Cut-To-The-Chase

“Within our reach lies every path we ever dream of taking.  Within our power lies every step we ever dream of making.”--Amanda Bradley
While sorting through some of my personal boxes I came across a New Address note card with four small Victorian homes depicted that Chad Mark Glen had sent me.  He wrote a short, personal line with his new address in San Francisco, dated August 28, 1989. 
Michael:  I live in a Victorian like the one on the cover.  I’d love to hear from you and get together!   Chad.
Another postcard was from Dorothy Rua that depicted about eighteen different people from around the world with varied ethnicities.   Her words proved to be correct.  The SMART RESOURCE CENTER and our jobs to sell telephone directories now seem like a distant memory. Dorothy wrote:
Dear Michael,Don’t these faces remind you of the voices at the other end of our ‘Que Manager’?   “Is it free?”“What three dollars shipping and handling?”“We don’t need anything that costs money.”Well, Michael…the bright side about all of this will be that it will just be a memory someday!   Dorothy
Dorothy had also sent me a card with a beautiful quote on the cover from a poet named Amanda Bradley.
Dear Michael,Your departure from the SMART RESOURCE CENTER also ends the FIRST chapter of our short, but sweet, friendship.  I look forward to the many chapters ahead that our friendship will create.   Good friends are NOT easy to find and I sometimes wonder how we found that common ground that’s necessary to build a good friendship.  It’s a puzzle I’ll continue to work on!Remember, your next stop will be a very temporary one…and if things do get a little rough, think about the “O.B. Method” and the “I.B. Method”!   Sure things could be worse, but not much!  And try not to miss the “TOY Box”!  And the beautiful full-figured models from MERCED!  We did have a few laughs at the SRC, didn’t we?  Not enough to make us go back though!Michael, wonderful things await you…just keep your dreams alive and you’ll make them come true!I’ll be rooting for you…whatever you do and wherever you decide to do it!   That’s one of the things good friends are for! Wishing you only the BEST,Love, Dorothy
The imprint inside the card included the following words:THERE’S A WONDERFUL DREAM WAITING JUST FOR YOU.  I KNOW YOU CAN MAKE IT COME TRUE.
Then, Dorothy added below that line:   “I believe this!  Just don’t let me hear you’ve purchased a Chevy Station wagon!”
In early December 1989 I mailed mom a cute illustration ‘joke’ of man wearing a T-shirt that had the words “SHOW ME YOUR TITS” imprinted on his shirt.   The illustration showed the man in front of an elderly lady.  When you open the card the woman showed them.  It was funny.  Dorothy Rua had sent it to me.  I don’t think she expected it me to send it to mom but that’s the kind of relationship we have.   She’ll find it funny, too. I wrote:
Hi Mom,Do you believe this?   Dorothy sent it to me and she wrote that this was one of those mature Beverly Hills women that I should watch out for.  It really made me laugh.   Surprisingly, a lot of people have been writing to me!   I received four picturesque San Francisco postcards (how boring, can’t they find different sots of pictures…you know me…I like neat, unusual stuff).   I got one of those SF cards from Bill Matson (I met him in Hawaii and he lives in Elk, CA).  He goes to Hawaii every winter.  He must come from old money.  I know he own an INN in the Mendocino County area.   Another card was from Eileen Grabinsky.   Do you remember her?  She met you and dad at one point.  She wrote, “I may visit Los Angeles in January.”Then the other two cards were from a couple of the little girls I taught in San Francisco via that Think/Write Program that Pac Bell was involved with (in which I volunteered).  Chad also wrote.Jim from the Gym and Chris sent a postcard from Minnesota.  Jim called me and they may come to Southern California for a visit sometime during New Year’s Eve weekend.Paloma, of course, wrote…and Dorothy Rua, too.So it’s nice coming home after work to get all of this personal mail instead of bills (ugh!).   I shouldn’t have written that because I will probably get a bill today.   The French Doors are going to look so COOL.   I’m going to do it, too!   Look and see behind this card.   It’s a deal.   He didn’t have a picture of what I wanted when I described it; however he said, “I can do it.”Oh well, I guess I’ll end now.   Do you know of the actor named Roddy McDowell?   He is going to be at BOOK SOUP on Sunday, December 10th signing his latest book, DOUBLE EXPOSURE, TAKE 2.   He was a close friend of Natalie Wood.  I’m going to go buy his book and maybe give him one of my Natalie postcards.   I could say, “We have something in common…Natalie!”  Later, Love Michael This is the door he will order…but it will be white and he’ll remove the four squares and insert with the clear glass.  I will have to paint the middle scroll design in black myself.  Cool, huh?   The estimate for installation, doors and everything is $2500.   It will look so much better than the ugly sliding doors that lead to the terrace/balcony.    It’ll look something like this…white doors, chrome fancy curved door handles and shoveled misty glass here with the design on the glass.  The scroll design will be here…on the middle of the door (I will paint it black).   And the four bottom squares of each door will be clear glass.
