Dec 19 - The new maid, Mimi (or Enid)

Tuesday, December 19, 1972 - Page 354
LOCATION: Newport Beach, Santa Ana, Anaheim

APOLLO 17 LANDED TODAY AS PLANNED

11:00 PM
I got to sleep last night finally around 3:30. Good ole insomnia. Got the 8:00 A.M. bus just barely (had to skip brushing my teeth), and the driver gave me an envelope containing the new bus schedules that are coming into effect in January. I quickly fell asleep on the bus, stretching out in the rearmost seat (my usual location) and awaking only seldom to notice we were passing thru thick fog. I woke up in time to get off (that's one of the mysteries of the brain, how it always signals a sleeping bus rider when the trip is over -- I've never seen it fail) and loped groggily to the RTD terminal. It was less foggy there in Santa Ana and it burned off quickly, resolving into a warm day. I wandered to the terminal's facilities (I didn't have time to attend to that at home) and wandered back to the lobby.

I read "Catch-22" and was at work by 9:40. Worked on painting 114, taking an apalling amount of time and taking breaks incessantly. I'm learning. The new maid I noticed a few days ago was back today -- a beautiful girl wearing low-ride levis and a yellow body shirt that revealed her admirable contours -- unfortunately she was wearing a brassiere. She ignored me very well, I thought, and I assumed she was one of those girls who were so cold a little light comes on every time they open their mouths. But when a leaky faucet broke in room 118, I couldn't avoid her (she was working on 118 & 119) and discovered she had a husky feminine voice, a nice smile and quick wit. She's pro'ly married. If not, I'll hijack her to be my model. Her name is either Enid or Mimi, I'll find out for sure later. I hope she doesn't quit the job like Laura & Laura did before her. Angela, though cute and deliberately charming, is 16 and goes to school and is still hesitant with life -- Mimi (or Enid) appears to be mature and intelligent. I hope, I hope. I hope.

Anyway, I quit working at 5:15 again, and passed up the 6:00 Laguna bus for Dave's 6:30 Balboa. Neither John, Lois, nor the coffee girl were featured on this trip. Dave sold his car to one of his fellow drivers (he showed me the check for $150) but my suspicion against his congenial sincerity was warded off by a congenially sincere promise that he'd be looking for a car for me and let me know if he found one.

A woman got on at South Coast Plaza -- she wanted the Laguna Beach bus, but Dave informed her the last one left a half hour earlier. He took her on, and dropped she & me off at the bridge on Coast Hwy & Newport, and I escorted her to the Greyhound station.

She was from Berkeley, just graduated college, & had been a Junior High & High School English & Music teacher & was going to Laguna Beach for a rest at a friend's hotel where she was staying for free. I carried her heavy suitcase. The Greyhound station was closed, and I tried to call the Greyhound station on a payphone, trying various numbers which were either busy or din't answer. Luckily a bus pulled in -- heading South. She got in, I handed her the suitcase, and she went away to Laguna.

I walked home, stopping to buy new pants at Mister Britches. Got home at 8:00, ate a T.V. dinner & watched T.V. Mom got home around nine after shopping. I took a bath and tried the new hair styler-drier that she bought. So I'm beautiful now. I'm on page 314.

TOMORROW: Laramée & Mike's Anniversary

Dec 14 - My new work ethic: Creative procrastination

Thursday, December 14, 1972 - Page 349
LOCATION: Newport Beach, Santa Ana, Anaheim

"Here man completed his first explorations of the moon"

9:00 PM
I got the 7:00 A.M. bus by the narrowest possible margin, waking up at 6:50, giving me barely enough time to get dressed, brush my teeth, comb my hair, stuff my pockets, and get to the bus stop. I bought a new 10-ride ticket at the terminal -- mom cashed my check yesterday. Got to work at 8:45, and today I really procrastinated. Currently I'm on page 121 in [Catch] "22" and the book must be corrupting me -- for an hour or two I read -- the rest of the day I put things off. All I did was stain the doors and clean the walls of 110, 11, & 12. It consumed my 8 and a half hours somehow.

Angela was there today, as usual between 3:30 & 5:30. She's sixteen and has to go to high school. She tried to open 101, and couldn't. Mike & I finally managed to unlock it & I spent 10 or 15 minutes fixing the door. Quit work at 5:15, got the 5:30 RTD, and the 6:00 OCTD. Dave drives the 6:30 line to Balboa -- the one I prefer to ride is the Laguna Beach line (stops right at the corner), and the new guy, I know his name not, and I conversed. He's 26 -- we talked about truck & bus driving, automobiles, anthropology, the condition of the world, and psychic phenomena (he's psychic -- has premonitions), among other things.

Got home at 7:00. Ants attacked a cake in the cabinet & mom declared war on them again. I got a new volume in "The Emergence of Man: The Missing Link." It's good. I heard that Chunk was going skydiving on Jan 6 & 7 so I invited myself along. I've wondered if I'd have the guts to jump out of a plane, so I'm going to find out [To read about the time in 1973 when Chuck & I made three jumps, go here: Skydiving].

The guys lifted off from the moon today afternoon, and are now orbiting Luna, having docked. Tha's enough for today. Chunk & Joe came by minutes ago and they are paddling now. It's 9:30 now.

TOMORROW: Bus driver Dave