1996
started off great as I was working but more important I was going to
have my 15th Leap Year Birthday on February 29th, which kept me going
through January. A few times the waitress who worked the graveyard shift
didn’t show so I had to work a double shift. On the 5th a policeman was
shot outside the restaurant and traffic was cut off for blocks all
around 17th Street and Federal Highway which meant there was no business
and we were stuck in the place. On the 11th I had to get new glasses
and I charged the $188, but it was okay because I was working. On the
16th I went to see “The Inspector Calls” at the Parker Playhouse after
dinner at the Park Café with David, charged it all of course but I was
working. I was going to the movies every week seeing “Heat”, “Dead Man
Walking”,  “Mr. Holland’s Opus” and “Sense and Sensibility” and I was
paying cash! Then I got hit with 2things, the first being that Todd’s
was going to close and become a Denny’s which I definitely didn’t want
to work at and I needed a new top for my car. On February 6 I was out of
a job which was okay as I needed time to plan for my Leap year party. I
had paid off my debts and had saved $5,377.93 which included a tax
refund so I was in good shape and decided to take the rest of the month
off before I went job hunting. I was sending out 3 manuscripts plus a
play script that I sent to the Glines Theatre group. It was time to
start celebrating my birthday.

I don’t know/remember who Mark was
but he figured quite prominently in the doings for my 15th birthday. He
and I went for lunch at Mango’s, which by the way is still in business
and had dinner at Lester’s, also still open. The next day we went to the
Bimini Boatyard for lunch and, this is getting weird, it is still open.
On Wednesday, the 21st, Bob, Jim, Juan, Gino, Mark and I went to see
“Love, Valour and Compassion” at the Caldwell Playhouse, now closed, and
dinner at the Firehouse, yes, also closed. On the 23rd Mark and I went
to Carlos & Pepe’s for dinner, still open, and we went to see
“Before and After” a good movie but Streep still leaves me cold--I don’t
remember the movie at all! On Monday I went down to the ZanZbar
restaurant to make reservations and plans  for my birthday party.

The
invitation was headed "DEATH BY DESSERT" to be held at the ZanZbar
restaurant specializing in African food and desserts. There were 5 of
us--Nancy, Jim, Bob, Gino, myself--and 16 desserts. Each dessert was
homemade and had a hand carved chocolate animal on the top and each was
better than the other--I know as I tasted each! It is now closed!

Looking
at my notes I see that I wrote about Mark: “Possibility of Mark as a
‘companion’ but sex not that good and he doesn’t have a job or money
either!” There were mentions of him, and a Miles, during the month of
March but then both disappeared.

I had been going to Carlos and
Pepe’s for years not to mention always liking Mexican food but really
had no idea about the different tortillas or burritos. On March 24th, a
Sunday, I started at “Who Song & Larry’s” which turned out to be an
interesting job!