Letter from Paloma…
Dear Michael……most of the French people (and also lots of English, German and Dutch people) spend their holidays in the South of France.   If I take you to Cap d’Agde (and I probably will) you’ll see what the word CROWD means.   I guess you’re now used to that in L.A.   I’m used to the country-style life.  I hate crowds now but once in a while at summertime I take a crowd bath to make sure I hate it.  I usually go to Cap d’Agde before and after the season but it’s a good time for you to go if you want to have some fun.  You might not be interested by an empty place.   Around here (except for the big cities, of course) it’s like Santa Cruz.   It’s dead at winter time and full of life at summertime.   If I were you what I would do is travel around the coast…from here to Monaco.  You could go to Nice, Cannes, and Saint-Tropez.   
Have you heard about Saint-Tropez?   This town is famous because of Brigitte Bardot.  Do you know her?   She has a house there and all the stars, too (even American ones like Joan Collins).   It’s really pretty but really crowded.  You’ll see the ‘jet set’ there.   Too bad I can’t go with you.   We already have a lot of people and sometimes I really wonder how some people can survive in this world.   They are so stupid.  You just can’t imagine the things they sometimes ask us.   I used to find it funny.   Now they’re getting on my nerves.   Anyway, let me know when you’re coming.  I’ll have an apartment ready for you.

Alison and her father are coming at the end of June (to France).   I don’t know exactly when they’re planning to come here.  I know Lise is flying to Paris on July 14th (Bastille Day).  I don’t know what she is planning to do either.   That’s too bad you’re not coming at the same time because the first time she told me she was coming she said a friend of hers was going to meet her here and they wanted to go to SPAIN.   Now her friend can’t afford to come.   Lise asked if she could stay here for two weeks (unless she finds the courage to travel by herself).  I answered what I told you:  “There is no problem at all.   I’ll be very happy to see you but I’m not sure I’ll be able to entertain you that much.”Lise even wanted me to find her a muscular, good-looking young man and now you want ‘the right woman’.   Why don’t you guys just get together!   She is not French, right?  ….
I didn’t know what to make of that.   Isn’t Lise too young for me?  Well, I have exciting news anyway.   I received a phone call from a girl who saw my ad in LA WEEKLY.   Her name is Violet Levi.   We have spoken on the phone a few times and we really enjoy our talks.   She talks a good game and seems to know Los Angeles very well.   She says she is older than me but won’t tell me her age.   We will likely be meeting very soon.  I just hope she won’t turn out to be one of those ‘wicked city women’.   She lives in Beverly Hills and works as a receptionist for a law firm.
