Here Ya' Come Again Pt. 2

September 6, 1983

TUESDAY

tHIS WAS A MOST unusual Labor Day weekend. Not at all as fun as last year’s. (Last year was spent with Roger.) I didn’t even go to the Labor Day celebration one time all weekend.

It started out pretty good. I took off last Thursday and Friday, (Thursday cable was installed in my apartment) - and I’ve been thoroughly entertained by it. Friday night, Randall and I went to Barry’s and had a great time walking around (Barry lives in Wylie, country.) We stayed over there talking a lot. Actually, the conversation went mainly between Barry and me. But it was quite enjoyable. We got attacked by a couple of geese. That was funny. I really opened up and talked a lot about my family and mainly Alex. Barry was quite interested and made me feel at ease about talking about everything. Randall mainly kept quiet. After Barry’s, Randall and I went back to my place for a couple of hours. All in all that was a VERY enjoyable evening. When Randall left, he said that we’ll go out and really party hearty Saturday night.

Saturday came. We got together with Sherri, Thomas, DeeAnn, Brian and of course, Barry. We all went to see Mr. Mom which I loved. Then we all went to the Filling Station. I must add that Randall was not in a partying mood at all. In fact, he was in an extremely laid back and mellow mood. Most of my attention was surrounding Barry. (Barry was on my right, and Randall on my left.) DeeAnn and Brian were wrapped up in each other as usual, so no one else talked too much to them. The whole night I felt like Sherri, Thomas, Barry and I were together, DeeAnn and Brian were together and Randall was pretty much by himself. I finally was determined to get him to talk. I looked at him at one time and figured him out. I said “I bet I know where you would rather be right now.” He said “Where?” Then I replied “You’d like it if it were cold outside, you were in a quiet room with a fire roaring, with a special someone.” When I said that, he squeezed my hand, and said “How did you know?” I couldn’t get mad at him for wanting to be alone with me, I just feel there are time you have to adapt with what’s around you. And he knew how the evening would be. After the Filling Station, DeeAnn and Brian left, Randall wanted to go home, but Barry, Sherri and Thomas were still ready to go out and have fun (me too.) So I gave Sherri and Thomas my key to the apartment, and Barry and I took Randall home. I walked Randall to the door (a little unconventional) - he hardly let me go. Finally, I left with Barry.

When we got back to the apartment, we heard Sherri and Thomas, but couldn’t find them. We went into my room, and there they were on my bed, just talking of course. Barry and I joined them. (This was about 1:15 or 1:30.) At about 2:00, Sherri left. This left me with two guys, of course, Thomas and Barry. And no Randall. Oh well, I had a good time. We talked literally all night long. We talked about every realm of conversation possible. Mainly, again, it was Barry and I talking with Thomas adding a few tidbits here and there. I mean we were so open, I talked about some of my more intimate relationships, as in Russell. How I blew it, by being vain and wanting someone really great looking. Barry shared some relationships with me. Mainly his ordeal with LaDonna. We talked quite a bit about Randall also.

They left about 8:30 a.m.

SEPTEMBER 14, 1983

Wednesday

Life is wonderful!! It’s almost time to leave work, and I can’t go into detail. But briefly, the apartment living is wonderful! Work is fine. Randall and I have talked and agreed to see other people. We agree that mainly we enjoy each other’s company as friends and we’re both afraid to lose that friendship if we become too romantically involved. This way, if he wants to kiss me or vice versa, we can. But if we just want to buddy around, we can. I like that very much. I feel so much better now that we agreed on this arrangement. I don’t expect anything from him except what I would expect from a friend: love, companionship and consideration. I feel I show that to my friends and I expect that from them.

LIFE IS EXCITING AND WONDERFUL!

(2021 comment - Somewhere about this time, I remember Mom and Dad coming to our apartment and Kathleen cooking for them (tuna casserole) - and Later, Randall and Barry came - maybe this was move-in day or a few days later? Anyway, I was definitely "dating" Randall because later, a day or two - Mom said "I know you were really trying to get us to talk to Randall.. bringing up that he was a deerhunter like Dad.. but we REALLY liked Barry.. so sweet and genuine and we love his parents - Dr. Dwight Johnson was our dentist and had been for many, many years. AND that night, they surprised me with a brand new color TV!!)

- ALSO MTV was always playing on the TV - hardly EVER turned off. The music was sooo amazing in 1983!

SEPTEMBER 19, 1983

Monday

Boy, I had a fun weekend this time also! I can’t imagine why life has been so good to me lately, but it has! Just perfect! I think independence has a lot to do with it. Yes sir! Living on my own (with Kat, of course) seems to have changed my outlook a bit. I guess I feel adventurous and alive again. (Not that I ever felt really bad because I lived with Mom and Dad, just more my own person since I’m fending for myself.

