HOM: Downtown

San Diego. my first big city - bigger than Boise, that is. The friendly city, with the "No Dogs, Cats or Sailors Allowed" signs on the nicer places... Boise. Did I mention the one way streets? I'd never encountered one till I drove in Boise, and the first time was nearly the last time. Four lanes of headlights coming at me, and about three seconds to dive off into a parking lot. I ate my first Pizza in Boise, too. Back to SD: I learned the bus schedules from Point Loma to downtown San Diego, then I located the used book stores. Yeah, I was addicted even then, One favorite was Herweg & Romine. There were a couple of others, at one of which I bought a 1946 Shooter's Bible. A few years later, I looked for that store again, but it was gone. I bought a few books at H&R that I still have. I spent some time at the arcades down on Broadway, shopped at Seven Seas, ran around with classmates and did the tourist bit in my free time. I was a popular guy to take drinking. I was the one that stayed sober and was depended on to get everyone else home & keep them out of trouble. After getting kicked out of taxis because my classmates puked and having drunk buddies take swings at me when I was trying to get them to pipe down as we were sneaking into the barracks a bit later than the rules required, I got disenchanted with that role. I have had trouble coping with drunks ever since. Zero patience. I remember a couple of us ogling a very pretty and very well built young blonde in a mini skirt for a while - till one of the guys working the arcade told us "she" wore a jockstrap. I fell out of love instantly. "She" wasn't unique, unfortunately, just less obvious than some of "her" compatriots. I went with buddies to a tattoo parlor, & still remember Gordon lecturing me by phone & letter on ALL the reasons to NOT get a tattoo, and I surprised both of us by listening. I REALLY wanted a "fouled anchor" tattoo like his. I got to be pals with a guy that was going to the Baptist Church in Ocean Beach, over the hill on the opposite side of Point Loma, and started going there with him on Sundays. There were some very cute ladies there that were a lot of fun to spend time with. It was only a pleasant walk of a couple of miles over the top and down to the beach, and I enjoyed the beach. I made a few friends there that I still have. I remember walking back to the base late one evening and having great fun splashing through puddles till I stepped into an open grate. Only one leg went in, but it dampened ALL my enthusiasm for walks in the rain. One of my cousins was living over in OB and I visited with her a bit, but when I realized I was putting a crimp in her love life I stopped dropping in. I rode the bus up to Long Beach and had some wonderful weekends with Toots & George & Glen. Glen took me to Disneyland. He had a bunch of coupons for free rides, but forgot them on a table at a snack bar and they disappeared. I felt bad, maybe sort of to blame for it, but he told me it was no big deal. Did I mention Civilian Clothes? Joy of Joys, we got to wear them when we were off duty. The USN-issue haircuts still made it obvious we weren't civilians, but we felt a lot freer. TBC (Me) (Home)