Delirious

“Writers write out of their own raw feelings, to house pain and confusion, however briefly, in a separate structure of words.”
-Christopher Bram
“Mapping the Territory”

Twenty-five years ago today:

May 2, 1985
Thursday

Payday is here, finally!

Highway 17 was closed in the early morning hours. I was able to reach the car pool parking lot at 7:45AM but Dale never showed up. I waited until 7:55AM and then drove in to work. Apparently, a truck overturned at 3:30AM on Highway 17, causing havoc. I took a wild goose chase journey until I finally got on Highway 580 where it made for smooth sailing into San Francisco.

To top things off I left my San Francisco parking lot, locking my car with the keys still inside the car. I didn’t despair for too long. I just figured Dale would help me get them out at break time. He’s good at illegal break-in and entry. He did get the keys out. It was great.

Dale and I have four manila envelopes set up for our research on:
Chip n’ Dale’s
MADO Graphics
AEI Inc. (Ashley Enterprises International)
C & D Catalog

It is fun planning and setting up the business plan. I believe Dale to be a keen partner.

At lunch Dale and I went to my bank. We then ate at some joint on Maiden Lane called “Nosheria”.
Dale said, “I told Ryan that we’d go have dinner at this Mexican Restaurant where Joe works on Friday. Joe is Ryan’s latest flame. Do you want to go?”
“I don’t know. I have to go to the gym on Friday. Maybe we can go tonight.”

Stephanie Bautista, my manager, asked, “What’s troubling you, Mike?”
“Oh, I’m just tired,” I replied but I think I will try to lay the groundwork (as Dale suggested) for a defense in case a case is drummed up against me when Paloma’s telephone numbers appear on the Company phone bill.

My manager, Stephanie, has Research and Development assignments tomorrow, so I will lay the groundwork for a plan about Paloma being deported and the stress I have been under over the marriage and other circumstances. I can poor on the guilt I’ve been feeling. That’s my mini-assignment for tomorrow. I have to keep my story straight.

I looked through several Yellow Pages today for Greeting Card Wholesale and Manufacturers. Dale and I need to do a lot of research over the next five to six months. It’s going to be quite an accomplishment once we get things started.

Sue and Mary thought I was ignoring them but I’ve just been busy doing my work. I haven’t been scouting the office for no reason like Dale seems to always do.

Dale persuaded me to go to dinner with Ryan and him tonight. It wasn’t a gym night, so I figured ‘why the hell not’. Ryan is a lot of fun anyway.

After work we helped direct some lady out of her parking space so she wouldn’t hit Dale’s car.
I said to the lady, “Be sure you ask your husband for a smaller car tonight.”
She smiled.
Dale dropped me off at my Great Western Deputy teller machine. While I was standing on the corner waiting for them I felt like a ‘hooker’. Suddenly, Dale and Ryan drove up and Ryan yelled out from the passenger seat, “How much?”
As I got into the car we laughed a lot. We proceeded to Ryan’s apartment which I found to be very simply decorated and comfortable looking. I liked it a lot. I peered out of Ryan’s window and some geek who kept looking up at me.

Dale and Ryan were smoking ‘pot’. I noticed how proficient Dale was at the task at hand.
“I never knew you were such an expert at smoking pot, Dale.”
“I learned it all from Tim. He’s a dope addict. Well, not really but when I tell him that it gets to him. I love to get to him.”

It was the fun of the evening and the company that made it all so hilarious. We each bought the other a round of drinks. We threw tortilla chips at each other and laughed, playing jokes. It was like grown men acting like little boys. I kept teasing Dale about his gestures because they sometimes looked so ‘femme’.
“What am I doing?” Dale asked.
“It’s your way of saying ‘I just LOVE Joan Crawford!” I explained.
I also taught Ryan the OYH (Over Your Head) gesture. Ryan kept saying, “OY OY OY”, waving his hand over his head. It was funny.

Dale and Ryan began talking about their ex boyfriends (Terry and Ron). Suddenly, our waitress, Vicky, appeared.
Ryan asked her, “Have you ever got in fist fights with your lover?”
She replied, “Yes.”

By now it was finally dinnertime. We were so wasted and non-stop laughter surrounded our every word. It came to a point that when our dinners arrived I remember Dale and Ryan picking in my plate. Most of our dinners were dished on the table and then back to my place. Our slices of cantaloupe made the rounds, too. We were having laughs galore. When we left the restaurant I was outside in front of a water fountain that was next door.
“Dale, come over here.”
Dale walked over and I swooshed water all over him. He was flabbergasted. To get even he was going to forcefully dunk me into the fountain until some gentleman came out.
The gentleman said, “Go fool around elsewhere!”
The three of us made a run for it. I was lucky to be saved by this gentleman. I turned my head after our pace slowed and saw Ryan, taking a pee in a vacant lot.

We drove off eventually. I almost felt like I was going to vomit, so we pulled over in front of a park to view a baseball game that was in progress.
Ryan whispered to me, “Let’s wrestle Dale to the ground.”
I nodded. It was quite a task to get Dale down on the lawn though. We managed to get Dale down, then we went on our merry way. We were still laughing. I kind of hinted the idea of going to a movie but they weren’t interested…so we went home.

Dale drove me to my car. I was feeling drunk and still felt like having some fun. I decided to pull over in Downtown Oakland and visit a mixed-bar called BENCH and BAR. I hung out there for a bit. To my utter amazement I saw Bruce Goree with a friend of his named Mark (who lives in Danville). Mark is only eighteen. I was wasted and was only drinking water at this point. I danced to one song and left by 11:30PM. I did exchange telephone numbers with Mark and Bruce. I was delirious.
They both said, “I’ll call you.”
Mark seems to be “FBL”…but that’s it.
As I got ready to sleep for the night I remembered that I was on the E-Time list at work all week. I did not get any E-Time. I could use it tomorrow (after tonight). Yawn.

“Baby, get out of here, go, flee, fly away. Don’t get involved in any more crazy mental sleight of hand, make your mind work for you.”
And I did.
-James Kirkwood
“Good Times Bad Times”, a novel