If Looks Could Kill

How do you know when something has gone wrong with someone whom you like with all your heart?  Let me count the ways. –Elizabeth Savage, THE LAST NIGHT AT THE RITZ

Diary Notes/Photos April 14-21, 1988

I received another bit of correspondence from Paloma.   There was no artful card this time.  It was ‘just’ a letter but as interesting as always.  She paints pictures with her words:

AGDE, France

14, AVRIL, 1988, Dear Michael,

Thanks for your card.   I like to get mail, especially from you.   Today was a really good day for that.   I got a bunch of good news and some samples from a friend in ITALY and from my Dad from SPAIN.   Too bad you didn’t get to see my collection of perfume bottles when you came to PARIS.   It’s pretty amazing.   I started it more than ten years ago.   You’ll just have to come back!

You’d like to come if you could see my downstairs neighbor.   Guys find her very attractive.   I think she’s “just all right” because I don’t like her.   She has a black belt in Karate.   You would not believe it.  She is blond and really thin.   She lives with her gorgeous boyfriend.   He works a lot (most evenings and obviously she is NOT faithful).   We’ve caught her many times with a friend of ours who is a real heartbreaker.   She is a bad girl.   This is the latest news from 10, Rue Jean Roger.   I know she’d like you.   I don’t know if I’d like you to go out with her though.  I can’t stand her.

Yesterday, I thought about you.   I watched TV the best parts of the Academy Awards.   I saw one of the movies with CHER that I was telling you about (MOONSTRUCK).   I think that’s the English Title.  In France it is called “ECLAIRE DE LUNE”.   Isn’t that funny how it won most of the Awards?   I really like CHER.   The Academy Awards are such a show just to watch CHER.   I also like Daryl Hannah, Jack Nicholson and Michael Douglas.   Aren’t you happy to know who I like or NOT?   I’m just wishing for Michael Armijo to win an Oscar.   You can just say something simple like, “I just want to thank my best-friend, Paloma” or anything like that!

Oh well…another interesting letter from you…

Have you seen “MOONSTRUCK”?   Did you like it?   I want to see it.   I am thinking about changing the color of my hair to black like CHER.   I have done it before and it looked pretty good.   I don’t know.

So…is it a girl or a boy?   I am talking about Sherri’s baby, of course.

If you come over here you won’t believe French TV.   There are lots of naked people.   You’d never see that in the States.  

Every time I see GEORGE MICHAEL I think about you.   It’s true.  YOU look like him a little bit.

Well, Michael, I hope to read you soon.

Love, Paloma

A big hug from Jonathan.

*One last thing about perfume samples.   I don’t collect little tubes like this.   They’re all the same.   I collect the little bottles that have the shape of the big ones.  Here are two samples you can only find in the States:

“OBSESSION” by Calvin Klein

“CATHERINE DENEUVE” …this French actress has made a perfume but it doesn’t exist over here.   I don’t know why!  Too bad I forgot about my collection while I was living in Berkeley.  I just came back with one.  

I don’t know why I’m writing you tonight.   I just felt like it.  I guess I miss you.  I wish we could have those long phone conversations.

Write me…CIAO.

SUNDAY, April 17, 1988

Mom was babysitting Lauren and she dropped by for a while.  I managed to pull off a Polaroid shot of us.

Earlier in the morning I caught Mike Miller in the kitchen next to a box of Entenmann’s pastries.   He was holding a sheet of paper about HIGHWAY NAVIGATION.   I liked his blue shirt.  It’s true.  Blue is my favorite color.  The sky is the limit.

PHOTO:  Michael G Miller

I was happy that Mike had plans because Kelly was coming over to hang out with me.   We watched a movie on the VCR and just lounged comfortably at my pad.  

I took a couple of Polaroid shots of ‘us’.   I thought about sending one to Paloma as she was curious as to what Kelly looked like.   I may send her one.  Or maybe not…should I? 

We went for a drive to Harbor Bay Landing to the Ice-Cream Dock.   That song that they keep playing by Billy Ocean keeps playing.   It’s called “GET OUTTA MY DREAMS, GET INTO MY CAR”.   The tune played as we drove back to my house.   Did it have a hidden meaning for us?    She did get into my car.  However, why would I want her out of my dreams? 

On Tuesday, April 19, 1988, I had the day off.   Mom had the day off as well, so we took a drive to visit my grandmother (mom’s mom).  

Ashley accompanied us.   I loved the photo I took of them before we embarked on the mini-adventure.   It's one of my favorite photographs of the two of them together.  My convertible top was down and the wind was blowing.   Mom didn’t look at the camera but Ashley had that look.   If looks could kill…  I’m sure Ashley had just about had it with me and my camera.  Ha-ha.

“The gentleness IS in the strength.”

-as heard in the 2009 film THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS