1996
didn't end on a good note as once again I was robbed though I did have
insurance and got a check for over $1,000. With the bad there is always
good and I was promoted to trainer of servers at Who Songs which gave me
a much better paycheck plus I was getting better stations and making
more in tips . There were rumors about the restaurant being sold
but nothing concrete. By the way, in case you didn't know, when being
trained in restaurants as servers you follow an old-timer, do most of
the work and don't get any of the tips, just straight pay which, if I
remember right, was about $5 an hour in Florida! I would, sometimes,
slip the trainee a few bucks if I had a good night and I felt they did
more than their share and were catching on quick.

January
1997 started off good as I was still working, making money, eating out
and going to the theatre seeing such shows as Rogers and Hart's "Babe In
Arms", Edward Albee's Pulitzer Prize winning "3 Tall Women" with Bob,
Jim and Gino, eating at Tom Jenkin's BBQ (now closed) or Jalesco's
(still open) or Lester's (open)depending on which playhouse we were
going to--needless to say still going to the movies--seeing such movies
as "Jerry McGuire" --all in all a good month.

The
rumors started again in February about Who Song closing but now it was
added that the whole corner was going to be demolished and there would
be a Target going up. I really didn't think much about it and just
continued enjoying life like Gino and I going to see the new movie
"Evita" then a bite to eat at Wings 'N More (closed) or going to Catfish
Dewey's (open) for all you can eat shrimp which, if I remember, was
$11.95 or going to the IMAX theatre to see "Into The Deep". At 61 I
didn't seem to be having any problems of any kind and there aren't any
notes in my diary regarding anything being wrong which, of course, is
the time to watch out! The rumors were true about Who Song and we were
given notice which is rare in this business!

At
the same time, after my place being robbed 3 times, my rental insurance
was cancelled. Gino, Emir and I would go to the beach and have lunch at
"The Deck" (closed)or went to see Faye Dunaway in "Master Class" at the
Parker Playhouse. I did get a job interview at La Bomba (open) but
didn't get the  job. I was now living off money I had in the bank which
was a combination of the insurance and my income tax refund. I was
gettign unemployment but along with Florida always being one of the
lowest in unemployment payments being a server you really didn't get
much to begin with but I wasn't complaining.
March
was also the first time I went to 'the baths' in over 20 years and they
hadn't changed a bit in spite of AIDS being prevalent in South Florida.
One having nothing to do with the other I do have a note that I went to
The Eagle to get Chuck a t-shirt but they didn't have them. Funny what
notes I kept and which I didn't. I did hear from Bill for my
'unbirthday' in the middle of March! In April, still not working, and
admittedly, not looking too hard for a job, I was still spending money
going to see a performance of "Riverfest" at the Parker Playhouse and
"The Heiress" at the Caldwell Playhouse. I do have a remark about
staying up all night reading Mario Puzo's "The Last Don". I do have a
note at the end of April saying, "Also, going broke again!"