The Dana Street Saga

Life in Berkeley thirty years ago;
Searching for love and meaning

Wednesday, September 26, 1973 - 8:45 AM

Today is sunny and very windy, rattling the windows.

Last night I went to the movies. I called Karen's new number to invite her, but she wasn't home. She'd told me she's in a play, so that may be where she was.

Anyway, I saw Steelyard Blues, which wasn't all that good despite Drew's recommendation. Then I switched theatres (in the same building) and saw Heavy Traffic, which was a drag, and Where Does it Hurt?, which was also pretty bad.

Stopped by the Cheshire Cat afterwards, but there were no girls there, so came home.

Thursday, September 27, 1973 - 9 AM

Yesterday, after an early run to Payless, I worked on the housetruck for most of the day, cutting a window and then a trapdoor to the roof from the loft. It was a sunny, hot day, like Indian Summer.

A couple named Sandy and Paul stopped by, who were interested in the housetruck, so I showed it to them. They have a stepvan too, further down Parker, and they invited me to come look at it.

Later a Dutch guy named Martin took some pictures of it. He said he was doing a picture story on mobile homes.

Still later, another couple named Paul and Charlotte came by and took more pictures. They're also doing a similar project, and knew Martin.

I invited Eda for a motorcycle ride in the afternoon, but she declined, as she thinks she's coming down with a cold, wanted to stay home and rest up.

After dinner, I wrote a letter to Brad. Thanked him for his hospitality, told him I was interested in his valley, but needed a girlfriend to share it with before I'd think of moving up there, told him about my new housetruck, and made tentative plans about the trip east. Told him we'd want to leave by Tuesday, October 9th.

Listened to part of the Allman Brothers Concert on the radio in the kitchen, and finally went out around 11 PM.

Went to Pierre's, but it seemed dead, so I rode over to the Cheshire Cat. There I saw Meredith, who was surprised to see me back so soon.

She told me they'd gotten sick on their trip to Mexico and had decided to come back early. She wished me a belated Happy Birthday. I was surprised she remembered.

I'd forgotten her birthday, but she told me it was December 8th. I told her about my housetruck, suggested she come over and see it.

I looked downstairs at Hard Times, but it was dead. Upstairs, I danced with a girl named Dierdre, who was a friend of Margo, Don's friend.

After awhile I left, and rode back to Pierre's.

There was a fairly attractive girl there who was earlier sitting with Danny, and our eyes met a couple of times. She seemed interested or open, but didn't do anything about it.

As I was standing near the door, another girl came over to me and kissed me. I'd seen her before, and though she wasn't all that attractive to me, she had good vibes, liked me, so I was open to her.

Her name was Michelle. We spent quite awhile hugging and kissing, and dancing slow. She introduced me to the girl with Danny. Her name was Vickie. She said she was on a bunch of Valiums.

At one point, Michelle asked me if I would spend the night with her. She said she knew I might not be all that attracted to her, but she would really like to make love to me. How could I refuse an offer like that?

Anyway, after awhile, Michelle and I left to come home together. She's a friend of Eddie's and will be sharing an apartment with him. We got home, smoked a joint, put on some records, and undressed, then went to bed and made love.

She went down on me soon, so I subsequently did her, and soon we were doing sixty-nine. We took a long time and made good love. She wanted to do it again before we went to sleep, but soon fell asleep herself.

In the morning it was sunny and bright, so we woke up early and started in again. We did sixty-nine again, and made love again for a long time. It was a good sexy scene.

It felt good to be with a woman again, even though she's not the type of girl I'd get involved with. But it was a straight sex scene and was therefore okay. That is, there weren't any emotional expectations.

Finally we got up, and she left for the Med, where she was to meet someone before going to work at Pants-for-Less.

Today I'm going to get back into my project.

Friday, September 28, 1973 - 10:30 AM

Yesterday was sunny and very hot. I worked on the housetruck most of the day, weather-stripping the trap door, and scraping and caulking the roof.

Also took a walk, played some pinball, had soup for dinner at John's Soup Kitchen.

Started a letter to Lyndy last night. After awhile, I drank some beer and smoked a joint in the kitchen with Randy, Pat, and Dave. I was really tired by 10, so came up and went to bed.

