Author: David Haldeman

Friday, September 14, 1979
[No entry]

Thursday, September 13, 1979
[No entry]

Wednesday September 12th 1979
I called Clara Gillan and she called Township chairmen to come in and pick up about 35 pages each to “pagenote”- put page numbers on the previously prepared slips with names from each article. I spent the day between wedding appointments composing, instructing and getting packets ready. Several picked up by evening. Have a next Tuesday deadline for getting them back.
Supper at Turoff’s with Jordans and Hecker’s. Kenny seemed somewhat uncomfortable. Can’t go back to work for 6 weeks.

Tuesday September 11th 1979
Dug into mail on my desk and was still at it when Tom Keis came in. Said proofs should be here they weren’t. Finally after two calls to Taylor publishing in Dallas found them at post office addressed to post office box 169- the Historical Society box. Tom and I went to get them. First 400 Pages. Just as they will appear except black spaces where pictures will be. A real thrill to see.
Two wedding appointments. Shop seems to have been on even keel while I was gone. August sales were $34,000 + $4,000 + / last year. Shop very busy with Walk-ins. And well-stocked with silk and dry arrangements.

Monday September 10th 1979 flight Reno to Columbus
Leaving Kathy’s at 7:07 20 minutes to airport.
No window seats left at 7:30
Airborne over Reno- United flight 733- 1,469 miles to Chicago. Approach Great Salt Lake Desert 8:40 north of railroad crossing Lake. Ogden, Wasatch mountains. Breakfast over- scrambled eggs, orange juice, biscuits, ham and sausage over Wyoming clouded over. 9:45 pilot says on right side is Mexico and on left is Canada! 10:32 meandering rivers 10:11 over Fort Dodge outside 57 degrees Fahrenheit. Des Moines River meandering- wooded areas but flat. 10:44 starting descent 27,000 ft / Dubuque. Temperature 80 in Chicago Mississippi River huge sprawl behind dam at Clinton, Iowa. Roads running straight north and south with jogs noticeable. Hazy clouds 11:00. I-90 heading south east to Chicago. Plane turns southeast. 11,000 ft to final descent can begin to see color below. Fields green everywhere! But hazy. 11:05 Chicago River suburbs. 11:09 circling Chicago. 11:13 plane wallowing into airport. 11:14 on ground 11:35 in Terminal Gate F9 checked-in seat 12A.
12:27 flight 224 on 727. Moving out from terminal. Reading “The White Album” by Joan Didion in Mainliner Magazine. Chicago skyscrapers barely visible in smog. 12:36 Airborne over railroad railroad yards, freeway, park area more railroad yards plane wallowing. Deep quarry, freeway, another quarry, river and freeway. 12:39 airport, Lake Michigan and Turnpike. South East Freeway cloverleaf’s patterns among houses take up 4 city blocks. Oil tanks along Lake Michigan. 12:42 Farmland among subdivisions. 12:44 small lake turning South East crossing East West Freeway. Crossing Indiana Illinois line 12:50 Coke and peanuts 12:56. Fort Wayne. Picture of Marion area. 1:15 Final Approach Smog on Horizon- Woods- 1:18 landing 4:18 Columbus time. temperature 79.
Mary, Kenny and mother picked me up. Ate at Forum. At Terradise about 7 Howard got up to greet me.

Sunday September 9th 1979 Regas wholesale florist open house.
Doesn’t seem like Sunday with Bob working. Kathi started and I finished mowing the lawn. Kids not very cooperative to help work. Soaked pinyon pine cones and packed box and also one to ship. About 1:00 Kathi and I went to Ernest Regas wholesale florist open house in their new building on Gregg Street. Met Ernest and Tony & wife of Sparks Florist. 3 designers working and I won door prize for coming the farthest. Next closest was from Ely 310 miles. Bought some swirl wreaths from Philippines. Good Buffet. Then to MGM Grand to see the 40 shops in the lower level arcade. Grand staircase with mirrors interesting. Shops expensive. I wonder if they really sell that stuff? Hot about 90°. Bob called that beacon was out* and he would be late. We finally ate about 6:30. Pork chops and leftovers and chocolate pudding. Bob home about 7 and first thing he said “Where did those toys come from and why are they in the living room?” Mike had given Kristi a camper. Watched movie about a ghost on airplanes for a while and then to my room to read “The Rivers Ran East” by Leonard Clark. Is search for El Dorado in early 1950s- he found six of the Seven Cities. David had book from library. Packed. Finished book about 1:30.

