QTC

"You know not what your actions will unleash."
THOR, 2011 motion-picture

Twenty-five years ago today:

May 30, 1986
Friday

I heard a knock on my door in the morning but I just stayed in bed. I knew it was probably Greg or Mike. Perhaps I feared it could be Billy.

On this Friday morning I chose to ride my bike to the Desert Palms Inn and a slight fiasco occurred. I was having a few drinks with Ron Leoni when I decided to put my new bathing suit on (the new red, white and blue one I had just purchased at Saks 5th Avenue). I wanted to lie out by the pool.

As I was lounging by the pool I was talking to Jeff who was from Orange County. I also spoke to Dan, an actor or something who worked for Universal Studios on-location with Magnum P.I.

And I also got to know Tim O’Brien, a guy who grew up in Palos Verdes and just graduated from USC with a Marketing degree.
Tim said, “You know, I’m moving from Corte Madera to Orinda.”

Anyway, while I was lying out by the pool none other than Paul Margolis comes along. I work with Paul!
“Well, well, well…hello, Michael,” announced Paul.
I wanted to cringe into a shell. His words made me sick. I spoke to him for a few moments just to be cordial.
Paul said, “Wait until Helen’s corner gets a hold of this.”
I said, “No, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t say a word.”
I explained that I rode my bike over here to visit a friend of mine (Ron) who works here. I also said I was staying at the Best Western.
Paul answered, “Oh no…that’s why I said that. No one needs to know what another does in their own private life.”
I let Paul have some of my fresh fruit and then I left, feeling disgusted. I went to the bar where Ron was working and had two margaritas.

Then I left the bar with Tim O’Brien for a strawberry daiquiri at his parents’ home in Palm Springs. It was a nice home but not as nice as The Springs or Morningside Country Club. We swam and had some great conversation. We exchanged telephone numbers, too. Who knows? He is moving to Orinda. He seems ambitious and a real good connection in some respects.
Tim said, “I want to go into interior décor or design and construction.”
This fascinated me. He drove me back to my hotel where I grabbed a change of clothes and returned to the Desert Palms Inn.


Ron and I had dinner from the RHINO Café and ate at the bar. We were going to go out but we were tied up without a bartender to relieve him until 10:30PM. Ron and I ended up checking in to Room 209 of the Desert Palms Inn. We watched a little television and got to know one another better. He’s such a nice ‘fella’. We plan on meeting up again soon. He just needs to QTC: Quit the Coke, Cigarettes and Contamination. We slept together.

It takes years of experience to develop your intuition.
-as heard in the 2010 documentary
"Jiro Dreams of Sushi"