Friday Night - Keith and I went to Richard Simmons’ Anatomy Asylum and worked out for about an hour. The workers there tried desperately to get me to join (Keith is already a member) but I remained strong and determined to wait until I got home to make up my mind. I still haven’t really decided, it’s $17 a month. Just moving out to an apartment, I need all the extra money I can get. But at the same time, after going to the class, I realized how unfit I am.. I feel better about myself and could learn to enjoy it. Mainly the class consists of aerobic dancing and exercises. No weight lifting or any of the similar. That’s what I need. I have to decide pretty soon or the special of $17 a month will be over and it’ll go back to $30 a month. (I’m still sore from Friday.)

Saturday Night - I slept until 12:30 p.m. (lazy bum) and then I got up and watched Take Her, She’s Mine (I obviously had TCM) with Jimmy Stewart and Sandra Dee. It was cute. After that, I fell asleep on the couch (still in my robe from taking a shower) when someone knocked on the door. I hopped up asked who it was, and it was Randall. I was in a very modest robe (my Japanese kimono) and I let him in. He stayed for a little while (30 minutes) then decided to go get his chess set (to teach me how to play) and give me a chance to dress, etc. He was back in 45 minutes, and I was all dressed, with make-up on and hair rolled. We played two games of chess and Barry had come over in the middle of our second game. Randall whooped me in both games. Afterwards, I went to cook us some dinner and the guys played chess. I cooked them fish sticks and macaroni and cheese. (lol) - We stayed around the apartment for a while and watched T.V. About 9:00, we went to Randall’s grandparents’ house at Lake Ray Hubbard (Gommy and Grandaddy) and went armadillo hunting. It seems armadillos are tearing up Gommy’s yard. But we didn't see one armadillo. We got a skunk though. Randall is an excellent shot. I visited with Gommy for awhile after we gave up. She is so easy to talk to. We talked about traveling. She’s been on a Carribean Cruise and to Europe. The conversation left Randall and Barry out in the cold, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and I believe Gommy did also. After visiting, Randall, Barry and I went out back and enjoyed the night air. Except for the few ants that got ahold of me, I had a blast. I rode piggy back on Randall and he carried me around a lot. In some ways, I feel extremely crazy about him and in other ways I’m not. It’s kind of confusing. The evening ended when Barry went home and Randall took me home. We stayed at my place for quite a while. You’d think we were serious about each other sometimes, and in other ways, we seem just friends. It’s really weird!!

Sunday - Barry came to pick me up and we went over to Randall’s. Then the three of us and Randall’s father, Mr. Rash, went to wash the Rash’s airplane. Yes, I said airplane. A six seater, piper Seneca II. After we washed it really well, Mr. Rash actually took us on a ride. Wow! It was wonderful! It was a lot more fun than a jet. It had more bounce. Yet, it was much more gliding and smooth than I would have ever expected. We flew for about 30 minutes. We zoomed over Gommy’s house at Lake Ray Hubbard. That was fun! Mr. Rash is a lot of fun and very very nice. We came back over to Randall’s house and Randall made Barry and I corny dogs. Mr. Rash had gone to pick up Mrs. Rash and Christy (Randall’s sister.) Later, when we were watching t.v., they came in. His whole family is very nice. I haven't met the brother Robert yet. (Randall said they were twins -both very handsome) - ha - I became extremely tired at 9:00 p.m. and said I needed to go home. Barry started to take me home. Randall was crashed on the floor, but when I began to leave, he grabbed my ankle, patted it, and told me to take care, and he’d see me next weekend. I told him to be careful driving home, and then Barry and I left. Oh, I thanked his father again for the plane ride and then left. Barry came over to the apartment. I was so tired I could hardly stand it at 9:00. But, by 10:30 or so, I was wide awake. He just listened to me rattle on all night. I was in a giddy mood. I even got out some keepsakes and made him listen. He seemed to be pretty interested. I read a lot of Russell’s stuff. He left at 1:00 a.m. I had trouble sleeping all night.

Summizing the whole evening, I’d say I had a fantabulous time!!!!

(2021 comment - I remember Mr. Rash saying when we were on the plane, "Now this is a very turbulent area, so Janie.. grab the door handle tighly so the door won't blow open." I held on sooo tightly not knowing he was pulling my leg.

SEPTEMBER 27, 1983

Tuesday

Well, what about my weekend? It was definitely not a bad weekend, in fact, relatively good. But somehow I feel a little down, actually kind of lost. Well, I’ll begin with Friday.

