End of October, ’82. Boo!
Sure enough, I slept through the Swap Meet and woke up at 2:00 PM (1:00 PM Pacific Daylight). 13 hours out. And I’ve got a murderous headache. Cindy & Mitch & Leon & Don & crowd were over. I did two things so far.
1. Called Sonja. We might get together tonight. Reila [her older sister] ran away from home 2 week s ago. (Probably shacked up by now.)
2. Called Cheryl (Hindemarch). Was it good to hear her. It’s been three years. Here’s the lowdown.
All is okay back at Alpha One. The mention the upgrading of the properties by her and Rus. Business is good. There are changes in the town. A trip back is overdue for me. Bill (Tronnes) is drifting again. Alf & Janet have asked about me. Mike & Debbie moved to Peace River. According to Cheryl there are 11 places to buy food in [Alpha One], not bad for 2800 folks.
And the air of conservation is all over. Even the optimists are holding to everything. The people we have are now longer term, and the simplification at the credit union has put Cheryl more at east. There’s more, but for now, I ask, “What recession?”
I’ve been toying with an idea. We have damage deposits. Legally we have to pay interest. Course, tenants can refuse to accept interest. Why would they do that? I think because if they want interest, the deposit will have to be a minimum $600.00. I’m getting tired of these rich kids who’ve never invested a penny commenting on how good I’ve got it. If I’d ever had it good, I wouldn’t invest. No, I’d be like them.
[Author’s note: this rambling entry was typical of the time. If the tenant wanted interest on his deposit, the deposit doubled to $600. Cheryl was the resident manager of rental properties owned when my partner and I left town for better things. Some of these properties were not sold until 2006. Alas, I cannot give most full names or details due to the 15 year rule, but none of these towns are important enough, America-wise, to bother with.
Sonja was a lively Norwegian girl I was dating from Birdland. She had a scritchy older sister who was not anywhere near as attractive in every way. Reila and I were closer in age and she didn’t like the spectacle of her kid sister dating a “good-looking blonde music guy with a Mustang”. She eventually broke Sonja and I up, but not before we had the good years out of each other.]
