The Dana Street Saga

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

Sunday, August 12, 1973 - 12:30 Noon - Quogue

Went down to the beach around 1:30 yesterday afternoon. Barbara had just arrived, along with her sister Margie and Margie's boyfriend, Kenny. The sun was coming out after all. I went swimming, but she decided to wait and get warmer.

After awhile we took a beach walk heading west. At the Beach Club, we saw Jay, and I introduced her to him. Then we walked up to the Surf Club and back. We just chatted about various things in a relaxed way; her school, my childhood at Quogue, hers, etc. She was down on Beach Clubs and such things.

We were friendly, but not as close or personal as we had been the night before, perhaps in anticipation of her leaving.

On the way back, Missy saw me and waved. Also I saw David C (her ex-husband) launching a catamaran to go sailing. He still looked young, but overdeveloped, and on the heavy side. He looked like he's been lifting weights for a long time.

By the time we got back, it had turned overcast and cool, too chilly for swimming, so we sat and talked until it was time for them to go. I walked her up, wished her a nice summer, and told her I hoped I see her again.

We kissed goodbye. I waved to her as she drove out of the parking lot, and she waved back. Then I came home.

I enjoyed my brief relationship with Barbara. I felt we were good friends, could have become lovers. I recall the way she kissed, and liked it, and the openness I felt from her towards me. She was responsive to my affection. I dug her.

Last night, Betsy, Al, and Mary went to the Field Club Dance. They were all uptight when they left, as they thought they were late. So I was doubly glad I wasn't going. Finally the kids were settled down by about 10, so I got ready to go out.

Went first to the Artful Dodger. A band called Earthwood, I think, was playing, but it wasn't good dance music. I hung around awhile, but didn't see much possibility, and left for the Potato. Both places had a one dollar cover charge.

At the Potato was a group called Day Old Tradition, with an excellent girl singer. There were more people there, but I didn't see much in the way of girls I wanted to meet at first, so when they took a break, I went back to the Artful Dodger for a little while. But it was still discouraging there, so I came back to the Potato to stay, and things got better as the night progressed.

I talked to the lead singer, who was quite attractive. Her name is Susan, she lives in Quogue, plays Long Island in summer and upstate in winter. She was friendly to me, but not encouraging.

There was one girl there who reminded me a bit of Meredith. I finally asked her to dance, but she wasn't ready yet, but was friendly. Her name was Kathy. After trying once more, I tried elsewhere.

There was another girl, whose eyes I'd met a few times. I could tell she liked me, and she was attractive to me in her own way. I asked her to dance and she said "Yes." There was no one else dancing by then, so we started it off, and soon others followed.

Her name is Cameron, and she's from Bridgehampton. We stuck together for the rest of the evening (until 3 AM), dancing most of the time. We looked each other in the eye while we danced, and she smiled at me, and I at her. We shared a lot about ourselves over the course of the evening.

She's staying with her father, a businessman, at his house in Bridgehampton, but lives with her mother in Princeton, New Jersey. She went to college for a year in San Bernadino, but dropped out, and may go to a place in New Mexico.

She's working this summer doing house cleaning. Her one-time stepsister, Sarah, was with her. Another sister had been in jail in France a few months for possession of acid. It was she who had recommended the Potato.

She's a Virgo also (Aug 29), seems about 18 or 19. The vibes were good. I felt she was open to me, but she didn't respond in kind to my touches and caresses, but seemed to like them. Her intense looks into my eyes seemed to seek assurance from me that I was sincere with her.

We exchanged addresses and phone numbers. I told her I'd like to see the movie, Blume in Love with her, and we tentatively decided to do it, if we can find the time to. I'll probably call her this evening.

I feel we became pretty good friends, but Bridgehampton is so far away. We kissed goodnight, and I got home around 3:30 AM, and went to bed.

Awoke this morning as Betsy, Chris, Mariquita, and Jeff were leaving at daybreak to take Mariquita to camp in New Hampshire, and Jeff home to Winchester, Massachusetts. Then I went back to sleep until about 11.

Al, Mary, Penny M, and Jonny went sailing. Cici and I are here alone all of a sudden.

Today started off as a sunny good beach day, but it has become quite hazy again, like yesterday.

Last night, before I went out, Cici and I called Penny again in Berkeley. We'd gotten a postcard from her, indicating that our good friend Brad had arrived in Berkeley. But she told us he'd left for Oregon on Saturday morning, after having had a high time with Penny and her friends.

Penny said that he felt that it might really be over with Gail this time, but he's going back to Ann Arbor anyway, he thinks.

Monday, August 13, 1973 - 10 AM

Dream: I was a spectator. Someone had been murdered at a gas station. The gas station owners had been convicted, but there was some law that said all would have to be executed if the ones in charge were guilty, or something like that. But, in the part I was watching, one of the lower employees was being questioned, and it came out that he was a fanatic and had seen "evil" in the victim, and he killed evil people, so had killed the victim. His confession freed the gas station owners. Then the killer broke and ran. A cop raised a rifle and shot, sending the killer sprawling. But in a minute he jumped up and ran again, but was shot down again. The next time, when the cop caught up with him, he threw sand in the cop's face and ran again, but he was eventually killed, I think.

In what seemed to be a rerun of the incident, like in a movie, I was with Penny. I'd seen it before and she hadn't, and I was warning her not to get too close, etc., but she wasn't paying much attention, and there was some friction between us. That's about all.

12:20 Noon

Yesterday got hazy again in early afternoon. Al, Mary, Penny, and Jonny went sailing, so just Cici and I were at home. We went to town and back.

Some friends of Betsy and Al's from Port Washington, stopped by. Since neither Betsy nor Al were home, I acted as host, going down to the beach with them and their three kids. Took a swim, but it soon clouded over. After awhile, they left for Montauk.

I went back down to the beach, where the girl from next door was, and I went over and talked with her. She's German, is named Elinor, and is 18. She's visiting in Connecticut with some people who are visiting next door.

She was fairly attractive, but so young and innocent that I really didn't know what to do with her. She had a button saying, "Kiss me, I'm German," and she took a picture of me with her Minox.

We took a walk together down past the Beach Club, talking of California (her dream place), Germany, her school, Hermann Hesse, and other things. It was pleasant, but with no future. She doesn't really appeal to me all that much.

I called Cameron last evening to see if it would be a good evening to go see Blume in Love, but she didn't think so, as she had to watch a child for the evening, and was tired, didn't want to come all the way to Westhampton, but we agreed to see it in Sag Harbor on Wednesday.

She was glad I called, and still seemed open to me.

I stayed home last night, played some Sorry with the kids, and went to bed around 10.

Today is sunny, windy, with blue sky. We all (Mary, Penny M, Cici, and I) went to market and to Westhampton this morning. I paid ($25). Guess I'll go down to the beach after awhile.

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