March 3-4, 1968: The trip home

As Mom stated in the last letter she wrote to my grandmother during our stay in Los Angeles, she and I flew from L. A. to Dallas the evening of Sunday, March 3. Here is what I have been able to piece together regarding our final days in L. A. and our trip home based on a few of my memories, some pictures, and hearing Mom talk about it years later.

The picture of me standing in front of The Brown Derby restaurant (well, standing in the landscaping), which was previously posted with the July 25, 1967 diary entry, was taken the last day we were in L. A. There are several other photos in that same part of the photo album that were likely taken our last weekend in L. A., although their captions don't state that explicitly. Here are a few:

This is the Ambassador Hotel, which was located at 3400 Wilshire Boulevard, less than one mile from our apartment. This hotel opened in 1921 and hosted the Academy Awards six times through 1943. It was the location of the Cocoanut Grove nightclub, which was frequented by many celebrities from the 1920s into the 1970s. (If you zoom in on this picture you can barely see the large signs for the hotel and the nightclub.) The Ambassador Hotel is also where presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in June of 1968. It closed to guests in 1989 and was then purchased by a real estate developer who proposed a 125-story building for the site. The developer lost a long legal battle with the Los Angeles unified school district after the school board tried to take the property via eminent domain, and a school was built on the site after the hotel was demolished in 2005.

[Fun Fact: That real estate developer went on to become President of the United States.] There were a couple of pictures in this part of the photo album of the building where Dad worked on Wilshire Boulevard, a few blocks west of the Ambassador Hotel. Nothing special about those pictures so I won't post any here.

Here is a picture of a bar called Thirsty 30s, which was somewhere on Temple Street based on the street sign I zoomed in on.

Mom's caption is: "This was just an old bar that we passed many times. Loved that sign." I was unable to find anything online about the bar or the Fred M. Atkins Tire Company next door, which had been doing dependable retreading for over 40 years at the time this picture was taken. (Atkins Tires and Wheels was established in 1997.) The last L. A. photo in the album was the Bull 'n Bush restaurant, which Mom mentioned in the next to last letter.

Mom's caption on this one is: "An eating place where we ate with Hansens. Loved the prime rib there." According to the description of a Flickr photo of the Bull 'n Bush taken in the early 1980s, it was open from 1956 through 1985, and Jack Webb (Sgt. Joe Friday from Dragnet) used to hang out there. It appears to have been on the southwest corner of 6th Street and Kenmore Avenue, based on the tall white building behind it in the photo from the photo album.

As you know, since Mom was so far along in her pregnancy there was a slight possibility she could go into labor during our flight home. I must have been at Mom's last doctor appointment in L. A. because according to Mom, the doctor told me that if she started to have the baby my job was to collect shoelaces from the other passengers. I honestly don't know if that was just to keep me occupied so I wouldn't be in the way, or if the shoelaces might have served a purpose such as tying off the umbilical cord. (I don't know nothin' about birthin' babies!) In any case, I allegedly took the instructions from the doctor very seriously and I was prepared to do my duty.

Although the flight to Texas was my first flight, I really don't remember anything from the flight itself. No, Mom didn't go into labor. She always liked to tell the story that I was so excited about flying I went to the bathroom three times before the flight took off. I do have one flashback memory of being picked up at the airport in Dallas, though. (At least I think this is from when we were picked up.) Uncle Wayne and Aunt Linda picked us up, and Mom and I sat in the back seat of their car. I remember Aunt Linda holding my cousin Steven, who was almost four months old, over her left shoulder in the front passenger seat, and him looking at us in the back seat. I guess since I had been hearing about Steven for a few months, and he was the first newborn in the family I was aware of, I thought it was really neat to finally see him. We'll pause here and cover the days after our arrival in tomorrow's post.

January 31, 1968: Checking the check

Second letter postmarked January 31, 1968 (written January 31):

The CCZCC extends its winning streak to 22.

Dear Mother and Mike,

Sorry I was so long about getting the last letter mailed to you but I was out of envelopes and stamps and just couldn't find time to get them.

