Forever Young

She was now forty years of age, childless, and with that inordinate passion for pleasure which is the secret of remaining young.
-Oscar Wilde
"Lord Arthur Savile's Crime"

"Forever Young" Music Video & Lyrics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7CuJ8cR9sg

Let's dance in style, lets dance for a while
Heaven can wait we're only watching the skies
Hoping for the best but expecting the worst
Are you going to drop the bomb or not?
Let us die young or let us live forever
We don't have the power but we never say never
Sitting in a sandpit, life is a short trip
The music's for the sad men
Can you imagine when this race is won
Turn our golden faces into the sun
Praising our leaders we're getting in tune
The music's played by the madman

Forever young, i want to be forever young
Do you really want to live forever, forever forever
Forever young, i want to be forever young
Do you really want to live forever
Forever young

Some are like water, some are like the heat
Some are a melody and some are the beat
Sooner or later they all will be gone
Why don't they stay young
It's so hard to get old without a cause
I don't want to perish like a fading horse
Youth is like diamonds in the sun
And diamonds are forever
So many adventures couldn't happen today
So many songs we forgot to play
So many dreams are swinging out of the blue
We let them come true

Forever young, i want to be forever young
Do you really want to live forever, forever forever
Forever young, i want to be forever young
Do you really want to live forever forever forever
Forever young, i want to be forever young
Do you really want to live forever, forever forever
Forever young, i want to be forever

Twenty-five years ago today:

March 24, 1985
Sunday

I woke at 8:30AM and I picked up the phone to call Dale Orlando.
"I just wanted to let you know that things are all right. I took Ron straight home on Friday night, then I went to the gym."
It didn't happen exactly that way but that's the way I explained it.
"Oh, you did, did you?"
"Yeah, but I have to tell you about Paloma."
I explained the Paloma 'Air France' news.
Dale blurted out his own scoop.
"I was with Denise and Ryan, helping Ryan move yesterday to his new Residence Club Home on Larkin Street."
"Oh, I think I know where that is," I said, thinking of Gilbert Hernandez, the modeling agency guy who lives near there.
"I may go to San Francisco later. Do you want to go?"
"I don't know."
"Well, Ryan and Ron beat each other up on Friday night. Ryan got home at two-thirty in the morning. And Ron got home at twelve-thirty but I think it was more like eleven o'clock."
I know Dale specified the earlier time to nab me about my earlier words of taking Ron straight home on Friday night. I didn't say a word.

I telephoned Paloma.
"What's new?"
"Well, now I maybe leaving for Paris tomorrow morning."
"I'm going to miss you."
I didn't know what else to say. Dale's advice was to inspire Paloma and let her be excited about this new job opportunity. So, when I called her I pretended that it was ever-so-exciting that she was going back for this big break.
"At least you'll see your dog, Greyhound, that you haven't seen for two and a half years."
Eugene has been caring for the dog all of this time. Eugene is the guy she lived with for six years. I wonder if they'll end up back together.

I went to ma and pa's for breakfast. They were going on and on about how they cut the lawn yesterday all by themselves. The lawn did look very green and well manicured.

I drove to MacArthur BART station and picked up Dale after all. I drove to San Francisco and saw Ryan and his new pad. It's okay. We didn't stay long because Ryan had boxes to open and things to sort out on his own. Dale and I went to HEADLINES to browse at the cool cards they have. Then we went to American Rag and laughed aloud about the outrageous prices for used clothing. Our next stop was the Hard Rock Cafe.

After lunch I bought a black blazer and a sweater at the Third Avenue shop that will be closing soon. We departed not long after. I dropped Dale at the MacArthur BART station and he liked my "Happy Man" song by The Greg Kihn Band.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWB_mJEOMjI&feature=related
He also liked my YAZ tunes. He really really loves Alphaville (Big In Japan) as does Paloma.

I almost cried when I heard "Forever Young" by Alphaville when I learned (last night) from Paloma about how much she loved it. After all, it was one of the primary tunes from the VISION QUEST movie we saw. VISION QUEST was the second to the last movie we saw together. WITNESS was the latest.

I went to mom's and hung out for a while, then decided to return to my pad to wash clothes. I wrote cards out to a few special friends as the washing machine was doing its spin and rinse. I wrote one to Jim Koran (the ThunderBird Card), Paloma (the bodybuilder girl card) and to my brother John (the golf green card).

The phone rang and it was Dale.
"Hello?"
"Hi, it's me. Do you want to meet me, Tim and Al at the Car Pool parking lot tomorrow morning?"
"Sure, that sounds good to me."

I am wondering about Ron Shelly (Ryan's ex). What is up with him?

I may drop into Wilkes-Bashford tomorrow afternoon. Second thought, I just remembered that Bob Umland is off on Monday's. So I may scratch that idea.

I am tired now. I want to talk to Paloma again. She said she'd call to keep me informed. I want to take her to the San Francisco Airport when she leaves for France. I really do.

"I belong in the dark.
In the dark it's safe. I can love in the dark.
In the dark I'm beautiful."
-Apartment Zero (1988)