'Some Friends'

"Freud said there are not accidents. We are a product of where we come from, psychologically."
-John Katzenbach
"The Analyst"

Twenty-five years ago today

February 18, 1986
Tuesday

At precisely 6AM my alarm clock went off. I heard all of these horror stories about the weather. I was almost afraid to get out of bed. I actually did get out of bed and I decided to leave a little earlier than usual (6:45AM). The traffic and weather conditions were fine. I was in The City by 7:40AM.

I have my scheduled facial appointment tonight. I may go to the gym in San Francisco. There’s a 24-Hour Fitness near Van Ness and I never go there. So why not go for a change?

I gave Margaret Lai copies of the photos from our outing in Fairfield, CA. She enjoyed them. I asked Margaret to join me for lunch but she had errands to run. I chose to go for a walk since it wasn’t raining. I walked all the way to Wilkes-Bashford. I saw good ole Bob Umland there. I noticed that he shaved his moustache and his hair has receded even more. He’s beginning to look short.
He did say, “I weigh one-hundred and eighty-five pounds.”
He still looked ‘kind of’ all-right.

It was great to get out of the office at 4:30PM today. I arranged my facial appointment for 5PM sharp. I met with a lady named Shannon. She was ‘okay’ looking (but older—too old for my taste). She did a good facial. At least it made me feel good.


After the facial the traffic was still backed-up to get on to the Oakland-Bay Bridge; therefore, I chose to go to the 24 Hour Nautilus in S.F. It was an okay—but brief workout. As I was walking out of the gym David Vigil happened to be walking in. We spoke briefly.
“Yeah, I was at MACY’s and the traffic was so backed-up,” I said in an effort to explain why I was there.
“Oh, I see,” said David, nodding.
“Yeah, so I decided to work out here for a change.”
It was a short and brief chat. I left and drove straight home.


The rain was ugly on the way home. Steph Redding called me.
“How was your facial?”
“You remembered! Yeah, it felt so good.”
“Just give me some time, Michael. I’m going to make you my right-hand man and a TOP model.”
I silently thought, “Give me a break!”
Then again, who knows? It could be possible.


I telephoned Chad at 8:55PM but he was not home. I left a message: “Call me!”
Chad returned my call at midnight!
“I went to the Ohlone College Library in Fremont with a friend.”
“Oh, so that’s why you weren’t home.”
“Yeah, and yesterday on Washington’s Birthday I tried calling you but you weren’t home.”
“Oh, I had to make an H and R Block excursion—but then I went to the gym.”
“I played racquetball with ‘some friends’ and then retired to a not-so-good video.”
I knew he’d arrived home late since Larry had called me.  I wondered if he actually played racquetball with his kid brother versus ‘some friends’.  I know he was supposed to go skiing with his family but the weather didn’t permit.  I bet he spent the day with his family.  Yet, I wonder why he said ‘some friends’.  I hate that term (some friends).  I like to know names, places and events in-detail!  Ah, it’s just as well.  I tried not to pry too much because I could tell Chad was getting antsy.  He probably felt that I was checking-up on him. In a way—I was.  I guess I’m worried he may go out on me.  Why?  I don’t know why, considering the limitations in our relationship.  We cut our conversation short.


I couldn’t fall asleep after the phone call. I was thinking about sending in my IRS and STATE Income Tax returns.  I also began to think of my old flame, George Jones, wondering why he appeared ‘in voice’ only briefly in my life last year.  And now there is no word from him whatsoever. I thought about my vacation and whether I should go to Hawaii in May.  I also wondered if I would accompany Chad to Florida in May.  Will Chad be moving-in with me or not?  Should I look into another roommate like Russ or ‘Mark Landreth’ from the gym?  If Chad continues to withhold from taking a stand about moving-in I have to decide what to do. Oh well—a lot was on my mind. Maybe that is why I couldn’t sleep.

My thoughts continued. The Garbage Company forgot to pick up my garbage. I haven’t heard about my new job Transfer Requests. I received a returned-check statement about a check that I wrote for my Cal Fed MasterCard. And the new Atlantic-Richfield VISA I got with a low 16.5% rate is on my mind. The damn insurance foolishly paid my dentist for my January 22nd cleaning visit instead of paying me! I had paid the dentist already.


Dale Orlando is stranded in Reno, Nevada due to the blocked Interstate 80 mudslides and floods. He always finds himself in the middle of problems. Judy didn’t come in to work either. The weather has been wet but it is much worse in the Napa, Guerneville, Marin, Santa Cruz and Fairfield-Suisun. These areas have been hardest hit with flash floods.


I’m glad Chad called me even if it was at such a late hour. I’ll give him the chance to call me again. I’m not sure where we stand anymore. It’s awkward. I have not seen him since last Saturday night. He could have—but didn’t—come by my place on Sunday or Monday. Oh well…

"I wasted time, and now doth time waste me," said Shakespeare's Richard II.
-May Sarton, Sept. 21, 1993
AT EIGHTY-TWO, A Journal