The Perfect Gentleman

My fatigue almost sickens me.  I could sleep under the trees until this evening, but I shall not do it.  It must be my nerves that make me feel this urge to write.   And the reason I am so nervous is that everything I do now is leading me to one of three possible futures:To the womanTo Solitude (or the living death in which I spent the past few years, an impossibility now that I have seen the woman), orTo a horrible sentence.Which one will it be?  Time alone will tell.   But still I know that writing this diary can perhaps provide the answer, it may even help produce the right future. –Adolfo Bioy Casares, THE INVENTION OF MOREL
I went to the Maple Drive Restaurant in Beverly Hills for a drink.  I met a woman at the bar named Rose Simkins.  She was rather tall, attractive and smart.  She worked in the building in a law office for an Entertainment Company.  She found it refreshing that I wasn’t the typical plastic L.A. person.  I suppose she meets a lot of them.  She is probably in her mid-30’s.   I liked conversing with her and I felt I made a new friend.  Maybe we’ll go out for lunch sometime.  She gave me her telephone number; however, I don’t see the two of ‘us’ as a couple.  Time will tell.
I am already trying to work out a couple of weekends for my mom to come down to visit me.  I miss her and she is excited about another three or four-day weekend visit.   She is still watching her soap-opera BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL and ‘sometimes’ watches THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS though she is losing interest as all of the old regular cast members seem to be leaving.   I wrote to the Producer of both shows, Lee Phillip Bell:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Phillip_Bell In the letter I explained how my mother has been watching THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS since “Day 1” in 1973 and that she is coming to visit me in February 1990.   I continued to ask if we could meet her and visit the CBS-TV Studio where they tape the soap opera.   I am hoping she will reply in an affirmative way.  I didn’t tell my mother about it because I want to surprise her.   It won’t be a surprise if I don’t get a reply, so I’m crossing my fingers.
I received one of my first Christmas Cards in my condo mailbox.   It was from mom, of course.  Ha-ha.  She wrote:
12-89Dear Mike,…see you in two weeks.   I sure miss you.   Sue Miller sent me a Christmas Card.   She asked for you to call her when you get into tow.   It’s 11 o’clock, Monday mornings.  It’s so windy outside and all of my leaves are falling from the front yard tree. Take Care.   See you for Xmas.Love You,MOM
A day or so later I received another letter from Paloma.   She reminded me about that cool belt that I loaned her and she never returned to me because of her au pair child in the Berkeley Hills (Lisa) who kept it.  I wonder if I will ever retrieve it.   Paloma wrote me as if she was trying to be a matchmaker.  Here is an excerpt of her latest masterpiece:
…Lisa speaks English very well…and maybe if you’re nice enough she could even give you your belt back!   Here is her phone number:  415-526-3301.   She still lives in Berkeley but not with her mom anymore.   This way it would be easier to show you around at the same time.   She speaks French.  You could travel with her and this way Alexandre would not be jealous.  
Alexandre likes you.  You’ve sent him bottles of wine.  He keeps them like jewels and shows them to everybody but I still know him (so forget about you and I going to a disco alone together).  I can relate to that though.  Thinking about it I don’t think I could stand him going out with a girlfriend without me (especially if they had been writing to each other for years and if I couldn’t understand a word of what they’re writing each other!).   We’re very old-fashioned I guess. 
…but you are planning to come with a friend, right?   Who is he?…talking about something else for now, I just say A FISH CALLED WANDA, the movie.   I like Jamie Lee Curtis.  She has a gorgeous body.  It was all right.  I thought it was going to be better.  
…even before you told me that story about Richard Gere I didn’t like him that much anymore.  Tastes change.  I loved him in AMERICAN GIGOLO and BREATHLESS but I wasn’t that crazy about him in his other movies.    The actor I like now is Kurt Russel.   In fact I’ve liked him for a long time (ever since I saw ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK).   I just saw a pretty funny movie with him and his wife (if she still is), Goldie Hawn.  Is there any gossip about him?  I also saw his last movie with Sylvester Stallone because of him.  I think I already told you it was awful (Tango and Cash).  What a disappointment!
What I found gross in your story is now what men do.   That’s their business.  It’s what they do to the gerbil.  That’s really cruel.  I know how cruel people can be.  That’s something I’ll never understand.   It’s like yesterday I watched T.V. about the Ceausescu’s Process.  Is that the right word?  Or maybe his trial is better (?).  I don’t know but they’re killing.  It’s pretty unbelievable that you can see things like that on T.V. nowadays.  Have you seen that?  I have to go now.  I’ll write again very soon.Love, Paloma
I did a bit of research and learned that Paloma was referring to NICOLAE CEAUSESCU, the Romanian Communist Politician.  In November 1989, the XIVth Congress of the Romanian Communist Party saw Ceaușescu, then aged 71, re-elected for another five years as the leader. During the Congress, Ceaușescu made a speech denouncing the anti-Communist revolutions happening throughout the rest of Eastern Europe.  But the following month, Ceaușescu's regime itself collapsed after a series of violent events in Timişoara and Bucharest in December 1989.
