Wipe That Silly Grin Off Your Face

“We’ve all got a past that can hurt us.   Don’t let yours hurt you.”
-Will Gardner (actor Josh Charles)
to Alicia Florrick (actress Julianna Margolies),
Season 5, THE GOOD WIFE TV-series

October 20, 1988I received a postcard from Johnny S. in Los Angeles last month.   It’s on my mirror because I love it so much. It inspires me with invincibility.  Mad Max has no fear. It’s a photo of Mel Gibson in character as MAD MAX.   Johnny knew my weakness.   I believe I replied with a postcard back to him but I kept my words simple.   I don’t want to lead him on.  I have no interest—but friendship.  

Johnny wrote me using my alias name (Jake Jaguar) that I shared with him.   Too funny…he wrote:Hey Jake,
How’s my favorite Bay Area Dude, eh?
Things are okay here but I wish you were around.
I saw this Mel Gibson card and KNEW who to send it to!  I still haven’t’ seen anymore ROAD WARRIOR t-shirts though.
Anyway, you’re the best, bro.   Be cool!   I mean, uh…have fun and all that.   Always, Johnny

I wrote Paloma a letter today to detail the latest happenings.  I included a memo pad sticker with the words imprinted HERE’S A LITTLE SOMETHING TO WIPE THAT SILLY GRIN OFF YOUR FACE:Dear Paloma,
I really liked the AGDE postcard.  It reminds me of you.  I picture you walking around there.   It’s neat to see postcards like that, showing where you live.   I want to visit.   Someday…maybe?

The other postcard of the psychedelic girl silhouette kind of looked like you, too!   That reminds me of you ‘getting wasted’ at the I-BEAM.  Ha-ha…Do you remember that?   Oh well, we’ve grown out of ‘getting wasted’ now, haven’t we?  I was never that bad. Today, I am playing ‘boss’ at work, so it gives me a chance to write you a long letter.   I am pretending that I’m doing some heavy duty business letter to a client here even though I am only writing to you.  Ha-ha.

I’m glad you liked the cassette tape of songs I sent you.   I’ll try to make time to do another.   There’s a lot of good music out there fighting to be heard.   I love hearing NEW French tunes.  It has such an easy, relaxing sound (even if I don’t understand the meaning of the words half of the time).  I’ll find some non-faded 501 LEVI jeans for Alexandre and Jonathan.   What size waist is Alexandre…28 or 30?   There’s a kids GAP store here in San Francisco that surely carries Jonathan’s size.   How old is he going to be…age 3 in February 1989, right?    My niece, Lauren, just turned 3 on October 18, 1988.   I will have to check out MACY’s, THE GAP and other stores for you within the next couple of weekends.

The flight attendant, Camille that I met, is history.   She was only 4 feet 11 inches!   Much too short…and I decided to hold off on calling her for a while.   She never really takes the time to call me either…so (?).   Does that sound familiar?   I guess I’m just not HOH (Head Over Heels) for her.   Kelly, the ex-flame, from November 1987—June 1988 called me a week ago.   It was awkward.   I wasn’t sure if she was running back to me ‘for more’.   I actually ran into Kelly last Saturday night because my friend (Jim from the Gym) and I went to Cal’s in San Francisco.   Jim is only twenty-five.  I believe his hair may be receding a bit.  I wonder if that will happen to me soon (?).     While Jim and I were at Cal’s in SF we unexpectedly bumped into Kelly who was with her sister and Christine Hicks (Jim’s gal).   We had a good time despite the silent tension between Kelly and me.   Only time will tell.   I do still have feelings for Kelly (strong ones)…but I’m not planning to just jump right in ‘just like that’.   I called her Monday night but there was no answer (perhaps that was a good thing…and meant-to-be).   Didn’t we pass by this restaurant while I was in Paris in September 1985?   This was in today’s newspaper and I remembered.   The Champs Elysees rings a bell.

