Inappropriate, but not Unlawful

"It's wonderful to have a friend like you..someone to depend upon and come back to."
-Nial Kent
"The Divided Path"

I was seated outside at Monsoon Café at 2PM on Thursday, September 16th (a few days ago) in Santa Monica, California when two police officers walked by. I overheard just four words.

One officer said to the other, “Inappropriate, but not unlawful.”

After a bit of discussion on the matter (with Alan Freiman) we took it to mean that one can get away with a lot in this town without it being ‘against the law’.

My advice:
When in doubt just be GOOD!

Twenty-five years ago today:

September 22, 1984
Saturday

I’m getting my car a ‘clean through’ in terms of changing oil, filter and lube at Gomes Tire Service over in Oakland. Then I plan to head over to Great Western Savings for a loan of $5000 at a fixed-rate for one year to clear my credit card debt.
“Ugh to those damn credit cards with nineteen to seventeen percent annual percentage rates!”

I learned that Great Western does not accept personal loans, only mortgage and home equity loans. And so, it’s their loss. I will have to see Patelco Credit Union next week sometime.

Once I arrived home at 9:15AM (or so) Suzy Miller called to invite me to Ole’s Waffle Shop for breakfast. She treated me and it was quaint conversation. It seems that every time I go to Ole’s now there is someone to look at or there is someone that finds me interesting to look at. I guess that is a good thing. I must be eye-catching. Suzy is eye-catching, too.

I went bicycling after Suzy looked at some pictures that I had over at my mom’s house. Suzy didn’t feel like biking right away. She wanted to lie out and catch some sun rays for a while first.

I went cycling and I saw the blond girl from Denmark that I met when Wayne, Paul and I went to Baxter’s nightclub that night. She’s a bit OW (overweight).

I also met Alfonse who is from Colombia. He is looking for a job and a place to live. We had a good talk. I don’t know too much about this chap, so I’m playing it cool. I saw the movie SCARFACE and don’t want any Colombia drug lords in my life.
Suzy still did not end up biking with me today because she thought I wasn’t coming over. Instead, she promised a fellow apartment mate a bike ride alongside him as he jogged.
“Oh, okay,” I said after she explained that one.

Then I went home and expected Frank Vasconcellos to call me. He never did.

I decided to go to the movies with Suzy instead. At about 6:30PM when I was just walking out the door the telephone rang. It was Karen Jackson (of England) calling me from San Francisco.
“Hello. I called to see what you were up to. I thought you might want to go out tonight.
“Well, I just made plans with my friend, Frank. I will call you tomorrow about going out on Sunday night,” I replied, knowing full well I would not be able to go out for ‘short on cash’ reasons.
“Oh, well, I just returned from Santa Cruz anyway. That will be good,” Karen said.

I spent one-hundred dollars real quick:
$20 for gas
$20 for BART ticket
$20 for Oil, Lube and Filter change
$20 for Dinner and movie with Suzy
$20 for miscellaneous lunch, and photo developing

Suzy and I went to see a ‘Sneak Preview’ screening of ‘Irreconcilable Differences’ but ended up seeing ‘Windy City’ instead from 9:30pm to 11:30pm. We shared a small pizza at ‘Ye Olde Pizza Joint’. It was fun. We had a good time. There was no kiss goodnight sharing but then again I didn’t make the initiation for one. I wondered if she would have liked me to kiss her.

That kissing thought was immediately erased when Suzy said, “That flick reminded me of Don, my ex-boyfriend.” I thought that was a shitty thing to say to me. We decided against dancing over at the Black Angus.
“I feel I am a party pooper tonight,” Suzy said.

I dropped Suzy off at her apartment, went home, jerked myself a soda and started to sleep.

PHOTO: 1980s,
Paloma

I decided to telephone Paloma. She was really very happy to hear from me. We kept it brief but it was nice to hear her voice once again.

Paloma will call me tomorrow and we shall carry on with our 'catching up' conversation.

Already her beauty was now too full-blown, too opulent.
A rose, wide open to its fullest extent, just at the moment before it begins to fade.
-Nial Kent
"The Divided Path: