Chapter II of the MJA Story

“It’s been drummed into us that certain things are right and certain things are wrong.   It’s usually the wrong things that are more fun.”--John Galliano, Fashion Designer
November 22, 1989Thursday, Thanksgiving Day (November 23rd), is closely approaching and I’m looking forward to going back to Alameda for the family and food.   I’ve already advised my newfound local friend, Alan, that I would call him when I get back on Sunday or Monday once I return.  Upon my return to Los Angeles I would find a letter in my mailbox from one of my former coworkers in San Francisco (Gloria Romero).   It was sweet of her to think of me.  There were no images or pictures…just a handwritten letter:
11-22-89Dearest Michael,It’s Wednesday afternoon, the day before TURKEY DAY, and I’m not at work.   Guess what?  I had to go to Kaiser as of last night.  I started to bleed from the rectum.  Wow!   I was frightened.  Now I’m ok.  I am now at home and will be taking tests on Monday and Thursday of next week.  It may be just a ‘polyp’.   I will know next week.   I was sure not expecting this to occur.  It just came all of a sudden.   I’m taking care of it but what a way to start my letter off to you!   I received your card as I returned from the Doctors’ office.  It cheered me up.  THANK YOU, Michael.   I needed that and such a pretty card.  I’m so glad to have received it at this time.  I’m somewhat nervous over this but I’m sure all will be fine.  I wish it were next week—you know me.  I’m never ill.  Well, enough of that.You will enjoy your new home in the Southern California area.  Do try to get up to Big Bear City during this winter.  It’s a beautiful area for skiing.   I wish you all the best, fun and happiness in your new home.   I’ll miss you.The day is gloomy but I’m looking forward to your next card to brighten my day.  I’ll give you a telephone call when I finish (getting the results of the tests).  What will they do without me on the job?   June is on vacation.  Well, anyway…that’s that.Enjoy your TURKEY DAY.  I’m going to eat up all I can.   I will be on liquids as of Saturday (in 2 days, Gosh!).   I’ll be starved because of those tests.   What one has to go through.   That over ’50 mark’ does it—old age—but I feel young, keeping a good look on things and knowing a friend like YOU.With Love,Your Friend, GloriaPS-George says “HI” and will be having dinner at my home soon.  He’s painted the bedroom (started today).  You can fly up for a visit…looking forward to a nice evening all together.  
November 23, 1989  Thanksgiving Festivities
I arrived at mom’s house late Wednesday night.   Thanksgiving morning was fun as John, Sherri and the girls finally arrived.  I had my Polaroid and the snaps I took ‘explains the fun and joy’ we all had.
November 24, 1989
The Day AfterThe following day there were plenty of leftovers and Tony, Helen and the girls popped over to take advantage of it.   I didn’t think I’d be hungry the next day but I somehow found an appetite.   My bike is in L.A. now, so I couldn’t go for a morning ride—but that’s okay.  I enjoyed spending time with mom, Tony, Helen and the girls.   We watched a movie and lounged after we stuffed ourselves once again.
Mom and I went to the movies the following day to see BACK TO THE FUTURE Part II.  Mom loved it because part of the film took place during her heyday of the 1950’s.  I really enjoyed the going to the future parts.  I am so into ‘the future’.








On Sunday I called Alan quietly from my mom’s bedroom phone, realizing that I’d heading back to L.A. this evening.   Alan didn’t answer the phone.  Instead, I reached his answering machine.   I simply left a voice mail message”“Hi Alan…it’s Michael.  In case you don’t remember I met you the other night and I promised I’d call you because you had mentioned you’d like to show me some of the beaches I have yet to see.   I’m still in the Bay Area but I’ll be back late tonight, so call me when you get a chance and maybe we can set a date to meet up.”Upon my arrival back to West Hollywood I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to feeling a tinge of loneliness.  It’s not easy moving from one’s familiar surroundings.  It will take some time to get used to it.   I was happy to find a postcard from a former PAC BELL coworker and friend (Barbara Louise Reynolds) in my mailbox.   The postcard is a stunning favorite because it’s an image of a PARIS CAFÉ that was photographed the year I was born (1959).  I simply LOVE the postcard image!
