Three Years Ago

“Do you know that in South America there is a tribe of natives that have a thing known as blood brotherhood?   Do you know what they do?   When one of them saves another one’s life, then they become blood brothers.  They each pierce a little blood from their writs and then they rub their hands together good and hard so the blood of one goes in the cut of the other.  Then they’re blood brothers!  That’s what they do in South America, and it sounds like a doggone good way of showing your relationship for a true friend.”
--Calder Willingham, END AS A MAN
I can’t believe it’s been three years already.  It was three years ago (November 20, 1989) that Alan and I met at that MICKY’s bar in West Hollywood on a Monday at around 5:30pm.   We are definitely more than just ‘blood brothers’.   He saved my life in July 1990 when I had my appendicitis/appendix removal.   He took care of me.  Of course, Alan remembered our anniversary, too.  He wrote two cards for me on November 20th.  I like the cards.  They’re illustrations done by an artist know as Nick Backes.   His portraitures are so detailed and real.  Alan wrote:
Nov. 20, 1992Dear Michael (MJA),We met ‘3’ years ago, over 1000 days or 24,000 hours.  It started at LOUIS XIV talking about beaches.  Do you know how many we’ve seen?  Try to count them.  How about restaurants?  We love LOUIS XIV but can you count ‘50’ more in over ‘10’ cities?  Or how many hotels, airplanes and mileage?  We lived in ‘3’ places, own ‘4’ cars, share clothes and our bedroom.   These are statistics.  They mean something to most people.  To me, it’s not all the places it’s all the great times.  It’s the fun and enjoying and relaxing.  That’s what it’s about.  I want to go through all of the problems we’ve endured only to say it’s been GREAT.Love, Alan Nov. 20, 1992Michael,We are sitting and eating our great dinner at MORTON’s OF CHICAGO.  It’s about 6:45pm.  Please enjoy because we have to leave at about 7:20pm.  After the main event we will have a drink at a new place to toast the year.By the way, I’m very proud of you for your tremendous success not only at SCHWAB but in LIFE.  You’re a great teacher.  Thanks for the lessons. Keep up the stock picks like FOFF (50-Off Stores, Inc.) and MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT.  We need money.I Love You, Alan
And of course, two wonderful cards/letters from Barbara Louise Reynolds and Dorothy Rua too:
21 Nov 1992Dear Michael,Thank you for your letter with the eating out sticker.  I think I should eat out but I don’t want to go alone too much.  A lot of my friends seem so busy and I guess it is time to add new friends and/or other activities. 
Writing is good for me.
Congratulations!  Finally, a nephew for you!  It is a nice name:  JOHN DYLAN ARMIJO.   My mom usually gets a Girl Scout calendar from one of my grandnieces.  I’ll have to look for Ashley.
I showed the photo of the two of us to Joan Lyons.  She really enjoyed it (also Ken Geary).  He was in the RTOC-Residence Telephone Order Center when we were in the RASC-Residential Account Service Center in Oakland.   In fact, he’s just got his transfer to my office (and Joan’s).  He keeps me laughing.
I have Joan Lyon’s home address for you.  Did I tell you her son plays Football in Toronto’s team?  It’s a big deal, yeah.  Damion Lyons.  Anyways; JOAN LYONS, 2913 Ellis Street, Berkeley, CA 94703.
I am listening to the rain splash against my kitchen window.  This card grabbed me (SO THE MAN GAVE HIM A PAIR OF SNOWSHOES, from East of the Sun West of the Moon, London 1914 by Kay Rasmus Nielsen, Danish b. 1886 d.1957).   I found it when I stopped at this bookstore the other evening after viewing the film, HERO, starring Dustin Hoffman.  Enjoy.Love, Barbara
And my card from Dorothy Rua (while she was in Hawaii) depicted a woman on-the-beach that is most definitively “Dorothy”… 11-22-92, 2:30PM Hawaii TimeDear Michael,You won’t be home with you family on THANKSGIVING and I won’t be in Alameda as planned after all to hear your mother’s turkey gobble.  Nor will I be breaking bread with friends and family.  I boarded a plane headed for GUAM because my Dad passed away a few days ago.  May tears have been shed and many more will be but we are all glad he is no longer suffering and is in a better place.  My acceptance also comes from a deep belief that all loved ones eventually reunite in that “better place”. 
Anyway, as anxious as I am to get to GUAM and have the funeral behind me things are now beyond my control.  I am stuck in Hawaii, watching CNN news in a hotel room because the flight to GUAM was cancelled.   Typhoon Gay is (at this minute) passing directly over GUAM!   The power of the typhoon has decreased from 220MPH to 165MPH (still enough to do a good amount of damage); however, no flights are allowed in or out.  I really hope I’ll be able to fly to GUAM tomorrow.  The airline won’t pay for the overnight costs because the delay isn’t their fault, so there goes the old credit card balance for yours truly! 
I shall keep my thoughts positive as I lay here relaxing the in the “cucumber” T-shirt you sent me several years ago.  I brought it along to show my sisters and brother!   Don’t think I’ll share it with mom.  She’ll KNOW how totally crude her daughter can be!  Ha-ha.
I enjoyed your recent long letter and appreciate the tips on additional movies worth watching.  They both sound good especially THE LOVER.  I’ll have to make time to see it along with A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT.   Too bad Alan and his unlimited movie pass are so far away from Walnut Creek.  I’d find a way to hook onto his back pocket!   I bet you’ll both make good use of that open door.  Enjoy!
I am really glad you’re enjoying your job.  It does sound very interesting.  I’ll give the MONEYLINK some thought.  I am open to saving but I want to understand stocks and the stock market on at least a basic level which I currently have absolutely no clue about.  We’ll see.
I’ll answer your other questions in my next note/card.  Until then, keep me in your thoughts.  You’re in mine.Love,Dorothy
So your own self, your personality and existence are reflected with the mind of each of the people whom you meet and live with, into a likeness, a caricature of yourself, which still lives on and pretends to be, in some way, the truth about you.  Even a flattering picture is a caricature and a lie.--Isak Dinesen, SEVEN GOTHIC TALES; the above verbiage is from THE ROADS ROUND PISA tale