musings

Woke up to find myself dead.

However, another ice-cream day so postponed my ascension. About 3pm the sky turned black and big blobs of rain started to fall. Went to a sort of snack bar place for a change. Sat drinking coffee (replenished free) and writing to family. Eventually the rain eased off and I set out once more. Worked out that I listen to that damned jingle 960 times a day.

Have been working now for 11 days. Must ask Steve about a day off. Returned earlier than usual because Brian was taking us to a carnival. However when we got there it had gone, presumably because of weather. Visited his sister to swap the Buick we were in for the family Cadillac. Latter not all that good. Electric seats, windows, locks and four cigar lighters but a bit cramped.

Returned to our apartment and talked for a while. Had a shower and hit the sack.

Set off late again today because it was really bad weather. Thundered so much in the night I thought the house would fall down. My roof has several leaks in it.

Hot clammy day, in the 80’s and really sunny. Forgot to put in dry ice and within an hour everything was melting. Had to travel the 30 bloody miles back to the depot and put some in. Thus spent $10 on petrol. Made $20 commission so not very lucrative.

As Peter has Sundays off, I decided to go with the others to the apartment. First we went to Fottenbotten’s bar and I was asked for ID on the way in. Luckily because I was English in the confusion I slipped in. We had met up with Cathy and Mike whom the others already knew. Kathy is a maid at the Mentor Inn where we stayed on the 4th. Mike (Duda) had chatted to her in the bar in his English accent (used to escape ID because he is only 20). He is now in a Billy Liar situation and has to keep up pretence.

They both took us to their AC apartment. 400 records and nice stereo. Gave us beer and wine and showed us various books. Kathy cooked some pizzarias (?) like ravioli only made with pancake mixture filled with pizza. For some reason they had a pig embryo (or newborn) preserved in a jar which they passed around for us to see. They showed us their back room which contained hundreds of magazines; Silver Surfer, Marvel and DC Comics, underground papers and Penthouses. Hundreds of pounds worth of collectors’ items.

About 3am we decided to leave. Made us promise to return on Monday. Very nice, friendly people. Mike drove us to the apartment. It’s a good place: living room, kitchen, two bedrooms, bathroom and loads of closets. Radio, clock, fridge, cooker etc for $40 each per month. Not bad.

Two double beds so Mike slept on a couch. It was so warm we slept in Y’s with no sheets and windows wide open.

Nothing really outstanding has taken place this week. Today when we arrived at the depot all crowded round the burnt-out shell of a truck. Had rolled whilst being towed down the freeway. Petrol had ignited and completely gutted the van. No one hurt, miraculously. Hung around waiting for my horn to be fixed.

On the way to my route I passed a car in flames - smoke everywhere. Took about $80 which wasn’t too low by usual standards, considering how late I set out.

We fixed up an apartment today. On Lake Shore Boulevard wherever that is. I paid my share but I still haven’t seen it.

Thank God this diary is now up to date. Maybe now I can start some letters.

Am now staying at the home of Pieter whom I trained with. His parents seem V civilized and intelligent: mother a paediatrician with a surgery built on to the house.  Father is a retired architect whose own father rebuilt a Bhuddist temple overseas. He is a Bhuddist and teaches meditation. House is all wood (as are all the houses in Ohio, it seems) and carved by father.

Pieter’s day off but he drove me in. Business was a bit brisker than usual but not marvellous.

Evening: decided to stay out and therefore go out with the lads. Saved cadging a lift to Pieter’s place too. Mike drove us (John, DB and Shôn the Welsh guy we had tried to find) to Fottenbotten’s, a bar in Willoughby. Because it was Sunday they sold only draught ‘3-2′ beer called Michelob (3-2 meant 3.2.% alcohol and therefore lighter than normal beer). No spirits.

Mike pretended to be English because it was the only way to avoid showing ID to prove he was 21. Luckily they didn’t ask. Bartender wore a holster with a CS gas aerosol in it. Beer came in ‘glasses’ (presumably half pint) for 50c. Had some popcorn which comes in sealed dishes and which is heated on a machine which joggles the aluminium dish. Suddenly the corn starts to pop and the polythene seal rises and the machine stops. Met a guy with firecrackers and we went outside and let some off.

Eventually we decided to leave and get a motel room for the night. John had met two girls and gone off with them (which peeved Mike a bit). DB booked the room and we all piled in later. Not before Mike had shown me his CS aerosol which he carries in his truck. Unfortunately he pressed the button and it stuck down so we all scrambled out of the car. I caught a whiff and my eyes and mouth stung like mad.

Motel room very plush for $20 - colour TV, AM FM radio, pile carpet, free ice etc. Eventually got to bed. About 4am John arrived, first phoning and then battering on the door. I thought it was a maid come to tell us to turn off the radio but, looking through a spy hole in the door I saw it was John. Let him in; he was a bit angry. We omitted to leave a note on the car seat saying which room (actually Mike deliberately didn’t).

Woke at 11am feeling dead. Turned up at Penguin and fell into truck and rolled out for another day’s selling.

I had to inventory the truck (a brown Dodge once used by the US Mail, a bit smaller than a Transit, perhaps) and then order some more to supplement the stock. I hate inventorying trucks. Steve helped me with the order. By the time I had finished, the freezer was a bit of a mess. Different lines all jumbled up with each other so I couldn’t tell what was where.

Driving to my route was a bit hair-raising. I was terrified not only of my big truck - LHD - but also of the cars whizzing past the windows on the left and right. However I made it to my route, getting neither lost nor killed in the process. The hard part came when I had to systematically cruise down each street. Even with the help of a map I kept on retracing my steps and kids would say “Hey mister, how come you came down here a whole buncha times?”

Presumably I also missed out lots of roads too. I sold about $38 worth of ice-cream. Bit depressing and embarrassing but only my first day after all.