It's A Story

"I was beginning to contrive a dream of "us" being together."
-SOLDIERS GIRL
2002 motion-picture

Twenty-five years ago today:

September 4, 1986
Thursday

Frank, at The Placement Center, claims that the San Leandro Staff Representative position has been offered to someone.
He kept my hopes up by saying, “You still may have a chance at it though.”
So, who knows?

I didn’t bother to go to the gym today. Instead I evaluated my move to open a Capital Asset Account at CITICORP.

Mark Landreth telephoned. He was in good spirits as we made arrangements to go to Cindy Ostegren’s party tomorrow (Friday) night.

I did my aerobics tape at home for a good hour. Then I decided to ‘hit the hay’.

I wrote Mark Landreth a letter (See BLOG dated 07-14-2011, “The Guy”):
http://007gentleman.blogspot.com/2011/07/guy.html

I don’t know if I’d ever give it to him though.
It’s a story—a relatively true one.

"I have my music to warm my heart."
-Together,
2003 film from CHINA

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Two Of Hearts

How much does a man live, afer all?
Does he live a thousand days, or one only?
For a week, or for several centuries?
How long does a man spend dying?
What does it mean to say "for ever"?
-Pablo Neruda

Twenty-five years ago today:

September 3, 1986
Wednesday

I cannot believe I arrived in San Francisco so early this morning. It’s 6:30AM. One just never knows how the traffic conditions will be on a given day. The 6:30AM time is the usual time that I’d be waking-up. Oh well-I’m getting paid a bit extra for this 7AM overtime. Is it worth my NOT getting a worthwhile amount of sleep? I feel a trite fat this morning. I had intended on doing some aerobics last night. I didn’t even get to do that.

That’s quite complimentary (as I recall) when Johnny Schaefer said, “You are out of my league.”
Perhaps I am out of a number of people’s leagues (even so-called millionaires) like Leonard and Chad (a kid that has doctors as parents). I am happy with myself right now. That’s of primary importance.

Ashley is with her other grandmother, Janet Lewis, until Thursday or Friday. I miss her already.
My mom said, “You know, I asked Ashley about her Uncle Mike going on the airplane.”
“You did?” I asked.
“Yes, and she started to cry!”
“That’s so sweet. It makes me feel so loved by her. She probably thought I was going far, far away and not coming back.”

You know—I keep hearing this song by Stacey Q called TWO OF HEARTS. It heaps my desire and drive. I just LOVE this tune. The other one by The Human League called HUMAN is a good one, too.
TWO OF HEARTS music video:

Emmy Pena, a fat, jolly and friendly man in my office has just returned from a vacation in Hawaii. He is very, very dark from being in the sun for so long. It’s unbelievable. He’s so dark!

Margaret Lai and I ate lunch at B and M Chinese today. Yummy.

Mark Landreth didn’t make it to the gym today. He couldn’t locate his gym ID card.

Anne Alberti was at the gym. We will all likely go out this Saturday night to HORATIO’s in Berkeley.

I was invited to Cindy Ostegren’s party in Alameda (as Mark Landreth had said I might). I had called Mark about it; thereafter, Cindy called me. Mark’s cool.

I decided to telephone Annabelle Montero and her brother, Mike, in Downey, CA once again. They both got on the phone and were happy to hear from me.
Annabelle said, “We may come up to San Francisco again in October.”
“That’s so funny. Mark and I were thinking of coming down to L.A. in October, for Halloween.”
I have to tell Mark about the conversation. He’ll be thrilled.

Kathy Ortega and Stu Western were at the gym. I rapped with them for a while. I feel OOS (Out Of Shape). The nautilus weight-training was hard for me tonight.
PHOTO: Fire Island

Paul Dean called me from New York. He’s the aspiring actor I met on Fire Island. I had written him a card. I was surprised to hear from him.
I said, “You know, Paul, you’re welcome to visit here in the Bay Area sometime…anytime.”
He thanked me. I wonder if I’ll ever hear from him again.

I also wrote a nice card to Jeanette Melcher in San Diego. I have yet to hear from her again.

I spoke to Suzy Miller today.
“You know, Suzy, you can move-in with me for three hundred dollars a month.”
She seemed stunned and made me feel like it was too hefty a sum for her. It’s a deal. Oh well, now I’m unsure about that one. She will likely not take me up on the offer.

I have to call Frank. He’s a friend of Margaret Lai’s that works at the Placement Center. He may be able to pull some strings for me on that Staff Representative position in San Leandro. We shall see.

