This is it! In the spring of 1966 Larry and I decided that we did not want to live in the dorm for the next year. Somehow Larry found this basement apartment for us. Larry had a way of finding what he wanted. If it had been me I would have been lost. We moved into the basement apartment on the right in the fall and settled into our sophomore year WITH a strict lecture from the owner of the apartment. He was perhaps in his 60s or 70s and he made it VERY clear that we were to be quiet and NO, absolutely NO NO NO girls were to visit! IF I remember right there was one big room with some chairs and table and 2 beds. We did have a small kitchen and bathroom. That was our home for the year. I have no idea what it cost but I do remember we were sure that we would save money over living in the dorm. The building on the left had a couple of interesting tenants and Larry could tell you more about them than I!!!
Actually the highlight of the year was my new job. I was given the job of working in the barley department. They had a greenhouse where they were working on new varieties of barley and also several other buildings. I was given a key so I could come and go as I had time to work. I liked the fact that I could get my hours in any time and it was a job where I was alone. I guess I had not yet become social in any way! It was here that I started to drink coffee. It was here that I worked for hours with my little red transistor radio on AND it was here that I did earn enough money so I did not have to borrow any in addition to my $$ package from NDSU.
Larry and I had our own food in the fridge. IF I remember correctly most of my meals consisted of cream corn infused with cut up hot dogs. Beans infused with cut up hot dogs. Bland white bread with jam or peanut butter etc etc. I am sure I even stooped to the level of TV dinners. Oh, of course there was ground beef made into paddies also. You could guess that way back then one could purchase bread for maybe 50 cents a loaf or less.
I now had wheels that were much much better than my bike. My Harley sprint 250 got me pretty much anyplace I wanted to go and often it would end up at Marlys/Daves for lunch! Also at Joan/Ron for a meal! John Mouw was now in Fargo and I would see him also. In fact he invited me to stay at his place the following summer for free and I am guessing I never said a THANK YOU but I know he reads this so THANK YOU. John also let me use his car on more than one occasion. Gail came to Fargo one weekend for a work related conference. She was now going to Minot College and we were once again an item. John let me use his car as I recall it was a bit too chilly for the two of us on the motorcycle. She did come to our apartment. I promise we behaved ourselves and were very very quiet so the owner would not come down and give me a lecture!
In terms of classes I was going in the wrong direction. I have said before that I wanted to be in radio so I enrolled in a speech class as one has to learn how to speak if you are going to be on the radio. Well it happened to be a speech class along the lines of speech therapy! What did I know. I also enrolled in a German class as I knew one had to have a language to graduate. I was not a good student in that class. Come to think of it I am not sure I was never a good or even average student until I finally had a major which did not happen until the second half of my junior year---another story for another day!
Spring came and I was afraid that Mom would again ask me to come home but she did not. Maybe Mom/Dad felt they were kind of doing OK now and did not need me home. I should add that me being home the summer of 1966, I am sure I was not a support for them. I mean NOBODY talked about Ronald and Janet. It was just something that hung in the air, seemed to infiltrate every room and was "there" but not visible. I was offered a summer job in the barley department and I jumped at it. It was perhaps one of the most fun jobs I ever had. More about that tomorrow.
Enough of 66/67 so on to the present.
I talk to Terry maybe 2 or 3 times a day. She does not have enough strength to talk for long and really there is not much to say. She seems to be doing OK. She did say this morning that she felt she would be weak for some time. She still does not get out of bed. They did change her to a different room as it sounded like she would be able to call the nurse from this room more easily. She is not sleeping well but then who sleeps well in the hospital? I continue to feel normal, that is my normal! I am hoping to hear about my test today but I will not hold my breath as it mostly likely will be after the weekend.
It is Good Friday. I am going to have to google the term "good Friday" as it is the day Jesus was on the cross. I know that is very good for us but not good in terms of his suffereing. I have decided to fast today and try to focus on the importance of today, tomorrow and for sure Easter Sunday!
So no breakfast but I did indulge in Kona FP and I realize that may not be in step with th suffereing that Jesus indured today. Enough
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