I
worked 24/7 my first 2 years in Memphis opening classes in Whitehaven,
Jackson, Germantown then going to Arkansas starting new meetings in West
Memphis and Jonesboro along with training members who had lost weight
to come to work for us. It was called work but I was having a ball enjoying
every moment. We eventually got an office and a staff to run it along
with enough lecturers so we could start doing other things such as
having  Weight Watchers cruises. They would be for 7 days in the
Caribbean. We would arrange with the ship's chef to have approved meals 3
times a day--and then we would sneak into the regular dining room and
eat off their menu! I won't even mention how many of the members we met
at the Midnight Chocolate Buffet!

Both
Bernie and I were invited to other franchises, either together or
separately, to do open meetings, give training classes to their staff
or, for instance, going to Little Rock, Arkansas, to help Myrna open her
franchise and then again when Jean visited her area. Jean also visited
our area and there was a big gala for her with our staff and our members . We would go to WW seminars, with all expenses either paid by WW International or WW of Memphis, in New York or Las Vegas, Miami or Los Angeles.

Talking
about expenses, though I didn't start to make big money until after the
first year, from the first day I arrived in Memphis all my living
expenses were paid for by the company. As I was the chef for our
corporation, making up weekly menus and testing out recipes to print in
our monthly newspaper or for handouts in classes, all the food I bought
was billed to WW and, naturally, all car expenses including the monthly
leasing payment was covered. Anytime we went out of town all my expenses
were covered and every time we went out for dinner, and talked business
which was every time, the company picked up the check. Due to TV
appearances and newspaper interviews plus doing classes most of my
clothes were paid for as were any expenses involved with people visiting
the area to help us publicize WW such as one of my 100 pound losers
from New York, Linda, came to visit as did Gene and Franco.

Franco
was the chef for Weight Watchers International and we became close
friends. He was an amazing guy, great looking, funny and yet had the
biggest inferiority complex of anyone I knew. When someone cruised--and
he was constantly being cruised--him he thought there had to be
something wrong with the person who was attracted to him! He and I were
interviewed by "The Hustler" newspaper in Mississippi with our picture
on the front page and he had it blown up life size to hang in his home.

We
went to New York, 4 times, all paid by the company, twice for WW
seminars, once for the Christmas holidays and then for the 10th Gala
Weight Watchers Anniversary at Madison Square Garden. Each time I got
caught up with Addie, Joan, Ronnie, Gene, Mary and other friends plus
the tourist part of seeing as many shows as I could.

Back
in Memphis I talked Bernie into letting the company make sizable
donations to theatres in the area plus St. Jude's hospital and I got
involved with the March of Dimes. We got prime seats for the St. Jude
Shower of Star show with Frank Sinatra and Jerry Lewis. After Bernie's
ex took the children and moved back to New York I started to draw a good
salary and would get an additional salary from the Chattanooga
corporation when we opened there. We would eat at the 5 star Justine's
restaurant and other top restaurants in Memphis and wherever we
travelled.

Life
was great and all the stars were aligned for me. I was growing up with
the help of Joe Cassius, I was making more money faster than I could
spend it and in 1972 I started taking my July 15-August 15 vacations
going to Hawaii, Papeete, Moorea, Bora Bora, Auckland, Sidney, Cairns,
Melbourne, San Fransisco and back to Memphis.

A
lot of things happened in 1973 from that 'contract' I signed to
breaking up with Bernie and then meeting someone else but I still had
many memories to make with Weight Watchers from October 1973 to
September 1974.

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Franco and I being interviewed