Something new, a silent time of deeper thinking, had entered my life, and I associate it with those afternoons of silent reading.
-Janet Frame,
An Autobiography

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Yearning for Help

I stood in the light of my desk lamp staring at the half dozen or so unanswered letters that lay in an untidy pile, and felt reassured by them. I was trying to soothe myself by remaining busy.
-Ian McEwan
"Enduring Love"

Twenty-five years ago today:

September 2, 1986
Tuesday

I called the JOBS HOTLINE telephone number today only to learn that there is a Staff Representative position available in San Leandro on Doolittle Drive (just minutes from my home). I immediately submitted for this job with my fingers tightly crossed. I have also decided to send my ‘yearning for help’ letters to the bigwigs at Pac Bell Directory. It’s not always ‘what you know’ but ‘who you know’. Maybe someone there can pull a few strings for me.

I was bummed out that it was so busy at work today. I didn’t want to be there. I made the best of it.

Margaret Lai and I walked to Chinatown. It was fun and a nice afternoon diversion. While Margaret has transferred out of the SDC-Sales Development Center we are still buddies. Luckily, she is working in the same building.

I was truly lazy last night. I had intentions of bicycling but I chose to take a nap instead. I didn’t even go to the gym. I ended up lounging, watching television and wrote out a few liability checks. I also wrote cover letters to the bigwigs I ‘sort of know’ at Pac Bell Directory. Then I simply went to bed.

We are having a Barbeque on Sunday at my house. Plans for Friday include a possible dinner or birthday party for Mark’s friend (who lives in Alameda). Saturday night still holds true for that possible foursome dinner with me, Mark, Patty and Anne.

I am ready for a change somewhere in my life. I hope I get this San Leandro position. It would save time in commuting. Time is money, too. The Directory Sales Position would be better; however, one day it will come. I am sure of it.

I will make some phone calls tomorrow for information on Mutual Funds. I want to review the prospectus on many that have interested me.

I still never did return Johnny Schaefer’s phone call. I must do that. I feel a tad guilty since he slipped this card in my luggage. The cover of the card had a quote from Oscar Wilde: “Life is too important to be taken seriously.” Inside the card was imprinted ‘Live it up!’
Then Johnny wrote:
Well, I think “live it up” is what we did this weekend, Mike.
Thanks for everything—I had a great time. I’m gonna miss you more than you know.
Come back whenever you want.
Always,
Johnny

Maybe we'll meet up for afternoon tea one day soon.

"There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea."
-Henry James (1843-1916)

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Art Deco Postings

"It's amazing what can be achieved with charm and a tight butt!
One flash--and even the waiters are friendly!"
-William Corlett
"Two Gentleman Sharing"

Twenty-five years ago today:

September 1, 1986
Monday

While at DENNY’s I explained to Johnny Schaefer that I had no real commitments to anyone ‘at this time’.
He nodded with interest.

I think his roommate, Jeff, might like me. He seemed to carry a slight attraction towards me. He’s a blond, blue-eyed graphic artist.

Johnny asked, “How do you meet people?”
I laughed and explained, “I don’t know. It just happens. I don’t go out in search of people.”
I could tell that he seemed a bit disturbed because I didn’t comply with sensual suggestions that he made ‘under pressure’ tactics a la my leg on top of his. Ha-ha.
I explained, “I don’t want to rush into anything.”
I couldn’t hear myself saying, “I’m really not attracted enough.”
I had to be nice. In hindsight I now know that he was a mishap fling of initial excitement when we’d first met. There’s no more to it except friendship (if he wants it).

I am on my way back home now. All in all my Labor Day Weekend in Los Angeles was fun and eventful. The moral of my ‘trip’ story is ‘Have friends in every port…but leave limits where they belong and/or are appropriate’.

My AIR CAL flight got me in to Oakland International Airport in a timely manner. It was scary when I considered an Aero México flight that had crashed into a charter flight on Sunday. There were sixty-seven people on board. All of them were killed. How terrible to be wiped-out ‘just like that’. Yikes.

Ma and Pa picked me up at the airport. I tagged along with mom and Sherri to South Shore Shopping Center. Mom bought me a thermal shirt and two t-shirts. She’s a sweetheart. Why did she make these purchases for me? It’s because she loves me…I guess.

I ate at mom’s house and started to watch TV. It wasn’t long when I decided to go home where I spent most of the night attaching all of my postcards together into some sort of art form in the spare room wall where I do all of my ironing.

I spoke to Frank Vaconcellos today (886-0700). He is still living in Hayward. His mom was very nice to me over the phone. Frank and I haven’t seen or spoken to one another in months. We made a promise to get-together sometime soon.

Johnny Schaefer telephoned and left me a message on my recorder. I didn’t return his call yet. I believe he just wanted to be sure I made it home okay.  That was very kind of him.

My postcard art deco postings were inspired by Jeff (Johnny’s roommate) because he had done something similar to his room.

I don’t feel like going to work.  My car is acting up.  It won’t start-up smoothly—like it used to do. I am crossing my fingers that I won’t have trouble until the end of the week.  I will most likely take the car in for servicing on Saturday at some Auto Repair Shop.


We lived in a mist of half-shared, unreliable perception, and our sense data came warped by prise of desire and belief, which tilted our memories, too.
-William Golding
"Lord of the Flies"

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