The Beginnings - Part 65: The 'Fun House' Party

Listen to Richard Wagner’s opera or musical drama of TRISTAN AND ISOLDE, and you’ll hear pent-up, soaring, frustrated emotion of an intensity that may drive you to distraction. Wagner himself described the work:

“…a tale of endless yearning, longing, the bliss and wretchedness of love; world, power, fame, honor, chivalry, loyalty, and friendship all blown away like an insubstantial dream; one thing alone left living—longing, longing, unquenchable, a yearning, a hunger, an anguishing forever renewing itself; one sole redemption—death, surcease, a sleep without awakening.

-Diane Ackerman

A NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SENSES

Twenty-five years ago today

September 6, 1987:

Today was my mom’s 52nd Birthday.

Happy Birthday Mom. I LOVE YOU.

Photos I took of Mike Miller and Mike Elliot in my pad, sipping Amstel Light as we decided on what to do for the evening.   We decided to try out the new club near Webster Street called the HOT ROD CAFE.

Mike Miller took this instant polaroid shot outside of the HOT ROD CAFÉ in Alameda.   I am pictured in-between Suzy Miller and Mike Elliot.   The other guy is Mike Miller’s cool pal from Iran.

The Beginnings – Part 65: The ‘Fun House’ Party

August 6, 1983

I woke up too early. My brother, John, and mom were still asleep when I arrived on my bike to Alameda. I decided to go back to sleep myself. An hour or two later I was enjoying breakfast. Mom makes the best breakfast.

I enjoyed some of John’s diverse music albums before I left.

Once I arrived to my apartment in San Leandro I felt restless and chose to hop on my bike again for a ride via Lake Chabot and in and around Castro Valley. I found my Aunt Lillian’s house. She was amazed that I rode my bike all the way there. It was a brief, fun, family visit. I was happy with the extraordinary ride. It was one ‘helluva’ ride up and down Seven Hills Drive (going up is a stretch but going down is a wonderful feeling).

I showered when I arrived home and spoke to Mike Padazinski over the phone.
“Yeah, Mike…thanks for informing me that I had the wrong ORTS service. Tony is going to correct it on Monday…if we don’t go On-Strike.”
“Isn’t it crazy that they can’t settle?” Padazinski asked.
“I know…only time will tell.”

Frank Vasconcellos called me and we contemplated a possible movie outing. Of course, as soon as I hung-up the phone I received another call. This time it was George Jones.
I asked, “Don’t you think we should go to Napa?”
“I’d love that,” George replied.
“Me too…but I don’t feel like driving today.”
I guess he (and his pals) may still be picking me up. We shall see.

Then the best news of all arrived. My dad called.
Dad asked, “Guess what?”
“What?”
“Sophie moved out…so you can move in to the townhouse on September 1st.”
I was so ecstatic.
“Are you kidding me?” I shouted the question.
“Yeah,” Dad replied.
I could see Dad smiling. I know he wanted me there.

I quickly called George.
“Guess what?” I asked.
“My mom’s cousin moved out of the townhouse, so I’m moving there next month!”
“That’s very good news.”
I took that to mean that he will agree to be my roommate. If he backs out of the deal there will always be my brother, John, or Mike Miller to consider as hopeful roommates.

I am now here in San Leandro, waiting for my ride to Napa Valley. I was worried that George’s friends might consider me to be a creep because I didn’t want to drive. I decided to call Frank and tell him how I felt.
Frank exclaimed, “Who cares what other people think?”
“You know…when you get right down to it you are so right!”
I hung-up the phone after speaking with Frank and thought, “I hope the ‘Fun House’ Party in Napa is fun.”

Tomorrow I may be going to Alameda to help clean 3348 Solomon Lane (the address of the townhouse). That will be my real-life ‘Fun House’.

Kevin and George ended up picking me up at around 8PM. It was such a hot day. The night felt quite comfortable in Napa Valley. Napa was interesting. The Haunted House was fun. It wasn’t what I expected. I was especially surprised by the trap door. When the trap door opened we all fell onto a lot of Styrofoam. It really was fun, crawling along the crawlspaces with George despite the rub burn on my elbows. I also got rub burns on my hands from the slide. I guess you have to get burned a bit while you are having fun.

After the Napa ‘Fun House’ fun we went to NATIONS Burgers in Napa. I had a scrumptious burger and a piece of cheese cake. After the meal we headed for San Leandro. Kevin slept on my couch while George slept with me. My mind felt ever so excited about the adventures ahead. I like dreaming.

Years of free study…There is, after all, always something wonderful and touchingly beautiful about a young man, for the first time released from the bonds of schooling, making his first ventures toward the infinite horizons of the mind. At this point he has not yet seen any of his illusions dissipated, or doubted either his own capacity for endless dedication or the boundlessness of the world of thought.
-Hermann Hesse
THE GLASS BEAD GAME, a novel