Wow…What a move!   Of course I’d love to visit you.  Great card you made!   Thanks.  Yes, I’m still working in S.F.   Are you still working?   Are you living alone?   I’ve sure thought about talking with you.   So much has been happening.   I drove to YOSEMITE with Alice yesterday.  Tomorrow we drive home.  It’s great to be here.  Good place to walk.KEEP IN TOUCH. Barbara
November 28, 1989
I started working on my painting again after my work day and also created a card to mail to mom.  The image was clipped from a magazine and it depicted a ragged young gentleman who had a poor posture and seemed ‘down in the dumps’…sort of how I was feeling.  It looked like he was at a train station and a motherly woman was seated at a bench, looking at him.   I wrote:
11-28-89Hi Mom,This is how I look going to work.  No, not really…it’s not that bad but it could get that bad…That’s why I’m planning NOW for a job change!  I figure my degree will come in handy.  In fact, I sent my resume out to a couple of places last night.  I have an appointment on 11-30-89 with a Personnel Agency to see if they can get me a position at an Advertising Agency.   Who knows?   It’s so nice here!   On the radio it said it was really windy but I don’t know where that was because when I leave my pad at 7AM the sun is shining and ‘at work’ the sun shines bright through my window.   Miss you.Love, Michael
A day or two later I was happy to find a letter from Dorothy Rua.  I loved the BLUE MERMAID card titled “Sea Dreams” that she found for me.
11-28-89Hi Michael!I received your 11-21-89 card on the 24th—neat picture!   Looks like YOUR boots but who’s the “lovely” in pink wrapped around you?It’s hard to believe you made so many changes happen just since July!  I’m really happy for you!   I can imagine how frustration some of your days must be right now---with the sunshine and palm trees all around while you’re at your desk indoors.   Think positive, with your persistence CHAPTER II of the MJA STORY can’t be far off.   It may even lead you right smack into Beverly Hills! Sounds like you’re making good use of your free time, taking in all the sites in the area.  I miss you.  And…if/when I ever get down there we’d have a great time!   What I wouldn’t give to be this mermaid so I could just swim on down!  Then I’d conveniently turn fins to legs and walk for miles on the beach with you.…talking about eventually…dreams, other people on the beach and how winning the LOTTO would change our attitudes of work, etc.   For future reference, is there a decent MOTEL near your home?  Don’t tell me about the ones that charge an hourly rate.  Ha-ha!I went to my friends’ wedding after I spoke with you Friday.  The ceremony  was quite nice, especially since it wasn’t long!   It was a beautiful night for the “Yacht” reception.   The views of the S.F. Sausalito, etc. were magnificent!  I felt so FREE, standing on the deck, watching all of the lights and bridges as we passed by.   Glad I went…I enjoyed myself in spite of the musical trio that included a flute player!   Thank goodness they didn’t provide the dance music (?). As far as my job goes, some days I get excited about my work and other days I get frustrated.  Once a month we all gather for a Corporate Meeting.  Last month the scheduled speaker was a representative from BANK OF AMERICA.   She opened by asking about the problem we are having with their underwriting guidelines, making it tough for us to sell their loan programs.  Most of us were very intent on getting those problems resolved, so you can imagine how hard I laughed when she started playing music and stripping!   All the way down to her ‘teeny weeny undies!   Apparently, it was a surprise for my manager!   It was his anniversary with the company.   Arrangements were made by the V.P. without the President’s knowledge.   The President was NOT happy and apologized to the few females in the room.   I still laugh when I think how we were all fooled—a hired stripper, posing as a Bank of America Rep.!
