59 Keep on knockin' but you can't come in

We're driving into his neighborhood. Talking about heading to California. It just wasn't as regimented. No calendars on the phone. No rushed reservations to make. It was easier just to relax when making any kind of a trip. Even when I was little, we made road trips and just pulled into a motel along the road when everyone was tired and hungry.

We didn't run into anyone nervous or anxious about making a destination on time. Phil had no motives, we thought, except that he probably wouldn't mind sitting around with a couple of laid back people for a bit. Heard about his friend Norm. They were in the army together, both from Chicago. Two different worlds though. Norm lived in the South Side of Chicago.

We pull into the neighborhood. I've seen some fancy houses on Long Island, but these were completely different. All kinds of strange proportions. 

Well anyway. Fancy stuff doesn't impress me. Phil shows us his sisters room. We plop down our two little bags and one sleeping bag. I have never been in such a frilly room. It was all puffy and lacey. 

Lacey and frilly like this.

I should describe my room at my parents a little. Old worn, bare wooden floor. I like that. Dark and unshined. Ridges from use. I painted a beanstalk from floor to ceiling. I heard people that bought the house later kept it. I am completely sure it's gone now. You could tell by the looks of the way they took down trees and pulled out bushes. I had a lot of knick knack things from my grandmother. An old steam radiator. A very old table with my stereo. Really not all that much. I wasn't there a lot. Most of my friends didn't go overboard either.

Norm and his girlfriend showed up. One of those funny friendships. They seemed so different and looked so different. Phil was short and quiet. Norm was big and funny. Norm went out of his way to tell us he was an Indian. American Indian. Those were the terms everyone used in 1972. Then Phil would sarcastically tell us "No. He's Mexican." They were friends and constantly joking about it.

Norm said he just picked up an album. It's real funny. Just as we were getting ready to listen, Phil brought out tabs of acid for everyone. We dropped it and smoked some reefer. Norm put the album on. I'll never forget seeing that cover for the first time.

I have to explain the difference in time periods again. There was no cable TV. There were three networks and if you were lucky you had a couple local. I was super lucky to get WPIX and WOR in New York. WNEW too. That's where I watched all my monster movies and old black and whites. Especially WPIX. There was no internet.We had newspapers, magazines, tabloids and word of mouth. You could live and not have 24 hour per day bombardment of information, or so called information, and entertainment. There was a definite difference in East Coast and West Coast influences. Sometimes never the twain should meet. It was 1972 and this was the first time we heard of Cheech and Chong.

All I remember is we were all laughing our asses off. That's all I could tell ya. We just listened all night, maybe playing some of the tracks again. Dropping that needle on the vinyl. I think my stomach hurt. Well Norm actually had to get up for work. He left with his girlfriend and we went up to the frilly room. "Are you sure your sister won't mind?" Nah.

I must say that bed was very comfortable. The most comfortable we had ever been in, let alone after staying on the ground and what not. What do you think we were doing in that bed? Well, it pretty much went on for days. What can I say? When Norm came over in the evening we'd put some clothes on and head down stairs and it all started again. We weren't eating much. Phil would leave in the day and show up later. A few times we headed out to a deli or something for some food while he was gone. We didn't raid the kitchen cause he never offered. We thought..."Ok. Whatever." Not much detail here... sorry. But it was all very relaxing and nobody minded. Cause that's what people did. More drugs in the evening, some record play, conversation and laughs. If you expect me to remember everything we talked about you can forget it.

After about three days 🤷 we came back and went up to the bedroom. There was a surprise we weren't expecting. It's not what you're expecting either... anyway, there was all kinds of psycho writing in lipstick all over the mirror. It basically said "I know you've been fucking in my bed." Hmmm. I thought the sister was gone. Phil said she wouldn't mind?

Not this

Norm came over that evening and heard about it. I think Phil was laughing. Norm told us "Phil hates his sister." Huh. That's trippy. He had us " messing up" her bed as some kind of statement. Whatever Phil. We all had a good time. I can only imagine what went on when he saw her. He wouldn't let us straighten up. Norm said "C'mon over my place." We were headed for the South Side. I remember a little bit more from there.