I wrote another homemade card for mom and wrote to her while at my work desk, during my break time. December 7, 1989Hi Mom,Look at the enclosed photo.  It’s a picture of the mirror in the living room that I had installed for the entire wall.   Doesn’t it look sharp?   I like the way it looks.   The next step is THE FRENCH DOORS…then that’s it!   I do my aerobics tape in front of my TV.  That’s why there’s all that space in front of the entertainment unit.Tomorrow is my TEN YEAR mark at Pac Bell.   I hate the place.   The job is gross.  I’m determined to get a field sales job elsewhere because this ‘in the office’ stuff is getting to me.I’m looking forward to Christmas weekend.  It will be fun.   Don’t forget our date at MEXICALI ROSE.   We can go on the night I fly-in (Friday) if you take that day off.   Saturday night is okay, also.It was neat calling the other day and hearing Ashley’s voice.  I can’t wait until you and Ash come over to L.A. to visit me.   We can go to Disneyland ‘and stuff’.  I miss our OLE’S WAFFLE SHOP breakfast.   We’ll make up for it next time I’m up or you’re down.   When you’re down we can go to the OLD WORLD RESTAURANT.Oh well, I have to pretend I’m working so I will close for now.Until the next phone call and/or letter.  Love, Michael

I found a cool bike parked on a field ‘card/ with a delicious blueberry pie in the foreground.  I had to mail it to Paloma since I hadn’t replied to her last correspondence yet.  I wrote the following in the card:
Dec. 7, 1989Hi Paloma,La Vielle Ville Reve de l’Argentine is a nice scene.  That’s funny that it took so long for you to receive my cards!  I better put 2 stamps form now on when I don’t have a foreign one.  Sorry.  Oh well, at least you got it.  WOW…Lisa is already 21.  Time flies.
Sherri doesn’t know if it’ll be a boy or a girl—but, of course, you know what we’re all hoping for (boy!).
I like L.A., so far.  Yes, I moved all of my furniture here from Alameda.  My place is smaller than the one in Alameda but it’s nice.  I’ll be flying home for Christmas weekend though.  That’ll be fun.I’m going to Newport Beach with a friend of mine named Alan who lives in Santa Monica.
I’ll keep you posted…I wish we could go bike riding and then pull over for a piece of pie.  Ha-ha.
Later, Love MICHAEL
Alan met me for lunch again near my office at that seafood place.   It’s so nice that he’s willing to come to see me midday because it breaks the monotony of my work day.  In fact, it’s the most exciting part of my day.  It’s just that the time flies so quickly.  I learned that Alan has two daughters.  One daughter is about nine or ten years old.  The other daughter is about six years old.   He’s separated from his wife and a divorce is under way.  He really likes me.  I can tell.   I like him, too.  We may go to Newport Beach for a weekend after the Christmas holiday.  We’ll see.
Dorothy remembered about my ‘ten year anniversary’ at PAC BELL and sent a special anniversary card with these words imprinted on it: BEYOND THE CLOUDS, BEHIND THE RAIN, THERE ARE A THOUSAND RAINBOWS.   ONE IS FINDING ITS WAY TO YOU. Happy Anniversary Michael!You won’t get this card by Dec. 8th but you can be sure I’ll be thinking of you and sending congratulations for hanging in there!   You didn’t think you could do it…but you have!Whatever you do now is all up to you.   The important thing to remember is you have CHOICES!   I’ll continue to cheer you one (as long as you don’t get yourself in the Chevy Station Wagon Syndrome. Ha!In any case, ten years is definitely a cause for celebration.  I hope you managed to do something wild and wonderful to mark the day!   Ember:  The eagle flies strong and free, with keenness of vision!  But then again, who said you wanted to make like a bird?  Ha!Happy Anniversary, Love Dorothy
Alan has also been very encouraging of me, explaining that many people come to L.A to make their dreams come true.   “There’s no reason why you can’t make your dreams come true.”   Alan and I had a HOT DATE to celebrate this Friday night, December 8th.  I was quite excited about it all week.   It was our first real ‘night out’ date other than the initial early evening meeting at MICKEYS.  The Newport Beach day and the couple of lunch meets near my workplace don’t really count.   This will determine ‘in my view’ if we will lead to anything more.   As my friend and former SF co-worker, Carla Guzman, would say, “Why waste your time?”
And so…my doorbell rang.  I answered my phone but didn’t press ‘9’ to let Alan come up to my pad.  Instead, I said, “I’ll be right down!”Alan was at the door and I walked with him to his parked car around the corner.   “I made a reservation at a place on La Brea called LOUIS XIV,” Alan said.“Okay, great.”“It’s a French restaurant.”
“I’m sure it will be good.”
There were wood floors there and it was dark, romantic and a little bit like a spooky scene from ‘Dark Shadows’.   I liked the chandeliers and the red velvet curtains and overall feeling of it.   We were seated at a table of two on the upper level.   The waiter asked if we’d like to see a wine list.Alan answered, “Yes.”
