Are You A Deer ?

A deer never travels more than a mile from where it was born and always walks in the paths of its ancestors.
-Richard Price
"A Lush Life"

And since we are on the subject of "deer" here is a very significant scene that will only take two minutes of your time:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eHr-9_6hCg

Twenty-five years ago today:

October 18, 1984
Thursday

While at my appointment at the Female Health Center yesterday I heard about a Bay Area Bike Club. It has continued to cross my mind. I read about it in a book at the Center called The Joy of Gay Sex (of all places!).

Today Bobbie Renbarger’s mind was all on getting VIP’d (Voluntary Individual Retirement Plan). Bobbie said she saw Shirley McClaine last night on some movie or program. She recalled a key line that Shirley stated: “When one door is closed, there’s always another open door elsewhere.” It may not have been exactly that but it was along those lines. I loved that.

The problem with receiving telephone calls in our section was repaired. I am beginning to really feel like part of the office now. I took a lot of telephone calls today.

“I want that Woody Wood Pecker T-shirt. I may even go over tonight to get it!” I screeched at Karyn Kossoff during early break time today.

Bobbie was able to venture on home at noon today but she waited for me at one o’clock to have lunch. We had lunch with Mary Halvorson-Monroe who happened to be seated nearby. I actually went to junior high and high-school with Mary Halvorson. She is a personnel counselor now. She told us about an $18,000-$24000 + commission job with some firm that deals with computers. The job is based in England (United Kingdom) though. It sounded good ‘at the time’ but I want something with $35,000 plus!

I accompanied Karyn to the bank during our late break.

I was able to go home at 4pm (thanks to Lee Chandler, Assistant Manager). I used BART transportation today, deposited my $639 paycheck and went home to relax. There was junk mail to rummage through along with a MasterCard bill for $4,600 which made me pout.

I telephoned a fellow named Michael John of Different Spokes Bike Club.
“I’ll send you a newsletter,” Michael John said. “We have some one-hundred and sixty members currently.”
It all sounds exciting. I want to ride to new, adventurous places. I may look into this Club after all.

Helen arrived not long after my warm shower. She brought in some leftover Chinese Food. That was sweet of her to think of me. She ended up going out with my brother, Tony, for dinner at some Chinese joint. When she returned I ended up watching ‘Wheel of Fortune’ with her until she came up with a suggestion.
“Hey, Mike, let’s go to my mom’s house in the Oakland hills.”
“All right, let’s go,” I said, figuring it was a good idea to go out.

When we arrived we found Geneva (Helen’s sister) there with her baby daughter, Nicole. I met Helen’s mom and dad for the first time along with her brother, Dennis, and Sue Lin, who was visiting from China.
“Hey Michael, remember the good time we had when we saw that movie, ‘The Man from Snowy River’?” Geneva laughed.
“Oh yeah that was the stupid low-budget one with Kirk Douglas playing a double-role that was so stupid!”
We started cracking up because we were laughing that night until our stomachs were hurting and our eyes were tearing. What a dumb movie! We laughed again today just thinking of it.

During the drive back Helen said, “Geneva and Derek are having problems.”
By the time we arrived home Helen shared more gossip, “When my Dad was speaking Chinese tonight he told Sue Lin that I was Tony’s brother and that you were more healthy than Tony.”
We were trying to figure that one out. I guessed that it was my coloring. I tend to get more sunshine from my bike riding while Tony is rather pale these days. In any case, it was a complement. I was enchanted by it.

I want to call Bobbie Renbarger to find out how she felt or what she thought of Mary Halvorsen. She was not at home, so I left a message on her recorder.