The enclosed cartoon was passed around our office recently by yet another employee with a sick sense of humor.   It made me think of you and those rich “mature” Beverly Hills ladies (?).Also, I’ve enclosed a little something to help you keep your spirits up.  Keep them close by to remind you of your dreams.   Dreams that WILL come true!   Thinking of You…Love, DorothyPS-What’s the name of that blue drink you enjoy?And…if your name wasn’t MICHAEL what would you choose it to be?
I was ecstatic when the phone rang.   I was thrilled to hear his voice.  I thought he may have forgotten about me and that he might fall into the category of “plastic people” in L.A. that I have heard so much about.   I was wrong.   Alan called me.   His surname is Freiman.  He lives in Santa Monica and I will drive to his place this Saturday afternoon (once my refrigerator is delivered from SEARS) and he will drive to Newport Beach in Orange County to show me one of his favorite beaches.   I’m looking forward to get to know this guy a little better.   I’ve mentioned my meeting of him to mom.
I said, “Yeah mom…there’s a local bar/restaurant near here called LE DOME.   I went there for a drink and met a local guy named Alan who was really nice.  We are going to the beach.”  I couldn’t tell mom how I met him at a ‘boy bar’ on Monday night, November 20th.    I mean, we are clearly in the INTRO stage and who knows if he’ll be a friend for very long anyway.
I also spoke to my friend, John Tuzziano, in Orange County (Chino Hills, CA)  I met him a year or so ago at the gay bar known as RAGE.  I was standing on the corner in my bike shorts and he approached me while he was with some other friends.  I found him so nice—and it was refreshing when he came over given that I was too shy and didn’t know a soul.  Now that I’m living here he will come to visit this Saturday night (December 2), also…at 10PM or so and we will go to a nightclub for dancing that he knows about.   I’m excited about this coming weekend. I was feeling happy.  I pulled out my Word Processor and decided to type and printout Paloma a long letter.   I wrote:
November 28, 1989Tuesday Evening, 5:20PMDear Paloma:I received your nice letter with the two postcards (the scenic one of Sete, En Parcourant La Cote Mediterranean and the neatly parked bike in the shadows).   Great cards!  Needless to say, it’s nice to come home after work and find something personal from a dear one (in FRANCE, no less) in my mailbox.  Just for that I decided to pull out my word processor (because it has been gathering dust) and use it for a lengthy letter to you.  I hope you’ll enjoy.
I really have a lot to say and it is easier to use this thing.   WOW…future technology used by MICHAEL (I still say it’s kind of nice to get something handwritten but I won’t stop that either).   I’m listening to my George Michael disc (FAITH) as I type.  I used this word processor last night, in fact.  I was polishing-up my resume and writing cover letters.  I may have mentioned to you that on 12-8-89 I will have been with PACIFIC BELL for “10” years (too long, believe me).   Anyway, I have an appointment on Thursday at STAR PERSONNEL AGENCY in Beverly Hills and they may be assisting me in finding a new job.  I’ve held about six different jobs while at PAC BELL but I’ve been at this job for ‘3’ years and I’m just tired of it.  I want to see about getting into an Advertising Agency and/or field sales.   My last ‘3’ positions at PAC BELL have all telemarketing-related.   I’m ready to go out and meet people face-to-face.   I put out a few cover letters and resumes last night for a Field Sales Rep opening with Buena Vista Video, a subsidiary of WALT DISNEY that sells videos to various video shops throughout the L.A. area.  That might be fun.   I also put in for an Executive position with PAC TEL CELLULAR and a Field Sales job with them as well.   They sell car phones.  That might be fun.  And then, maybe something will come out of this Personnel Agency.  I just have to get out of PAC BELL because I feel claustrophobic there (like I’m going nowhere).  They’ll be hurting when I’m gone.I know  you’re probably thinking ‘what’s with Mike’, wanting to do all of these things:  psychologist, counselor, model, actor, field sales…’make up your mind’.   Well, the psychologist idea flaked-out because I don’t want to go to school anymore.   The counselor stint was going to require less school but after taking a couple of courses at the University of San Francisco (USF) the fellow students (future counselors—mind you!) were kind of STRANGE!   And so, I’ve decided to pursue the model/actor a bit.  After the big staged Fashion Show in San Francisco I got a lot (5) call backs from interested agents—but only two in L.A.   I haven’t contacted the two in L.A. since I’ve been here but I still may do so.   I did send some photos to a local Casting Agency that’s just around the corner and they never called me.   They must get a million per day.   So…no, I haven’t given up—but first things first.   Time will tell.   It’s all a matter of getting an agent around here (I guess).  I’m in the right area.  I feel it.  I’ve gone out and felt people look at me once or twice while I’ve been driving.  I guess they think I may be someone famous or something.  Ha-ha.  I’m special—but I wouldn’t call myself famous.  So, we’ll see.  I’ve only been here a week and a half and I’m at least working on a new career outside of PAC BELL.   That’s a step in the right direction.And funny you should mention Dennis Quaid and Ellen Barkin as I saw a great film with Ellen Barkin and Al Pacino a month or so ago called SEA OF LOVE.  Look for it!   It’s great.  Oh…time to put a new disc on.   All right!  My UB 40 disc which includes RED RED WINE is perfect for right now. 
Anyway, like I was saying…do you know who MEG RYAN (the actress) is?  Well, she recently became engaged to Dennis Quaid.  They were in a film called DOA and INNERSPACE together.  She was recently on WHEN HARRY MET SALLY.   Last Friday, while I was at work I pulled up a few Employment Agency Telephone numbers on my computer to make sure they were an ‘okay’ business (paid their bills on time, etc).   I learned that one telephone number was disconnected in July 1989 and it belonged to MEG RYAN, the actress!   I quickly pulled up her account and cross-referenced telephone numbers that she has called (along with any other reference number I could find).   Her new forwarded number was 213-462-1252.   I thought I’d pull that account up and ‘low and behold’ it belonged to actor, Dennis Quaid.  That is his telephone number at his address 16162 Glen Oak #3, L.A., CA 90068.  He has two other telephone numbers:  213-462-1133 and 213-462-5797.   Do you believe it?   Am I a good private eye or what?  And another interesting thing is that he has his bills sent to an accountant on Sunset Blvd (around the corner from where I live).  He must live nearby because his zip code is 90068 and my zip is 90069.   I haven’t figured out where Glen Oak Street is yet.  Anyway, that was good dirt, huh?I hate it during November through March because it gets dark so early.  It’s 5:45PM right now and it’s already dark!  I feel like I have to go to sleep and get up and go to work again (when I’d rather go bike riding).  I haven’t’ even ventured on my bike in the Beverly Hills flats neighborhood.   I want to ride by Glen Oak too.  