It’s TRUE about Alan and me.   We have talked about taking a trip together.  We may just do a weekend in Newport Beach in the very near future; however, we’ve talked briefly about going to Europe together next year at some point.  In the meantime, we’re having fun in our courtship phase.   I prefer to call it our INTRODUCTORY Phase (which ends on exactly the 12-months after we met, so that's November 20, 1990).   We recently went out to see the new movie starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Roses_(film)
It was really good and revolved around the difficulty of a couple getting a divorce.   Alan made me laugh after the film when he said, “That’s EXACTLY what it’s like!”    He would know first-hand as he is still going through the steps of his own divorce from his wife.
The following day I received another delightful card from Dorothy Rua.  The image depicted a photo from 1986 by Joe Mineau of a Chinese man at his desk, in front of a desktop computer and a giant hand reaching down over him via the ceiling.   The title of the card was ‘GOD DOESN’T USE A COMPUTER’.   I think Dorothy was teasing me as she probably pictured me in front of my word processer, typing away.   She wrote:
12-13-89Michael,I’m late answering your last “creation” which I really enjoyed.   The embracing couple seems to be very much IN LOVE, yet a bit sad.  I like her classic beauty and he has an innocence ab out him.  Do I read too much into these “innovations” of yours?
I’m glad you enjoyed my mermaid card.   Funny you mentioned a “shining light about the waves”.  I never noticed the light.  Thanks for pointing it out.  I need to know it’s there.
So, the “stars” are already checking you out, huh?  I can just imagine your subtle approval behind those sunglasses!   Something incredible is sure to happen to you down there.  Let’s hope it is fun and exciting, too!  Ha!
Thanks for offering to show your home should I visit.  You’re a sweetheart!   As far as privacy goes there’s no doubt in my mind you’d be the perfect gentleman(perhaps to my dismay! Ha!).   Actually, I’d be more concerned about intruding on your privacy and cramping your style, place….remember, I snore!  I remember how your roommate drove you crazy during your last Hawaii trip.  I can just see pillows…shoes…lamps…etc. being thrown through your bedroom door onto my head on the living room sofa!   Well, if I ever make it down I’ll just bring my helmet!
You managing to get through your workday in spite of the sunshine, palm trees, and bikini clad bodies you imagine are romping on the beaches must be tough.  
Previously, you mentioned reviewing the Sunday want ads…anything interesting?  What?  Jane Fonda’s escort to Hollywood parties!  Just be sure Tom Hanks (The Tom Cat) hasn’t taken all of her money!
I’ve been SO busy lately that I haven’t even been into the City since the earthquake!  I’m going NUTS!   Poor, poor me!  However, I did manage to have a fun day recently.  I met with a group of friends I used to work with at Santa Barbara Savings (a Crazy Bunch).  In the process of everyone trying to catch up on what everyone else has been up to a couple of the single girls began telling us what great sexy they’ve been having with the guys they’re seeing.  They went ON and ON with RoseMarie finally saying, “Am I the ONLY one here not getting good sex on a regular basis?”   Simultaneously, the three married females replied, “You’re the only SINGLE one that’s not!”   You can imagine how interesting the conversation became after that outbreak!
Later that evening I was talking to my sister in Hawaii—who, by the way, is quite a character, and always makes me laugh.   During the course of our conversation she told me my restless ness is a curse each of us STOICOVY Sisters was born with!   She said recently she told her husband, “If things didn’t perk-up around the old home front she was going to adopt a child…a twenty-five year old male!”  Ha!
By the end of that day I felt sure that the old Christmas verse “TIS THE SEASON” must mean “TIS THE SEASON TO BE HORNY!”  Okay, okay, I’ll be good—besides don’t want anyone telling Santa!  Yes, I’ve GOT to head west, through the tunnel!
I saw and enjoyed THE FABULOUS BAKER BOYS.  Have you seen it?   What did you think?   Have a favorite scene?  I did.
Oh, I was in a small shop in the mall (as much as I hate to admit it) when who should I run into?  Your old girlfriend, the Big M.   She hugged me and went ON and ON about how she wished she’d taken the time to get to know me better when I was at the SRC (Smart Resource Center)!   My question is…WHY?  Anyway, she was shopping for a gift to put under the SRC Christmas Tree for Ron Cole!   What would you suggest?  Ha!  It’s SO hard to be good.  I’m running out of room her.  More later…Love, Dorothy
Her letters amuse me.   I quickly picked up the phone after reading it and called Alan Freiman.“Hello?”“Hi, it’s me.”“I just got a letter from my good friend, Dorothy, in the Bay Area.   She tells me that movie THE FABULOUS BAKER BOYS is really good.   I thought you might want to go see it with me.”“Yeah, sure,” Alan perked up, “When do you want to go?”

I found a fantastic Christmas card of a gal with very BIG hair at the local card shop around the corner from me called 'a-ha' here in West Hollywood.  I decided to send it to Paloma but kept my words brief: 

Paloma, 
Have a Really BIG Christmas!
Cheers to New Beginnings in 1990.
I hope you have the BEST Xmas with your family.
Keep me posted on the latest going-ons.
I'd write more but I'm doing multiple Xmas cards and I want to get it over with.  Ha.  Thinking of You, Love, Michael
“…things like pictures, poetry, all that kind of stuff, she said they revealed what you were like inside.  She said they revealed your soul.”--Kazuo Ishiguro, NEVER LET ME GO, a novel