Chapter 14 -August 1968 to January 1969 - Atlanta
Synopsis
This would not be the last time I moved back home with Mother and Dad, but thankfully would be the last time I lived with them in Atlanta. Dad asked for his old southeastern US sales route back and gave up being the branch manager for SK Wellman in Atlanta.This was a turning point for Dad in his life when he realized that quality of life was more important than promotions and upward mobility. He had a lot of stress as manager as he didn't get the support he needed from SK Wellman. They wouldn't pay a decent wage to his warehouse help so that caused him problems too. They moved to 217 Oleander Street in Neptune Beach in July of 1971.
I drove my 58 VW cargo van up from Florida at the end of August. We moved out of 6th Street in Atlantic Beach after our trial was over August 14th. George and I both received one year's probation and adjudication of guilt was withheld. I asked permission from my probation officer to go to Atlanta and he said OK. I continued to call him once a month. I enrolled in school at DeKalb College again in Decatur, taking Typing (A), World History (A), and World Social Problems (B). Taking typing as my first morning class later proved to be a mistake, as I sold my bus and bought a 350 Honda Scrambler. It was very cold some mornings riding to school, and I would go early to thaw out my fingers with cold running water in the bathroom. We had IBM Selectric typewriters, the ones with the rotating type ball. I would have done better taking that class later in the day and another class earlier. I did so well in World History that my teacher had me take another student, who was struggling, to study hall during class and tutor him. She gave me an A and didn't require me to do any homework or take any tests.
I worked for a week or two for my old boss, Uncle Howard, at the auto parts warehouse. They were shutting down and needed some temporary help. I then got a job with UPS again, this time in the Chamblee hub they had opened since I last worked for UPS in 1966. Some of my old bosses were there. I was not a supervisor here, only a package loader, which I liked. We had a fun crew of students and other young people. One of them, RW Hardeman later sent me a 3 page comic strip that he drew depicting how he thought I would be surfing in Southern California. One of the fellows, maybe RW, gave me a Velvet Underground album, White Light, White Heat. He bought music by looking at the album covers. Sometimes he scored, and sometimes he didn't. I turned 21 here in October.
After I sold the VW van, I bought a 350 Honda Scrambler for $1500. Dad cosigned for me, I probably put $100 or so down. My payments were $35 a month. I was going to use this loan to establish credit. Unfortunately I was late on a few payments, so it didn't help me in that regard. I really wanted a 305 Scrambler, but they were replaced by the 350. I had a lot of problems with the bike, as it was the first model year. The tachometer and speedometer were not rubber mounted and soon failed due to vibration, as did the chain guard and the rear fender reinforcing struts. The electric starter didn't last too long either. When I tried to get them fixed under warranty, I was already back in Florida, and the dealer wouldn't honor the warranty, since I bought the bike somewhere else. I never fixed any of the broken parts. The bike ran good, though, and later made it across country from LA to Jax in 1971.
My old lifeguard buddy, Bill Lampp, had moved to Atlanta and was working at the airport for Eastern Airlines. He knew lots of stewardesses and when the new girls were coming to stewardess school - beautiful young women from all over the southeast, who didn't know anyone in Atlanta. We had quite a time. Bill ran a movable passenger unloading stair into the wing of a plane, and was fired. He then got a job as a baggage handler with another airline, maybe Delta. He had an apartment by the airport where we hung out and partied. Ray Miller, another ex Jax Beach lifeguard lived with him for while. Actually I went to 6th grade with Ray at West Riverside Elementary. We both got suspended a week from recess once for fighting on the playground. We went all through Fletcher together.
I received an Undesirable Discharge from the Navy on 11/18/68. Dad later got it changed to a General under Honorable Conditions Discharge on 4/29/74. It was more important to him than it was to me, but I'm glad he did it. I was just happy to be out of the service. He also later paid off the balance of my student loan from Wachovia for the University of Virginia.
I worked at a gas station briefly in downtown Atlanta sometime in the Fall, probably between Uncle Howard and UPS. George, Tim Haynes, Larry Turner, and someone else (Rusty Strudel?) came through town in a VW bug, and stopped to see me there on their way to Nebraska. Someone had given them a treasure map to marijuana fields, which turned out to be hemp that was grown for rope during WW II. The fields were there all right, but the plants had miniscule THC. Those were the days, going on adventures on a moment's notice.
I had a date in Dad's car on New Year's Eve, and fell asleep about a mile from our house going around a curve coming home. I woke up as I side swiped a speed limit sign and got back on the road - another case of my guardian angel working overtime. Dad woke me up the next morning and asked me where the right front wheel cover was. He was driving a bronze colored 4 door Plymouth Fury at the time. I took Mother's car, the VW I think, back to the scene of the crime and retrieved the wheel cover. I don't think there was any damage to the Plymouth. The speed limit sign wasn't so lucky, I think it was clipped off at the ground.
By the time January rolled around, I was again burned out on Atlanta. I got up at 5 AM one frosty morning and rode my motorcycle back to Florida. I'm pretty sure I asked my probation officer if it was OK. I put on long underwear, blue jeans, and newspaper under sweatpants and jacket. I had to stop every 1/2 hour to thaw out, especially my hands. My leather gloves weren't enough. I stopped around 8:30 or so and had breakfast in a restaurant. The rest of the ride was chilly, but the worst was over. I think I stayed with the McManns where George was staying when I got to Florida. We then rented a place together on Bay Street and the ocean in Neptune Beach.
March 10, 2010
I have no photos for this era. Any contributions would be appreciated.
