Big Sur

How's that for a title? Well I drove the coast highway up to San Francisco form Glendale. I went right through the Big Sur but never stopped. By this time I had some time issues. I wanted to get back to New Haven for the wedding of my friends so I had to choose what I did. So I drove right through to San Francisco and to the home of my other Aunt Naomi. In San Francisco I was able to get in contact with those images that moved me so much in the movie the Graduate. In fact the movie no longer has any power over me. I also met with Diana for lunch one day. She was working in a storefront counseling service in Haight Ashbury. The Haight was legendary as the hippie capitol of the world, but it was skid row in actuality. I was by that time as much a hippie as about anyone around and the Haight's romantic days were long gone. The scene was hard drugs and drunks and people living in the streets. It wasn't pretty. I also had rid myself of the Diana demon. We met we talked and I left and never looked back. Maybe I was making progress becoming a man! I visited my childhood home in Pleasanton and our old nextdoor neighbors still live there. I visited a short while with them. I am not proud of it, but I had once swipped a bra from the mother. She was slight and her bra fit me. I of course didn't admit this to her then, I just visited. Back in San Francisco I visited the usual sights and attractions and a few that people don't usually think of. I took a taxi ride up and down the hills. You've got to do it once! I also had a chance to visit some with my aunt. That was the last time I saw her.
Eventually I started the trip home. I came the southern route where highway was still mostly under construction. I went home the northern route. That route took me through Sacramento and then to Reno Nevada. I stopped in Reno because the next stop was a long way away Salt Lake City, Utah. It was a short ride but I welcomed the distractions of Reno. Before Las Vegas there had been Reno. I walked around a bit and finally went into one of the casinos rather randomly. I went to the bar and ordered a drink, a Gin and Tonic I think. At the bar in the bar itself there were slot machines. I sat there feeding the slot machine and drinking a while. Eventually two young women came and sat next to me. They were bubbly and obviously English and we struck up a conversation. It turns out that one of them had been the secretary for John Lennon (I was a little sceptical of this at first.) We talked and they kind of picked me up. They had all sorts of cupons for drinks that they wanted to cash in and they kept feeding me drinks as we moved from casino to casino. I have no concept of what I drank or how much at that point. As it got later the one who claimed to have been Lennon's secretary took us to a club and said she knew a member of a band there. By golly if she didn't really know an elecric guitar player for Louis Prima! She introduced us and then Louis Prima came out and we all met him. We were given a table at the front of the club and complimentary drinks (not that I needed any more.) After the show we went for some food. Earlier in the evening it looked as if things would lead to some sex, but in fact I got so drunk it just ended up with me collapsing into bed and passing out. The next morning early I paid for the whole evening. At 5 am I had to get up and start driving for Salt Lake. Between Reno and Salt Lake was mostly desert and Salt Flats and it was hot and miserable. I was hung over and dehydrated, but drove on in spite of it all. All I could say to myself was "What were you thinking?" I was never so glad to see a place as I was Salt Lake City. As I came over the crest of a hill leading down to Salt Lake there was a thunder storm over the city. It was wet and beautiful. I got a motel room and soaked. Later I drove to see some of Salt Lake City. I had no idea I would years later spend a lot of time there. There was no sleep as welcome as the sleep I had that night.