NOTES FROM A DIARY JANUARY TO JULY, 1979, 10 YEARS AFTER I ARRIVED IN MEMPHIS --A DECADE AND BUSINESS ENDS

I
take complete responsibility for the failure of Our Weigh and I learned
a lesson that I already knew but hadn't put to the test--I was a lousy
business man! :O)

Notes added while I type this today are in parenthesis.

January
1  I did a class in West Memphis--ice on the streets  (I don't doubt my
diary notes but a class on New Year's Day when it is cold and ice on
the streets? Did anyone show up?)

January 5-9  3-4" snowstorm followed by an ice storm--no classes (no money coming in)

January
18  To Atlanta to see "A Chorus Line" 3 times with Chuck, Chuck (from
Chattanooga?), Tommy, Nina and Jean (Money going out and not coming in.)

February 6-7 3" snow (Nothing about classes being cancelled or what days these are)

February 17  snowed again another 3"-- really hurting business

February 28  Pepe called to wish me a happy birthday (My first live with lover--The last time I would hear from or about him)

March 23  Betty Tribble quit (I had now lost 3 of the original ladies who came with me from Weight Watchers)

March 25  Gwen called from Chattanooga about resigning (I have no idea who she is/was)

April 13 Had to close Jonesboro class

May 1 diagnosed with arthritis in my neck (Proved to be wrong)

May 5  Tommy, Chuck, Bob Brice and I went to see Diana Ross

May
16 Tommy, his mother, Chuck and I went to see The Village People in
concert  (Tommy's mother was great--wish I could remember her name--it
was different.)

May 17 took over the Forrest City class--very short on help--will have to close classes

June 11 Gwen did resign--I think, mentally again, that this is the beginning of the end

June
17 Dr. K, Chuck, Tommy and I went down to Mississippi and I went water
skiing for the first (and last) time getting chased by a water moccasin
snake

June 28 Took Dr. K. to the Cafe St. Clair for his birthday along with Tommy, Chuck and Johnny--I got smashed

June
30 I am making plans to leave Memphis at end of July. (I really loved
Memphis and wanted to stay but not being either Black or a female I
wouldn't be able to get a servers job--remember this was the 1970s and
though the South was changing it was a slow change--besides my ego
wouldn't allow me to stay.)

July
21 Sold the business to Helen for $5,000--getting ready to leave for
Ft. Lauderdale next Saturday (I would have taken less--I was just
desparate to leave and needed 'traveling' money and I had run the
business into the ground)

July
28-30  Left for Ft. Lauderdale with Bill Hall who helped me move and
drove the stick shift truck which, just ask Chuck, I couldn't
drive--arrived in Fort Lauderdale Monday 7/30/79. (I was originally
going to return to Miami Beach but at that time there was moratorium on
building, South Beach had gone way down hill--this was before it became
SOUTH BEACH!--and Joe and Albyn told me to go to Fort Lauderdale
instead--they being my 'parents' I listened and have never regretted
it.)

The
life I had known was over and once again I was starting new but this
time I knew who I was--I was 43 years old, had some money to tide me
over, was in a way relieved. I rented a car, found an apartment and now
was waiting for Chuck and Tommy to bring my car down.

 

 
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HOW TO SPEAK REPUBLICAN BY PETE KOTZ
"EVOLUTION: FRAUDULENT THEORY THAT MAN EVOLVED FROM APE. HAVE YOU EVER SEEN AN APE WITH JUGS LIKE JESSICA SIMPSON'S?"