Monday I surprised David Wayne by taking him to a special kiddie show, "The Wacky World of Mother Goose." He had been seeing it advertised on TV, but hadn't said anything about going. (It was only shown for three days.) I did not know, though, that on Monday all schools in Los Angeles were closed so guess what all the kids did - right, went to the show! Boy, was it wild - parking impossible, standing in line to get tickets, problem finding two seats together, no way of reaching concession stand for a box of popcorn, and the noise was unbelievable! I really felt like a martyr when we finally got home. The show was delightful, however, and David Wayne did not mind the inconveniences at all.

[According to IMDB, "The Wacky World of Mother Goose" was an "animated feature film based on Charles Perrault's stories and nursery rhymes. It features Humpty Dumpty, The Old Woman Who Lives in a Shoe, and the Crooked Man." It was a Rankin/Bass production.]

I can't remember what all I wrote you in the last letter so I hope I don't repeat myself. I believe I wrote you that we didn't do anything over the weekend so no need to say any more about nothing. On Sunday we did try to find Angels Flight - the world's shortest railroad, 355 feet long. We didn't find it but Barbara told me yesterday that she knows where it is and that children can ride on it. I'm going to try to find it again so David Wayne can take his first train ride.

[Angels Flight is a small funicular railway, meaning it's on an incline and it has two tracks, with the two trains connected such that one goes up when the other goes down. It's in the Bunker Hill district of downtown Los Angeles. When we lived there it connected Hill Street and Olive Street. In 1969 it was removed due to redevelopment in the area, and then it reopened in 1996, connecting Hill Street and California Plaza.]

Well, we had our big luncheon at the famous Brown Derby yesterday. I was not too impressed with it, but David Wayne wanted to go so badly that it was worth it. Before we ordered we had a cocktail and your grandson had a "Roy Rogers" - it was just 7-up with a cherry in it, but it was served in a regular cocktail-type glass. Now, David Wayne thought he was really a big boy - imagine his first cocktail at five years old! I couldn't get a child's plate (they did not have any on the menu) so he got the biggest plate of spaghetti I've ever seen and he ate more than half of it.

Here comes the good part: I think I wrote you that we were letting David Wayne "take" us to lunch, so he was to pay the bill. Well, the bill came and he picked it up off the little tray and got his money out. At this point, you must picture everyone in the place watching "that cute little boy who is acting so grown up." He kept looking at the bill so finally, figuring he didn't know what to do next, I said, "David, you put the money and the bill back on the tray for the waitress to pick up." Loudly and clearly he replied, "But Daddy always checks it over first to see if it's right!" It really broke the silence of the dignified Brown Derby and I can imagine that the story is all over Los Angeles as those businessmen probably had the time of their life repeating it when they went back to work. I've never seen Barbara laugh so hard (she was wiping tears from her eyes) and I bet I was fifteen shades of red! And that husband of mine was so damn proud of David Wayne when we told him about it. He said, "That's right, son, always check over that bill." Never doubt that Dave has a terrific influence over David Wayne! From now on I plan to pay the bills myself.

[This is another one of those memories ingrained in my brain, much like being picked up by the monster at Universal Studios or making that comment about the south pole melting when we drove by the globe fountain near Disneyland. I do recall getting quite the reaction, and Mom always liked to tell that story. As I remember it, my actual quote was, "I'm looking over the check like Daddy does."]

I know it's a big relief for you to get all those folders graded. Thank goodness the weather is better for a change, also. I hope Texas winter will be all over by the first of March. We just haven't had any cold weather this year.

Mike's car experience really scared me so I know he must have been petrified. It is really getting bad everywhere from the standpoint of safety. I wish he didn't have to make so many out of town trips - I trust Mike completely, but all those other fools and maniacs!

I still haven't answered Joan's letter - isn't that terrible? Every time I get started on it, I just bog down, don't know what to say or where to begin. But I will make an effort to finish one today and then I'll send you her letter. I really don't know why I find it difficult to wrote to her.

[I hope we get to see Joan's letter soon. It must have really been something.]

