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City.

    28

CHAPTER TWO
These Tawny Beaches

    February 20, 1978
    The fool is now in living at the beach. It has not completely sunk
    in yet, but here I am, for better or worse. I hated to leave Chesley in
    the lurch like I did, but what else could I do? He never left a phone
    number where I could reach him.
    When I finally got through to his mother she gave me a bunch of
    shit about leaving her son "high and dry."
    The hell with that old biddy. Chesley is a big boy, an adult.
    Despite what mommy thinks, he can take care of himself, handle
    matters. I’ve even seen it happen.
    The trip down was uneventful. I drove the bus like a madman,
    thinking about her.
    I believe this house could be quite nice if I deodorize it and make it
    a little more like me. The place does have possibilities, although to be
    perfectly functional it needs a decent carpet and a better refrigerator.
    Oh well. Time to smoke some reefer and reflect on my new digs. I
    am going to finish the cigarettes I brought and then kick the habit for a
    while. Maybe for good. I can handle this job for a year, maybe two.
    I lasted 14 months (count ‘em – 14) at the furniture store. Now on to
    something better.
    Or at least different. I got mostly unpacked tonight, except for a
    few books and some other minor stuff. I keep looking around at
    everything, assuring myself that I’m here, really here.
    When Chesley teases me, he always calls me God’s Lonely Man.
    Now the tease is actually true.
    Still on page 60 of the manuscript. Haven’t done a thing since
    Thursday. Tomorrow I start my new job.
    Wowie Zowie. Can’t be any tougher than the job I just left and it
    pays substantially more.
    * * * *
    February 21, 1978

    29

    Spent my first working day on the job and it was a breeze. It could
    get difficult in the future maybe, but I don’t see how. It is abundantly
    clear that nobody ever died from overwork in the employ of the State
    of Oregon.
    * * * *
    February 22, 1978
    I have decided after day two that this new job stinks. But I don’t
    hate it as much as I hated my previous jobs. Last night I got back to
    work on the book again.
    Finally. Deep into the drug freak out segment. Seemed sort of dull
    this time around so I’m punching it up with some colorful new
    hallucinations.
    Now it’s much more readable.
    I’m having a great time.
    Went down to the ocean this evening. Looking out over the water
    was hard because it was so goddamned beautiful it damn near broke
    my heart. The sun went down in a big orange blaze, swallowed up by
    the deep blue drink. I stayed long enough on the absolutely deserted
    beach to take a leak and then left. It was really gorgeous. The sunset,
    I mean.
    I think I might like this beach town. Everything seems to be going
    good. Have even found a halfway decent laundromat.
    * * * *
    February 25, 1978
    Finished my first week on the job here yesterday. It wasn’t too bad.
    I don’t think I’ll have any problems. Definitely the best part about my
    job, however, is my desk partner, Megan Bauer.
    Oh, my heavens. She’s this tall, shapely blond they hired the same
    day as they hired me. Yikes. She is exquisitely beautiful, in my
    opinion. Long hair, blue eyes, an absolutely perfect body, slender,
    graceful, and smart as a whip.
    Friday night after work we drove over to the viewpoint that
    overlooks the North Jetty. We got stoned and talked. Megan likes to
    talk and loves to laugh. I was just cracking her up. We are going to
    get along very well together, I can tell.

    30

    As it happens, Megan’s done this job before, in West Eugene. She
    knows the ins and outs of assistance work and shares them all with
    me.
    She’s extremely funny and reads even more than I do. Very
    intellectual for a beautiful blond. Exceptionally unusual. You can’t
    fake the kind of literary knowledge Megan has.
    Too bad she’s married.
    Rain fell all through the night. I skipped dinner after I got stoned
    with Megan and went to bed early. Had a long, tiring