He seemed to know wines to a certain extent and chose a Chateauneuf-du-Pape.   It tasted delicious with the steak frites we ordered.   We had some very interesting conversation.   I chose to cut-to-the-chase.  I’ve been burned before in other relationships and I didn’t want to waste my time (or his), so I asked the most vital question in my book.  His answer would depend on how I would feel about him.I asked, “Is there really a future in a man-to-man relationship?”Alan hesitated a moment and said, “I don’t see why not?”I was quite surprised that he said this.  It meant he was open to ‘us’.  I was still finding myself.   Did I really know what I wanted myself?   He was so interesting to me.   This first evening was great.   The wine helped to loosen us up, too. I excused myself to go to the restroom and there was a hip guy in a black leather jacket and boots at the next urinal to mine.  It was that actor from that sexy Kim Basinger movie called “Nine ½ Weeks”.   After I told Alan about it I remembered his name as Mickey Rourke.   Alan didn’t seem too phased by it.   I had a mini-star struck feeling but he looked like a biker dude type in real life.  After dinner I ran upstairs to get my West Hollywood Parking Permit so that Alan could park freely across the street.   He came up to my place and I think he was a little surprised that I owned the condo.  I guess he thought I was just renting an apartment.   We kissed and it was nice.   He stayed the night and left in the morning.
We went for Sunday morning breakfast at a place nearby, and then he left for Santa Monica.   I wanted to spend more time with him.  I think he felt the same but it was probably good for us to have a little space to think things over.  I knew I would speak to him later that night over the telephone.
A couple of days later I received a cool card and package from my Alameda bicycle riding pal, Birda. 12-10-89  Michael,I was out shopping and saw this bike.  I had to get it for your new home.  The fake plant was an afterthought for some Christmas Cheer.  After the New Year you’ll have to get a green plant.  I would have sent one but I don’t think it would have made it alive by mail.  Hope everything is wonderful.  Hope your holiday happiness hits a new high!Always, Birda
I loved the bike and the plant.   It was so thoughtful of her.   I feel quite lucky.The next day I made another postcard for my mom with a basted turkey photo.   I wrote:
Mom:I can’t wait for your Xmas dinner.  Do you remember this card?   And how do you like my return address label stickers?   I shouldn’t write to you so often because I can’t be using up all of my stamps you know. Ha-ha.  I still haven’t bought Leigh or Holly anything.  I’m taking a pretend legal/doctor appointment on Thursday, so I may go to the Beverly Shopping Center to look around.   Yeah…Newport Beach was nice.   It reminded me a little bit of Carmel-by-the-Sea.   I’ll keep you posted on the latest ‘happenings’ as always.  I already got a tan from my Orange County Coastal visit.   I really feel like I’m on vacation and it doesn’t end.  Ha-ha.  I just hate this place (you know where that is:  WORK).  I hope Lee Bell from BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL offers me a job.  I’m dreaming’.Love You, Michael
I didn’t mention Alan too much in the card.  Mom already knew I’d gone to Newport Beach with him as I had mentioned this when we talked on the telephone.   My time with Alan goes so swiftly that it really does always feel like I’m on vacation.  He’s a lot of fun.
The following day I received another Christmas card (the homemade kind) from my ex-roommate and pal from Alameda (Michael G Miller). 12-12-89Michael,MERRY CHRISTMAS 1989 (written in crayon with a PEACE symbol).Here’s a card for the season.  I hope West Hollywood suits you well.  I’m sure you’ll probably have had enough of the scenes on the card by now but I couldn’t resist.  Happiness to you during the holidays and always.  Maybe I’ll see you for New Year’s 1990 down in the L.A. area.P.S.  There’s significance in the tilted PEACE sign up above.  Significance to me at least in that there are too many PEACE signs around today making them meaningless.   So I made my own style for the real PEACE (I guess).  Or how about for the originality…so much for that subject.Take Care.  Michael M. from Alameda.
“First feelings are always the most natural.”--Louis XIV, 
King of France from 1643-1715.