Did you see "Valley of the Dolls?" I hope you can forgive me for taking David Wayne to that show. I know it wasn't a fit show, but I truly wanted to see it. I want to take him to "Dr. Doolittle," but it is shown exclusively at only one theater and the tickets would cost $5 or $6 and you have to make reservations weeks in advance. I've also wanted to take him to "Sound of Music" which is showing at several theaters - all miles away from here! The closest one is in downtown L. A. and the parking problem would be terrific. David Wayne certainly takes after me and you about his love for movies. He enjoys them so much that it is a pleasure to take him. During the "Mother Goose" movie he got most upset with all the children that were misbehaving.

Barbara and Erland Hansen have come to the conclusion that David Wayne is developing "total recall." After explaining it to us, Dave and I agree with them and we're not trying to brag. We go someplace one time and the next time he remembers how to go. (This is on streets he's never seen before - like going to the Sivell's.)

[I'm sure my wife is cracking up after reading that part. I have definitely lost that ability. If I don't have a mental map of the area in my head already, I don't even try to keep track of where I am or what direction I'm going. I'll admit it. GPS navigation has made me lazy. But I can still read (and fold) a map, so I have that going for me.]

I read his "Jungle Book" funny book to him once or twice and he now can read the entire book, almost word for word. On Sunday mornings I read the funny papers to him once and then he sits in the floor and reads them out loud word for word. It's the same on other books and stories I read to him - he doesn't read them word for word, but he retells them exactly as they happened. Really, it's kind of scary and I don't feel qualified to handle this situation. He gets most upset with me if I'm telling a story and don't retell the dialog exact.

[See the story about the Brown Derby above. Now I'm sure I have the dialog correct.]

It also comes in very handy - as when Barbara and I park in a big parking lot, we tell David to note the aisle number and he remembers (she and I sometimes forget). Also, when we are going somewhere and need to know an address, Dave tells David Wayne the address and when we're ready for it, he tells us. (Saves us a lot of writing down addresses.) He is always remembering little, insignificant things that happened two or three years ago. Spooky?

[I think I've always had a pretty good memory, which is part of the reason I did so well in grade school.]

I just came back from the doctor and everything is fine. He had sent a blood sample off to a lab and it came back fine so no more pills, shots, etc. - or excuses to feel bad! He said it would be alright for me to travel in a car going home and to stop and rest if I got tired. He's also sending a medical history along with me so in case of trouble I can just call a hospital, ask to see a doctor that delivers babies, and he'll have any needed information. The medical history is also for Dr. Tatum - he said he trusts me not to open it.

[Dr. Tatum was Mom's doctor in Texas. So now it looks like we may all travel home by car.]

Well, that's all the news for now. I've got to get busy and wash today since Dave wore his last clean shirt today. It's been threatening to rain for several days and there's snow in them thar mountains, but the sun shines on Normandie Avenue - maybe that's because we're all coming home soon together! No actual packing yet, but Dave said he'd help so I'm not worried. Take care and write often.

[Can you tell Mom's getting excited about coming home?]

Love, 

Linda

September 7, 1967: Shop 'til you drop

Diary entry for September 7, 1967:

Took Mother to Olvera Street. Ate lunch in a Mexican restaurant - very good food. Bought many things for souvenirs. Took pictures - had a good day. We were so full we didn't eat any supper, but Dave drove us to Chinatown that night. We went in many shops and again bought souvenirs.

Wow, that must have been some lunch if they were so full they skipped supper. It may sound like the souvenir budget was used up on the first day, but I doubt it was.

Here's a picture of me with my grandmother on Olvera Street.

I like the contrast between Nana dressed up like she was going to church, and me decked out in a Peanuts t-shirt and some swell plaid shorts. My shirt has the word "Happiness" in large letters over Snoopy's dog house, with Linus partially lying inside the dog house and Snoopy on top, I think. It's probably one of those "Happiness is" quotes, but I can't read anything else.

Hey, haven't we seen those plaid shorts before? Yes, I believe we have. In my post about Mom's July 25, 1967 diary entry I posted a picture of me standing in front of The Brown Derby restaurant.

I do believe I am wearing plaid shorts in that picture, too, but is it the same pair?

Here are closeups of my shorts in both photos.

Although you can't see the colors very well in the Brown Derby closeup, you can tell in both photos that darker stripes (blue) are on either side of the zipper. It's also the same number of stripes from there to my left pocket. Fabricated mystery solved.