On
February 29, 1968, I was celebrating my 32nd birthday, my 8th Leap Year
birthday and the second year of my 4th decade of life. In all
probability my life changed more from 1967 to 1969 than any other period
of my life which lead to 9 years and 10 months (the last 2 months
weren't that good!) of the peak of all the monetary values of my entire
life.

Hopping
around in those 3 years I see a note in my diary for February 21, 1968,
that says, "Bernie and I picked up Alex at the New York Museum of
history--we went to see "Sweet November" at Radio City Music Hall and
then the 3 of us had dinner at my place." Do I talk about Sandy Dennis
and Anthony Newley in the movie or about the Music Hall with their stage
shows or the museum or Alex?

I
won't get into the whole 'picking up Alex' but he became a very big
part of my/our life. Within a month the 3 of us were apartment hunting
and by March 22 we put down a deposit, got the keys and the next day the
3 of us moved into 301 East 22nd Street. At the end of the month we
went to Alex's mother's home in Connecticut where they raised Yorkshire
terrier dogs and we brought 2 back with us. At the same time Bernie and I
got a pug and the 3 dogs got along just as the 3 roommates did.

Me and our pug--can't find any pictures of the terriers--upper left Alex's mother's place in Connecticut

Alex
was of 'mixed blood' and we never even thought twice of it but it was a
problem for him. He was fun, thoughtful and, I might mention, kept the
apartment spotless--who could ask for anything more from a roommate? 
There are references about Alex in my diaries for 1968 and 1969,
including shows ("How Now Dow Jones" and Tennessee Williams' "7 Descents
of Myrtle"), movies, ("Planet of the Apes", "Funny Girl"---just 4 years
before, for my 7th Leap Year birthday, Pepe had taken me to see the
stage version) and that July 4th the 3 of us went to Miami Beach and
came back on the 9th. He and Ronnie got along and Joan and Addie liked
him though they didn't like Bernie but that's in the next chapter.

Bernie
was doing a lot of traveling for Weight Watchers and Ronnie, Alex and I
went out a lot together drinking, cruising with many notes in my diary
which would take up many posts so I'll leave it at at that. With or
without the guys, including Bernie, I was seeing Joan and Addie a lot as
I enjoyed being with them.

In
September, 1967, I started to do some lecturing for Weight Watchers,
subbing in most cases, eventually getting meetings of my own until it
reached a point, by 1968, that I had to decide whether to keep my job at
The Brass Rail or get a lunch job and do WW classes at night. I was
earning average $175 a week which included commissions of 25 cents per
person in the class and I was getting excellent turnouts.

Will
I ever get through writing this series? Each time I think of something
20 other things pop into my mind! As an example--and I don't know if it
is available anymore--one of my members, Paul Deutschman, in my class on
Saturday mornings on 79th Street--Yes! I got up in the morning for
Weight Watchers!!! --wrote a book "The Adipose Complex" of which half
talks about his going to a weight reduction class (Guess which one?) and
the lecturer of the class (Guess who?) and it is a pretty accurate
picture of me doing the classes. Just a few words he uses to describe
his lecturer; 'slim guy in mid-thirties, sitting very debonair at the
edge of a table up front...tall with longish sideburns, handsome-- sharp
featured---wears double breasted blue blazer, white, turtle-neck
sweater and hip-hugging, powder-gray slacks...'.

To
stop all my rambling I am going to end here and in the next chapter do a
timeline of March 1967 to October 1969 when I entered a new phase of my
life that completed the change from who I thought I was to who I really
am.