I did go bike riding on 11-19-89 (a Sunday) to Venice Beach.  I got a flat tire in West L.A. on my way back home.  Boo-hoo.  Luckily, I found a bike shop and they fixed my flat.   They let me take my bike home as long as I came back to pay them.   That was nice.  I never went back to pay them though.  ONLY KIDDING!   I drove my car straight away and paid them!I went home for Thanksgiving.  It was a 5 ½ hour drive.  I left at 8:30AM and got there at 2PM.   Yes, I guess I did speed but the freeway was packed over Thanksgiving weekend and everyone seemed to be speeding.  I went along with it.  I better slow down though.  I don’t need any speeding tickets.For HALLOWEEN I was moving-in here.  My friend (Dale Orlando, the heavy-set guy) came from Florida and helped me to move.   That night I dressed as a doctor with blood dripping from the side of my lip with vampire fangs (and a surgeon mask).   Dale dressed as a nurse.  He was a hit.  It was pretty fun.  They closed-off the Santa Monica Boulevard here in Los Angeles and a bunch of people were in costume.   A lot of them weren’t in costume.  I got tired though because moving-in the day before was a lot of work.  I’m not as young as I used to be (like when I met you on HALLOWEEN 1983).   And to think you didn’t even change my diaper that night!   What a mean cave woman you are!   Oh…what a coincidence…RED RED WINE just came on.  What timing!  I miss you.Yes, I like the LAMBADA…but I can’t remember how it goes now.I found you and Jonathan a Christmas gift but you probably won’t’ get it until after Christmas because I left them at my mom’s house.  I have to wrap them and stuff, then go to the post-office.   I won’t be flying back home to Alameda until 12-22-89.   I will fly back here to L.A. the night of 12-25-89 because I have to work on 12-26-89 (UGH!).   I didn’t get Alexandre anything but tell him I’ll treat him to a drink and dinner when I go to FRANCE and/or when you come here (whichever comes first).  Ha-ha.   Lucky Jonathan with getting a car and all.  I promise I won’t ask how old Jonathan is again.  My nieces, Leigh and Holly, are 1 ½, so he’s one year older.   That’s easy.Before I moved here to Los Angeles I thought I had a few friends but I guess I don’t.  It’s kind of lonely sometimes but no more lonely than up north.  I like living here so far.  I do have a couple of friends in the Orange County area.   They’ve called a few times; however, I am in Los Angeles (and to Orange County folks that’s a major trip with traffic and all).   Actually, I am in West Hollywood.   From what I’ve learned so far it is these cities that are easy to access without getting on a freeway:    Venice Beach, Santa Monica Beach, Santa Monica, West LA, LA, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood and Hollywood.
Disneyland is in Anaheim (which is in Orange County).   I would estimate that this is thirty-five minutes from me, depending on traffic conditions.  My street has a bunch of palm trees on it.  I live walking distance from SPAGO, a popular celebrity bar/restaurant and another place called NICKY BLAIR’s that Sylvester Stallone half-owns.   I’ve been there for a few drinks but haven’t seen one celebrity that I’ve recognized yet.  I’m not really that star struck though (otherwise I wouldn’t be spending my Tuesday evenings in front of my word processor writing to you).  Ha-ha.On Friday or Saturday I may go to a place called CATCH ONE.  It is supposedly an “IN” spot and many celebrities go there.   The guy I know from Orange County said he saw Madonna and Warren Beatty there last month.  He was dancing this close (one-inch) to Madonna.  Wow…thrills.   And Rodeo Drive is about a five minute drive from here.   I only shop at the THRIFTY DRUGSTORE around the corner from Rodeo Drive because those shops are expensive:  a $250 shirt, for example.   There are a lot of French-like boutiques I have noticed.  People seem to wear neat, trendy stuff.   I still mix and match something old with something new.   I noticed some outdoor restaurants like they have in France around here, too.   It makes me think of us riding around all over Paris in your car. I forgot to tell you I did see THE BIG EASY movie.  I never did see all of the AMERICAN GIGOLO.   There are two video stores across the street from me and tonight is one-dollar night, so I’m going to go rent it.   I never saw BREATHLESS but something tells me you’re a Richard Gere fan.   I understand you perfectly.   Why did you ask if you were hard to understand?   Anyway, I want to go rent the AMERICAN GIGOLO movie now to see what you mean about his taste for beautiful things.   Who knows?   Maybe I’ll seek out a rich Beverly Hills ‘old bag’ and be her gigolo.  Ha-ha.   My ‘favoring’ you ties-in directly to my taste for beautiful things (if you know what I mean).   You are a beautiful, sensual one!  Oh well…hope that video is there.I’ll also mail this now.  Until the next time…Love You,Michael J ArmijoHello to J and A
“I consider conversations with people to be mind exercises, but I don’t want to pull a muscle, so I stretch a lot.   That’s why I’m constantly either rolling my eyes or yawning.”--Jarrod Kintz, author