   In the SF CHRONICLE, Thursday, October 20, 1988 it was written:  FOUQUET’s, an 88-year old restaurant on the Champs Elysees, was rescued from closure yesterday when French culture Minister Jack Lang declared it a historic landmark.   International film stars, including Jack Nicholson, cheered Lang’s speech as waiters wept with joy in the cafe where Marlene Dietrich, James Joyce and Charlie Chaplin once whiled away the hours.   The PARIS bistro had been threatened with a huge rent increase during the summer, and patrons feared that a fast-food establishment would replace it.   Saving FOUQUET’s is all about saving the soul of France, Lang said in announcing the rescue at the packed restaurant. I started going to the gym again semi-regularly.   I recently attempted a 3-day diet.  I’m on my second day already.   Here’s a copy of the diet (next page).   Maybe you’ll want to try it IF you ever get fat.  I’m not fat.  I’m just doing it for fun.  I’m not looking forward to lunch today:

5 crackers1 cup of cottage cheese

Yuck!   It’s kind of a fun 3-day diet deal.   Try it…or give it to any fat people you may know.  Ha-ha. Have you heard of that new movie called THE ACCUSED with Jodie Foster?  It sounds depressing but Jodie Foster’s performance has been widely acclaimed.   I may go see it tonight just to break up the usual work week.


I haven’t taken any pictures yet at the ELITE MODELING CENTER but in a couple of weeks I will be ready for my photo-shoot.  I will definitely keep you posted.   I better become a major star, so I may wine and dine and fly to the South of France for vacations.  Ha…it’s competitive but I’ll never know unless I give it a small try, right?  I’m going to cut this letter short for now.   Here…I am throwing in a couple of my favorite postcards for you.   Now, the big test for you:   Guess which one of these postcards reminds me of YOU!   I’ll never tell.

Thinking of You, Love, Michael J Armijo October 23, 1988
It was time to visit the local pumpkin patch with mom and my niece, Ashley today.   It’s that time of the year.  I love my mom’s homemade pumpkin pie.   I haven’t had any pumpkin pie yet.  
This evening was my niece, Lauren’s, birthday party.   I planned to attend with mom, Ashley and my grandmother.   It was taking place at Helen’s parents’ house in Oakland.I took a photo of Ashley later, eating a donut with sprinkles.   I think I was more interested in the donut than I was about Ashley.   It looked so good. 
    
Ashley was the perfect model today.   She even posed next to the mail box that I set up in front of mom’s house.  

I love these festive family times.   It’s probably more fun when it’s all over and I can browse the many photographs that I happen to capture.   I like to look back.   I also like to move forward.   What’s next?

The food was pretty good at Lauren's Party.   I was hungry.   It must be from my recent rounds of working out at the gym.   If I wanted to find food all I needed to do was look for my brother, Tony (that’s where the food would be).   It’s hard to believe that Lauren has hit the three year mark.  

Time does fly but it’s wonderful to be around during all of the progress.   The key for all of the kids is to keep telling them to ‘love thy self’ more than anything and build their confidence.    They can do anything they want in life if they set their minds to it.   I plan to be a part of their lives forever more.   Who knows if I will have kids?  

Oh yes…I mailed Paloma another postcard today, a photo of A DAY IN THE ZOO.  

I wrote:
Hi Paloma,
I just wanted to warn you in case you and Alexandre were thinking about taking Jonathan to the zoo.

This is also just another note to let you know you’re heavily on my mind.  Oh yes…here is some HOT news.   Did I ever tell you I was a sperm donor in 1984 for six weeks?   I don’t think I told you because I kept it quiet.   Anyway, some anonymous lady out there had my baby (girl) biologically in August or September of 1985.   She should be about three years old now.   I signed a contract, allowing the child to seek me out and have my identity when she turns eighteen.   Scary, huh?  

I just thought about it because my niece, Lauren, is age three now.   I am going to her Birthday party today (just family). Love, Michael J.

How rich we are as human beings.   There is so much to live for.   He threw his arms open to the night sky, feeling the ocean air on his skin, the only sound the gentle lapping of the sea against the sand.-Paul Huljich,
BETRAYAL of Love and Freedom
A novel, based on a little truth