FRIDAY - First of all, it was September 23rd (Alex’s birthday). I didn’t hardly think about it all day until the night when I went to John Cody’s 11th birthday party. I was really dead tired. At one point, about 7:30, DeeAnn asked how I was doing, quite seriously. When I said “What do you mean?” She said “ I mean, your parents, how are they?” I had really not let Alex’s birthday bother me at all. But when she said that, naturally I started thinking about him more. After the birthday party let out, DeeAnn, Brian, Joy and I all got together and talked. She (Joy) was sort of down about her job. She’s teaching Junior High in Forney. She doesn't like it at all. Anyway, she began being depressed. Then we started talking about Mike Herron (Kae Lyn’s X-boyfriend, the one I’ve never liked.) That was a rather depressing conversation. After a while, Joy left the conversation and Brian, DeeAnn and I went to the living room. Brian began asking me questions about Randall and Barry. He was wondering why I preferred Randall to Barry. Just curious. That was perfectly alright to me. Except he wouldn’t accept my answers. Let me explain. He’d say “Why do you like Randall?” My answer was, Randall is intelligent, sharp, humorous, etc. etc. etc. Brian asked me to define intelligent. I said he’s extremely bright, makes great grades, ambitious, etc. Brian seemed to take offense to that. He told me that grades don’t get you ahead in life. And I said “Sure they do.” Oh, I can’t get into it. It was a silly conversation. What he was getting at, was good grades don’t necessarily make someone intelligent, which I agree with totally. But in Randall’s case, that is definitely an added factor. Also, with my brother, Bryant. Anyway, I had to leave because Randall and Barry were expected at my place by 9:00 p.m. and it was 8:30. So I left feeling poorly, mind you.

I got in the car and before I hardly had a chance to turn the key in the car, I started sobbing. Not a few tears, but actual waiting and boohooing. Weird, right? I had to pinpoint a reason for this (oh, I had also been cramping somewhat all day), well, the next thing I said “Alex!” out loud and cried even harder and louder. I cried all the way home like a silly idiot. When I got inside, I call DeeAnn and I said “DeeAnn, I miss him so much!” She decided to come over. By the time Brian and DeeAnn got to my apartment, I was pretty much dried up, but when DeeAnn hugged me, I bawled for a while and then quit for good.

About 9:30, Randall and Barry showed up, just in time, for me to quit crying. DeeAnn and Brian left shortly afterwards, and the three of us sat around. We were all three quite tired. At one point, (about 10:15 or so) I took Randall to my room to show him my very own new bed and what it all looked like with the desk and all. When I did, he collapsed on the bed. Barry came in directly and also plopped on the bed. We just laid there and talked. (It was a lot more comfortable than the couch.) I was in a pillow fighting mood and kept hitting each of them. I became too warm and went to turn the thermostat down. Randall followed me and when I was trying to see the dial, Randall looked also. We had both our noses closed to the thermostat, when he turned my head and kissed me. About 11:00, Barry left because he had to go to work Saturday. Randall and I were left alone.

Randall and I kept fighting (play fighting) wrestling, tickling, etc. I hadn’t had a good wrestling match in a long time. (Cam and I used to have them quite a bit.) It was fun. I like a good fight. If it’s for fun, of course. We giggled, teased, played and acted like little kids until… Randall had ahold of me at one point, looked at me, smiled, then kissed me. Most of the time, he just held me and we talked. I felt so close to him, almost closer than ever before. He left about 1:30 a.m.

I felt so wonderful that night. I still didn’t expect anything from him as far as commitments go, but, I felt we were closer.

SATURDAY - Randall came and picked me up about 12:30 p.m. He came in and seemed really glad to see me. I figured he was carrying his feelings over from last Friday night. I still had a lot of getting ready to do, so he relaxed on the couch. I was finally ready about 1:30. We went by his house real quick so he could change his shirt. Then we went and picked up a friend of his, Ronnie Hincher. That’s when the bad things started to happen. We picked up Ronnie at a friend of his house, John Bomman. It turned out John is a guy that I’ve known from way back. He’s a good friend of Dean Patterson, a guy up the street from me. Anyway, we got to talking about what we’ve done since high school and stuff. Ronnie hardly said two words to me. At one point, Ronnie and Randall were outside doing something, and I was inside visiting with John and his two sisters (I think). Randall came in the house, snapped his fingers at me and said “Let’s go.” That infuriated me. I said “Nobody snaps their fingers at me. I’ll go when I’m good and ready. He went back outside. In about five minutes, I said to the people in the room, “Well, I guess I’m ready to leave now.” I took my good time, went outside and said “Let’s go” to Randall. Being the person that I am, I got over that quickly.

The three of us went to Randall’s grandparents’ to ride the motor boat. Oh by the way, Randall was griping, cussing, etc. all the way there and back. Of course, Ronnie was aggravating him. Ronnie is kind of a hyper kid. He’s kind of humorous, but after a while, he gets on your nevers.

To make a long story short, Randall was a drag all night long. Barry and I wanted to do something and Randall was always too tired to do anything. Finally, Barry and I took him home and went back to my house. I was upset with Randall.

SUNDAY - Not much happened this day. I saw Randall very little. Barry came over and we visited until quite late.