I finished the letter this morning. Here's what I said:

Dear Lyndy,

As you can see I finally got those pictures back that I took of you that night. I was happy that one of them came out really good, and I'm enclosing a copy for you. I love your smile and the sparkle in your eyes (even if they did come out red). I must have looked at it a hundred times already. I hope you like it. The one of me isn't so great, but it's the only one I have since I shaved off my beard. It was taken in our backyard here in Berkeley.

Since I last wrote you, I bought myself a truck. It's a '51 Ford bread truck that's been converted into a camper or housecar. It's got a gas stove which runs off a propane tank, plus a sink with running water in the kitchen section. And it's got a sleeping loft built on top with a ladder up to it inside. It's really pretty far out. Also it's got a rebuilt '66 Ford engine, which is in pretty fair shape. It looks sort of like this. --> (drawing)

I've been working on it for the last few days, making some repairs and modifications, and I still have a fair amount to do before I'm ready to go traveling in it. For one thing, I want to build a rack for my motorcycle on the back, so I'll have that for local transportation wherever I am.

I've been thinking about something like this for awhile, so when I found this one for sale for $700, I decided now was the time. As I told you before, I've been getting sort of tired of Berkeley, so I figure I'll explore other communities in California or elsewhere, living in the truck, staying in one place for a month or two, 'til it's time to move on, or 'til I find a place I really like.

Anyway, I'm getting sort of excited by the idea, though I really wish I had someone like you to do it with.

Lyndy, I'm still so hung up on you. Since knowing you I just can't get interested in anyone else. I felt such a sense of wholeness and joy when we were together. It seemed like we were destined to be together. Now I feel like part of me is missing, and I feel so helpless, that there's nothing I can do to get you back.

I loved you the best I could, yet it doesn't seem to matter. I guess I'll get over you eventually, Lyndy, if I must, but I sure do wish we could have each other again. You're everything I want in a woman, and I'd sure do my best to keep you happy.

But I know you've got your own life to live, and I hope everything's working out well for you these days. And I hope you'll let me know if you ever have space in your life for me again.

I'm wondering where you are these days, Lyndy, and what you're doing. I hope you've been getting my letters. I have this picture in my imagination of this stack of letters sitting on a shelf at the Potato waiting for you, with cobwebs gathering around them.

Would you do me a favor, Lyndy? Would you write me a note telling me if you've gotten my letters. You don't have to write a big long letter, unless you wanted to, of course, which I'd really dig, just a note so I'd know they're getting to you. And if you have a new address, I hope you'll send it to me.

Thanks, Lyndy. I wish I knew how you really felt about me now. I don't want to be an unwelcome intrusion into your life as sometimes I feel I might be. I hope we're still good friends.

So long, Lyndy. Take care. Please write, something, anything. I love you and miss you so.
Ralph

12 Midnight

Today I goofed off most of the day. It was very hot again and I was waiting for the Verathane for the truck roof project from Mike, who was going to get it from his boss at a low price, so I didn't have much to do on the truck right now.

Anyway, I walked up the Avenue two or three times, saw Carmen selling her flowers, and had coffee at the Med with Penny.

She told me that she'd met Michelle, and that Michelle thought I was a very nice guy, liked me.

Also I rode my motorcycle up to the hills. Lake Anza was open, and there were a lot of people there, no one I knew though.

Cici came over for a visit before dinner, and I gave her a ride home. She was into our old Tom Lehrer records.

Tonight, Sheldon, Andy, Randy, Dennis, and Danny E were making music. David was over, and he and I smoked some dope, drank beer, and rapped, while they played music. He finally left around 11, and I soon went out to see what was happening.

First I went to the Cheshire Cat. Saw Eileen again. I'd seen her earlier in the day at the Med. But she gives me a very cold treatment these days. She'll notice me, then look away quickly, like she didn't see me. If our eyes do connect, she'll give me a minimal "hi."

I went downstairs, where Hard Times was pretty crowded now that school has started. Bruce let me in to "look around." I saw Vicky, a girl I danced with another night. Then I saw Sharon, and then Vickie, the girl who was with Michelle the other night. I said hi, she looked at me, said hi, but didn't give much sign of recognition.

Anyway I danced with the other Vicky once, checked out the scene, and decided not to stay, as I was pretty tired, not really into it, and didn't see anyone I was interested in. So I came home and am going to bed.

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