[*Bob Sands worked for the FAA in maintenance of computers and equipment]

Saturday September 8 1979 Virginia City – Pinon Cones – Camel Races
Started for Virginia City about 10 & stopped at Home Lumber Co,. to buy a fiberglas garage door. There is a 1” gap in the one they have. $75 was a bargain Bob thought. Picked up a cute apple juice bottle. On Rt 17 to Virginia City by 11:00. Stopped on way up to pick up pinon cones. Climbed to to of a small mountain, gathering all the way. Could see the several years of weathering on the various cones. This year gree ones just starting to fall. Gorgeous views of Reno from top. MGM Grand always dominates view. 1 ½ hrs collecting and looking at Viriginia City after hair raising curves up the Geiger Grade. Stopped at Cemetery first. Marble tombstones of 1860 not in the least weathered. Drove on into Virginia City and parked fairly close to camel racing area. No more races until 2:30 so walked up to Main Street for hotdogs and Coke. Had a window table and watched 3 parachute jumpers- 1 broke leg when he landed we learned later. Back downhill to camel races. Not very exciting. Only ran about two hundred feet. Two camels at a time. Shootout by Old Depot more exciting. Walked back up to the “Castle”- 1868 home of mine superintendent. Only three families have owned it and each left some of original furniture- but a 500 year old sideboard in Victorian style? Left Virginia City about 8. Had ice cream cone in candy shop and good water there. On way back up Del Monte Lane to view point in Aubrey Harris Park. Blue ranches. Showed slides of Mary Welker’s wedding and Hemmerly reunions and some old 1960 ones I had brought. Bob went for Chinese food for supper. Took two bath waters to get me clean.

Friday September 7 1979
Kass called wanting to know where to put “Harding Publishing Co.” Safe. I said supply room if possible.
Up late and everybody a little “off” after the wine & champagne last night. Bob, Kathi & I got ready to go to Carson City but Bob got mad after we were loaded & stamped back into the house. Kathi & I started for the bank & she got mad when I reminded her that this life was what she had opted for. So I went to the bank after she went back home. Deposited the $150 I gave them to cover gasoline, food, etc. while I was here. But they wouldn’t cash the $60 check Kathi had written. So went back & got her. Meanwhile Bob had left in pickup.
Temp about 93 & tempers about 150!
I cooked noodles for the chicken broth from previous meal. Played Boggle with David & Kristi. I give them a handicap of 7 words & 2 letter words & they can beat me. David is VERY good.
Took both kids when we went to YWCA for Kristi’s gym. She seemed tired & didn’t do as well as on Wed.
Had popcorn & watched Capricorn I on home movie TV. Desert scenes & helicopter flights over mountains reminded me of “Beautiful Nevada” at the planetarium.

Thursday September 6th 1979 hello Hollywood hello at MGM Grand.
Kind of lazy day big event was going to the MGM Grand. Goldie came over to stay with kids. We left about 9- finally drove up to the landmark that can be seen wherever you are in and around Reno. Only a mountain can block it out! Everything plush in the Hollywood style- enormous crystal chandeliers the full length of the gaming floor. Slot machines from $0.05 to a dollar Bob and I played the $0.05 one and lost and went to 10 cents in one and lost and finally $0.25 last 1 and finally ended up losing $4.50. Got in line for “Hello, Hollywood Hello!” at 10:30 for 11:00 seating and 12:00 show. Herded in areas like cattle, Bob said. Ziegfeld Theater enormous. Seating in tiers and with a $5 tip we got third-tier seats just right of center. Ordered Blue Nun wine and Mumm’s extra dry champagne to make our $17.50 cover charge. Stage must be 200 feet long with wings and also high stages on either side and a floating stage above our heads. The cast arrived in a 727 mockup (real one too heavy!) San Francisco deteriorated before our eyes in the 1906 earthquake and the stage was covered with waterfalls in the space spectacular over a ton of feathers on the 1,113 costumes used. Bare bosoms on some & g-strings only on men but not suggestive. A constant changing Kaleidoscope for over 2 hours. Champagne just lasted long enough. But Bob put the sugar in the fridge and left the milk out when we had coffee before bed.

Wednesday September 5th 1979 to planetarium after Christi’s gym.
Wrote to mother and Howard, Kathi and I had lunch on patio and then went to Meadowood. Found a bedspread for Kristi but not Davy. Know he would rather have a new bike. Davy really warm when we picked him up almost home. At supper they talked about Mike talking about “Angel Dust” scares me to death. Kathi says Bob makes about $40 a pay more than in Fargo and their house payments increased over $200 a month with 11.5% interest instead of 8.5%. Sure doesn’t seem like a smart move to me, but I haven’t endured a North Dakota winter.
To Kristi’s gym class tonight. First time in novice class. Instructors very gentle, Kristi does well. Then to Fleischmann Planetarium for Isaac Asimov’s “The Last Question” and “Beautiful Nevada”. First was thought-provoking- end and beginning of the universe- and the latter exciting. Helicopter ride over Nevada’s wonders. Saw fireworks from State Fair as we came out of Planetarium.