniture from the storage room in back to room 109 to be sold later ('Twas left over from the previous management). Mike went to change into a T-shirt, and I moved five air-conditioners into the storage room (they were HEAVY -- must've been more than 80 pounds). I was duly exhausted.

The day was quite hot -- was sposed to be 94 according to the radio. Nice fall weather. Worked till 2:45  (I work from 10 to 2, Mon & Fri, 8:30 to 4:30 Tues, Weds & Thurs, I think). Tom went to talk with Mike, and came out later, said "So long" to me and drove away. Mike was going to fire him, but he quit before he got the chance. He was whistling when he left. He was a good fellow. The job's officially mine now.

I made about 43 dollars this week (check comes Tuesdays). The cast of characters there is currently L&M, the maids -- Mary, a chubby good natured young woman with an Irish accent (she works from 9 to 5 I think) and Angela, a young pretty little girl who works from 3 to 5, I think, and lastly, Mark, who works Mons & Tuesdays & Sat, I think. Mom picked me up, I killed (KILLED THAT PEN, TOO.  IT WAS THE BETHLEHEM PEN I WAS USING LATELY. NOW I'M WRITING WITH THE ONE FROM THE DISNEYLAND HOTEL I STOLE)  CONT'D [This entry is finished on the next page: October 7]

TOMORROW: GALLERY: Photos of Chicago