The
votes were in: Joan, Addie, Ronnie, Flo, Joe, Albyn say "No'---Alex
votes "Yes" I abstain--Perry remains Undecided. All say if I do decide
to go to Memphis I should be sure that Bernie puts everything in writing .

Ironically though I am a letter saver I never did save the letters Bernie wrote me about his plans for us in Memphis! My bad!

I
have a note in my diary for October 28, 1968 "Went to Great Neck office
for interview about franchise job" and I have no recollection of it or
what it was for -- to buy a franchise? No way could I afford one. Did
Bernie set it up so I could get some training? Was it to take a job in
the franchise department? Don't have a clue. I was doing a lot of work for WW including fill-ins.

There
are lots of notes about Bernie doing a lot of traveling, going to many
different restaurants with many different people, having a lot of sex
and one note that I didn't pay attention to until 13 years later: "Wild!
Wild! Wild" Time for Martin to change--I got bombed AGAIN!" We were
going to a lot of Broadway shows and, as always movies. I don't know why
but I sold 25 shares of WW stock that I was given as a full time
employee, for $1,000 but the reason escapes and I didn't write it down!

On
October 2, 1968, Eleanor became the first 100 pound loser in one of my
classes. She was 'going with' Vinnie another 100 pound loser who was
married. She and I became very close friends and kept in touch for many
years. She eventually married an ex-con who was gay and after that, for
some reason, maybe my disapproval, we stopped writing. I did see her and
Vinnie on one of my trips to NYC in the early '80s but have no idea
where she is now. Eleanor is another one I tried to seek through
facebook without any luck!

Bernie's
father died on December 14, 1968 and as far as I can tell we didn't
discuss his taking  a franchise, or Memphis, though I do suspect his
father left him some money and he used it for that reason.

Again,
as I go through my notes I am amazed at the many shows we saw from
beloved flops like Angela Lansbury in "Dear World" to hits like
"Promises, "Promises" where I saw Donna McKechnie for the first time in a
4 day snowstorm, plus some names that I don't recall if we saw the
movie or the stage show but can find out if I go to wikipedia! We also
saw the first legit gay show with nudity called "And Puppy Dog Tails"
and the straight gay review "Oh Calcutta", and neither were good though
the latter broke records for being one of the longest shows on Broadway.
Along with the good there was, as usual, the bad. Dan Dowd's closed for
good on Christmas Day. Bernie went into the hospital for a hernia but
did okay and came out a week later--today he probably would have been
discharged the next day! I do have a note 'got hurt--nose, eyes, etc.'
and I have no idea if that was about me! Also a lot of notes about
eating out with Joan, Addie, Ronnie, Alexandpeople I don't remember like
Phillip, Ray, Art, Chuck Manny not to mention having sex with a lot of
nameless and/or forgotten names people.

In
April Vinnie got his 100 pound pin as did Rose Marie while Bernie was
still doing a lot of traveling including going to Miami Beach. I have a
note tat I sold the rest of my WW stock for $1,577.75 which means I got
over $2,500 in stock as part of my 'salary'. I went to Suffern and spent
the day May 18 and Flo married Ritchie on May 20th. Ronnie and I went
to Miami Beach on May 29th and met Joan, Addie and Joe the Greek and we
all went out wining and dining while Flo and Addie, who got along like a
house on fire, and I went to Jordan Marsh on Saturday. We came back on
June 2. Is that why I cashed the stock in--for the trip?

Bernie's
birthday was June 19 and I threw a big dinner party at the Spain
Restaurant (Barbra Streisand sat two tables away from us) inviting Joan,
Addie, Dick Hershey, Alex, Monty, John and Art. Dick Hershey is another
one I wonder what happened to?

The
first note I have about Memphis was made on July 1, 1968, and all it
said was "Bernie to Memphis". I am sure someway along the way we
discussed it, talked about my moving there, how it would affect Alex and
the apartment lease, my actually moving there and what that would
involve, but except for the 'vote' that I started this chapter off with,
the next two entries are  July 3, 1969, went to Memphis and stayed at
the Benbow Inn"  and July 6, "Came back from Memphis and Bernie told me
today that his wife and kids would be moving to Memphis with him as
cover and would be handsomely  reimbursed". At that point I should have
said I wouldn't be coming to Memphis but I did fall in love with the
city and figured I had nothing to lose!

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TO BE CONTINUED--A DECADE IN MEMPHIS

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