A
lot of discoveries, adventures and events took place from March 1967 to
October 1969 that could take up a dozen or so posts but instead I would
rather talk about the people I met along the way and how most changed
my life. A few from that period remained my friend for awhile and then
'disappeared' while some, too many, have died but even in their dying
they taught me much.

Events:
joined Weight Watchers, lost weight, reached goal on August 3, started
lecturing for them on September 14, left working dinner for The Brass
Rail and worked lunch at Millers--met Bernie in November at one of my
classes, and then we met Alex and then the 3 of us got an apartment
together, met Charlie who came with Bernie to my class, Harry and I were
a couple for a couple of months while I was seeing Charlie and started
going with Bernie (don't ask!), on Christmas Eve I dumped Harry for
Bernie (another don't ask!), Joan and Addie, spending New Year's Eve,
1967, at Bernie's where he lived with 4 other guys after his divorce and
I wouldn't let Ronnie leave (there are a lot of 'don't asks'!), bought
my first lottery ticket on June 1 and haven't stopped buying them for 45
years (and, no, I don't want to figure out how much I have spent on
lottery tickets since June 1, 1967 until today!)

When
Charlie offered me a job (on January 31, 1968) I was very taken aback.
Yes, we have been 'seeing' each other but we knew it wouldn't go
anywhere as he had a partner. Charlie had lost weight with WW and was
also lecturing for them but he decided he wanted to open his own weight
loss organization and he asked me to come for him. He thought he would
rent rooms near, or at, the places I had my very successful classes. I
turned him down and never saw him again! If I had 'smarts' I would have
watched the mistakes he made and learned how strong a business Weight
Watchers was back then instead of doing the same thing 7-8 years later.
Wonder what ever happened to Charlie?

In
addition to working for WW and Miller's I took a part-time job at Dan
Dowd's restaurant on 47th Street which would help me in 1979 when I
moved to Fort Lauderdale as  Dan immediately hired me to work in his
place there.I was doing 6 classes a week so all in all I was busy but
never to busy to get into 'trouble', get drunk, go to the theatre and/or
go out to eat.  My diaries list restaurants like the Scandia, Mario's
on 58th Street, Lin's Gardens and Luchow's and I wonder if any are still
opened or remembered?

Bernie
and I picked Alex up at the museum on February 21 and 8 days later he
helped me celebrate my 8th Leap Year birthday. On March 22 the three of
us moved into 301 East 22nd Street. Bernie was doing a lot of traveling
to Weight Watchers franchisees so I was busy making 'acquaintances' with
so many names listed in my diaries that I don't remember who they were
let alone their names!

Over
the years I remained very close to Joe and Albyn and whenever they came
to New York we would spend time together. I will never forget the first
time they came to New York ,after I lost my weight when I was still
living on 75th Street, and when I opened the door seeing their jaws drop
to the ground seeing me. There were certainly tears of joy along with
the never ending love they showed me.

As
I talk about these times I remember the 'hot' guy I had become
physically-- yes, I did--but I also remember how I didn't change in more
important ways. I was still using people, still lying to them, still
cutting myself off emotionally and mentally. I still had so much
unexplained anger.  It would take a few more years to start work on
those aspects of myself but all the people I have mentioned along with
some more I was to meet made that possible.

It
would be a year and 5 months before I made a second decision that would
change my life forever and I discussed, rediscussed and discussed again
that decision with people who were important in my life at that time.

(To be continued)

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